Sigma DP2 Digital Camera

Comments about Sigma DP2 Digital Camera:

Most of the reviews post it on the net are some how accurate. Auto focus is not that bad, I always use manual focus .. overall .. for its price compared to its size and IQ is a good deal ..

Comments about Sigma DP2 Digital Camera:

small and light weigth with very good image quatity.

Comments about Sigma DP2 Digital Camera:

There are already dozens upon dozens of Bayer sensor small form factor cameras out there. Many take decent pictures and decent video. However, virtually all these cameras lately have the same lackluster picture quality and are more focused on shiny new features (face recognition, video). How about the concept of a camera whose sole purpose is to try to take noticeably better pictures in the same small form factor? This is why I like my new DP2.

I've compared results from my DSLR and high end P&S, and I must say the DP2 image quality and color response from its sensor is unique, pleasing, and crisp. My DSLR has a great lens on it, and yet the DP2, with less on-paper resolution, can match the sharpness of a 12x18 picture from the DSLR. The lens of the DP2 is first rate. The RAW capability is awesome for such a small camera. In short, this is a camera for people who love photography.

Is this camera perfect? No. But if your goal is to get the best picture possible, then you will not be deterred by these shortcomings. Yes, the menu system needs improvement for the average person. Camera response time isn't great. Fixed focal length. Get a backup battery. Stabilization? Whoop-de-do. Every hear of a tripod? Doesn't have all the shiny new features, such as HD video? So what, buy a camcorder.

You want video? Want a camera a grandmother can use? There's hundreds of other cameras that do that elsewhere. However, if you want to take the best and unique picture possible and are willing to put up with an imperfect user interface, I would wholeheartedly stay with and recommend the DP2. It's a camera for those who truly love taking pictures for photography sake.

Comments about Sigma DP2 Digital Camera:

I bought this camera knowing its limitations. It is not as difficult or quirky as some have said. I will tell you that I have had outstanding results. Cliche as this may sound, the photos have a larger than life quality to them and a deeper dimension than my DSLRS. The b/w easily match high end b/w film shots. It does take some time to get comfortable with but the results are as good or better than anything under $5,000. The only difference is the limited versatility. Landscape and Portrait in good light are its strong suits. It is a specific tool and if it is used for what it is meant, it will never disappoint! What more can you expect for a camera in this price range and size?

Comments about Sigma DP2 Digital Camera:

I ordered this camera from BH about 8 months ago. I'm very impressed with the picture quality, really amazing. I have some mulch more expensive cameras, like an EOS 5D and some "L" lenses, but this little gem amazes me every single time I look to the pictures. Rich colors, extreme detail and a razor shar lens. This camera can pair with most DSLRs, believe me.

The drawbacks:

- Slow when writing the raw files
- Horrible LCD
- Slow focus
- Poor battery life

BUT WHO CARES !

The good:

- Batteries are CHEAP !
- Faster to focus than any manual focus camera, so what's the problem ?
- Image detail simply astonishing

Beware!

It's a camera for real photographers, not for people that likes just to push buttons. It's a photographic tool.

You MUST use RAW with this camera. JPEG is senseless.

Comments about Sigma DP2 Digital Camera:

Very nice lens, sharp, very sharp wide open. Very easy to use manual focus. Images are absolutely beautiful! Especially if you like B&W. Wish the speed of the camera was faster. Would like to see a faster lens, like an f/2.0! All in all a very fun and capable point and shoot with the IQ of a DSLR!

Comments about Sigma DP2 Digital Camera:

If you are like me, a high-end enthusiast with a little money to spend, you won't be able to resist the charm of this little monster. I give it 5 stars for one reason and one reason only...it is capable of taking gorgeous pictures under the right circumstances. The challenge to you, is figuring out when to use it.

Some might say, "but there are other cameras that prouduce great image quality without the frustrating limitations of this one." That would be true. But, what's the fun in that?

If I didn't like a challenge, would I be on my third marriage? In my defense, I'm a very optimistic fellow...to the point that I'm capable of focusing on positives to the exclusion of negatives.

Suffice it to say, this camera, under the right circumstances will render beautiful results.

On a recent two week business trip to several European countries, I hauled my 35 pound backpack with a 5D and a full complement of accessories. Sadly, time and size limitations conspired to restrict my photo opportunities. I was forced to admit I needed a pocketable camera that I could take on my person, even to business meetings. My research revealed this little diamond in the rough.

