Specifications#
- Brand
- Sigma
- Model
- SD15
- Camera type
- DSLR
- Released
- 2011-01-01
- Lens mount
- Sigma SA
- Sensor size
- 20.7 × 13.8 mm (1.5" sensor)
- Crop factor
- 1.74×
- Resolution
- 4.7 MP (2,652 × 1,768 px)
- Continuous shooting
- 3 fps
- Weight
- 680 g (24.0 oz)
- Sensor
- 20.7 mm × 13.8 mm Foveon X3 sensor
- Storage
- SD card
- Viewfinder
- Optical, pentaprism
- AF points / area
- 5 points, cross pattern
- Metering
- TTL, full aperture, zones
- Exposure modes
- Programmed, shutter-priority, aperture priority, manual
- Shutter
- electronic focal-plane
- Flash
- pop-up, sync at 1/180 second
- Battery
- 1500 mAhr 7.2 V Li-ion rechargeable
- Lens
- Interchangeable (Sigma SA mount)
- Drive
- up to 3.0 frame/s
Specifications merged from Wikipedia, Wikidata, Lensfun and openMVG. Spot an error? Tell us.
Sensor size compared#
Focal length equivalents & field of view#
Multiply any focal length by 1.74 to get the full-frame field of view. Angles are for a rectilinear lens focused at infinity.
| Lens on this camera | Full-frame equivalent | Horizontal | Vertical | Diagonal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 mm | 14 mm | 104.6° | 81.6° | 114.5° |
| 10 mm | 17 mm | 92.0° | 69.2° | 102.4° |
| 12 mm | 21 mm | 81.6° | 59.8° | 92.1° |
| 14 mm | 24 mm | 72.9° | 52.5° | 83.2° |
| 16 mm | 28 mm | 65.8° | 46.7° | 75.7° |
| 18 mm | 31 mm | 59.8° | 41.9° | 69.3° |
| 20 mm | 35 mm | 54.7° | 38.1° | 63.8° |
| 24 mm | 42 mm | 46.7° | 32.1° | 54.8° |
| 28 mm | 49 mm | 40.6° | 27.7° | 47.9° |
| 35 mm | 61 mm | 32.9° | 22.3° | 39.1° |
| 40 mm | 70 mm | 29.0° | 19.6° | 34.5° |
| 50 mm | 87 mm | 23.4° | 15.7° | 27.9° |
| 56 mm | 97 mm | 20.9° | 14.0° | 25.0° |
| 70 mm | 122 mm | 16.8° | 11.3° | 20.2° |
| 85 mm | 148 mm | 13.9° | 9.3° | 16.7° |
| 100 mm | 174 mm | 11.8° | 7.9° | 14.2° |
| 135 mm | 235 mm | 8.8° | 5.9° | 10.5° |
| 200 mm | 348 mm | 5.9° | 4.0° | 7.1° |
| 300 mm | 522 mm | 4.0° | 2.6° | 4.7° |
| 400 mm | 696 mm | 3.0° | 2.0° | 3.6° |
| 600 mm | 1043 mm | 2.0° | 1.3° | 2.4° |
Depth of field table#
Total depth of field at each subject distance, using a circle of confusion of 17.2 µm (the 0.030 mm full-frame standard scaled by the crop factor).
