SD1 Merrill Brochure

Impeccable image quality. Cutting-edge technology.
Our flagship camera has it all
Preserving once-in-a-lifetime
moments
Photographs can preserve special
moments and breathtaking scenery
for eternity. They can also let us
express feelings and share ideas.
At Sigma we consider the capture
system to be the key factor in
photographic performance.
After all, photography is meant to
reflect truth, and cameras are tools
to take photographs. Pursuing the
goal of photographic perfection is
a matter of creating the ultimate
capture system.
Some may say that digital
imaging technology has already
reached maturity and that further
innovation will be insignificant.
We, however, beg to differ.
Delivering truly high image quality
When it comes to the capture
system at the heart of
photography, most digital cameras
are treading the same well-worn
path, using technology that has
hardly changed since digital
photography's infancy.
In contrast, Sigma is taking
a completely different tack,
developing direct-image sensor
technology to achieve true
progress in the key areas of
the capture system and image
generation.
Sigma is also the only camera
maker committed to perfecting
Foveon X3® direct image sensor
technology. This full color capture
system uses three layers of
photodiodes vertically aligned
to capture all three primary RGB
colors of light at each photosite.
We take this approach because we
believe in focusing on innovation
that can make a real difference in
the quality of photographs.
Pioneering the camera's future
with the SIGMA SD1
Ever since its inception,
the Foveon X3® direct image
sensor has earned a unique
reputation for its three-dimensional
ambience. The SIGMA SD1
marked another milestone in this
dimension of "emotional image
quality," producing photographs
mesmerizing in their lifelike
presence.
Its larger sensor size has triple
the pixel count of its predecessor.
With the increased resolution of
so many more pixels added to
the capture system's intrinsically
rich image quality, the result is
amazingly nuanced gradation
and color fidelity.
Such astonishing image quality
makes conventional digital cameras
pale by comparison. It also clearly
indicates the direction Sigma is
heading in pursuit of photographic
excellence and the ideal camera.
A flagship that puts Sigma's
principles into practice
It may look like a standard SLR,
but its images have the detail and
clarity you might expect from
a medium-format film camera.
Their vibrant, richly textured
realism awakens the desire to take
creative photographs.
The good news is that the SD1
Merrill has all the impeccable
imaging performance and build-
quality of the SD1.
Achieving mass production of such
a camera that we could endorse
without reservation was no easy
task. But when you hold the SD1
Merrill in your hands you will
understand why it was worth it.
The sensor was designed in
Silicon Valley, the epicenter of
semiconductor innovation.
The camera is made entirely
in-house by Sigma in Japan.
This combination of cutting-edge
technology and a proud tradition
of precision artisanship has
produced a creative tool destined
to inspire the artistic soul of every
serious photographer.
The eye-opening impact of this
camera's image quality is the result
of an uncompromising devotion
to principles and a passion for
excellence.
Now it is our pleasure to be able
to make such quality available to
more photographers than ever
before. Our humble hope is that
using the SD1 Merrill will stimulate
your creative impulse in a way no
other camera can.
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