Sigma SD1 Merrill User manual

127
C26EN1221
E
ENGLISH
USER’S MANUAL
zThis manual explains how to use the SIGMA SD1 Merrill digital SLR camera.
zFor installation instructions of the supplied “SIGMA Photo Pro” software,
please refer to the “Install Guide_EN.pdf” file on the SIGMA Photo Pro disc.
For further information on how to use SIGMA Photo Pro and how to connect
the camera to your computer, please click on Help in SIGMA Photo Pro.
zThis camera is compatible with the remote camera control software “SIGMA
Capture Pro” which allows photographers to tether the camera body to their
computer and take control over camera setting and capture images remotely.
SIGMA Capture Pro is available for download from our website.

1
Thank you for purchasing
the Sigma Digital Autofocus Camera
The Sigma SD1 Merrill Digital SLR camera is a technical breakthrough! It is
powered by the Foveon® X3™ image sensor, the world’s first image sensor
to capture red, green and blue light at each and every pixel. A high-
resolution digital single-lens reflex camera, the SD1 Merrill delivers
superior-
quality
digital images by combining Sigma’s extensive interchangeable lens
line-up with the revolutionary Foveon X3 image sensor. You will get the
greatest performance and enjoyment from your new SD1 Merrill camera’s
features by reading this instruction manual carefully before operating it.
Enjoy your new Sigma camera!
•Please keep this instruction booklet handy for future reference. Doing so will
allow you to understand and take advantage of the camera’s unique features
at any time.
•The warranty of this product is one year from the date of purchase. Warranty
terms and warranty card are on a separate sheet, attached. Please refer to
these materials for details.
NOTES ON COPYRIGHT
This camera is intended only for personal use and should never be used in
a way that infringes upon or contravenes international or domestic copyright
laws and regulations. In addition, although it is intended purely for personal
use, some restrictions may be applied to photographing demonstrations,
performances, shows, exhibitions, or commercial properties, etc. Copyright
or other legal rights should not be contravened.
zCompactFlash is a trademark of SanDisk Corporation.
zIBM PC/AT series computer is a trademark or registered trademark of
International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) in the U.S.A.
zMicrosoft and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
zMacintosh and MAC OS are registered trademarks or trademarks of Apple Inc.
in the U.S.A. and /or other countries.
zAdobe and Photoshop are trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
zAll other company or product names used in documents are trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective holders.
zRicoh True Type Font designed by Ricoh CO., Ltd. is used for the display of
the menu window of this camera.

2
Disposal of Electric and Electronic Equipment in Private Households
Disposal of used Electrical & Electronic Equipment (Applicable in the European Union
and other European countries with separate collection systems)
This symbol indicates that this product shall not be treated as household waste.
Instead it shall be collected separately for the recycling of electrical and electronic
equipment.
If the new products are purchased, this product might be handed over to the distributor
or the collection system of waste electrical and electronic equipment eventually.
By ensuring this product is disposed of correctly, you will help prevent potential negative
consequences for the environment and human health, which could otherwise be caused
by inappropriate waste handling of this product or components of this product.
If this product is disposed illegally, it might cause a possibility of penalties.
For more detailed information about recycling of this product, please contact your local
city office, your household waste disposal service or the shop where you have
purchased the product.
PACKAGE CONTENTS / ACCESSORIES
Please make sure that following standard accessories are included with
your camera. If any of them are missing, contact the retailer from whom you
purchased your camera immediately.
1. Camera Body (SD1 Merrill)
2. Body Cap (on the camera)
3. Eyepiece Cup (on the camera)
4. Strap
5. Finder Cap
6. Li-ion Battery BP-21（Battery Cover is included）
7. Battery Charger BC-21
8. Battery Charger Cable
9. USB Cable
10. Audio Video Cable
11. SIGMA Photo Pro Disc
12. Instruction Manual
13. Warranty Card
14. SIGMA Limited Warranty & Service Network
•No memory card is included with this camera. Please purchase this
separately.

