Sigma DP1 14MP Digital Camera
- 14-megapixel resolution; SLR-sized image sensor
- 16.6mm F4 lens designed exclusively for the DP1
- Large, 2.5-inch LCD; 3 metering modes and 5 exposure modes
- JPEG recording format for convenience plus a RAW data (X3F) recording mode
- Capture images to SD/SDHC cards and MMC (not included)
Rating: 3 of 5
good camera
Rating: 5 of 5
Image Quality makes this a 5 star 4 me
You may have read reviews that complain about some of the old fashion aspects of this camera - it's slow, its display is hard 2 read in the sun, it doesn't have a bunch of bells & whistles. But when it comes right down 2 what matters most, image quality, this camera has all of the other small cameras beat by miles. The combination of large size sensor & foveon technology makes this camera a winner 4 me. If you are a point-and-shooter I wouldn't buy this camera because it lacks many features of the usual point-and-shoot camera. But if like me image quality is what you seek, you'll find it in this funky little camera. I love mine & have taken over 6000 pictures with it. I took it with me 2 Italy & got some great photos. I shoot raw & use the Sigma software 2 process my photos. It's slow 2 use but handles dynamic range really well.
Rating: 4 of 5
Great image quality in a compact, take one.
Although there are a number of widely varying opinions amongst the reviews on this page, hardly anyone says anything that I'd say is wrong. It's just a question of what priorities you have & what you want in a camera. If you're looking 4 the best all-around compact you can get, & are satisfied with perfectly decent image quality, maybe you'd be better off with something like the Canon G10 or Panasonic LX3, excellent cameras by all accounts. On the other hand, if you want a compact camera that has, hands down, the best picture quality of any compact digicam on the market today, & you are willing 2 put up with a slow, quirky, limited camera 2 get it, welcome 2 the Sigma DP1.
A lot has been written about this camera, both in these Amazon reviews, & elsewhere. Since there is no shortage of information, I am going 2 limit my comments 2 two areas. First, some specifics regarding image quality, followed by a couple of clarifications regarding things that people have said in other reviews on this page.
Other than being cool looking (to my eye), & very solidly built, this camera is basically a one trick pony, & its trick is unsurpassed image quality. So even the most minor image quality flaws bear mentioning. Keep in mind, the pictures from this camera are outstanding, & I am doing everything I can 2 nitpick here.
1. Color noise, especially at high ISO in dark areas, takes the form of green & magenta mottling. It is much less finely grained than color noise usually is, & as such, is not entirely removed by the normally very effective "color noise reduction" slider in Lightroom.
2. White balance sometimes tends towards magenta in the highlights, & green in shadow areas, making a global white balance correction difficult in some cases.
3. Color saturation is greatly reduced at high ISO.
4. Chromatic abberation, though slight & easily corrected in Lightroom, seems more pronounced in many of my photos than it had been in sample photos that I'd looked at before purchase.
Again, I'm really looking 4 flaws here. Sharpness & dynamic range are incredible. Color & noise levels are amazing. The picture quality of this camera bests not only any other compact, but indeed many lower end DSLRs as well.
Lastly, a few comments regarding some things said in other reviews on this page.
1. The latest DP1 firmware (1.04 as of this writing) includes a number of improvements, including the ability 2 map the ISO controls 2 the otherwise useless "zoom" buttons on the camera. This means that ISO can now be changed directly with a single button push, without going into any menu. (My camera, ordered a couple weeks ago from Amazon, did not come with the latest firmware, but it is easy 2 download & install from Sigma's website.)
2. As of this writing, Adobe Camera Raw, DNG Converter, & Lightroom 2.1 now offer "preliminary" support 4 DP1 raw files. I have been using Lightroom 2.1, & 2 be honest, it does not render the DP1 raw files as well as Sigma's own software. But it is adequate in most cases, & it is reasonable 2 expect that this will improve once the support is no longer just "preliminary."
3. Some reviewers have mentioned that the camera is not really 14 megapixels, one reviewer going so far as 2 suggest that the claim is misleading, "since each pixel records only one color." By that logic, the megapixel claims of all manufacturers are spurious, since the same is true of every camera on the market. If you're interested in this camera, you probably already know what the Foveon X3 sensor is, & understand issues of color interpolation vs. spacial interpolation, & photo sensors vs. final image pixels. But if you're interested in reading more about this, Mike Chaney gives the best explanation I've encountered. (Amazon apparently won't let me give a link here, you can do a Google search 4 "Chaney" & "sd14" & click the first result.) Mr. Chaney is talking about the Sigma SD14, but the SD14 & the DP1 use the same image sensor, & all of his comments are applicable 2 the DP1 as well.
All in all, I am very happy with this camera, & I hope it is a sign of things 2 come. It is not perfect, but it's a step in the right direction, & it would be great 2 see Sigma, & other manufactures, continue down this road of making compact cameras 4 serious photographers.
A lot has been written about this camera, both in these Amazon reviews, & elsewhere. Since there is no shortage of information, I am going 2 limit my comments 2 two areas. First, some specifics regarding image quality, followed by a couple of clarifications regarding things that people have said in other reviews on this page.
Other than being cool looking (to my eye), & very solidly built, this camera is basically a one trick pony, & its trick is unsurpassed image quality. So even the most minor image quality flaws bear mentioning. Keep in mind, the pictures from this camera are outstanding, & I am doing everything I can 2 nitpick here.
1. Color noise, especially at high ISO in dark areas, takes the form of green & magenta mottling. It is much less finely grained than color noise usually is, & as such, is not entirely removed by the normally very effective "color noise reduction" slider in Lightroom.
