As the sample image you posted looked better than the ones I first saw that gave me a negative impression of the Foveon system, I did some further searching, and found this interesting article:
http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2008/10/richard-b-merri.htmlAlso, the last time I had looked, the sensor was only available on ordinary cameras. Now, there is finally the Sigma SD15, a digital SLR with a Foveon sensor. And, indeed, at 14 Megapixels, it really offers higher resolution than sensors with a similar pixel count of the ordinary kind.
EDIT: I see I wasn't paying close enough attention. The previous SD14 had a similar sensor, and the SD10 also used a Foveon, but a 10 Megapixel one. Its predecessor, the SD9, was similar, but that one had problems with taking pictures in low light which the later models corrected.
But the SD10 still had one important limitation - it still took pictures only in RAW mode, so you had to convert them to JPEG on your computer. The main problem with this is that while it saves on computer power in the camera, it constrains the number of pictures you can take at one time. Since the SD10 still had some low-light limitations, though, it was mainly for people who wanted the most detailed high-quality images possible, which means that working only in RAW mode worked well with the camera's intended purpose.
But now the SD14 and SD15, apparently, are versatile enough to serve for general purpose use - such as news and sports photography as well.
EDIT: According to a review of the SD14, the 14 Megapixel figure actually counts all three layers, so its real resolution is 4.7 Megapixels - the advantage over a conventional camera has already been factored in to the pixel count quoted.
However, a Foveon sensor does still have an advantage over a conventional one averaged down to half the resolution. Aliasing effects are avoided. So it is superior to a 14 Megapixel conventional camera to some extent, not just to a 5 Megapixel conventional camera.