3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PACKAGE CONTENTS / ACCESSORIES .......................................................2
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS .................................................................................6
HANDLING PRECAUTIONS ............................................................................9
DESCRIPTION OF THE PARTS.....................................................................11
CONTROL DIALS ...........................................................................................13
CONNECTERS ...............................................................................................13
VIEWFINDER..................................................................................................14
BASIC OPERATION AND QUICK REFERENCE...........................................15
PREPARATION 18
ATTACHING THE CARRY STRAP .................................................................18
HOW TO USE THE FINDER CAP ..................................................................18
LOADING THE BATTERY ..............................................................................19
CHECKING THE BATTERY STATUS.............................................................22
USING A HOME POWER SUPPLY (SOLD SEPARATELY)...........................23
MOUNTING AND REMOVING THE LENS.....................................................24
SETTING THE LANGUAGE ...........................................................................26
SETTING THE TIME AND DATE....................................................................27
CAMERA SET-UP MENU ...............................................................................28
FUNCTION DISPLAY......................................................................................35
QUICK SET MENU .........................................................................................37
CAMERA INFO PAGE.....................................................................................38
INSERTING AND REMOVING THE CARD....................................................39
FORMATTING THE CARD .............................................................................41
FRAME NUMBER COUNTER ........................................................................42
DIOPTER ADJUSTMENT ...............................................................................43
HOLDING THE CAMERA ...............................................................................43
SHUTTER BUTTON .......................................................................................44
BASIC OPERATION 45
SELECTING THE EXPOSURE MODE 45
P PROGRAM AE..........................................................................................45
A APERTURE PRIORITY AE ......................................................................47
S SHUTTER SPEED PRIORITY AE............................................................48
M MANUAL EXPOSURE..............................................................................49
BULB SETTING ..............................................................................................50
USING THE BUILT-IN FLASH 51
USING THE BUILT-IN FLASH ........................................................................51

4
EXPOSURE MODE AND BUILT-IN FLASH ...................................................52
FLASH FUNCTION SETTINGS......................................................................53
FOCUSING 55
HOW TO USE AUTOFOCUS..........................................................................55
SELECTING THE AUTOFOCUS MODE ........................................................56
AF POINT SELECTION ..................................................................................57
AF AUXILIARY LIGHT ....................................................................................58
FOCUS LOCK .................................................................................................58
MANUAL FOCUS............................................................................................59
AF DRIVE AND AF BUTTON SETTINGS.......................................................60
OPERATION OF THE DRIVE MODE 61
DRIVE-AREA ..................................................................................................61
SINGLE FRAME SHOOTING .........................................................................61
CONTINUOUS SHOOTING............................................................................62
SELF TIMER ...................................................................................................63
MIRROR LOCK-UP.........................................................................................63
ADVANCED OPERATION 65
SETTING THE WHITE BALANCE (WB)......................................................65
SETTING THE SENSITIVITY（ISO EQUIVALENCY）.................................67
IMAGE FILE SETTING ...................................................................................68
COLOR MODE................................................................................................69
IMAGE PARAMETER AND COLOR SPACE..................................................70
SELECTING THE METERING MODE............................................................71
AE LOCK.........................................................................................................72
EXPOSURE COMPENSATION ......................................................................74
FLASH EXPOSURE COMPENSATION .........................................................75
AUTO BRACKETING......................................................................................76
REMOTE CONTROLLER RS-31....................................................................78
DEPTH-OF-FIELD PREVIEW BUTTON.........................................................81
FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY................................................................................81
AUTO ROTATE ...............................................................................................83
CUSTOM MODE .............................................................................................84
REVIEWING, DELETING AND MODIFYING IMAGES 86
QUICK PREVIEW 86
CHANGING THE QUICK PREVIEW DURATION...........................................86

