Sigma DP-1 Digital Camera

Comments about Sigma DP-1 Digital Camera:

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Comments about Sigma DP-1 Digital Camera:

The Sigma DP1 is a highly specialized tool for the artist/photographer and has a very sharp 28mm (35mm equiv.)non-interchangeable wide angle lens. It has no zoom (other than digital zoom). Much has been written about the quality of its images and it is well-deserved; the images are amazingly beautiful. The colors seem “cleaner,” less muted. Interestingly though, Sigma has skimped on everything except image quality, like not having a built-in lens cover, image-stabilization, a viewfinder, a spring loaded battery cover, or a strong flash. Or generating a jpeg simultaneously along with RAW files. (Jpeg's are standard, but when set to RAW there is no jpeg generated, which means you can view it on the camera's LCD but not on the computer, unless you create a jpeg by processing it through their Sigma Photo Pro program.) The Sigma DP1 is a very compact camera about the same size as the Panasonic LX3, and weight and bulk of the Canon G9, but with an SLR-sized Foveon sensor. It comes with an excellent manual and once you turn off the beeping for focus confirmation and button click (which I tend to do), it operates silently except for the mechanical groan it emits when extending or retracting its lens on power-on and power-down.
      It handles easily on a wrist strap. Its 230,000 pixel LCD is adequate for a 2.5" display and doesn't seem unusually coarse or dim. Auto-focusing is deliberate and slow. As a work-around, you can speed things up by setting the camera to manual focus and either zone-focus for a distance or infinity. Auto-exposure is also slow, taking a second or two to settle on the exposure. Since the camera has no image stabilization (a big draw-back in my opinion, and fairly common amongst point-and-shoots costing less than half the price) forget about photographing indoors without flash, unless of course you use a tripod. The power button placement is awkward. The LCD can easily be scratched. Noise (graininess) is evident in darker tones beyond ISO 200. In low light the display becomes grayscale even though the final image is normal. But if you can tolerate all that the results are worth it.
       Letter size prints looked awesome but the real test was seeing how they would print on 13" wide paper on my Epson 2200. Increasing image size in Photoshop (bicubic for smoother) from 2640 x 1760 pixels to 3240 x 2160 pixels (for 12x18") while maintaining resolution at 180 ppi (pixels-per-inch) yielded impressive results. To my eye the Sigma DP1 RAW files produces sharper prints than anything from a Canon G9 or Panasonic LX2.
If close-up photography is your thing the Hood Adapter HA-11 is mandatory because there are no filter screw treads on the lens.
      The updated Sigma Photo Pro v3.2 software for processing RAW files has a powerful new interface which makes it very user-friendly. The Firmware update 2.0 (released late 2008) adds a bit more customizable functionality to the LCD display and buttons.
       This camera might be too limiting for the beginner, but if your photography is one of reflection and observation rather than quick reaction, you will find the Sigma DP1 a noteworthy asset in your arsenal of image-making tools.

Comments about Sigma DP-1 Digital Camera:

Bought for all around use. Was excited about the large image size. But I sorry to say that I hate this camera. I own canon 50d,20d, 5d, 1ds mark ll, 1ds mark lll, and a point and shoot casio ex-s10. I was hoping for the quality I get from the Canon big boy's, esp. in image quality, but this guy is way to slow and I thought the results were not that great, esp. for the cost of the camera. It's sitting on my shelf and when I want to go small I have gone back to my Casio. I'm surprised to be the only negitive comment here. The bottom line for me is, for the cost I expected a lot more horsepower. If you want to do landscape ect and work hard for the results go for it but if you want to do family, friends and children look somewhere else.

Comments about Sigma DP-1 Digital Camera:

When I started to trying-out DP1, I felt not a little regret to this camera. Too slow focus speed, need 4 sec/1 shot to proceed, poor back display, etc. But 2 weeks later I tried to continue using DP1, I'm having a deep emotional attachment to DP1 with many respect. DP1 has incredible power of expression. Maybe the compensation for bold decision that SIGMA adapt FOVEON X3 for Compact degital camera instead of DSLR. There's the posibility that use DP1 as sub-camera and wide-angle lens, but I strongly recommend DP1 that use DP1 as main camera.

Comments about Sigma DP-1 Digital Camera:

landscapes, uban shooting, raw mode,
sensor quality, sharp lens.

Comments about Sigma DP-1 Digital Camera:

I use it every day. Execellent for the possibility to bring it with me everywhere. I use also for professional issue for daily life reportage.. but... it's expensive.. and it doesnt have the possibility to store both jpeg and raw togheter

Comments about Sigma DP-1 Digital Camera:

I use this for walking around photography. Personal use only.

This camera has the best image quality (pixel to pixel) of any compact camera out there right now. Foveon sensor does not require interpolation, and is thus sharper. It's small, durable, and is great for manual operation. The focus wheel is awesome. High ISO performance beats all other compacts easily.

The Bad: This camera is very slow to write to the card. about 5 seconds for RAW with a Sandisk Extreme card. Screen is dim and fuzzy, especially outdoors. Fixed 28mm equivalent focal length is not very flexible, or fast. (I like it though) Auto focus is almost useless, and terribly slow. Image resolution is just under 5mp. No Lightroom/Photoshop support yet. Included RAW software works, but it's slow and it's not great. Basically, the feature set in the firmware reminds me of 1999 digital cameras.

Comments about Sigma DP-1 Digital Camera:

Best image quality I've seen from a point and shoot style camera. It definitely has it's downsides in speed performance, but if you can get past that, it's a keeper.

