Sigma SD15 manual

123 This manual explains how to use SIGM A SD15 digital SLR camera. Please refer to the SIGMA Photo Pro User Guide, which is available in the PDF format of the supplied CD-ROM, to g et information about installation of SIGMA Photo Pro software to your computer , connectio n between camera and computer and fo r detailed explanation of SIGMA Photo Pr[...]

1 Thank you for purchasing the Sigma Digit al Autofocus Camera The Sigma SD15 Dig ital SLR camera is a technical breakt hrough! It is powered b y the Foveon® X3™ ima ge sensor, the world’s first image sensor to cap ture red, green and blue lig ht at each and every pixel. A high-resolution digital single-lens reflex camera, th e SD15 delivers s[...]

2 Disposal of Electri c and El ectronic Equi pment in Private Hou seholds Disposal of used El ectrical & Electronic Equipment (Appli cable in the Europe an Union and other Eu ropean coun tries with separate col lection s ystems) This symbol indica tes that this product shall not be treated as house hold waste. Instead it shall be collected sepa[...]

3 T ABLE OF CONTENTS P ACKAGE CONTENTS / A CCESSORIES ....................................................... 2 SAFETY PRECAUT IONS ...... ........................................................................... 6 HANDLIN G PRECAUT IONS ............................................................................ 9 DESCRIPTION OF THE P ARTS .....[...]

4 BULB SETTING ...................................................................... ........................ 46 USING THE BUIL T - IN FLASH 47 USING T HE BU IL T-IN FLASH ........................................................................ 47 EXPOSURE MODE AND BUIL T -IN FLAS H ................................................... 48 FUNCTION S[...]

5 REVIEWING , DELETING AND MODIFYING IMAGES 82 QUICK PREVIEW 82 CHANGING THE QUICK PREVIEW DURA TION ........................................... 82 REVIEWING IMAGES 84 VIEWING ONE IM AGE A T A TIME ................................................................. 85 MAGNIFYING IMAGES (ZOOMED-IN VIEW) ................................................[...]

6 SAFETY PRECAUTIONS T o avoid causing damage or in jury , please read this instruction manual carefully , before using the camera. Please take special note of the following two cautionar y symbols. Wa r n i ng ! ! Caution !! Using the produ ct and disregar ding this warni ng sign ma y cause serious injury or other dangerous results. Using the prod[...]

7 SAFETY PRECAUTIONS The AC Adapter i s designed for use with this product onl y . Do no t use it with any othe r appliance. Doing so may cause overhe ating, fire, electric shock or injury . If the adapter is e mitting smoke, ge nerating a stran ge odor or making an abnormal noise, while in use, dis connect the power plug fro m the outlet immediate[...]

8 SAFETY PRECA UT IONS Do not fire the flash close to eyes. Otherwise, the bright light woul d damage the eye. Keep a t least 1m/3feet d istance between face and the camera, when taking a picture with flash. Do not cover the flash with your fing er or hand, it can cause skin b urn. CAUTION ( BA TT ERY C HAR GER AND AC ADAP T ER) Do not pull the Bat[...]

9 HANDLING PRECAUTIONS ENVIRONMEN T ■ Y our camera i s a precision instrument. Do not drop it or subject it to ph ysical shock. ■ This came ra is not wate rproof, and ca nnot be used und erwater . Wip e off any water droplets with a dry cloth as soon as possible. If the camera gets really wet, promptly consult your nearest Sigma Service Center [...]

10 HANDLING PRECAUTIONS NOTE ON THE T FT COLOR LCD MONIT OR ■ A few pix els may always be lit or may never light on th e LCD monitor . This is not a failure or ma lfunction. Images recorded w ith the camera will not be affected. ■ Because of the normal phy sical charact erist ics of the liquid crystal, the reaction of the display ma y become sl[...]

11 DESCRIPTION OF THE P ARTS 1 3 2 4 6 5 7 8 9 11 13 12 10 14 16 15 18 17 19 21 20 22 23 24 25 26 18 27 28 29 30[...]

12 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 1. AF AUXILIARY LIGH T 23. TOP LCD ILLUMINA TION BUTTON 2. DUST PROTECTOR 24. C-DIAL （ COMMAND DIAL ） 3. LENS MOUNT 25. SHUTTER BUTTON 4. LENS LOCK BUTTON 26. TOP LCD P ANEL 5. BA TTERY COMP ARTMENT COVER 27. SD CARD COVER 6. BA TTERY COMP ARTMENT COVER LA TCH 28. (ISO SENSITIVITY) BUTTON 7. TRIPOD SOC [...]

13 TO P LCD P ANEL VIEWFINDER CENTER AREA METERING FLASH INDICA TOR FOCUS INDICA TOR SHUTTER SPEED AUTO FOCUS FRAME EXPOSURE MET ER AUTO BRACKETING APERTURE V AL UE AE LOCK INDICA TOR SHUTTER SPEED A PERTURE V ALUE REMOTE CONTROL METERING MODE BA TTERY INDICA TOR ISO SETTING FLASH EXPOSURE COMPENSA TION EXPOSURE METER AUTO BRACKETING COUNTER[...]

14 CONTROL DIALS MODE DIAL D-DIAL A UTO BRACKETING MIRROR LOCK-UP SEL F-TIMER (2s) SEL F-TIMER (10s) CONTINUOUS SHOOTING SINGLE FRA ME SHOO TING POWER OFF DRIVE AREA PROGRAM AE A PERTURE PRIORITY AE SHUTTER SPEED PRIORITY AE MANUAL EXPOSURE SETTING[...]