There is a lot of justifiable criticisim of this camera. I don't disagree with most of it, although some of it may be exageratted slightly. Ultimately, the whole point is to get a pleasing photo. The average photographer today is somewhat spoiled by technology and isn't very good at relying on their own adaptablity.

I shoot with a Canon 5D that's a couple of years old. I've got one really good L lens (100-400mm zoom) that produces wonderful images. When I'm able, I prefer to use that lens, but it's BIG and limited. The DP2 is little and limited, but produces shots that equal my other rig in the overall quality of results, but on the oposite spectrum of focal length (41 mm).

I just got this little upstart yesterday and took a few shots in bright light in the backyard. I'm amazed at the level of detail it produces. Of course, I had to throw-away a bunch of shots in order to get those that were really good. But, I do that with my Canon as well; just not as many throw-aways.

If you're looking for a point-and-shoot for family gatherings, social occasions, street photography, sports, etc., DON'T BUY THIS CAMERA! If you're looking for a learning experience using a small pocketable device capable of giving delighfully artistic results to a patient and creative person, BUY THIS CAMERA!

I'm looking forward to using this camera for many years to come.

Comments about Sigma DP2 Digital Camera:

Have had the camera a couple of weeks now. I was looking for a camera that had a good size sensor, since I like to do mostly landscape shots.

First impressions are the the set up is a little confusing, but once you have
it figured out it's not bad. I like the quick set option, as it allows you to change vital info quickley and easiley.

Have used and continue to use the Canon G9 for a few years, but wanted a camera that I could really crank out some large prints. I don't see any reason that this little thing can't do some pretty nice 20 x 30's, but have to stay to some pretty low ISO's

Since I shoot only in raw, I don;t worry about all the functions the camera has to offer.

Am an older retired pro-photographer and don't want to be luging around alot of equipment anymore, but do still appreciate a photograph that is sharp and well exposed. I think I may have found the one.

Comments about Sigma DP2 Digital Camera:

I'm a gifted amateur. I'm also poor. After having read dozens of bad reviews on this camera, I studied black and white images its owners had made. I studied these against Leica M8 images. I liked the Sigma's images better. I shoot faces and bushes and broken concrete. I photograph walls and water. I photograph pots of beef stew and old men smoking their pipes. I've just begun to use this camera. It shows so much possibility. So much commitment in its lens and sensor to making brilliant images. If you can tolerate its minor foibles, you will be entering a whole new realm of digital shooting. You will have to work to get it to work for you. You will have to see very well. You will have to be patient. It will reward you.

Comments about Sigma DP2 Digital Camera:

After seeing the DP2 image quality on various online reviews I knew that I had to give it a try--even though all the reviews also gave it mediocre ratings. I'm normally a high end DSLR shooter and shoot expensive primes 99% of the time. Because of that I'm fairly used to not having a zoom so that doesn't bother me.

My thoughts on the DP2:
1) The interface and buttons aren't as funky as people have written in reviews, but are different so be sure you can relearn your camera operation technique.

2) The screen on the back is nearly worthless except to show white point clipping in a shot and for basic operating information. I shoot RAW which may be part of it, but images look flat, colorless, noisy, and soft on the camera screen.

3) Focus is slow, though seems to be fairly accurate in better than low light conditions. I do like shooting manual as much as possible, but it takes more time.

4) Color at ISO800, 1600, 3200 is pretty much unusable and starts to get splotchy and weird. However at those settings B/W images look amazing. The grain looks so much like high ISO film that it's uncanny. Beautiful and gritty. Using SPP produces the crunchiest looking shots, and using Lightroom can make much smoother less noisy shots.

5) SPP is slow and with very limited functionality (for RAW at least), but many images I've processed with it look better than Lightroom versions of the same image.

6) Battery life is pretty weak, but batteries are small and cheap so it's not that big of a deal.

7) The sensor and lens are GREAT. Granted the resolution is quite low vs. other cameras but the detail, sharpness, color, and image quality are unlike anything else out there. The images are SHARP at 100% and color is rendered differently than more 'neutral' standard point and shoot and SLR cameras.

