Davide Caniatti

There are more than a few things in common between Foveon photographers and insecure males, but they also share a fundamental question: do sizes matter? A few days ago, I had the opportunity to upgrade: I added the H model to my Sigma SD Quattro. The difference is simple: the H model has an Aps-h sensor with a 1.3 crop factor. The original Quattro features a slightly less than the regular Aps-c sensor, with a crop factor of around 1.

The arrival of the zoom market in the 70s and 80s profoundly changed the photography market. For the first time, the amateur photographer, as well as the reporter, could have several focal lengths attached to their camera at the same time. The possibilities in terms of versatility of use and convenience were almost endless. No longer the need for two camera bodies, no more risky lens changes, but the lens always engaged and ready for use.

In recent days I had the opportunity to participate in a photographic trip in a wood. The theme was “the place of ancestral fears”, and in the absence of better ideas I decided to experiment with the Sigma SD Quattro without an IR-cut filter, but with a 720nm filter mounted on the lens. The results are, in my opinion, good on a technical level and attributable to the film with which they show remarkable similarities.

Foveon is undoubtedly a fascinating technology. In an era characterized by the invasion of camera AI and the return to film, this technology seems capable of combining the best of digital and analog. It retains the authenticity of analog, while from digital it inherits the low environmental and economic costs of management. But, what is Foveon? Conceived in 1997 with the contribution of the Italian genius of Federico Faggin(former inventor of the modern microprocessor and touchscreen!