15 BASIC OPERA TION AND QUICK REFERENCE The SD15 camera h as many advanc ed featur es. This sec tion, describes basic camera operation. Y ou can find mor e details in late r sections. Charging the battery (P .19) Charge the supplie d lithium ion batte ry with the provided batte ry charger . T o insert the battery (P .20) Insert the battery into the[...]

16 Set the language (P .26) Set the date and time (P .27) Loading the Card (P .28) T urn the “D ”-dial to the □ (single frame shooting) position. (P .56) Set the AF/MF switch on the lens to the AF position. (P .51)[...]

17 Select the exposure mode (P . 41) Set the “Mode”-Se lector to P “Program AE” position Focus (P .51) Determine the compo sition through the finder , and then press the sh utter button “Half-wa y” to activate e xposure metering and autofocus. T ake a picture Press the shutter butto n “All-the way-down” to t ake a pictur e Revi ew t[...]

18 PREP ARA TION This section de scribes necessary prep arations before usin g the camera. A TT ACHING THE CARR Y STRAP 1 Undo the st rap end. 2 Thread the Finder Cap on to the strap. 3 Attach the carry strap as shown. HOW TO USE THE FINDER CAP When usi ng the s elf-ti mer or r emote control, cover the view finder eyepiece with the Finder Cap, to p[...]

19 LOADING THE BA TTER Y A lithium ion ba ttery BP-21 is provided with the SD15 camera. Charge the battery , before using the camera first ti me. Please charge the battery by the supplied battery charge r BC-21, when no charge remains. TO CHARGE THE BA T TER Y 1 Connect the power cable to the charger and insert the plug into the wall outlet. 2 Att [...]

20 LOADING THE BA TTERY 1 Confirm that the D dial is in the position, and open the co ver by sliding the batter y compartment cover latch in the direction of the arr ow , as shown in the in struction. 2 Insert the battery in acco rdance with diagram inside the cover . ● Inser t the battery until it l ocks into place. 3 Close the cover securel y .[...]

21 TO RE MOVE THE BA TTER Y 1 Turn the “D”- dial to the positi on, and open the batte ry compartment cover by sliding battery compartment cover latch in the direction as shown b y the arrow . 2 Eject t he battery by slidin g the battery compartment cover latch in the direction o f the arrow , as shown in the illustration. WARNING!! • While t [...]

22 CHECKING THE BA TTER Y ST A TUS When “D”-dial is se t to drive area ( P. 1 4 ), the battery icon, which shows the capacity of the battery , is shown on the top LCD p anel. Explanations of the symbols are given as follow s. TOP LCD PA N E L COLOR LCD MONITOR Battery St atus White The batte ry strengt h is sufficient. White The battery level i[...]

23 USING A HOME POWER SUPPL Y (Sold Separately) Y ou can power the camera from a wall outlet us i ng the provided AC Ada pter - (SAC-4). When using your camera for an extended period of time, reviewing the pictures or connecting the camera to a computer or cleanin g the image senso r , we recommend that you operate the camera from a household power[...]

24 MOUNTING AND REMO VING THE LENS 1 Make sure to turn the “D”-Dial to position (Power Off position) 2 Remove the camera body cap and the rear cap of the lens’. 3 Align the red mark on the ca mera’s mount with the red do t on the le ns. Insert th e lens into the mount of the camera, and rotate the lens clockwise until it clicks into the loc[...]

25 4 T o remove the le ns, press the lens lo ck button and turn the lens counte r–clockwise until it stops. Gently remove the lens from the camera body . CAUTION !! • On the mount su rface of the lens, there are a number of electrical contacts . Keep them clean to e nsure proper conn ection. To avoid d amaging them, be sure to place the lens on[...]

26 SETTING THE LANGUAGE Y ou should receive the SD15 camera p re-set to English, however , if necessary , you can change the camera language yourse lf. 1 Make sure the ca mera is turn ed on. 2 Press the butto n on the back of the camera to display the Came ra Set-up Menu. (See P. 2 8 ) 3 Use the arrows on the 4-wa y controller to select [ Language/[...]

27 SETTING THE TIME AND DA TE The SD15 camer a records the date and time when each image is captured and stores this information with the image. T o ensure that the correct information is recorded with each i mage, set the camera’s internal clock to the correct date and time before u sing the camera for the first time or after extended periods of[...]

28 CAMERA SET -UP MENU This section describes the various settings in the Camera S et-up Menu. The Set-u p Menu co ntains two typ es of menu i tems; it ems followed by an ellipsis (…) open dialog windows, all other items open sub-menus li sti ng the setting options. TO DISPLA Y T H E SET -UP MENU Press the button on the back of the camera. ● Pr[...]

29 LIST OF MENU FUNCTIONS * Designates the defa ult option. Some defaults may vary depending on the count ry of purc hase. Menu Item Options Description Pa ge Custom WB — Captures the imag e to be used for th e custom whit e balance setting. 62 Picture Settings Contrast Shar pnes s Saturation Color Sp ace Sets image parameter and color space. 67 [...]

30 Menu Item Options Description Pa ge C-dial : M Shutt er speed* Ape rtu re Sets the allocated function of C-Dial in M mode. 45,46 UP Setting Shutter button* af ter 2 sec af ter 10 sec Set s the exposur e timi ng of Mirror Lock-up photograph y . 58,59 File Numberin g Continuous * Auto reset Sets the file numbering system used when a new card is in[...]