Who this camera is for:
Photographers that want something different and aren't adverse to shooting 'blind' a la the film days. For shooters that don't require speed, modern camera technology, etc. This camera is for photographers that can put up with mediocre camera operation in their search for great images. The fact that this camera has such a large sensor and nice lens allows it to render beautiful shallow depth of field which immediately separates it's 'look' from that of any other similarly sized camera. The bottom line is that this camera is for the image quality snobs among us that want a very small camera that they can take with them everywhere.

Who this camera is NOT for:
Anyone that wants an easy to use point and shoot. Anyone that isn't a skilled photographer. Anyone that values camera speed, a nice accurate screen, and quick AF.

Comments about Sigma DP2 Digital Camera:

Landscape, street, you name it. If you can adapt to this camera it will reward you with outstanding images. I print routinely 12x18 inch prints with Genuine Fractals. Amazingly sharp images. Sensor gets sharper with use. All the foibles you have read about are true. Slow buffer, but not bad. LCD is not as bad as people say. Its okay, I don't use it much for other than data settings. I shoot with the Voightlander 40mm bright-line viewer. This camera should be chosen for image quality in a small lightweight package. I love it.... period.Points to make:Batteries for this camera are small,light and cheap.Viewfinder shooting brings back the feel of shooting film. The images are film-like.The buffer is 3 to 4 seconds. Not a sport shooter, but not horribleIt has manual focus, nighttime photograpy is extremely doable, low light images look great.If you are ignorant in the fundamentals of photograpy, this might not be for you. Read the shutterbug review from November. The reviewer slipped photos in against a D3X,D700 and a 5dMkii. The DP2 held its own favorably, all for [$].Best wishes....

Comments about Sigma DP2 Digital Camera:

So far I have been using DP2 for several weeks. Here are my impressions:

Body and construction: it looks very good and feels solid. Finally there is an DSLR-level quality camera that I can carry around with me all the time. It is not as small as to fit into a shirt pocket but still small enough.

Speed of operation: When switched on, takes a little time to extend the lens. Focusing also is not instant but since I am not shooting sports it is quick enough. There is an additional focusing mode (covers 1m to infinity) which works faster than the full range focusing. In general, I find focusing to be very accurate. Regarding the speed of shooting: if using raw, it takes time to write those files on memory card. I am used to taking panorama pictures with a DSLR, now I have to wait a few seconds before I can take the next picture of the next panorama segment.

LCD: It is not one of those high resolution LCDs but works pretty well in sunlight and also gives adequate feedback on color. I also like the "9 segment" mode that shows gridlines and helps aligning the camera with horizontal and vertical lines of landscape/objects. So far I do not really miss an optical viewfinder.

Menu system: I have read others complaining, but seems usable to me, no complains.

Buttons: Others are complaining that there are no clear white symbols on buttons. It has been not a problem for me since there are not so many buttons and it is easy to remember what they mean.

Battery life: I can take around 80 pictures before the battery runs out. This might not be enough for a whole day of shooting. If I knew this, I would have purchased the second battery. It looks that DP2 uses the same battery as DP1.

White balance: the automatic white balance does not seem to be working very well. This is probably the cause of the so called 'green cast' problem which often plagues outdoors pictures. Since I am using the raw format, I do not worry about it very much, but still…. Manual white balance settings work better. If you shoot jpegs, I suggest setting white balance to 'sunlight' or 'overcast' or whatever looks appropriate.

Exposure: good and accurate.

Noise: Very clear pictures at low ISO settings; at high settings one can achieve nice black-and-white grain effects.

Manual focusing: a nice and useful feature but I wish it would require fewer button clicks.

Color modes: The Portrait mode seems to produce the best results. Standard mode is a bit oversaturated; landscape mode is too green.

Flash: Used it once, looks ok. I do really not like using the built-in flash on any camera, so did not test this much.

Raw development software: It is ok but is quite slow (e.g. if you go from one white balance setting to another, it takes several seconds to refresh the picture). I am also missing few sliders, like setting white balance by color temperature, and the brightness setting. I found that it is much more convenient to convert Sigma raw files to DNG format and then develop them in Photoshop/ACR.

Lens: Very good and sharp, I like its bokeh as well. Some chromatic aberrations are visible if you examine pictures very close but they are very low and not annoying.

Overall image quality: excellent, if you know what you are doing, e.g. are able to fine-tune the white balance and tint. Image detail is amazing. Although you get 'only' 4.6 megapixels, those are very good pixels, and the image scales up very well. In my opinion it easily competes with a 10 to 15 megapixel Bayer-sensor DSLR, so I do not miss those big megapixel numbers.