5
REVIEWING IMAGES 87
VIEWING ONE IMAGE AT A TIME .................................................................88
MAGNIFYING IMAGES (ZOOMED-IN VIEW)................................................89
VIEWING NINE IMAGES AT A TIME (CONTACT SHEET VIEW) ..................90
VIEWING IMAGE INFORMATION..................................................................91
MAGNIFIED IMAGES IN IMAGE INFO SCREEN..........................................92
HISTOGRAM...................................................................................................93
OVER-EXPOSURE WARNING ......................................................................94
VIEWING IMAGES ON A TV ..........................................................................95
DELETING IMAGES 96
DELETE AN IMAGE WITH THE DELETE BUTTON ......................................96
DELETE IMAGES FROM THE DELETE MENU ............................................97
OTHER REVIEWING FEATURES 98
LOCKING IMAGES .........................................................................................98
MARKING IMAGES ......................................................................................100
ROTATING IMAGES .....................................................................................102
USING THE OK BUTTON SHORTCUT .......................................................104
SHOWING A SLIDESHOW...........................................................................105
DPOF (DIGITAL PRINT ORDER FORMAT) .................................................107
CHANGING OTHER SETTINGS 108
FILE NUMBERING SYSTEM........................................................................108
CAPTURE SETTING DISPLAY ....................................................................109
CUSTOMIZE THE DIAL................................................................................110
LCD OFF AND AUTO POWER OFF............................................................. 111
AF MICRO ADJUSTMENT ...........................................................................112
RESET TO THE DEFAULTS.........................................................................114
REFERENCE 115
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES .........................................................................115
MAINTENANCE ............................................................................................116
CLEANING THE IMAGE SENSOR...............................................................116
EXPLANATION OF TERMS..........................................................................119
WARNING DISPLAYS...................................................................................122
TROUBLESHOOTING ..................................................................................123
SPECIFICATIONS ........................................................................................125
CONNECTING YOUR CAMERA TO A COMPUTER ...................................126

6
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
To avoid causing damage or injury, please read this instruction manual
carefully, before using the camera.
Please take special note of the following two cautionary symbols.
Warning !!
Caution !!
Using the product and disregarding this warning sign ma
y
cause serious injury or other dangerous results.
Using the product disregarding this caution sign may cause
injury or damage.
This symbol denotes warning or point, where caution is required.
Symbol contains information regarding the actions that must be avoided.
WARNING (BATTERY, BATTERY CHARGER AND AC ADAPTER)
Keep batteries in a safe place out of children’s reach. If a battery is
swallowed, call for emergency medical aid immediately.
Do not use any battery other than the designated battery types. Doing so
may cause battery explosion, battery leakage, camera damage, injury o
r
fire.
Do not use any battery other than that specified in this booklet. Otherwise,
it might cause battery explosion, battery leakage, camera damage, injury o
r
fire.
A
void any shock, shake and drop. Ignoring this warning may cause
battery explosion, or battery leakage, resulting in injury or fire.
Never disassemble, short circuit, heat, batteries or put batteries into fire.
Ignoring this warning may cause battery explosion, battery leakage, injury
or fire.
Please only use charger with dedicated battery. Charging other battery
types causes battery explosion, battery leakage, camera damage, injury o
r
fire.
If for some reason, the camera or batteries emit smoke, or if overheating o
r
the smell of burning is detected, remove the batteries, taking care to avoid
being burned, Take the camera to the retailer where you bought it, or to an
authorized Sigma service station.
Please follow all guidelines, rules and regulations of your community
regarding the disposal of batteries.
If you do not use the camera for a long period of time, remove the battery.
Do not use any AC adapter other than the one provided with your camera.
Using other brands may cause electrical shock and fire