31 Menu Item Options Description Page Key Sound Off On * S ets or cancels Key Sound. — LCD Off Of f 10 sec. 30 sec. 1 min. * 3 min. 5 min. 10 min. Sets the delay befor e the backlig ht of the co lor LCD monitor tu rns off automatically if no operation has occurred. 1 13 Auto P ow er Off Of f 30 sec. 1 min. 2 min. 5 min. * 10 min. Sets the delay b[...]

32 FUNCTION DISPLA Y In Function Displa y , it is possible to set an d confirm functions (Flash Mode, AF Mode etc) which are set by the button. It is also possible to confirm the information (Apertu r e value, Shutter S peed, Exposure Mode, frame nu mber etc) . z T o show the Funct ion Display , press the button. z When Function Display is on, the [...]

33 CAMERA INFO P AGE The Camera Info Page can be used to get at-a-glan c e information about image-capture settings (for example: Image Si ze, Image Quality and Pictu re Settings) and card st atus. z By pressi ng the button (excep t when reviewing images), the Ca mera Info P age is displayed. z By pressing the button again, pressing the button or p[...]

34 INSERTING AND RE MOVING THE CARD The SD15 camera uses a SD memory c ard, S DHC memor y car d and Multimedia card to store dat a. TO INSERT THE CARD 1 Turn of f th e camera and open the SD Card Cover , as shown in the ill ustration . 2 Insert the card in ac cordance with the instruc tion of the Card cham ber . Insert the c ard until it clicks . 3[...]

35 TO REMOVE THE C ARD 1 Turn of f th e camera and open the SD Card Cover , as shown in the ill ustration . 2 Push the card until it clicks and pull out it. 3 Close the SD Card Cover . Slide the SD Card Cover in the direction shown by the ar row until it clicks and locks. CAUTION !! • Nev er do any of the follow ing while t he Busy Lam p is on. ([...]

36 FORMA TTING THE CARD New cards must b e formatte d before us e. In addition, cards with cor rupt or incompatible file systems may need to be formatted before use. 1 Make sure the camera i s turned on. 2 Press the button on the back of the came ra to display the Camera Set-up Menu. (See P. 2 8 ) 3 Use arrows on th e 4-way con troller to sel ect [[...]

37 FILE NUMBERING SYSTEM S tored data is automatically assigne d file numbers fro m 0001 to 9999. When dat a is being rev iewed, the fi le number of e ach image is displayed in t he right corner on the color LC D monitor (see P .85, 89 ). The file number is also incorporated into the filename of the image. The filename consists of “SDIM” follow[...]

38 FRAME NUMBER COUNTER This display shows the number of images that can be recorded on the card. z The number o f images that can be recorded on the card depen ds on the settings you choose. For example, in th e illustration on the left, 32 pictures c an be stored on the card. (The numbe r shown in the counter is onl y an estimate. The actual numb[...]

39 DIOPTER ADJUSTMENT Adjust the viewfind er diopter so that you can see clearly through the view finder . While looking through the vie wfinder , slide the diopter adjuster to the le ft or to the right, until t he image app ears sharp on the focus screen. TIP • The camera’s a djustable diopter ran ge is –3 to +1 .5dpt. • If you still canno[...]

40 HOLDING THE CAMERA T o av oid camer a shak e, whic h can caus e blurr ing of y our pho togra ph, hol d the camera steady . ● Firmly grasp the c amera’s grip with your righ t hand. ● Hold the came ra steady with y our left h and and suppor t the bottom of th e camera and the le ns. ● Place your e ye as close to the viewfi nder as possible[...]

41 BASIC OPERA TION SELECTING THE EXPOSU RE MODE The features and the operation methods of the four different exposure mo des of the camera are explain ed below . P PROGRAM AE T o make picture taking easier , the camera will automatically sele ct an appropriate combination of shutter speed and aperture va lue, according to the br ightnes s of the s[...]

42 When this symbol blinks, shutter speed may be too slow and picture may be blurred. In this case, please use a flash ( P .47, 79 ) or use a tripod to prevent blurring. PROGRAM SHIFT Y ou can change the com bination of shutter speed and apertur e value, which were automati cally selected by the camera. While turning the “C”-Dial, the combinati[...]

43 A APERTURE PRIORITY AE After you s et the aper ture, t he camer a will de termin e the appr opriat e shut ter speed. If you select smaller apertures, depth of field will be greate r . Larger apertures tend to blur the backgro und, as depth of field will be shallower . 1 Set the “D”-Di al to “Drive–Area” ( P. 1 4 ). 2 Set the “Mode”[...]

44 S SHUTTER SPEED PRIORITY AE When you set the desired shutter sp eed, the camera will select the appropriate aperture value for cor r ect exposure. Y ou can achieve stop action effect s by selecting a fast shutter speed, or give the feeling of motion to a moving subject by selecting a slow shutter speed. 1 Set the “D”-Dial to t he “Drive ?[...]

45 M MANUAL EXPOSURE Set both the shu tter speed and aperture value according to the indication of the exposure meter . Y ou can chan ge the exposure, as you desire. 1 Set the “D”-Dial to the “Drive -Area” ( P. 1 4 ). 2 Set the “Mode”-D ial to the “ M ” positio n. 3 Press the shutter button “Half-Way” to verify the focus, and ro[...]

