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Earlier Sigma "analog front end" ??

Hi,
Would one of you smart people mind telling me what the heck is an analog front end in the early DR2X series of cameras. I'd like to understand this but if its a bother to explain thanks anyway.
regards,
Robert
 

darr

Well-known member
The analog front end (AFE) was developed to bring higher-resolution pictures and longer battery life to digital cameras and camcorders. It is not Sigma specific, is older technology, and was considered to be an important factor for producing low-noise, high-resolution images and power management. If contained in a digital camera, it resides somewhere between the charge-coupled device (CCD) and the image processor.

As per Wikipedia:
An analog front-end (AFE) is a set of analog signal conditioning circuitry that uses operational amplifiers, filters, and sometimes application-specific integrated circuits for sensors and other circuits to provide a configurable and flexible electronics functional block, needed to interface a variety of sensors to an analog to digital converter or in some cases to a microcontroller.
Here is a thread over at dpreview that discusses: "Analog front end really that effective?"

Kind regards,
Darr
 

Hulyss Bowman

Active member
Above those technical endless and useless threads, the so called AFE always quilled a bit the IQ of previous DP cameras. Always, I wonder why SIGMA implement it because it is always in BAD than GOOD for the final experience.

In +, on DPreview, most of the posters do not have used a vast range of those cameras so they just show up with speculations, falls conclusions yadi yada. Most of them own ONE DP, or ONE Sd but never invested a lot in the brand. Only few did it; I might had we are not on lot on the whole planet having owned and used extensively almost all SIGMA catalogue.

That mean, having owned all DPs and most of the SDs, that there is a drastic difference between non AFE and with AFE models. For example, the original DP2 IQ was just amazing (and still). The DP2s too, with better AF. Then came the DP2x incorporating the AFE from the SD15. Like the SD15, it is clipping highlights paradise.

The Quattro is using an AFE >> clipping highlights paradise.

The Quattro is the first digital "new" camera who incorporate AFE since the start. Habitually, Sigma kill the model with AFE crap by incorporating it in the second generation body, but here >> you got it from the beginning :p

So, never buy an "AFE" version of any Sigma camera. They got it wrong and still get it wrong in all ways.

None of the Merrill have AFE, and IQ/DR is flawless.
 

xpatUSA

Member
Hi,
Would one of you smart people mind telling me what the heck is an analog front end in the early DR2X series of cameras. I'd like to understand this but if its a bother to explain thanks anyway.
regards,
Robert
As previously mentioned, the SD15 also has an AFE. My SD9 thru SD14 do not - and are therefore truly "ISO-less" which is why I always shoot at ISO 100.

The main complaint with AFE (low headroom) is caused by the fact that it's just as easy to blow raw highlights (note that I said "raw") at higher ISOs (200 and up) as it is to blow them at ISO 100. On the other hand, with non-AFE Sigmas, the raw headroom goes up 1EV for every 1 stop increase in ISO. Trust me . . . :thumbup:

Ted
 
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