7
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
The AC Adapter is designed for use with this product only. Do not use it
with any other appliance. Doing so may cause overheating, fire, electric
shock or injury.
If the adapter is emitting smoke, generating a strange odor or making an
abnormal noise, while in use, disconnect the power plug from the outlet
immediately. Otherwise, fire or electric shock may result.
If water or a foreign object gets into the adapter, unplug from the AC outle
t
immediately. It could cause fire or electric shock.
Do not attempt to modify or disassemble this product. Doing so can cause
fire or electric shock.
Do not place any heavy objects on the power cord, or pull it, bend it unduly,
or heat it. It could damage the cord, and could cause fire or electric shock.
Do not use this product with AC voltage other than the specified powe
r
supply voltage (AC100V - 240V). Doing so could cause fire or electric
shock.
Use a safety approved AC power cord as is specified by each country.
WARNING (CAMERA)
Never use your camera in an environment where flammable or burnable,
gas, liquids or chemicals, such as Propane, Gasoline, etc., are present.
Keep the camera in a safe place that children cannot reach. Playing with
the camera strap around one’s neck can cause strangulation.
Do not disassemble the camera; Doing so can cause electric shocks and
burns.
Do not touch internal parts of the camera that become exposed as a resul
t
of damage, it could cause fire or electric shock. Remove the batteries and
contact an authorized Sigma service station.
A
fter attaching a lens, do not look directly at the sun, through the
viewfinder. Doing so can cause damage to the eye or loss of eyesight.
Do not look at the sun with the lens of your camera; otherwise you can lose
your eyesight.
Keep the camera away from moisture or water. If you drop you
r
camera/lens in water, please contact the retailer where you purchased the
camera, or a service station immediately. If you use the camera with this
condition it can cause electric shock or fire.
Prevent water, or metallic and other conductive objects from coming into
contact with the terminals of Camera Body. This can result in electric
shock, overheating and fire.

8
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Do not fire the flash close to eyes. Otherwise, the bright light would damage
the eye. Keep at least 1m/3feet distance between face and the camera,
when taking a picture with flash.
Do not cover the flash with your finger or hand, it can cause skin burn.
CAUTION (BATTERY CHARGER AND AC ADAPTER)
Do not pull the Battery Charger or the AC power cord, when disconnecting
the AC adapter from the AC outlet. It could cause fire or electric shock due
to damaged cord. Always take hold of the moulded AC plug, when
unplugging it from the outlet.
Do not cover the Battery Charger or the AC adapter with cloth, cushions,
etc. It could cause excessive heat, deform the case, and cause fire.
When Battery Charger is not used unplug it from the outlet.
CAUTION (CAMERA)
Do not aim your lens or camera & lens combinations toward the sun; light
entering through the lens could cause damage to eyes or fire.
Please do not carry your camera while a tripod is attached, as this could
result in injury or a fall.
Please do not grasp the camera with wet hand, as it might cause electric
shock
Do not leave the camera in a hot place or in a car parked in the sun. If the
camera becomes hot, it might cause burns to the skin.
If the liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor becomes damaged, be careful o
f
the fragments of glass, which can cause injury. If the liquid inside the LCD
monitor leaks out, and you are faced with the following situations, please
do as follows.
If the liquid adheres to clothes or the skin, wash it away with soap
immediately.
If the liquid enters the eye, flush the affected eye with clean wate
r
immediately for 15minutes, and seek medical assistance.
If the liquid is swallowed, drink large quantity of water, induce vomiting
and seek medical assistance.

9
HANDLING PRECAUTIONS
ENVIRONMENT
zYour camera is a precision instrument. Do not drop it or subject it to physical
shock.
zThis camera is not waterproof, and cannot be used underwater. Wipe 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.
zDo not leave the camera in a dusty, hot, or highly humid environment for a long
period of time.
zIf the camera is moved from a cold place to a warm room, water droplets may
appear on the camera. Please keep the camera in a bag until it is acclimatized
to the ambient room temperature.
zThe camera will work within a temperature range between 0˚C/32˚F and
+40˚C/104˚F and humidity less than 80% (no condensation). However, in cold
temperatures below 0˚C, the power performance of the battery reduced. Please
carry a spare battery in these circumstances, and keep the batteries warm.
zStatic electricity or magnetic fields, may effect the operation of the camera. If
such exposure occurs, please remove the battery from the camera and
re-insert it, to reset the camera’s microprocessors.
Please read this section before using the camera.
Study and familiarize yourself with the functions of your camera before using
it. No compensation or guarantee is provided for unsatisfactory pictures or
loss of profit, etc.
Carry spare batteries when you use the camera in a cold environment,
on a field trip, or when taking many pictures at one time.
Do not use this camera with any external flash unit other than Sigma Flash
EF-610/530/500 DG SUPER SA-STTL or EF-610/530/500 DG ST SA-STTL,
which have special contact pins on the hot shoe. The flash units are offered
as optional accessories. Other brands of external flash units may damage
the camera’s circuit boards or may not function properly.