46 It can be set from [ C-Dial : M ] of Camera Se t-up menu ( P. 2 8 ). Shutter Speed (Default) Shutter speed is set b y rotating the C-Dial. Whi le pressing the button, rotate the C-Dial to set the aperture value. Ape rtu re Aperture va lue is se t by rotating the C-Dial. Whi le pressin g the button, rotate the C-Dial to set the shutter spee d. BU[...]

47 USING THE BUIL T -IN FLASH The cameras have b uilt-in flash for taking pi ctures at night or in low light, which is very convenient. USING THE BUIL T -IN FLASH P mode, use t his mode f or automa tic photography . T he flash sync speed and aperture are set automatically . If the subject is too dark, the flash indicator ” ” in viewfinder will [...]

48 EXPOSURE MODE AND BUIL T -IN FLASH P mode Depending on the brightness of the subject and focal length o f lens, the most appropriate shutter speed (between 1/30 - 1/1 80 sec) and aperture will be selected. In bright situation s, the flash will be “daylight synchro nization flash”, and the camera will calculate the appropriate flas h am ount [...]

49 FUNCTION SETTING OF FLASH The buil t-in fl ash has sev eral f unctions besi des nor mal flash . The flas h functi on setting s are in Funct ion Displ ay . 1 T o display Function Displa y , press the button. 2 Select the desired function by pressing the button and press the button or the button. 3 Select the des ired option by pre ssing the butto[...]

50 SLOW SYNC When using the flash with P / A mode, the shutter speed value, which will redu ce camera s hake, is set a utomat ically . The slow synchr o mode cha nges the shut ter speed up to 30 seco nd depending on light condition. This mode is su itable for a portr ait in a nigh tscape. OFF (Default) Default s etting is a pplied. ■ Please use t[...]

51 FOCUSING Adjustment of autofocus and manual focus operation are explained b elow . HOW TO USE AUTOFOCUS It is possible to use Auto focus function only w ith AF Lenses. Y our camera is equipped with h ighly precise AF System and incorpo rates two different autofocus modes.(In the case of Mirror lenses and some special ized lenses, the camera can [...]

52 SELECTING THE AUTO FOCUS MODE 1 Press the button to displa y the Function Display . 2 Use the bu tton to select AF Mode and press the button or the button. 3 Select the desired options b y pressing the button and then press the button or the button. (Default) SINGLE AF MODE Depress and hold the shutter butto n “Hal f-way” to ac tivate the au[...]

53 AF POINT SELECTION The SD15 is equi pped with 5 focusi ng points. Sele cting the AF point can be done automat icall y or manu ally by the photographer . Press button and select the d esired AF point by rotating the “C”-d ial displayed in the viewfinder . ■ The Selected AF point will be illuminated in red in the viewfinde r . ■ Automatic [...]

54 AF AUXILIAR Y LIGHT The built-in AF Auxiliary Light of the SD15 enables focusing in low light conditions. ■ The AF Auxi liary Light can be us ed with (Singl e AF mode) and automati c or center focus AF point selection onl y . ■ The AF Auxiliary Light is effective with the center focu s of the automatic AF select ion only . ■ The eff ective[...]

55 FOCUS LOCK This photography meth od is useful if a photogra phic subject is not positioned withi n the central AF frame. 1 Choose the AF point according to the " AF P OINT SELECT ION ” instructions on page 53 . 2 Position the photographic subje ct into the selected AF frame, and fo cus by pressing the shutter butto n half-way . 3 Keep the[...]

56 OPERA TION OF THE DRIVE MODE Operation of the self-timer , and other functions of the camera are explained by the follow ing: DRIVE-AREA Some of the important operatio ns and settings of the camera can be activate d by the dr ive area of the “D”- dial. Suc h as single fr ame shoo ting, continuous shooting, se lf- timer , and mirror lock-up. [...]

57 CONTINUOUS SHOOTING In this mode, wh en you keep the shutte r button fully depressed, the camera will take pi ctures continuously . At the time of continuous shooting the number of fra mes per s ec. is giv en belo w . The maximum numbe r of frames and spee d of continuous shooting are a s follows: Image Size (Resolution mode) HI MED LOW Image Qu[...]

58 SELF TIMER When you want to include yourself in the picture or avoid camera shake, please use the self-timer . When you set the self-timer to 10s , then the shutter will be released 10seconds aft er you fully press the shutt er button. When you set the self-tim er to 2s , then the shutter will be relea sed 2seconds aft er you fully press the shu[...]

59 z It is possible to chan ge the exposure timing of mirror lock-up photography . It is possible to set this [ UP Setti ng ] in the Came ra Set-up me nu ( P. 2 8 ). Shutter button (Default) After the mirror is raised, expo sure will be measure d by pressing the shutte r button again. af ter 2 sec Exposure will be measured 2 seconds after the mirro[...]

60 ADV ANCED OPERA TION This section explai ns the application of the more advance d functions of your ca mera, when composing t he expressions of your picture. SETTING THE WHITE BALANCE (WB) The color of light reflected by an object can vary depending on the color of the light source illuminating it. For example, a n eutral colored object will ref[...]

61 1 Make sure the ca mera is t urned on. 2 Press the Button to op en the quick set menu. 3 The desired mode can be chosen by pres sing the ( ) button o f the 4-way contr oller. 4 A photograph can be taken when the shutter button is pressed half-wa y and this will determine the white balance mode. (alternatively , the mode can be chosen by pushing [...]