| Focal | Aperture | 50.0 cm | 1.00 m | 2.00 m | 3.00 m | 5.00 m | 10.0 m | Hyperfocal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 mm | f/1.8 | 10.6 cm | 44.6 cm | 2.10 m | 6.61 m | ∞ | ∞ | 4.65 m |
| 12 mm | f/2.8 | 16.8 cm | 74.5 cm | 4.80 m | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | 2.99 m |
| 12 mm | f/4 | 24.7 cm | 1.22 m | 41.2 m | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | 2.10 m |
| 12 mm | f/8 | 59.9 cm | 18.3 m | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | ∞ | 1.06 m |
| 25 mm | f/1.8 | 2.4 cm | 9.7 cm | 39.6 cm | 90.7 cm | 2.63 m | 13.1 m | 20.2 m |
| 25 mm | f/2.8 | 3.7 cm | 15.2 cm | 62.5 cm | 1.46 m | 4.51 m | 38.0 m | 13.0 m |
| 25 mm | f/4 | 5.3 cm | 21.8 cm | 91.6 cm | 2.21 m | 7.86 m | ∞ | 9.08 m |
| 25 mm | f/8 | 10.6 cm | 45.1 cm | 2.15 m | 6.93 m | ∞ | ∞ | 4.55 m |
| 42 mm | f/1.8 | 0.8 cm | 3.4 cm | 13.8 cm | 31.3 cm | 87.9 cm | 3.62 m | 56.9 m |
| 42 mm | f/2.8 | 1.3 cm | 5.2 cm | 21.5 cm | 48.9 cm | 1.38 m | 5.89 m | 36.6 m |
| 42 mm | f/4 | 1.8 cm | 7.5 cm | 30.8 cm | 70.4 cm | 2.02 m | 9.18 m | 25.6 m |
| 42 mm | f/8 | 3.6 cm | 15.1 cm | 62.7 cm | 1.47 m | 4.57 m | 39.6 m | 12.8 m |
| 70 mm | f/1.8 | 0.3 cm | 1.2 cm | 4.9 cm | 11.1 cm | 31.3 cm | 1.26 m | 158 m |
| 70 mm | f/2.8 | 0.4 cm | 1.8 cm | 7.6 cm | 17.3 cm | 48.7 cm | 1.98 m | 102 m |
| 70 mm | f/4 | 0.6 cm | 2.6 cm | 10.9 cm | 24.8 cm | 69.8 cm | 2.85 m | 71.1 m |
| 70 mm | f/8 | 1.2 cm | 5.2 cm | 21.8 cm | 49.9 cm | 1.42 m | 6.07 m | 35.6 m |
Equivalent aperture#
Exposure is identical at the same f-number on any format; equivalence only describes depth of field and total light.
Diffraction & pixel pitch#
With 7.81 µm pixels, diffraction starts to soften pixel-level detail around f/11.6. For maximum sharpness keep landscapes between f/6.4 and f/12; stopping down further trades detail for depth of field.
| Aperture | Airy disk diameter | Spread over | At 100% view |
|---|---|---|---|
| f/2.8 | 3.8 µm | 0.5 px | sharp |
| f/4 | 5.4 µm | 0.7 px | sharp |
| f/5.6 | 7.5 µm | 1.0 px | sharp |
| f/8 | 10.7 µm | 1.4 px | sharp |
| f/11 | 14.8 µm | 1.9 px | sharp |
| f/16 | 21.5 µm | 2.8 px | slight softening |
| f/22 | 29.5 µm | 3.8 px | visibly soft |
Maximum print sizes#
At 4.7 MP the Sigma SD15 produces 2,652 × 1,768 pixel images. See the 5 megapixel guide or the print size calculator.
| Resolution | Typical use | Inches | Centimetres |
|---|---|---|---|
| 300 DPI | Photo-lab quality | 8.8 × 5.9 in | 22 × 15 cm |
| 240 DPI | Fine-art inkjet | 11.1 × 7.4 in | 28 × 19 cm |
| 200 DPI | Wall print | 13.3 × 8.8 in | 34 × 22 cm |
| 150 DPI | Poster, viewed from 1 m+ | 17.7 × 11.8 in | 45 × 30 cm |
Night-sky exposure limits#
Longest exposure before stars trail. The NPF rule accounts for pixel pitch and is stricter than the classic 500 rule — use it for pin-sharp stars on high-resolution sensors.
| Focal length | 500 rule | NPF f/1.8 | NPF f/2.8 | NPF f/4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 mm (14 mm eq.) | 35.9 s | 37.1 s | 41.5 s | 46.8 s |
| 12 mm (21 mm eq.) | 24.0 s | 24.8 s | 27.7 s | 31.2 s |
| 14 mm (24 mm eq.) | 20.5 s | 21.2 s | 23.7 s | 26.7 s |
| 20 mm (35 mm eq.) | 14.4 s | 14.9 s | 16.6 s | 18.7 s |
| 29 mm (50 mm eq.) | 9.9 s | 10.2 s | 11.5 s | 12.9 s |
Handheld shutter speed guide#
The reciprocal rule uses the equivalent focal length. High-resolution sensors may need one stop faster than this for pixel-sharp results.
