sd Quattro H digital - Mirrorless Digitalcamera by Sigma
- 51-megapixel-equivalent resolution
- Bigger APS-H size
- Foveon X3 sensor
The first camera to feature the newly developed APS-H size Foveon X3 Quattro direct image sensor—with incredible 51-megapixel-equivalent resolution.
The SIGMA sd Quattro H features a Foveon X3 direct image sensor (generation name: Quattro) in an all-new bigger APS-H size. It has all the image quality of the Foveon X3 direct image sensor with even more resolution. In fact, the SIGMA sd Quattro H offers 51-megapixel-equivalent resolution—the highest among sensor sizes smaller than full-frame. This is the camera for those looking for even higher resolution form SIGMA's direct image technology.
Outstanding performance, next-level image quality
With its three-layer structure, the Foveon X3 Quattro direct image sensor captures all of the information carried by visible light. This film-like capture system offers rich gradations and color and truly distinctive image quality. Optimized to match the enhanced resolution and other characteristics of the image data, the image processing system of the new SIGMA sd Quattro leverages the outstanding fundamental functions of the camera while taking overall image quality to the next level.Two sensor sizes available
The SIGMA sd Quattro incorporates an APS-C size sensor for outstanding medium format level image quality,while the SIGMA sd Quattro H features a new APS-H size sensor for
51 megapixel-equivalent ultra-high image quality.
Other cameras typically use a single-layer photo sensor covered by a Bayer filter mosaic, which comprises 50% green, 25% blue, and 25% red squares. In contrast, the Foveon X3 Quattro direct image sensor uses no low-pass filter and is able to capture 100% of the data for blue, green, and red in each of its three layers. Due to this unique structure, the Foveon X3 Quattro direct image sensor can generate up to twice the resolution data of sensors using a Bayer filter. The SIGMA sd Quattro has an APS-C-size sensor with 19.6 megapixels in its top layer, giving it an equivalent total of approximately 39 megapixels and the outstanding image quality expected of a medium format camera. The SIGMA sd Quattro H features a newly developed APS-H size sensor (26.7 x 17.9mm) with 25.5 megapixels in its top layer for an equivalent total of approximately 51 megapixels. This larger sensor takes Foveon image quality to the next level, delivering more detailed images than ever before.
Foveon direct image sensor
Starting with our very first digital camera, we have featured the Foveon direct image sensor, which offers radically better image quality than any other sensor available. Leveraging the light absorption characteristics of silicon, the sensor comprises three layers of photodiodes, each at a different depth within the silicon and each corresponding to a different RGB color. Since it is the only sensor to use this superior vertical color separation technology, it is also the world’s only direct image sensor.Almost all other image sensors are mosaic sensors, which use an array of RGB color filters in a single horizontal plane to capture color information. Each pixel is assigned only one of the three colors and cannot capture all three colors at once. In contrast, the Foveon direct image sensor captures color vertically, recording hue, value, and chroma accurately and completely for each pixel.
In the Foveon direct image sensor, there are no color filters which would cause a loss of information transmitted by light. Moreover, there is no low-pass filter needed to correct the interference caused by a color filter array. Finally, unlike the data from other sensors, which requires artificial interpolation to “fill in” missing colors, the data from the Foveon direct image sensor is complete for every single pixel and requires no interpolation. The unique technological principle of this sensor produces consistently outstanding image quality.