Yesterday I was browsing through the Sigma SD15 users gallery on pbase, searching for new SD15 full resolution pictures. I came across those two pictures here (1600 ISO) and here (3200 ISO) and by looking at full resolution, I've seen that GREEN chroma noise that was everywhere on the cat and puma fur. It is not such chrome noise that I could just ignore, it was certainly something you can't miss. You probably thing that its only exist on that specific camera, but NO, I have seen those green noise patterns on may other high ISO pictures on Flickr and other website photo sharing sites (didn't bookmark it, sorry).
Here, look at a this part of the image (from 100% crop):
It looks like the Puma has grown grass on its face and on some part of its body. For some photographers who mostly shoot at low ISO settings, that shouldn't be a problem. But even so, you can still see noise in ISO 200 in dark shadows and me it was way to much. You can always use noise removal software like noise ninja to remove it and correct the greet chroma issue problems on the Sigma SD15, but do you really want to edit hundreds of high ISO photographs or batch it on noise ninja every time you come home with loads of high ISO photographs?
The main reason why people buy the Sigma SD15 its because of the ultra sharpness and live colors that the Foveon sensor produces in low ISO, but for party pictures, night shots and other kind of low light photography, this is probably not the camera you should be carrying in your bag.
I want to hear your opinion about the green chroma noise issue.
BTW: try to photograph a dalmatian dog in ISO 3200, the results can be pretty interesting.
Use it at ISo 400 maximum. Foveons aren't suited for High ISO, unless you are shooting in B&W. In this case the noise produces a very interesting "grain" effect.
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