| Focal length | No stabilisation (1/equiv. focal) | With 3-stop IS | With 5-stop IBIS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 mm | 1/25 s | 0.3 s | 1.3 s |
| 29 mm | 1/50 s | 1/6 s | 0.6 s |
| 58 mm | 1/100 s | 1/13 s | 0.3 s |
| 115 mm | 1/200 s | 1/25 s | 1/6 s |
Lenses for the Sigma SD15#
Native Sigma SA lenses in our database (74 total). Also adaptable: T-mount (T2), M39 / LTM (Leica thread), M42 screw mount, Deckel (DKL).
- Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM | A 14 mm
- Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSM | A 24 mm
- Sigma 28mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art 28 mm
- Sigma 40mm F1.4 DG HSM | Art 40 mm
- Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | S 70–200 mm
- Sigma 100-400mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C 100–400 mm
- Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C +1.4x ext. 100–400 mm
- Sigma 105 mm F1.4 DG HSM Art 105 mm
- Sigma 4.5mm f/2.8 EX DC HSM circular fisheye 4.5 mm
- Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 DC HSM 8–16 mm
- Sigma 8mm f/3.5 EX DG circular fisheye 8 mm
- Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM 10–20 mm
- Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC 10–20 mm
- Sigma 10mm f/2.8 EX DC Fisheye HSM 10 mm
- Sigma 12-24mm F4 DG HSM | A 12–24 mm
- Sigma 12-24mm F4.5-5.6 II DG HSM 12–24 mm
- Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 EX DG Aspherical HSM 12–24 mm
- Sigma 14mm f/2.8 EX 14 mm
- Sigma 14mm f/2.8 EX Aspherical HSM 14 mm
- Sigma 14mm f/3.5 EX 14 mm
- Sigma 15-30mm f/3.5-4.5 EX DG Aspherical 15–30 mm
- Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX DG Diagonal Fisheye 15 mm
- Sigma 17-35mm F2.8-4 EX DG Aspherical HSM 17–35 mm
- Sigma 17-35mm f/2.8-4 EX DG 17–35 mm
- Sigma 17-50mm f/2.8 EX DC OS HSM 17–50 mm
- Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM | C 17–70 mm
- Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM | Contemporary 013 17–70 mm
- Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC Macro 17–70 mm
- Sigma 18-125mm f/3.5-5.6 DC 18–125 mm
- Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC 18–200 mm
- Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM 18–200 mm
- Sigma 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS Macro HSM 18–250 mm
- Sigma 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Macro HSM 18–300 mm
- Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 DC HSM [A] 18–35 mm
- Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC 18–50 mm
- Sigma 18-50mm f/3.5-5.6 DC 18–50 mm
Similar cameras#
Other 1.5" cameras from around the same time.
Frequently asked questions#
What is the crop factor of the Sigma SD15?
The Sigma SD15 has a crop factor of 1.74× relative to 35 mm full frame (diagonal 24.9 mm vs 43.3 mm).
What size is the Sigma SD15 sensor?
20.7 × 13.8 mm (1.5"), an area of 286 mm² — 33% of full frame.
Is the Sigma SD15 full frame?
No — its sensor is 1.5", which is 3.0× smaller in area than full frame.
How many megapixels does the Sigma SD15 have?
4.7 megapixels (2,652 × 1,768 pixels), enough for a 9 × 6 inch print at 300 DPI.
What lens mount does the Sigma SD15 use?
The Sigma SD15 uses the Sigma SA (flange distance 44.00 mm).
How long can I expose the night sky with the Sigma SD15?
With a 12 mm lens (21 mm equivalent) the 500 rule gives 24 s and the stricter NPF rule at f/2.8 gives 28 s.
Sources & licences#
- Wikipedia: Sigma SD15 — CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wikidata Q252689 — CC0
- Lensfun camera database — CC BY-SA 3.0
- openMVG sensor width database — MPL-2.0
Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources