With the Sigma DP2 now
officially on sale it's time for the in-depth reviewers to have their say, and
Photo Review is first at bat to weigh in with its opinion of the $699 compact, a shooter that doesn't exactly hit a home run. Sigma's latest is a pocketable camera that
can take fantastic shots when properly used, but is frustrating to use, requires plenty of manual tweaking, and sends you wading through a mire of confusing menus to make those tweaks. Beyond that its low-light image quality disappointed, its LCD doesn't compare to those on cheaper compacts, there's no AF assist lamp, and of course there's that significant admission price. Overall, it sounds like the sort of camera many Sigma fans will appreciate -- and the sort that won't do much to extend the brand's appeal.
[Via
1001 Noisy Cameras]
posted May 19th 2009 8:49AM
It's still got the Foveon sensor with so it will sell to die hards.
Also, nobody expected it to be any different.
This was always a camera for purists, who don't mind a bit of pain in their pursuit of excellence - the pictures the DP1 took were fantastic. For a more reasonable set of user-friendly features + performance, take a look at this :
http://thinkmoreinc.wordpress.com/2009/05/19/82-2/
Already not respected..where are all the comments?
Jon
What the hell are you talking about not respected?
It's a pocketable dslr. It's what I expected. Sigma makes good shit, and priced reasonably.
I think it's due to the Sigma stigma.
Its a good camera, but I dont think its priced reasonably. I think its overpriced because its a niche market and needs a hefty margin.
Its a DSLR without the SLR bit or the ability to change lenses. You can get DSLRs with double the features and better image quality for half the price. You lose the portability but then thats why most owners also have a cheaper p&s for when they cant carry the DSLR.
If money was no object i'd get one, but it is for me and most other people.
I own this camera and have taken a few hundred pics with it so far... if more than 20% of the pics you've taken recently have had a group at a bar with their heads all smashed together you are going to hate it.
If you have a DSLR and are more serious about photography, but are looking for something portable you are probably going to love it.
It's not for the unitinitiated to photography. The menus are better than I expected. The low light AF is poor, but photos are actually very good and the noise reminds of film noise. It's not noise free, like pro-level DSLRs that are out now, but it's a good, grainy feel.
Overall I love this camera and was previously a Canon fanboy (no prev. Sigma ownership.) If you're serious, check it out. I'll probably still stick with my even more pocketable powershot when going out to a party, but anytime I want to take a photo I care about, by default I'll reach for my DP2.
Like my t-shirt says: OldScool for the New Fool
*turns on refurbished vintage pioneer stereo system, and plays a bit of Jimi Hendrix
*grinds beans on a 50+ year old PeDe hand grinder
*Pulls espresso from a 40+ year old Italian hand lever machine.
*smiles.
Who's the fool now?
Well, it's no Three Wolf Moon shirt...
Honestly, I don't know why these companies even bother trying to compete with Panasonic's Lumix LX3. It is by far the bread and butter in that category. Period!
Foveon will never be competitive with CCD or CMOS at low light levels or high shutter speeds. This is just an expensive camera for "day at the beach" pics.
Sigma struggles in areas that require sizeable R&D budgets to perfect - AF and sensor noise. Look how long it took for Nikon to catch up with Canon in both areas with their DSLRs. If Sigma and Ricoh had the same R&D finances as Canon (which is a much larger company that these two or even Nikon) you'd see competitive AF and high iso performance. Smart for both Sigma and Ricoh to come out with niche cameras when the two larger producers won't.
Where did all the Panasonic LX3's go? As near as I can tell, they've been sold out at B&H and Adorama for a while. Stores that have them have cranked prices up to the Leica DLux4 price.
I, like a lot of people perhaps, am waiting to see if that micro-4/3rds Olympus will actually be worth considering.
Camera's like the LX3 are manufactured in batches. When the current stocks runs out retailers have to wait until another batch is finished and shipped over. It's not unusual for this to take a few weeks.
The question is if Olympus will produce some decent pancakes to keep their µ4:3 reasonably pocketable at launch.
I've owned the DP1 for about 2 months now, and while I agree it is not the easiest compact camera to use. The results you are capable of (if you try) are absolutely outstanding.
I also have the D-Lux 4 (same thing as the LX3, only made by Leica) Which is just incredible. I don't think I'll be parting ways with that camera for a long long time (unless the next version has a 24-105 f/2-2.8, then maybe I'll have to consider it.)
If you have patience and understand the mechanics of photography, the Sigma DP series truly can yield incredible results. It's not fast in low light, but if you pre-focus you can snap away no problem. I've even used it at ISO800 and the "grain" look is gorgeous, just like film.
I'll be the first to agree with the reviewers in saying these cameras are slow. It is, it's dog slow to write, use, shoot, download, everything. But in some ways that's ok, reminds me of shooting with my old 4x5, everything was a slow and meticulous process. But the results were mind-blowing.
Patience is key with this camera. Keep that in mind.
This review is somewhat lacking.
