Power, Digital "Film", and a Bag
Battery life for the SD14 is on the low side at 200 to 300 shots per charge, which tempts us to take a battery grip. However, size and weight are increased with the grip so we opted for a couple of extra rechargeable batteries and a portable charger. The use of the NP400/Li50 battery made finding extra batteries and a charger a breeze with good value to boot. We located a couple of 1800 mAh batteries from a trusted source for a delivered price of less than $10 per battery.
After the review fiasco with camera-on initialization times, we were more careful with Compact Flash card choices. The long initialization times turned out to be a compatibility issue with certain 8GB CF cards we had been using in other reviews. Once this was discovered we began comparing performance to SanDisk Ultra II and Ultra III 1GB and 2GB flash cards that became our control for the SD14. 16GB cards are very nice when you are writing huge files like the RAW files with the SD14, and we found a couple of 16GB cards that initialized in about a second and saved as fast as anything the control cards could do.
The two cards that worked well were the TopRAM 16GB advertised as compatible with Canon cameras. The 150X speed TopRAM is available from many resellers around the world. The other CF is a Transcend 133X 16GB that also worked very well, and it can be found at Amazon and many other resellers. It was interesting the Transcend worked so well since it is said to be a slow card on some cameras, but it is certainly as fast as anything else on the SD14.
Since we test many cameras, we also sometimes use an SDHC to CF converter to make good use of fast and cheap SDHC memory cards in cameras designed for CF. This converter works fine in Nikon, Canon, and Olympus cameras, but it threw an 8-second initialization delay on the SD14 - just like the problem we experienced with Samsung 8GB cards on this same camera. We left the converter at home and stuck to the 16GB cards.
Many will likely disagree, but a camera around the neck is annoying on vacation. A camera bag can also be a burden to lug around. It is easier for me to carry and use a small holster type case like the Lowepro TLZ1. The TLZ1 easily holds the SD14 with the large 18-200mm OS lens attached - plus the charger, extra batteries, and extra 16GB CF card just in case the RAW images fill up the Transcend 16GB. The case is easy to carry, open, and use while still keeping the size relatively small. No DSLR today can compete with tiny point and shoot cameras for size or weight, but the DSLR in a compact holster case is a compromise I am willing to make for better image quality.
The Computer
Since the SD14 does best when shooting RAW, a computer is handy for converting the captured RAW images into TIF or JPG for viewing. Since my main goal in traveling to trade shows and for pleasure is an internet connection and writing, I tend to choose the smallest laptop I can find with a wireless connection and the ability to support writing and editing software.
The laptop that meets those needs is a 3 to 4 pound Dell with a wide-screen hi-res screen that is about the size of a sheet of paper. Fortunately it has enough power to adequately run Photoshop CS3 and it had no problem with Sigma Photo Pro 2.5 and 3.0. It has an integrated CF card reader, where some newer laptops directly handle SDHC cards. If your notebook doesn't support your memory card there are always the adapters that plug in the USB port and read CF or SDHC or whatever you need to read and write, but integrated support for your chosen flash memory means one less item to carry (or forget).
A computer is definitely not a necessity for a photo vacation, and in fact it may detract from your "vacating". However, there is no arguing that it was useful, with a camera that shoots best in RAW, to auto process images in Sigma Photo Pro on the laptop. It allowed us to check out how things were working.
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Wesley Fink - Thursday, June 19, 2008 - link
Most of the images are straight out of Auto mode in RAW processing with Sigma Photo Pro. I did sometimes push sharpness or exposure a notch or tow but nothing drastic.I did a lot more Post Processing with the ISO 800 images, since my goal with the ISO 800 shots was to be creative with noise and color shifts.
I'm also a fan of Olympus color. I find the color accuracy of the E3 to be remarkable.
strikeback03 - Thursday, June 19, 2008 - link
Is that adapter supposed to be a high-speed one? When I bought one a few years ago I got a Jobo brand one from B&H, as they actually advertise a high transfer speed as opposed to the options on Ebay. Works fine (and quickly) with SD cards, no SDHC though. Recently bought another Jobo one that claimed SDHC support, however that did not work with Sandisk Extreme III SDHC cards in either my camera bodies or card readers.I recently visited England, Ireland, and Italy with friends and brought a 40D and Sigma 18-200 OS and 10-20EX lenses. The 18-200 does work out nicely when photography is not the main point of the trip.
Wesley Fink - Thursday, June 19, 2008 - link
The adapter is high speed in the limited testing I have done with it. I did not see an obvious write slowdown or increased format times compared to a similar high-speed CF on a Nikon D300 or Olympus E3. It also converts an SDHC that can then be easily read in a CF slot even if the reader does not support SDHC. I also have the older SD converter that you mention, but it doesn't support SDHC at all.neilvan - Thursday, June 19, 2008 - link
I have a Jobo CF - SDHC adapter that I bought from B&H Photo a couple of months ago and it works great with my Patriot 16GB SDHC in my SD14.It saves me a bundle, SDHC cards are so inexpensive!
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/462559-REG/J...">http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/4...ure_Digi...
strikeback03 - Thursday, June 19, 2008 - link
Yeah, that's the one I tried (though the photo shows the old version I own, not the newer one I ordered this time). I only had Sandisk Extreme III cards to try with it (3 4GB, 1 8GB, took advantage of the rebates and was bringing adapter and some cards to friends in England) and it did not work at all with the SDHC cards, was fine with normal SD. Didn't have time to try and make it work, so I returned it.Wesley, thanks for the link.
strikeback03 - Thursday, June 19, 2008 - link
What brand is it and/or where did you get it from? I now have an 8GB SDHC card that doesn't do me much good without a functional SDHC adapter.Wesley Fink - Thursday, June 19, 2008 - link
Here is a source for the same item in Hong Kong on eBay at http://cgi.ebay.com/SDHC-SD-MMC-to-Compact-Flash-C...">http://cgi.ebay.com/SDHC-SD-MMC-to-Comp...6QQssPag.... I have bought from this seller before and they were fast and reliable. There are also several new converters showing on an eBay search for SDHC to CF converter, but I don't have any personal experience with the other brands.mmntech - Thursday, June 19, 2008 - link
I loved St Martin when I was there back in 2001. You didn't take the camera to Orient Beach did you? lol. (There's a well known "clothing optional" beach in the area)Sigma has always made good lenses. It's too bad the camera was a let down. I'm still in the photography stone age with my Pentax KM 35mm SLR. I have a quite a few good pics I took in St Martin with it.
Wesley Fink - Thursday, June 19, 2008 - link
I have been to St. Maarten several times and I keep going back because it is one of my favorites. Orient Beach is a normal stop on the Island, but I rarely take photos there. We stay in Philipsburg on the Dutch side and normally dine in Grand Case on the French side. Orient Beach is about halfway between the two.The SD14 was not really a complete letdown - you just have to work within its limitations, which are many. After returning I captured equipment images for this article with a Nikon D300. It was a stark reminder of why the SD14 competes better at around $600 than it did at the $1699 Sigma was asking when it was first introduced.
It is still an interesting sensor for those who have the time to "play" or "create" depending on your perspective.
pervisanathema - Thursday, June 19, 2008 - link
Thanks for the article, now I definitely know which camera to not buy.