62 SETTING A CU STOM WHITE BA LANCE For mor e precis e contr ol of the whi te bal ance s etting o r when photographing under unusual ligh ting conditions, the [ Custom WB ] option can be used to capture a sample of neutral object in a scene to be used for color correct ion. 1 Make sure that "D"-di al is se t to Singl e Frame Shooti ng ＜[...]

63 SETTING THE SENSITIVITY （ ISO EQUIV ALENCY ） The photosensitivity of digita l cameras is described in terms of “ISO equivalent” like silver-halide film cameras. (ISO sensitivity P. 1 1 5 ) While pr essing the butto n, rotate C dial to set the desired ISO sensitivity . z It is possible to select the ISO s ensitivity from following. (Auto)[...]

64 IMAGE FILE SETTING The file size changes depe nding on resolution mode and recording qu ality selected. Image Si ze (Resolut ion mode) HI 2640 × 1760 MED 1872 × 1248 LOW 1312 × 880 Image Quality RA W (RA W) 15.4MB FINE (JPEG) 3.3MB 1. 6MB 0.8MB NORM (JPEG) 1.9MB 0. 9MB 0.5MB BASI C (JPEG) 1.3MB 0.7MB 0.3MB * The file sizes change depending on[...]

65 IMAGE QU ALITY SETTING 1 Press the Butto n to open the quick set menu. 2 Use the button on the 4-way controlle r to select the desired Image quality . (The quality can be changed; RA W → FIN E → NORM → BASI C by pressing th e button.) 3 Press the shutter b utton halfway or button to apply the setting. Then you can ta ke the pictur e. WARNI[...]

66 3 Press t he shutter button halfw ay or button to apply the setting. Then you can take the picture. Stan da r d* St andard color mode for va rious situations. Vi vid Saturation and co ntrast are en hanced for making pictu res appear vivid. Neutral Subdued saturatio n and contras t makes images natu ral. Portrait This color mode makes skin ton e [...]

67 IMAGE P ARAMETER AND COLOR SP ACE It is possible to adjust the recording imag e parameter (contrast, sh arpness and saturation) and sele ct the color space. Contrast Contrast can be increased by moving the cursor to + side or decreased, preserving image detail, by moving the cu rsor - side. Sharpness It is possible to make the pictures app ear s[...]

68 • Please set color space to sRGB fo r regular usage. If you select Adobe RGB, please be sure to use the supplied Sigma Pho to Pro software or another image processing software supporting DCF 2.0. SELECTING THE METERING MODE The came ra has 4 advanc ed meteri ng modes. While pressing the button , rotate the “C”-dial to select the desired me[...]

69 AE LOCK The camera will fix and memorize the exposure value whilst the “AE” Lock button is depress ed. When you wish t o lock th e exposur e of a subj ect off-center , AE lock is very useful. Use of this function with S pot Metering Mode is recomm ended. 1 Center the subject inside the viewfind er , then press t he shutter butt on “Half-wa[...]

70 ■ It is possible to continue A E Lock even if the finger is released from the button. It can be set from [ AEL Button Settings ] of Camera Set-up men u ( P. 2 8 ). Lock AE Lo ck will continue until the button is pressed again or the came ra is turne d off. Hold (Default) AEL will be di smissed upon r eleasing the f inger from th e button. AE L[...]

71 EXPOSURE COMPENSA TION If you want to intentiona lly overexpose or underexpose the p icture, use this function. While pr essing button, tu rn the “C”- dial to set the desired compensation value. Then, r elease the Expos ure Compensat ion button. ■ The LCD panel will show “ 0.0 ” when you ini tially pres s the expos ure compensati on bu[...]

72 FLASH EXPOSURE COMPENSA TION It is possible to compensate the flash output level w ithout changing the backgrou nd’s exposur e. While pre ssing the bu tton, turn the ”C”- dial to set the compensation amount. ■ The LCD pane l will show 0.0 when y ou initially press t he button. ind icates over exposure indicates underexposu re. ■ Exposu[...]

73 AUTO BRACKETING This function of the came r a lets you take a sequence of pictures of the same subj ect at thr ee differen t exposur e levels ; Appropr iate Ex posure, Under Exposure and Ove r Exposure. If it is difficult to dete rmine the proper exposure, please use this function. 1 Set the “D”-dial to position. 2 T urn the “C”-dial to [...]

74 (* Measured value is the difference between the correct exposur e value of the camera and your setting value). ■ The exposure bracketing ca n be used with 4 different modes. P Mode ; Both shutter spee d and aperture value will be chang ed. A Mode ; Onl y shutter speed will be changed. S Mode ; Onl y aperture value will be changed. M Mode ; Onl[...]

75 Auto Bracketing mod e can be used in combination with Expo sure Compensation. Y o u can take pictures with Auto Bracketing mode based on a compensated exposure, which you set. T o d o so, please set both the Auto Bracke ting mode and Exposure Compensa tion mode as desired . The combined value (E xposure Compensation and Auto Bracketing) will be [...]

76 SETTING OF THE C AMERA 3 Press the button to show the Function Display . 4 Use the buttons to select the Remote Control Mode and pre ss the button or the buttons. 5 Use the button to select the same cha nnel as the remote controller (In the case of th e RS-1 1, p lease select C1 ) and then press the button or the buttons. (Af ter setting the cha[...]

77 USING THE MIRROR LOCK- UP WITH REMOTE CO NTROL When using mirror-up mo de with the remote controller , we recommend that after adjustin g the focus, fully depr ess the shutte r button of the camera once, to lock-up the m i rror , and then release the shutter by remote contro l. This procedure saves your time. 1 Set the “D”-dia l to “ UP ?[...]

