sigma buys foveon

http://www.sigma-photo.co.jp/english/news/info_081111.htm

i suppose sigma would lose more if foveon actually shut down...

"nospam" wrote in message
...
http://www.sigma-photo.co.jp/english/news/info_081111.htm

i suppose sigma would lose more if foveon actually shut down...

Absolutely condemning Sigma to dSLR Hell!!

Look at their reasoning in this. It's almost as if they imply that
communication between companies and product development isn't possible
without one being aquired by the other. What rubbish. In some cases, it
works against the aquiring company as inter-company product use can actually
end up being more costly.

"The acquisition of Foveon will not only enhance the development of new
types of image sensors for high quality digital cameras, but will also
create a synergistic effect with Sigma's camera and lens business by
improving the integration between the camera and sensor. This will result in
camera products which will uniquely meet the widely ranging functional and
image quality needs of demanding photographers."

On Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:28:40 -0800, nospam wrote:
: http://www.sigma-photo.co.jp/english/news/info_081111.htm
:
: i suppose sigma would lose more if foveon actually shut down...

Doesn't Sigma sell a lot of lenses but very few cameras? If they're buying a
company just to stay in a highly competitive business in which they're not
doing very well, what's the point?

Bob

RichA wrote:
Look at their reasoning in this. It's almost as if they imply that
communication between companies and product development isn't possible
without one being aquired by the other. What rubbish. In some cases, it
works against the aquiring company as inter-company product use can actually
end up being more costly.

"The acquisition of Foveon will not only enhance the development of new
types of image sensors for high quality digital cameras, but will also
create a synergistic effect with Sigma's camera and lens business by
improving the integration between the camera and sensor. This will result in
camera products which will uniquely meet the widely ranging functional and
image quality needs of demanding photographers."



I always felt the guys who started Foveon really didn't want to
remain in the business world that long, and would soon sell the company
and go on to newer things. Did Mead go with Foveon or did he stay at
Cal Tech?

In article , nospam says...
http://www.sigma-photo.co.jp/english/news/info_081111.htm

i suppose sigma would lose more if foveon actually shut down...

Hopefully we'll finally see a Foveon sensor with more pixel count. 12 or
15MP would be fine.
--

Alfred Molon
------------------------------
Olympus 50X0, 8080, E3X0, E4X0, E5X0 and E3 forum at
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/MyOlympus/
http://myolympus.org/ photo sharing site

On Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:45:10 -0600, Don Stauffer wrote:

I always felt the guys who started Foveon really didn't want to
remain in the business world that long, and would soon sell the company
and go on to newer things. Did Mead go with Foveon or did he stay at
Cal Tech?

While on yet another extended photo-trek expedition in the Everglades I,
surprisingly, ran into one of the very people that invented and developed the
Foveon sensor concept. He too was very disappointed at the way they implemented
it and marketed it. The Foveon technology could do so much better according to
him. From what he explained to me it became obvious what they were doing wrong.
Don't ask me to repeat it now, nor even remember his name, but I could name the
campgrounds where I ran into him, this was over 3 years ago. The main thing that
I do recall being highly impressed with what the Foveon sensor could do in the
right camera and firmware. It made for some extremely interesting campfire +
beer discussions for a couple nights.

On the plus-side, he did buy the pop-up camper that I was leaving behind, no
longer needing it as a base-camp housing, but was perfect for his photo needs as
it was already set-up for that and he was just getting started on his Everglades
romp. Interesting guy, anyone would have found a chat with him fascinating.

This Foveon marketing is reminiscent of the Amiga computer that could multi-task
up to 1000 programs running simultaneously without showing one bit of slow-down.
But due to marketing and idiot pencil-pushers the PC platform won out over the
mis-marketed Amiga architecture. The benefits lost to humanity forever due to
some know-nothing bean counters and marketing departments. Alas, the same might
happen to the advanced technology of the Foveon concept. For all our sakes I
hope it does not. Knowing what I do about the stupidity of humanity, it will.

On Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:08:23 +0100, Alfred Molon
wrote in
:

In article , nospam says...
http://www.sigma-photo.co.jp/english/news/info_081111.htm

i suppose sigma would lose more if foveon actually shut down...

Hopefully we'll finally see a Foveon sensor with more pixel count. 12 or
15MP would be fine.

Would take some serious technical breakthroughs; i.e., don't hold your
breath.
--
Best regards,
John Navas
[PLEASE NOTE: Ads belong *only* in rec.photo.marketplace.digital, as per
http://bobatkins.photo.net/info/charter.htm http://rpdfaq.50megs.com/]

Robert Coe wrote:
On Mon, 10 Nov 2008 18:28:40 -0800, nospam wrote:
: http://www.sigma-photo.co.jp/english/news/info_081111.htm
:
: i suppose sigma would lose more if foveon actually shut down...

Doesn't Sigma sell a lot of lenses but very few cameras? If they're buying a
company just to stay in a highly competitive business in which they're not
doing very well, what's the point?

"Buying" may be the wrong word here, I'm sure that Sigma is just
acquiring the remains of Foveon, probably at no cost at all.

Too bad. Foveon exhibited their studio camera (three sensors with a
prism) in the booth of the company I worked for at Comdex many years
ago. It was a good concept to use three sensors, but impractical. They
sold a bunch of their studio cameras (Canon lens mount) but the silicon
color separation never worked out as well as they had hoped for consumer
cameras.

In article , Robert Coe
wrote:

Doesn't Sigma sell a lot of lenses but very few cameras? If they're buying a
company just to stay in a highly competitive business in which they're not
doing very well, what's the point?

the point is that the alternative is worse for sigma. if foveon shuts
down, sigma no longer has *any* sensors with which to make cameras.
this way, they can at least sell a few more cameras and maybe make back
what they paid (which i doubt was a whole lot).