Sigma SD9 Review

Name: Sigma SD9
Brand: Sigma

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Main Features

3MP - APS-C CMOS (Foveon X3) Sensor

No Optical low-pass (anti-aliasing) filter

ISO 100 - 400

1.80" Fixed Type Screen

Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder

fps continuous shooting

950g. 152 x 120 x 79 mm

Replaced by Sigma SD10

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Sigma SD9 Overview

Launched in November 2002 , Sigma SD9 is a 3.0MP Advanced DSLR camera with a APS-C (20.7 x 13.8 mm ) sized CMOS (Foveon X3) sensor and Sigma SA Bayonet lens mount. Sigma later replaced SD9 with SD10. Follow the link to read our in-depth comparison of these cameras:
Compare Sigma SD9 vs Sigma SD10

Sigma SD9 Review - Click for Table of Contents

Overview
Pros and Cons
Lens Mount and Lenses
Sensor and Photography Features
Physical Specs
LCD and Viewfinder
Connectivity, Storage and Battery
Other Features
Photography Type Scores
Alternatives
Popular Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Detailed Specifications

Sigma SD9 is a member of Sigma's Advanced DSLR class cameras. Below you can see the latest models in this class and how their main specs have changed with each new model.

Sigma Advanced DSLR Series History

Model	Release Date	Sensor	Max FPS	Dimensions	Weight
Sigma SD1 Merrill Compare	2012	15.0MP - APS-C	fps	146 x 113 x 80mm	790g
Sigma SD1 Compare	2010	15.0MP - APS-C	5.0 fps	146 x 113 x 80mm	g
Sigma SD15 Compare	2010	5.0MP - APS-C	3.0 fps	144 x 107 x 81mm	750g
Sigma SD14 Compare	2006	5.0MP - APS-C	3.0 fps	144 x 107 x 81mm	750g
Sigma SD10 Compare	2004	3.0MP - APS-C	fps	152 x 120 x 79mm	950g

Check the link below to compare specs of the latest cameras in this series side by side:
Sigma SD1 Merrill vs SD1 vs SD15 vs SD14 vs SD10

Alternative Model names found for Sigma SD9: SD 9 and SD-9.

**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Sigma SD9 PROs and CONs Review

Now let's get in to more details of our Sigma SD9 review by analysing its specs and features and listing out its pros and cons compared to average competitor cameras in its class.

PROs

Optical Built-in Viewfinder

1/6000s High Shutter Speed

0.77x magnification - Large Viewfinder

Flash Sync Port

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Buy Sigma SD9 from AMAZON or B&H PHOTO

CONs

No Wireless Connection

No Sensor shift Image Stabilization

No Articulating Screen

No Full HD Video

No Touch Screen

No Face Detection Focusing

Low Resolution Sensor: 3.0MP

Max Sensitivity only ISO 400

Small LCD Screen ( 1.80")

Low Screen Resolution ( 130kdots )

Heavy Body: 950g

No Environmental Sealing

No AF Micro Adjustment

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Sigma SD9 Physical Specs

Sigma SD9 weighs 950 g (2.09 lb / 33.51 oz) and has external dimensions of 152 x 120 x 79 mm (5.98 x 4.72 x 3.11″). Considering that the average weight of DSLR type cameras is 773g, Sigma SD9 is a significantly heavy camera for its class. With a thickness of 79mm, it has an average thickness.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

Sigma SD9

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Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

Sigma SD9

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In order to give you a better idea about the real life size of Sigma SD9, we have added an image of how it looks next to a credit card and an AA type battery.

Physical size of the Sigma SD9 Body Compared to a Credit Card and an AA Battery

Below you can find the comparison of the weight and thickness of Sigma SD9 with its main competitors:

Sigma SD9 Size Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Weight	vs SD9	Thickness	vs SD9
Sigma SD10 Compare	950g	equal weight	79mm	equal thickness
Sigma SD14 Compare	750g	200g lighter	81mm	2mm thicker
Sigma SD1 Merrill Compare	790g	160g lighter	80mm	1mm thicker
Sigma SD15 Compare	750g	200g lighter	81mm	2mm thicker
Nikon D5 Compare	1415g	465g heavier	92mm	13mm thicker
Canon SD960 IS Compare	145g	805g lighter	22mm	57mm thinner
Sony A6300 Compare	404g	546g lighter	49mm	30mm thinner
Pentax K-1 Compare	1010g	60g heavier	86mm	7mm thicker

Weather Sealing

Sigma SD9 doesn't have any environmental sealings on its body so you got to be extra careful to protect it against water and dust. If you shoot under these conditions very often, consider checking Top DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing page.

Sigma SD9 Lens Mount and Lenses

Sigma SD9 has a Sigma SA Bayonet lens mount and currently there are 77 native lenses available for this mount. SA has access to Sigma's full selection of lenses but the downside is no other manufacturer offers a lens for this mount.