10
HOW TO STORE THE CAMERA
zIf you intend to store the camera for a long time, remove the battery.
zTo avoid growth of fungus, store the camera and lens in a dry, cool and
ventilated place, with a drying agent such as silica gel. Keep your equipment
away from chemicals.
NOTE ON THE TFT COLOR LCD MONITOR
zA few pixels may always be lit or may never light on the LCD monitor. This is
not a failure or malfunction. Images recorded with the camera will not be
affected.
zBecause of the normal physical characteristics of the liquid crystal, the reaction
of the display may become slow at low temperatures. At high temperatures, the
display may become dark, but it will return to normal at room temperature.
COMPACTFLASH™ (CF) CARD (SOLD SEPARATELY)
The SD1 Merrill camera uses CompactFlash™ (CF) card (Type 1).
◆ In this instruction manual, CompactFlash™ (CF) card is referred to as the
‘card’.
zDo not bend or drop the card. In addition, avoid any shock to the card.
zDo not spill any liquid onto the card.
zDo not leave the card in direct sunlight or near a heating device.
zAvoid storing cards in environments of high temperature and humidity or where
static electricity or electromagnetic fields may be generated
zFor proper usage of the card, please refer to their instruction manuals.
zThe “Delete” feature of the Camera and PC may not delete the data in the
memory card completely. Some data might still remain. If you wish to remove
all data from the card securely, please use third party software.

11
DESCRIPTION OF THE PARTS
1
2
3
4
16
17
18
19
5
6
7
13
14
15
8
9
10
11
12
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
15
27
28
29
30
31

12
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
1. AF AUXILIARY LIGHT 23.
( EXPOSURE COMPENSATION) BUTTON
2. DUST PROTECTOR 24. A-DIAL ( )
3. LENS MOUNT 25. (ISO SENSITIVITY) BUTTON
4. LENS LOCK BUTTON 26. FOCAL PLANE MARK
5.
BATTERY COMPARTMENT COVER
27. S-DIAL ( )
6.
BATTERY COMPARTMENT COVER
LATCH
28. CF CARD COVER
7. TRIPOD SOCKET 29.
(AF POINT SELECTOR) BUTTON
8. (BUILT-IN FLASH POP-UP)BUTTON 30. (AF) BUTTON
9. FLASH EXPOSURE
COMPENSATION BUTTON 31. (AE LOCK) BUTTON
10.
DEPTH-OF-FIELD PREVIEW BUTTON
11. CONNECTOR COVER
32. (MAIN MENU) BUTTON
12. REMOTE CONTROL SENSOR 33. (VIEW) BUTTON
13. HOT SHOE 34. (INFORMATION) BUTTON
14. D-DIAL (DRIVE DIAL) 35. (DELETE) BUTTON
15. CAMERA STRAP EYELET 36. COLOR LCD MONITOR
16. (FUNCTION) BUTTON 37. (QUICK SET) BUTTON
17. EYEPIECE CUP 38. (OK) BUTTON
18. VIEWFINDER EYEPIECE 39. 4-WAY CONTROLLER
19. DIOPTER ADJUSTER 40. BUSY LAMP
20. MODE DIAL 41. SPEAKER
21.
(METERING MODE) BUTTON 42. (CANCEL) BUTTON
22. SHUTTER BUTTON

