My first dSLR was the SD9, so nowadays I shoot RAW all the time, whatever system I am using, as it has become natural to me. So the first 160 odd images that I shot on day one have all been shot in X3F format. I’ll have to try the Jpeg option that Sigma have added to this camera another day. My excuse is that it never crossed my mind!

SDIM0103. SD14 with 105mm f/2.8 Macro (non-DG)

First let me explain a couple of new buttons that I needed to use. The first, at the top right of the back of the camera and has a small speckled icon by its side, controls the focus points in the viewfinder. Press this button and, while holding it down, turn the front control wheel. (It becomes quite natural after a couple of attempts.) You will see through the viewfinder the highlighted (active) focus point change, scrolling through the five points and then all of them becoming lit.

The next button you will need is the one to the top right of the rear screen marked ISO/icon/WB. Press this and the screen lights up with the options for ISO, Quality, Resolution and White Balance. Each of them scroll through with repeated presses of the appropriate button on the daisy wheel.

There is also a FUNC button to the top left of the rear of the camera, but I’ll come back to that. During the first day I only used ISO 100 and 200 with the quality set at RAW and High resolution. The WB never moved off AWB (auto) and probably never will all the time I’m shooting RAW.

I did, however, play with the focus points, moving them around to suit the composition/subject as needed. (See images)

Shooting with my favoured Aperture Priority on a sunny day, the metering coped surprisingly well. I used both spot and average metering modes this time out, again as the subject required and both methods performed well, only varying the expose from near ideal when I used the wrong setting inadvertently. (Yes, like everyone, I forget which I had it on for the last shot!)

Using the multiple focus points makes off centre compositions simple. SDIM0068

By the end of the day the camera was beginning to become familiar in the hand and my fingers were starting to go in the right direction to change settings. Having (mostly) used a totally different system for the last twelve months, this quite impressed me and makes me say that the layout of the controls is intuitive.

Tomorrow is Easter Day here in the UK, so I’m having a rest, but I’ll get back with more soon.

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