78 DEPTH-OF-FIELD PR EVIEW BUTT ON Normally , the lens’ aperture is always fully opened, excep t at the time the picture is actually taken , for looking through the viewfinder under maximum brightness conditions. However , by pressing the depth-of-field preview button, the aperture can be closed down to the selected shooting aperture befo re the [...]

79 FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ELECTRONI C FLASH EF-530 DG SUPER SA-STTL (Sold Sep arately) ELECTRONI C FLASH EF-530 DG ST SA-STTL (Sold Separately) Optional Sigma Electronic Flashes EF-530 DG SUPER SA-STT L and EF-530 DG ST S A-STTL with th e STTL system allow you to use fea tures such as Auto Flash with the SD15 . The EF-530 DG SUPER SA-STTL let s yo u do [...]

80 The SD15 is equipped w ith a PC Synchro T erminal, which accepts a cable connection fro e xternal/studio fla sh units. CAUTION!! • S-TTL auto flash d oes not work, if PC Synchro Terminal is used. • Set the came ra’s exposure mode to M and set to flash synchronized sp eed Sync (1/180) or a shutter spee d of 1/160 or lo wer. See the instruct[...]

81 AUTO ROT A TE It is possible to record the vertical im age information to images. Auto Rotate ca n be set in the Came ra Set-up menu ( P. 2 8 ) → [ Auto Rotate ]. Off The vertical image info rmation will not be recorded. On (default) The vertical imag e information will be recorded. ● When vertically or ientated images are reviewed, t he y w[...]

82 REVIEWING , DELETING AND MODIFYING IMAGES This section ex plains how to review , delete, and modify images afte r they have been ca ptured. TIP • The SD15 may not be able to display images captured b y other cameras, or “SD15” images th at have been re named or mo ved from the DCIM folder on the card. For mo re information on SD 15 file na[...]

83 1 Make sure the camera i s turned on. 2 Press the button on th e back of the ca mera to displa y the Camera Set-up Menu. (See P. 2 8 ) 3 Use the arrows on the 4-wa y controller to sel ect [ Qu ick Preview ]. 4 Press the arrow or to open s ub-menu. 5 Use the arrow s on the 4-way contr oller to select duration. 6 Press t he arrow or to apply the s[...]

84 REVIEWING IMAGES The pictures ca ptured by the SD15 can be review ed in various ways . T o review images captured by th e SD15 camera press the button on the back of the camera. The last image recorded on the card will be displayed on the color LCD monitor in Single-Image View . Press button on the back of the camera to turn on LCD monitor an d [...]

85 VIEWING ONE IMAGE A T A TIME Press button on the b ack of the ca mera to see re corded images in Single -Image V iew . While in Sing le-Image V iew: • Press ar row on the 4-w a y contr oller to se e next image. • Press arrow on the 4 -way controller to see previous imag e. • Press arro w on the 4-way controller to ch ange the indic ated in[...]

86 TIP • The first and last recorded images o n the card are linked. Pressing th e arrow on the 4-way controlle r while the first image is displayed brings up the last recorded image on the ca rd. Pressing the arro w on the 4-way controller while the last i mage is displayed brings up the first recorded image on the car d. MAGNIFYING IMAGES (ZOOM[...]

87 VIEWING NINE IMAGES A T A TIME (CONT ACT SHEET VIEW ) Images can be view ed in a "contact sheet" o f nine thumbnail images. While reviewing images, press the button. WHILE IN CONT ACT SHEET VIEW: z Press the buttons to change the imag e selection. z Press the button to return to Single-Image View . z Press the button to go to Jump Mode[...]

88 VIEWING IMAGES A P AG E A T A TIME (JUMP MODE) Use Jump Mode to browse large sets of imag es more quick ly , or to sk ip right to the first or last page of images on the card. Press the button twice f rom Single- Image View (or on ce from Cont act Sheet Vie w) . WHILE IN JUMP MODE: • Press the arrow on the 4-way controller to jump to the next [...]

89 VIEWING IMAGE INFORMA TION The Image Info Screen contai ns additional information about each image. Press the butto n from Single -Image or Contac t Sheet Vie w . 1 Battery Le vel Indicato r 16 Exposure Compensation V alu e 2 Image Size 17 Flash Exposure Compensation Va l u e * 1 3 Image Quality 18 Metering Mode 4 Folder numberin g 19 Contrast 5[...]

90 While in Image Info Screen: Press a gain or to clos e the Image Info S creen and retur n to the previ ous view . Use arrows on the 4-way controller to change the image selectio n the same way as in Single -Image View . (See next sec tion for the e xception.) CAUTION !! • While in Zoom ed-in View or Jump Mode, it is not pos sible to display the[...]

91 HIST OGRAM The histogram is a graph depicting the di stribution o f brightness values in the image for each of the three color channels (Red, Green, and Blue) (The histogram displa yed in the Quick Preview is the distribution of tones in the image). The horizon tal axis shows the br ightness level, with darker pixels towards the lef t side and b[...]

92 OVER-EXPOSURE W ARNING It is poss ible to indicate th e over-exposed areas by highlight ing them in red. TO TURN ON OVER-EXPOSURE W ARNING 1 Make sure the camera i s turned on. 2 Press th e button on the back of the camera to disp lay the Camera Se t-up Menu. (See P. 2 8 ) 3 Use arrows on the 4-way controller to select [ Exposure Warning ]. 4 Pr[...]