13
CONTROL DIALS
D-DIAL
MODE DIAL
CONNECTERS
USB / VIDEO TERMINAL
RELEASE SOCKET
DC-IN TERMINAL
PC SYNCHRO TERMINAL
CUSTOM MODE
PROGRAM AE
APERTURE PRIORITY AE
SHUTTER SPEED PRIORITY AE
MANUAL EXPOSURE SETTING
AUTO BRACKETING
MIRROR LOCK-UP
SELF-TIMER (2s)
SELF-TIMER (10s)
CONTINUOUS SHOOTING
SINGLE FRAME SHOOTING
POWER OFF
DRIVE ARE
A

14
VIEWFINDER
AUTO BRACKETING
EXPOSURE METER
FRAME NUMBER COUNTER / ISO SENSITIVITY
METERING MODE
NUMBER OF SHOTS REMAINING BEFORE MEMORY BUFFER FULL
EXPOSURE MODE
FLASH INDICATOR
FLASH EXPOSURE COMPENSATION
FP FLASH INDICATOR (USING EXTERNAL FLASH)
FOCUS INDICATOR
SHUTTER SPEED
APERTURE VALUE
AE LOCK INDICATOR
AF POINT
SPOT METERING CIRCLE

15
BASIC OPERATION AND QUICK REFERENCE
The SD1 Merrill camera has many advanced features. This section,
describes basic camera operation. You can find more details in later
sections.
Charging the battery (P.19)
Charge the supplied lithium-ion battery with
the provided battery charger.
To insert the battery (P.20)
Insert the battery into the chamber in
accordance with the diagram.
Mount the lens (P.24)
Align the white mark on the camera’s lens
mount with the red dot on the lens. Insert the
lens into the mount of the camera, and rotate
the lens clockwise until it clicks into the
locked position.

16
Set the language (P.26)
Set the date and time (P.27)
Loading the card (P.39)
Turn the D-dial to the □ (single frame
shooting) position. (P.61)
Set the AF/MF switch on the lens to the
AF position. (P.55)

17
Select the exposure mode (P.45)
Set the Mode dial to P (Program AE)
position.
Focus (P.55)
Determine the composition through the finder,
and then press the shutter button halfway to
activate exposure metering and autofocus.
Take a picture
Press the shutter button “All-the way-down”
to take a picture.
Review the image. (P.86)
The image is displayed for 2 seconds on the
color LCD monitor.

18
PREPARATION
This section describes necessary preparations before using the
camera.
ATTACHING THE CARRY STRAP
1
Undo the strap end.
2
Thread the finder cap onto the strap.
3
Attach the carry strap as shown.
HOW TO USE THE FINDER CAP
When using the self-timer or remote
control, cover the viewfinder eyepiece
with the finder cap to prevent stray light
from entering the camera.
1
Remove the eyecup from the viewfinder.
2
Attach the finder cap onto the viewfinder.

19
LOADING THE BATTERY
A lithium-ion battery BP-21 is provided with the SD1 Merrill camera. Charge
the battery fully before using the camera for the first time. Please charge
the battery with the supplied battery charger BC-21 no power is left in the
battery.
TO CHARGE THE BATTERY
1
Connect the power cable to the charger and
insert the plug into the wall outlet.
2
Attach the battery by sliding it in the direction
of the arrow, as shown in the diagram.
zCharge lamp will be on during charging.
zIt takes about 150 minutes to recharge the
battery.
zRequired time for recharging the battery
depends on the ambient temperature and
status of the recharge level.
3
When the charge lamp goes out, charging is
completed. Remove the battery from the
charger and remove the power cable plug
from the wall outlet.
zWe recommend charging the battery before using the camera again. If it is
not used for several days, battery performance decreases.
zIn the case that the number of possible shots will decrease extremely after
charging, it may indicate the end of the battery life. Please purchase a new
battery.