Of course, the physical basis of how the Foveon sensor records light is actually unique, making it an alternative worth considering for digital image capture. Fortunately for me, and others on a limited budget, most Foveon sensors are housed in cameras characterized by a certain clunkiness of operation. Let's just leave it at that. One consequence of this clunkiness is that cameras with Foveon sensors are available for pretty affordable prices on the used market.
The picture of the cup of matcha highlights a couple of Foveon characteristics that are worth noting right off the bat. The first is that the apparent resolution is much greater than suggested by the pixel count. Second, the color rendition is remarkable, very different from that of other digital sensors, and not unlike that of color film, especially in the shadow areas. In other words, the images have the bite we often associate with digital files and a nuanced rendition of color that harkens back to film.
One afternoon, we stopped at a roadside stand and picked up a bunch of provisions from a local farm, including a dozen fresh eggs. The Foveon sensor captured the subtle tones and colors of the eggs as well as the nuances of the lighting.
Given that we work in a visual medium, it isn't much of a surprise that photographers are, generally speaking, connoisseurs of light, color, and tonality.
Which reminds me, according to Erwin Panofsky, "The connoisseur might be defined as a laconic art historian, and the art historian as a loquacious connoisseur".
As photographers, I guess we can afford to be laconic because we like to let our photographs speak for themselves.
