Figure 1: Does this void the warranty?
I had been wanting to try the famous Sigma Foveon sensor for a long time, but wanted to put a toe in the pond before becoming a Foveon aficionado extreme (When I become an aficionado, it’s always extreme).
I found a way to tip toe my entry into the Foveon world via a very nicely priced Ebay purchase of an older Sigma SD14 camera. It came to my mailbox with only 5,000 clicks on the shutter, and original cables and accessories that seemed not to have been used much, if at all.
My only problem was that my Sigma lenses are Pentax K mount, not Sigma SA mount, and so wouldn’t fit the SD14. I ordered some adapters, but they had not yet arrived. “What to do?” I asked myself. As usual in such moments, I mouthed the words “Duct Tape”.
I happened to have a lightweight Fujinon lens of the M42 variety, that had a nice round bottom with little protruding miscellany. I also had a PVC pipe washer left over from the last under-the-kitchen-sink drain repair. This, I thought, could go to protect the sensor from the bottom of the lens, in case of a duct tape mishap:
Figure 2: Drain washers of type usually found under a kitchen sink.
The drain washers were just the right size to prevent any scratching of the sensor filter – should I have a slippage moment while wrestling with the lens.
Figure 6: Duck tape (not very secure, so have to be careful).
Figure 7: A first shot with (probably not fitted straight) lens.
So, this first shot (figure 7) tells me that everything is in order. I’m not evaluating the Foveon based on this, obviously! The Fujinon lens is most likely *not* parallel to the axis of the camera in any dimension – and is probably offset by an uneven amount around its periphery. The shot is good only to verify it’s working. In the next installment, we’ll see how it does with a real (non-duct-tape) adapter. Stay tuned …
The Sigma SD14 is a product of Sigma Corporation. Sigma and Foveon are their trademarks. This author and site has no affiliation with Sigma.
A Storm Of Photons 