Comments about Sigma DP-1 Digital Camera:

1) Incredible IQ. As good or better than some slr's
2) Slow read/write/focus time
3) Poor screen quality making manual focus difficult
4) Unique and beautiful signature look to pictures
5) Color is desaturated at high iso
6) Do not recommend for beginner
7) If you like to manually work with your camera and understand the basics you can get some incredible shots
8) Learning curve to get the most out of camera - fairly easy controls to set hyperfocal shooting but wish manual focus wheel had better markings
9) This camera is really for people with a "first adopter" mindset and not "tried and true."
10 If this camera had a +/- f2 lens with some zoom capability it would heaven

Comments about Sigma DP-1 Digital Camera:

1) Fantastic IQ on par with slr's.
2) Some learning curve to get most out of camera.
3) Would not recoommend to beginner or someone looking for simple point-and-shoot.
4) Light weight but decent build quality.
5) Focusing is not great with AF or manual with low resolution screen... using hyperfocal method for street shooting and loupe on screen for closeup work helps.
6) Battery life not great.
7) Somewhat slow read/write and shoot.
8) No combination jpg + raw mode - just one or the other.
9)No macro but you can use filter/lenses using optional hood attachment.
10 SPP software has some neat tools like being able to apply negative fill light but the processing time is a bit slow to load images.

Bottom line is you'll get some stunning pictures once you figure out how to work around all the quirks.

Comments about Sigma DP-1 Digital Camera:

This is a digital compact camera unlike any other! With its APS-C sized sensor it it delivering quality like from a DSLR. Allthough there ARE some differenses from a DSLR.

I love that it is so basic. The mode-dial has dropped all those "portait-mode" and "night-mode" and stuff like that. The menu's are simple and nice. The build quality is excelent. The lens is fast enough for most situations (f/4). And the image quality is GREAT! I took some comparing photos with my Canon EOS 20D, and I couldn't tell the difference.

You cant change lenses on this camera as you know. I was afraid that the equal to 28mm-lens on this camera would be to wide for me. I was used to only use my 50mm on my DSLR. But this camera has changed me, I love the lens on this thing. I take things a bit less serious with this camera, yet I end up with better photos with Much more feelings. The manual focus dial works great, and I allways use the magnifier-screen to see if the middle is in focus.

Since I do not like the sizes on DSLR's this is the only camera at this time, offering me what I want. A real-deal sensor. Therefor, I rate it to 5 stars - because I love it!

BUT; there are things with this camera that is not so great, and you should consider this before buying. Can you live with a very slow focus? Can you acceopt a shutter lag when the camera is focusing? The camera total freeze when focusing. And when the picture is taken its a black screen with a timeglass till the camera is ready.

Good luck with you choice! :)

Comments about Sigma DP-1 Digital Camera:

The DP1 is now my travel camera. When the purpose of the trip is photography, I bring my DSLR kit. But when I travel for business or even when I'm out running errands, I bring the DP1 now. The image quality is way, way better than any compact camera I've ever tried. There is simply no other choice if you want great image quality without the bulk of a DSLR.

Comments about Sigma DP-1 Digital Camera:

So long as you can accept and stay within the camera's limitations, you'll be more than satisfied with the results. Like its larger brothers, the Sigma DP1 is capable of capturing images with excellent color, detail and tonality. And because the sensor is considerably larger than the sensors in any of the other compact cameras, noise is well-controlled up to ISO 400. At ISO 800 and 1600, noise is quite evident, and it's NOT fine-grained noise. It's rather ugly and blotchy. Getting the exposure right at higher ISOs, therefore, is mandatory with this camera.BUT ... and it's a big but ... I found the fixed focal length of 28mm, a maximum aperture of f/4, the slow write times, the poor LCD (in normal daylight) and the lack of image stabilization not worthy of a [$] camera. I'd also suggest that leaving out a built-in viewfinder is another negative, but this happens to be a trend in small cameras, so it's hard to soley fault the DP1 in this regard. Still, trend or not, this is a serious omission in ANY camera design.I think the high price combined with the minimal feature set is my primary reason for giving it only 3 stars. For the same price, one can purchase a small DSLR like the Olympus 420 or Nikon D60 and have considerably more flexibility. One can argue whether or not the IQ from the Bayer-based cameras are equal to the IQ from the Foveon-based DP1, but I would suggest that you will not see a deal-breaking difference in prints up to 8" X 10" or even larger. You WILL see a difference if you pixel-peep at 100% on your computer monitor. And, of course, the small DSLRs are still quite a bit bigger than the slender DP1 (although I have not found it "pocketable," as some descriptions say).Overall, this is a limited-application camera with excellent IQ. It's definitely not a toy. It's a serious camera with serious intentions. But I don't think it's a [$] camera. Too much has been left out if its design and implemention, and there are too many situations where the camera will simply not get the shot for one reason or another.

Comments about Sigma DP-1 Digital Camera:

There's just no substitute for (1) a big sensor, and (2) a Foveon sensor. The images you get are beautiful, gorgeously shaded and colored and very sharp. Tons of information waiting to be teased out of the shadows and highlights. No funny demosaicing artifacts making the image look digital-y. Really, it's like getting back to film.

I won't go back to a Bayer sensor camera again. It's made photography very satisfying again. I just hadn't realized how disappointed I was with the results I'd been getting from digital cameras in the last 10 years.

The downside of the DP1 is that it moves slowly. Write times for RAW files are slow (but comparable to other RAW cameras). It's not a snap and go kind of camera. And auto-focus while not bad, is not as quick as on other cameras I've used. But I find I generally use manual focus anyway because the camera encourages me to put more thought into what I'm shooting. Photography becomes a more involving process, more like it was back when I started out with a Pentax and Kodachrome.

Overall, the camera's not perfect. But I wouldn't give it up for the world.

You should buy it if you're interested in putting a little more effort into your work. If you want to snap a pretty picture and move on, it's not for you.