93 VIEWING IMAGES ON A TV The SD15 camera can be conne cted to a television or a videocassette recorder using the provided video cable, allowing the reco r ded images to be viewed on the television monitor or recorded on videotape. TO CONNECT THE CA ME RA TO A VIDEO DEVICE 1 Open t he cover pro tecting t he camera’ s VIDEO OUT , DC-IN, and USB co[...]

94 DELETING IMAGES This section describes h o w to delete the image (s) recorded on a card. Images recorded on the card ca n be deleted one at a time or several at once us ing the Del ete Menu . ● The Delete Menu can be opened fro m all views (Single-Image, Co ntact Sheet, and Zoomed-In), as well as from Jump Mode and the Image Info Scre en. TO D[...]

95 DELETING A SINGLE IMAGE 1 Use the arrow s on the 4-way c ontroller t o select the im age to be dele ted in Conta ct Sheet or Single -Image Vi ew . 2 Press to displa y the Delete Menu. • [ Current File ] wil l be the de fault selection. 3 Press to delete the i mage. WARNING !! • If the image is unlocked, it will be de leted withou t any furth[...]

96 DELETING MUL TIPLE IMAGES 1 Press to display the Dele te Menu. 2 Use the arrows on the 4-way c ontroller to se lect [ All Marked ] or [ All ]. • Locked images are not dele ted. Locked ima ges must be unlocked first before they can be de leted ( P98 - 100 ). 3 Press to display the confi rmation dialog. 4 Press to delete all the images or press [...]

97 OTHER REVIEWING FEA TURES Image modifications, s uch as locking, marking, and rotating, as well as automatic imag e playback, can be performed from the Modification Menu. TO DISPLA Y THE MODIFICA TION MENU Press the button on the b ack of the camera. • Press again or to close the Modification Menu without applying an y changes. Lock Mark Rot a[...]

98 LOCKING IMAGES Locking protect s images from being accidentally de leted. Locked images must be unlocked before they can be deleted by the Delete Menu functions. LOCK MENU Lock/Unlock Lock the currently sele cted image only. If the image is already locked, the menu item changes to “Unlock”. (Not av ailable if t he Lock Me nu is opened from J[...]

99 TO LOC K A SINGLE IMAGE 1 Use the arrows on the 4-way c ontroller to s elect the image t o be locked i n Conta ct Sheet or Single -Image Vi ew . 2 Press to displa y the Modifi cation Men u. 3 Use the a rrows on the 4-way controller to s elect the Lock Me nu ( ). 4 Use the arrows on the 4-wa y controller to sel ect [ Lock ]. ● If the selected i[...]

100 TO LOCK MUL TIPLE IMAGES 1 Press to displa y the Modification Menu. 2 Use the arrow s on the 4-way contr oller to select the Lock Menu ( ). 3 Use the arrows on the 4-wa y controller to sel ect [ Lock Ma rked ] or [ Lock All ]. 4 Press to disp lay the conf irmation dialog. 5 Press to lock the images o r press to retu rn to review ing images w it[...]

101 MARKING IMAGES Images can be ma rked for various reasons, such as to identify fa vorites, to select images for a Slideshow , or to select images to be deleted with the “All marked” menu item in the Delete Menu ( P. 9 6 ). MARK MENU Mark/Unmark Mark the currently selec ted image only. If the i mage is already marked, the men u item changes t[...]

102 5 Press to mark the image. ● A flag icon will appear in the ima ge indicating that the image is marked. TIP • To unmark a marked image, select th e marked image and follow th e same steps as above. • If the Mark Menu was opened from Jump Mode , the [ Mark ] menu i tem will no t be available. • The button can be used as a shortcut ke y f[...]

103 TIP • Select [ Unma rk All ] from the Mark Menu to unmark all marked images on the card. WARNING !! • When [ Mark All ] or [ Unm a rk All ] is done, it may take much time to finish them depend ing on the numbe r of files in th e card. ROT A TING IMAGES It is possi ble to rotate the disp layed im age. The images’ new orientation w ill be u[...]

104 4 Use the arrow s on the 4-way contr oller to select the rotation direction: [ Rot a te ] or [ Rot ate ]. 5 Press to rotate the i mage and close the Modification Menu or to return t o reviewing images without rotating. TIP • To rotate an image 180 degrees, ro tate it twice in the same dire ction. • To get an image ba ck into its original or[...]

105 USING THE OK BUTT ON SHORTCUT The button can be u sed as a shortcut key for loc king, mar king, or rotating images. By setting the button to perform the mos t common ly use d operation, images can b e easily locked, marked, or rotated w ith a si ngle button press. A ltern atively , the button shortcut c an be use d to tempor arily toggle the ov[...]

106 SHOWING A SLIDESHOW All images on the card, or only selected images, can be shown in an automatic playback mode using the SD15 ca mera’s Slideshow feature. SLIDESHOW MENU All Images S tart an automated slideshow of all images on the card. Locked Images S tart an auto mated slideshow o f all locked i mages on the card. Marked Images S tart an [...]

107 WARNING !! • When [ Show locked ] is selected , it ma y take time to start th e Slideshow depending on the number o f files to be displayed. NOTE • When the slideshow is stopped, the last image w ill continue to be displayed. CHAGING SLI DESHOW SETTINGS Select the [ Slideshow Settings ] in Slideshow Menu and then press the button to open th[...]

