Sigma Acquires Foveon

November 11th, 2008 by

Photo-John

Sigma Sigma Corporation announced today that they are acquiring Foveon, developer of the X3 sensor. Foveon developed and manufacturs the unique 3-layer X3 sensor used in the Sigma SD14 digital SLR and DP1 compact digital camera.

“Foveon made history when it developed and patented the world’s first three-layer image capture technology, placing a stack of RGB pixels in each pixel location. As a result, Foveon sensors detect all three primary colors in every pixel location, producing images that are sharper and have significantly reduced image artifacts compared to competing image sensor technologies.”

Sigma is primarily an optics manufacturer and Sigma lenses are among the most popular products in the PhotographyREVIEW.com user reviews. Their digital cameras, however, have not seen the same acceptance. The Foveon X3 sensor sets Sigma digital cameras apart from the rest. And in fact, our Sigma SD10, SD14, and DP1 tests demonstrate the Foveon sensor has excellent image quality with smooth, film-like tonal blends and rich, saturated color.

Foveon’s development facility will remain in Silicon Valley. Sigma believes the acquisition will create more integrated digital camera development and ultimately result in better digital cameras.

Official Press Release:
Sigma Corporation Acquires Three-layer Image Sensor Developer Foveon, Inc.