Sigma SD9 doesn't have a sensor based image stabilization system but 29 of these lenses already comes with Optical Image Stabilization.

Weather Sealed Lenses for Sigma SD9

There are 16 lenses with weather sealing for Sigma SD9 but bear in mind that SD9 body doesn't have weather sealings.

Here are some of the most popular Sigma SD9 Lenses on Camera Decision:

Popular Sigma SA Bayonet Mount Lenses for Sigma SD9

Model	Focal Length equiv.	Coverage	Weight	Focusing	Street Price
Sigma 85mm F1.4 DG HSM Art	0mm	35mm FF	1130gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG Macro	0mm	35mm FF	460gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sigma 105mm F1.4 DG HSM Art	0mm	35mm FF	1645gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM	0-0mm	35mm FF	1160gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sigma 50-100mm F1.8 DC HSM Art	0-0mm	APS-C / DX	1490gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sigma 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM	0mm	35mm FF	726gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sigma 300-800mm F5.6 EX DG HSM	0-0mm	35mm FF	5880gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sigma 17-50mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM	0-0mm	APS-C / DX	565gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo

Here you can find the lenses that are compatible with SD9 classified by suitability to certain photography types:

Check our Sigma SD9 Lenses page for more detailed lens search.

Sigma SD9 Sensor and Photography Features

Sigma SD9 has a 3.0MP APS-C (20.7 x 13.8 mm ) sized CMOS (Foveon X3) sensor . You can shoot at maximum resolution of 2268 x 1512 pixels with aspect ratios of and 3:2. SD9 has a native ISO range of 100 - 400 and it can save files in RAW format which gives you a wider room for post processing.

Sigma SD9 is not the highest resolution APS-C camera. Fujifilm X-T5 with its 40.2MP sensor is leading in this class. Check the comparison of Sigma SD9 vs Fujifilm X-T5 or take a look at Highest resolution DSLR cameras list.

Anti-Aliasing Filter

Another important feature about Sigma SD9's sensor is the lack of anti-alias (Low-pass) filter. Removing anti-aliasing filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but on the other side it also increases the chance of moiré occurring in certain scenes.

Let's look at how the size of the Sigma SD9's APS-C sensor compares with other standard sensor sizes.

Comparison image of Sigma SD9 Sensor Size with other standard sensors

Sigma SD9 LCD and Viewfinder

Sigma SD9 has a Fixed Type 1.80-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 130k dots. At only 1.80", the screen is on the smaller side and 130kdot resolution is lower than most of the recent models in this class.

Unfortunately Sigma SD9 doesn't have a Selfie friendly screen. If this feature is important for your shooting style, check here the list of Best DSLR Cameras with Selfie Friendly LCD screen.

SD9 has a built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder, making it easier to shoot in direct sunlight and in other situations where it might be difficult to view the LCD monitor. The viewfinder has a coverage of 98% and a magnification ratio of 0.77x. 98% coverage means that what you see in your viewfinder while shooting will slightly be different from the actual image.

Sigma SD9 Connectivity, Storage and Battery

Sigma SD9 has a USB 1.0 (1.5 Mbit/sec) port to connect your camera to other devices.

Sigma SD9 Features Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Max Video	Battery Life	Wi-fi	Bluetooth	NFC
Sigma SD10 Compare	None	shots	No	No	No
Sigma SD14 Compare	None	shots	No	No	No
Sigma SD1 Merrill Compare	None	shots	No	No	No
Sigma SD15 Compare	None	shots	No	No	No
Nikon D5 Compare	3840 x 2160	3780shots	No	No	No
Canon SD960 IS Compare	1280 x 720	shots	No	No	No
Sony A6300 Compare	3840 x 2160	400shots	Yes	No	Yes
Pentax K-1 Compare	1920 x 1080	760shots	Yes	No	No

Sigma SD9 Other Features

Max Shutter speed

Sigma SD9 can shoot continuously at max speed of and has max shutter speed of 1/6000 sec.

Flash

Unfortunately SD9 doesn't have a built-in flash but it has a flash shoe for mounting external flashes.

Focusing

Sigma SD9 features a Contrast Detection autofocusing system.

What type of Photography is Sigma SD9 Good for?

In this section, we review and score Sigma SD9 in 5 different photography areas.

Sigma SD9 for Portrait Photography

Sigma SD9 has a score of 40 for Portrait Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Portrait is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top DSLR Cameras for Portrait Photography list.

Large APS-C (20.7 x 13.8 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder

Good Ergonomics&Handling

Read the details of how we scored Sigma SD9 for Portrait Photography

Sigma SD9 for Street Photography

Sigma SD9 has a score of 41 for Street Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Street is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top DSLR Cameras for Street Photography list.

Optical Built-in Viewfinder

Large APS-C (20.7 x 13.8 mm) sensor

Read the details of how we scored Sigma SD9 for Street Photography

Sigma SD9 for Sports Photography

Sigma SD9 has a score of 66 for Sports Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Sports Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 DSLR Cameras for Sports Photography list.