108 DPOF (DIGIT AL PRINT ORDER FORMA T) When printing images at a photo lab, it is possible to spe cify which photos and quantity to print in advance, using the DPOF menu. This is also available when making p rints using a DPOF compatible printer . WARNING !! • In the case of RAW i mages (files with X3F extension), DPOF printing is not possible. [...]

109 REFERENCE OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES REMOTE CONTROLLER RS-31 Wireless remote control, pe rmits releasing the shutter from a pl ace away from the camera. Time for a shutter release can b e set up in two stages. Moreo ver , a setup of a channel is also poss ible, to avoid interference with other cameras a nd remote control s. （ For detailed informati[...]

11 0 EYEPIECE DIOPTRIC CORRECTION LEN SES The SD15 has a built-in t ype “Diopter Adjuster” and its range is –3 ~ +1.5dpt, if you still cannot see the viewfinder clearly , then pleas e purchase a vie wfinder diopter adjustment e yepiece. These are serie s of seven optiona l accessory le nses, which adjust the camera’s viewfinder to accommod [...]

111 WARNING!! • After cleaning the image se nsor, please ensure the dust protector is correctl y attac hed. If the dust protec tor is not prop erly attache d, it may move and damage the image sensor o f the camera o r the lens. • Please do not use the blower wi th the brush for cleaning the image sensor. If the bruch is atta ched, it may scratc[...]

11 2 4 T urn the “D”-dial to the position and press the and button togeth er . (The icon will be displayed on the top LCD panel, the shutter w ill open and you will be able to see the image sensor). 5 Caref ully blow aw ay any dust fr om the image sensor using the blower. Make sure that the tip of blo wer does not protrude inside the lens mount[...]

11 3 LCD OFF AND AUT O POWER OFF The SD15 has [ LCD Off ] and [ Auto P ower Off ] function s in or der to conserve battery power . If not used for a p redetermined amount of time, the color LCD monitor o r power will be turned o ff automatically . LCD Off If not used for a predetermined amount of time, the backlight of th e color LCD monitor will b[...]

11 4 EXPLANA TION OF TERMS AE Auto Ex posure; by using a built -in exposure meter , camer a determine s the correct exposure valu e, which is combination s of shutter speed and /or aperture value. AE Lock The camera will fix and memo rize the expo sure value with AE lock. For example, if a photographic subject i s placed in the c enter and exposure[...]

11 5 Exposure. The amount of light reac hing the image sensor ’s surface. Th e exposure is controlled by the combina tion of aperture and shutter spe ed. EV Exposure V alue (EV) is a numerical value that expre sses the amount of light for a given exposure, and depends on brightn ess of the photographic subject and sensit ivity of the film . If a [...]

11 6 Shutter Speed The camera’s shutter opens for a length of time to contro l the amount of light that reaches the imagin g element. The length of time that shutter b linds are open allowing light to stri ke the image sensor i s called as shutter spee d. White Balan ce The human eye and brain adap t to changes in lighting conditions, not only to[...]

11 7 Frame counter does not show a number other than Even if it is possible to re cord more than 9999 images on th e Card, the maximum number of frames that ca n be seen on the co unter is 9999. ► The frame counte r changes, if fra me counter is 9998 o r less. ( P. 3 8 ) Shutter speed indicates “ ” and fr ame numbe r show s “ ”, bo th ind[...]

11 8 COLOR LCD MON ITOR MESS AGES “No Memor y Card” ► Please Insert the Card. ( P. 3 4 ) “Card Er ror” ► Format card. I f the error p ersists, replace with new card. ( P. 3 6 ) ► The Card may be damaged. “Card Locked!” ► The w rite protect ion switch of the card is in the ‘LOCK’ position. Ej ect the card and then u nlock the[...]

11 9 TROUBLESHOOTING If you have a problem with yo ur camera or cannot take good picture s, consult the list below as you check the camera befo re requesting repairs. No indication on t he top LCD panel Battery is exhausted. ► Replace the battery . ( P. 1 9 - 2 2 ) Battery is improperly installed. ► Insert the batter y in the p roper direct ion[...]

120 Difficulty seeing the image s on the color LCD monitor . Dust or dirt has adhered to the color LCD monitor . ► Clean the color LCD monitor wi th a blower or eyeglass cloth. ( P. 1 1 0 ) The color LCD mon itor is worn out. ► Please consult the retailer from whic h you purchased the camera or contact the nearest Sigma Se rvice Center . Pictur[...]

121 SPECIFICA TIONS Camera T ype Interchangeable Le ns SLR T ype Digital Camera S torage Med ia SD Card / Compatible with SDHC, Multi Media Card Image Sensor Siz e 13.8 x 20.7mm Lenses Used Sigma SA Mount L enses Picture A ngle Equivalent t o 1.7x the focal len gth of a lens when used on a 35mm SLR ca mera. Lens Mount SA moun t Imaging Element T yp[...]

122 Shutter S peeds 1/4000sec to 30se c, Bulb up to 30 (1 20) sec *( ) Extended Mode Flash Sy nchronization a t 1/180sec. Burst Rate 3.0fps for 21 frames External Flash Synchronization Hot shoe (contact X, with dedic ated flash linki ng contact) LCD Monitor T ype Aspect ratio3:2, 3.0" wide viewing angl e TFT color LCD monitor , appro x. 460,00[...]

124 For customers in the U.S.A. Federal Communica tions Commission (FCC) Radio Frequency Interference Stat ement This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for class B digital devices, pursuant to Part 15 of the F CC Rules. T hese limits are desi gned to provide reasonable protection against harmful in terference in a reside[...]