2. White balance sometimes tends towards magenta in the highlights, & green in shadow areas, making a global white balance correction difficult in some cases.
3. Color saturation is greatly reduced at high ISO.
4. Chromatic abberation, though slight & easily corrected in Lightroom, seems more pronounced in many of my photos than it had been in sample photos that I'd looked at before purchase.
Again, I'm really looking 4 flaws here. Sharpness & dynamic range are incredible. Color & noise levels are amazing. The picture quality of this camera bests not only any other compact, but indeed many lower end DSLRs as well.
Lastly, a few comments regarding some things said in other reviews on this page.
1. The latest DP1 firmware (1.04 as of this writing) includes a number of improvements, including the ability 2 map the ISO controls 2 the otherwise useless "zoom" buttons on the camera. This means that ISO can now be changed directly with a single button push, without going into any menu. (My camera, ordered a couple weeks ago from Amazon, did not come with the latest firmware, but it is easy 2 download & install from Sigma's website.)
2. As of this writing, Adobe Camera Raw, DNG Converter, & Lightroom 2.1 now offer "preliminary" support 4 DP1 raw files. I have been using Lightroom 2.1, & 2 be honest, it does not render the DP1 raw files as well as Sigma's own software. But it is adequate in most cases, & it is reasonable 2 expect that this will improve once the support is no longer just "preliminary."
3. Some reviewers have mentioned that the camera is not really 14 megapixels, one reviewer going so far as 2 suggest that the claim is misleading, "since each pixel records only one color." By that logic, the megapixel claims of all manufacturers are spurious, since the same is true of every camera on the market. If you're interested in this camera, you probably already know what the Foveon X3 sensor is, & understand issues of color interpolation vs. spacial interpolation, & photo sensors vs. final image pixels. But if you're interested in reading more about this, Mike Chaney gives the best explanation I've encountered. (Amazon apparently won't let me give a link here, you can do a Google search 4 "Chaney" & "sd14" & click the first result.) Mr. Chaney is talking about the Sigma SD14, but the SD14 & the DP1 use the same image sensor, & all of his comments are applicable 2 the DP1 as well.
All in all, I am very happy with this camera, & I hope it is a sign of things 2 come. It is not perfect, but it's a step in the right direction, & it would be great 2 see Sigma, & other manufactures, continue down this road of making compact cameras 4 serious photographers.
Rating: 5 of 5
Glad I bought it
I thought long & hard about this purchase. After all, I am retired, fixed income. I have a Leica Digilux 2 cameera, which is excellent, but very bulky. I have wanted a Foveon camera since they were first announced. However, the first ones 2 market were very expensive & I could not justify it.
This little camera, however, is a dream. I photograph in daylight, nothing fancy, & I am not in a hurry. The photos are incredible. They are everything you have read, & more. The camera is small & easy 2 carry around. Others have written better reviews than this, but if you understand what the Foveon sensor is, you must have this camera.
This little camera, however, is a dream. I photograph in daylight, nothing fancy, & I am not in a hurry. The photos are incredible. They are everything you have read, & more. The camera is small & easy 2 carry around. Others have written better reviews than this, but if you understand what the Foveon sensor is, you must have this camera.
Rating: 4 of 5
I'm more than satisfied
Pros:
+ Nice optics
+ Awesome colour fidelity
+ Cool manual modes
+ Manual focus
Cons:
- LCD freezes between shots
- AutoFocus is too slow
- Expensive
I wish Amazon increased the availability of the macro lens adapters.
This cam is really good 4 amateur photographers who want 2 avoid the endless cost loop of collecting DSLR lenses & accessories 4 each single purpose.
+ Nice optics
+ Awesome colour fidelity
+ Cool manual modes
+ Manual focus
Cons:
- LCD freezes between shots
- AutoFocus is too slow
- Expensive
I wish Amazon increased the availability of the macro lens adapters.
This cam is really good 4 amateur photographers who want 2 avoid the endless cost loop of collecting DSLR lenses & accessories 4 each single purpose.
The DP1 is a completely new type of camera offering the full specs & high image quality of a DSLR in the body of a compact camera. It is powered by the 14-megapixel Foveon X3 direct-image-sensor, which can reproduce high-definition images rich in gradation & impressive three-dimensional detail.
It is possible 2 record images in RAW or the widely used JPEG in four resolution modes. It offers five Exposure modes & three Metering modes as well as being equipped with a built-in flash with the Guide Number of 6, hot shoe, neck strap & 2.5-inch TFT color LCD monitor with approximately 230,000 pixels.
The DP1 has the high resolution & functionality of an SLR, plus adaptability in terms of accessories, all built into a small body.
($589.00)
Buy Sigma DP1 14MP Digital Camera Now!
Honestly, I'm just torn. I love it on daytime & hate it at nighttime. I just wish that this category/camera will find competition very soon from the big guys so they wont slack on their product development.
Recently they have announced the DP2. I wonder if i could continue 2 support/spend ridiculous amount of $ on Sigma if their improvement is just minimal considering Olympus & Panasonic has announced the MICRO FOURTHIRDS System. This system will be very very small DSLRs with interchangeable lenses. And from what I read, it maintains the same quality as the existing fourthird cameras.
I check 4 firmware update from Sigma's website everyday. And my DP1 is still my official camera 2 date. It is well accessorized with sigma & hoya products, but I don't know 4 how long will I be able 2 use it... since I just bought it barely 7 months ago.