Movie mode: very low resolution, but good dynamic range and color, also nice out-of-focus blur. Good for web but not for large screen. Sound is so-so.

Conclusion: Fantastic carry-around camera for those who know what they are doing and know what to expect. May be frustrating if one wants just a point-and-shoot and hopes great pictures will come right out of the box.

Comments about Sigma DP2 Digital Camera:

I read all the reviews before buying the DP2. Image quality is excellent as is dynamic range. Great color rendition and tones (B+W included). Sharp, too. The F2.8 lens with this size sensor allows for creativity not found in other cameras. My only complaints: IS would have been great given form factor though even the "blocky" body is readily hand-held and there are accessories out there. I have become used to the "classic" look, esp. with the OVF (pricey extra). LCD a little tight but still imparts sufficient information to enable decisionmaking. Would have been great if it articulated but there are tradeoffs in weight and size - this goes into a front pants pocket no problem.

Comments about Sigma DP2 Digital Camera:

I bought this camera sight-unseen based on numerous reviews and sample images I'd seen online. The first thing that struck me when I opened the box was how small it really is. It's not much bigger than a Lomo or an Olympus XA, which is a good thing because I love that size of compact. The simple shape fits nicely in my hand allowing me to be incognito while doing street photography while not weighing me down when I bike to work or go for a hike.

The controls are pretty straightforward. I usually bounce between Program mode and Aperture Priority mode, so having a nice sturdy dial on the top of the camera is really convenient. I only shoot in RAW mode, so I rarely use the menu system. I try to stick to ISO 100, but when I do need to change the ISO, it's relatively quick and easy. I've heard complaints about the menu system, but really this camera is so basic in operation, I find this a non-issue. The focus dial is pretty cool, though relying on the LCD to focus at f/2.8 doesn't leave one very confident. As I continue to grow with this camera, I plan on using the manual focus dial more as not using the auto focus eliminates shutter lag, a nice feature of this camera. Speaking of auto focus, I've heard some complaints that it's slow and noisy. I actually like it for one reason, it's predictable. With other point and shoot cameras, you push the shutter and you really have no feedback as to when focus will be found, you just push and hope it's quick, "come on... shoot already!". But with the DP2, it seems to take the same amount of time to focus regardless of how much the lens has to travel. This might seem weird, but it really allows you to get into a rhythm with the camera eliminating the anxiety ridden suspense meanwhile the shutter goes off as your subjects wander off. As with most cameras this size, focusing in poor light can be a challenge.

Image quality, the real reason people should buy this camera is simply stunning. I've heard reviews that say it's inconsistent, sometimes great, sometimes quite poor. Well, if you're looking for a mindless photographic experience, you may want to stick with a better known brand. But, if you want to invest the time to learn how to accommodate for the DP2's strengths and weaknesses, you're in for a treat. I love this camera. Not because of it's controls or LCD screen or ergonomics, but because after taking photos, I can't wait to get home, turn on the computer and dive into them. Coming from a black and white film background, I'm thoroughly impressed with DP2 images I've converted to black and white. The dynamic range, smooth gradients, crazy detail are all there. It really feels like a drum scanned high-quality 100 speed film. It's very rewarding. Take this with a grain of salt as I shoot primarily in well lit conditions. Some folks will argue that any camera will do great in with a lot of light, which is true, but...the highlights will be blown, the gradients will seem brittle and fake, the detail will be a washed out. Not so with the DP2. There's a lot of headroom in these files and the Sigma Photo Pro does a nice job, albeit a bit clunky, of pulling the quality out of the RAW files.

This camera is not for everybody however. If you're looking for a carefree point and shoot that you can stuff in your pocket for a night out on the town, I would look elsewhere. If you need a zoom lens, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a camera that pumps out 5000 JPEGS on one battery charge, look elsewhere. If you're looking to photograph in dark interiors, this isn't your camera. But... if you seek out well lit environments, you appreciate a robust RAW file, you pixel peep, you don't need every wiz-bang feature under the sun, you're not afraid of a little inconvenience in the name of image quality, you can appreciate f/2.8 on a digital point and shoot, well mister, this could be your camera. It's been said that the best camera is the one you take with you. Well, with images like these coming from such a tiny little metal box, this baby is my new best friend.