Fast Max shutter speed: 1/6000s
Good Ergonomics&Handling

Optical Built-in Viewfinder

Read the details of how we scored Sigma SD9 for Sports Photography

Sigma SD9 for Daily Photography

Sigma SD9 has a score of 37 for Daily Photography which makes it a POOR candidate for this type of photography. If Daily We strongly recommend you to check our Top DSLR Cameras for Daily Photography list and consider these alternatives over theSD9.

Large APS-C (20.7 x 13.8 mm) sensor

Read the details of how we scored Sigma SD9 for Daily Photography

Sigma SD9 for Landscape Photography

Sigma SD9 has a score of 25 for Landscape Photography which makes it a POOR candidate for this type of photography. If Landscape We strongly recommend you to check our Top DSLR Cameras for Landscape Photography list and consider these alternatives over theSD9.

Large APS-C (20.7 x 13.8 mm) sensor

Read the details of how we scored Sigma SD9 for Landscape Photography

Sigma SD9 Alternatives

In this section, we analyse how Sigma SD9 compares with other DSLR cameras within a similar price range.

Read a more detailed analysis of Sigma SD9 alternatives.

Popular Comparisons of Sigma SD9

Here is the eight most popular comparisons of Sigma SD9 amongst Camera Decision readers.

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Sigma SD9 Alternatives in Mirrorless Cameras

It would also be interesting to compare Sigma SD9 with Mirrorless Cameras. Below we have listed 4 highest ranked Mirrorless cameras in Sigma SD9's price range.

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Sigma SD9 Conclusion and Scores

Currently, Sigma SD9 has an Overall Score of 35/100 which is based on our evaluation of 69 different technical parameters. Our scores are dynamically updated whenever a new camera is added to our database or when we change our ranking algorithm and the maximum score is always 100. Sigma SD9 is ranked #203 out of 209 in DSLR cameras (Top 20 DSLR), and ranked #888 out of 1259 in all Cameras (Top 20 Overall).

#888 out of 1259 in Top Ranking Cameras
#203 out of 209 in Top Ranking DSLR Cameras
#91 out of 93 in Top Ranking Advanced DSLR Cameras
#263 out of 270 in Top Ranking APS-C Sensor Cameras
#7 out of 9 in Top Ranking Sigma SA Lens Mount Cameras
#50 out of 379 in Largest Viewfinder Magnification Cameras (0.77x)
#134 out of 143 in Lightest DSLR Cameras with APS-C sensor(950g)
#533 out of 918 in Top Ranking Cameras with Fixed Type Screen
Geek Score: 0

Main Scores

Imaging

Features

Value for Money

Portability

Overall Score

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Frequently Asked Questions about Sigma SD9

Does the Sigma SD9 have Image Stabilization?
Does the Sigma SD9 have RAW support?
Does the Sigma SD9 have Weather Sealing?
Does the Sigma SD9 have built-in GPS?
What is the Max ISO of Sigma SD9?
What is the Sensor Size of Sigma SD9?
is the Sigma SD9 a Full Frame (FF) camera?
Does the Sigma SD9 have Touch Screen?
Does the Sigma SD9 have built-in Wireless?
What is the Max Continuous Shooting Speed (fps) of Sigma SD9?
What is the Weight of Sigma SD9?
What are the Dimensions of Sigma SD9?

Sigma SD9 Detailed Specifications

General
Brand	Sigma
Model	Sigma SD9
Announced	2002-11-26
Body Type	Mid-size SLR
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Sigma SA Bayonet
Number of Lenses	77
Focal Length Multiplier	n/a
Macro Focus Range	n/a
Screen
Screen Type	Fixed Type
Screen Size	1.80"
Screen Resolution	130k dots
Live View
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Resolution	no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage	98%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.77x
Photography Features
Min Shutter Speed	30s
Max Mechanical Shutter Speed	1/6000s
Max Continuous Shooting	n/a
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Exposure Compensation	Yes
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	no built-in flash
Max Flash Sync	1/180s
Flash Modes	Unknown
External Flash
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Exposure Modes
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested
DxO Color Depth	not tested
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested
	Report a correction

Sensor
Sensor Type	CMOS (Foveon X3)
Sensor Size	APS-C
Sensor Dimensions	20.7 x 13.8 mm
Sensor Area	285.66mm²
Sensor Resolution	3 megapixels
Max Image Resolution	2268 x 1512
Max Native ISO	400
Min Native ISO	100
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	None
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None
HDMI
USB	USB 1.0 (1.5 Mbit/sec)
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Water Proof
Dust Proof
Shock Proof
Crush Proof
Freeze Proof
Weight	950g
Physical Dimensions	152 x 120 x 79mm
Other Features
Self Timer	Yes (10 sec)
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None
Storage Type	Compact Flash Type I or II
Storage Slots	1