All of this extra detail and color info comes at a cost though, as the light has to pass through the silicone the lower layers get less light which in return means less dynamic range compared to modern Sony sensors and more noise. While this camera is amazing at ISO 100-200 as you go above ISO 400 especially in poor lighting the benefit of the Foveon sensor starts to fade quickly (except possibly in Monochrome) as images start to lose saturation and noise/color blotching starts to appear.

But as a studio photographer or when on location with strobes I’m mostly always at my base ISO and this is where this camera truly shines and what I will be focusing on for the rest of this article but first let’s talk about another great studio feature.

Tethering

Although cameras have had this ability for many years (like my Sony a7ii) for me this is a relatively new feature and one I am finding invaluable when shooting in the studio.

With the addition to USB3 and HDMI connections to the sd Quattro along with free Sigma’s Capture Pro software it is possible to setup and control the camera using a PC/Mac with a second screen to display the live-view in real time as this BTS image taken with my phone shows.