"15-second exposures shot at ISO 800 were almost unusable."
Now what would you expose at ISO800 for 15 seconds? Luminescent fungi in a cave?
"For our timing tests we used a 4GB Class 6 SDHC memory card to maximize the camera's capabilities."
Which card? "Class 6" is not an exact indication of speed.
All in all, I cannot really say that I care about reviews. These cameras are not for everybody. I've seen what comes out of the Sigma DP series in terms of image quality, which is simply outstanding, which is what matters most - to me.
Why not just buy the Leica D-Lux 4? Same price, better camera, better warranty. At least in my opinion. I don't own the Sigma DP2, so I can't comment much on it other than reviews/stats that I have read. But I do own the Leica D-Lux 4 & I can say that it is a very good camera.
The Leica/Panasonic is nice indeed, but compared to the DP Series it is an Apples/Oranges situation. That is because this
[.]
is the sensor of the LX3/D-Lux 4
and this
[O]
is the sensor inside the Sigma. Roughly compared. The LX3/D-Lux 4 are great P&S cameras with potential and plenty of nifty features, the Sigmas are like DSLRs that fit your pocket that "just" take pictures.
Why would you buy a Leica D-Lux 4 instead of the practically identical Panasonic LX3?
Red dot.
This company/camera has only one thing going for it. The foveon chip. Trying to make their own camera built around this chip is a mistake. They suck at it. And it took them so long, that the benefits of the Foveon are quickly diminishing. They should have just licensed the foveon technology 5 years ago and called it a day.
Look no further than the end of the article, as this says it all:
Buy this camera if:
- You're looking for a well-built pocketable camera with P, A, S and M shooting modes - and can afford the relatively high price tag.
- You're prepared to shoot and process raw files.
- You don't mind working with a frustratingly non-intuitive user interface and menus that are difficult to read outdoors.
- You're happy to use the monitor for shot composition.
Don't buy this camera if:
- You want a point-and-shoot digicam.
- You require high-quality images in dim or contrasty lighting - and when shooting under incandescent lights.
Thats not a very good review...
He missed a lot of points.
-the camera is faster (little bit faster but extremely noticeable than the DP1)
-Live Histogram in all modes except M and Video
-Reds look lots better
-the QS actually is convenient
-in Manual mode you can actually control shutter and aperture seperately
-in P S A modes you can control exposure compensation and the shutter or aperture or both
-quick auto-bracketting
-built-in Interval shooting
-while limited the video is very beautiful
Sorry he just didn't read the manual or something.
There are lots of bad points too
-320x240 video (come on Foveon can do much better)
-no auto zooming while filming
-AF has quirks right now (prolly firmware fix)
-Screen sucks but being a longer focal length it is easier to manual focus
I would advise everyone to try it out just for a little bit. It is actually a fun camera
They did give it an 8/10. That's not a terrible score. But they did give it an 9/10 for image quality. Thats a score that they give compact cameras with terrible 10mp compact sensors. I don't know what the camera could have done in its transition from the dp1 to the dp2 to drop that far in image quality. They use the same sensor and the dp1 takes photos that are far beyond what any compact sensor could even dream of capturing.
My guess is that this site can't review high quality cameras for [expletive deleted] unless they are reviewing usability for the average joe which this camera was never intended for.
Like most of camera review nowadays, there are technology review. This camera is slow, heavy, UI is not the best and AF slow. I own one, and I will admit it.
But I love this camera for only one reason.
The image quality of this camera I am getting is equivalent or better than what I am getting from my 5DmarkII with a L lens.
Colors superb, Dynamic Range super, Sharpness superb. And did I mention a true F2.8 from a compact camera
If image quality is what is important to you, and you don't mind a little time to compose, and setup your picture. This is the camera for you. If not, goto LX3, GR.
I doubt anyone would want to licence Foveon though.
I have said this before - for the $$$, you can get a really good low end DSLR that will blow this Sigma/Foveon P&S camera right back into the stone age. Sigma blew it in the release, grossly overpriced this unit and the quality is sub-par at best.
You will be able to buy it on eBay real soon and a very cheap price, if you really want to have it? I, for one, DON'T!
The_WB said "I have said this before - for the $$$, you can get a really good low end DSLR that will blow this Sigma/Foveon P&S camera right back into the stone age."
You'll probably say it again, too, and you will again be missing the point. Nobody buys a DP1 or DP2 because they're looking to get their money's worth. It's a niche camera; a high image quality camera in a COMPACT PACKAGE.
If you want a DSLR, buy a DSLR.
If you want a COMPACT with killer image quality, consider the DP2. (Personally, I went with the LX3, but I digress...)
To repeat: it is absolutely pointless to compare the DP2 with a DSLR on any level other than *image quality.* It's like saying "why would you buy that BMW Z4? For the same price you could get a used Peterbilt truck."
I think the review that shoots the target.
I do to this article by seeing agreement.
The purpose of bad reflecting of low-light is a narrow dynamic range.
And, SD15 under development cannot have the expectation perhaps.