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Sigma's DP1 with DSLR-sized sensor reviewed, raises bar
It's always worth noting when a reviewer says that a device, "sets a new standard for image quality in a compact camera." That's PopPhoto's conclusion after testing the Sigma DP1 with a DSLR-sized, FOVEON X3 CMOS sensor packing 14 megapixels. The image quality and color accuracy remained "stellar" right up to ISO 800 where other compacts shackled with tiny sensors begin to lose control of the noise. The biggest nits are with the sluggish 9-zone AF system, an unsophisticated flash, lack of image stabilization, and delays between shots. Fix those while whittling-back the $800 street price a bit and PopPhoto believes the DP1 could go mainstream. [Via Photography Blog]
Sigma DP1 priced, dated, and manhandled
Looks like the Sigma DP1 has a date and price: according to their site, it'll be out tomorrow for ¥89820, or about $850 US. Those that just can't wait to find out more about this sucker should check out Pop Photo's very early first impressions. Although they don't have a lot of conclusions to make about it in their first 24 hours of testing, there's certainly a sense of excitement in the air about a smallish point and shoot equipped with an over the top 14 megapixel FOVEON X2 CMOS pulled right out of Sigma's SD14 DSLR.[Thanks, Tano]Read - Sigma's price n' dateRead - Checking out the DP1
Sigma DP1 available for pre-order at Amazon
Hey, remember that hot looking Sigma DP1 we've been yapping about for ages? Well if you can't another second to put your buyin' hat on, the handsome 10-megapixel shooter is available for pre-ordering on Amazon right this second. For just $799.99 ($200 less than the list price), you can finally achieve the satisfied sleep of a Sigma DP1 almost-owner. Sure, you'll still have to wait till March 25th for the goods to drop, but you can probably entertain yourself by pre-ordering a bunch of accessories and booking all the models you're going to shoot when the camera arrives.[Via Wired]
Sigma APO 200-500 F2.8 telephoto lens hands-on
We spent some quality time around Sigma's monstrous APO 200-500 F2.8 lens this afternoon, and what can we say? It's gigantic. If you've ever wanted to the look of a portable rocket launcher without all the hassle at the airport, this is definitely the way to go. A feast for your eyes awaits in the gallery below. %Gallery-15171%
Hands-on with Sigma's DP1
Sigma was showing off their digicam slab of tech, the DP1. To the untrained eye, it doesn't look like much. But Sigma's put the same 14.1-megapixel APS-C sized Foveon CMOS sensor used in its SD14 DSLR into this tiny package. There's a f/4, 28-mm (in 35-mm equivalent terms) lens, but what really impressed us was the build quality on this unit -- not a creak or bit of flex to be had on the camera. It's definitely a high-end piece of photo jewelry. %Gallery-15066%
Sigma's APO 200-500 F2.8 telephoto lens gets close to wildlife, your wife
Hello daddy! Meet Sigma's new APO 200-500 f2.8 ultra telephoto zoom lens. Weighing 16kg (35-pounds), it's the world's first to offer a F2.8 aperture at 500mm focal length. A dedicated F5.6 attachment ensures autofocusing at 1000mm while an internal Li-ion battery powers the zooming and AF mechanics. Available for Sigma and Nikon mounts in June or Canons in April for ¥2,500,000 or nearly $25,000. So ask yourself, just how deep does your love for the bird go?%Gallery-15122%[Via Impress]
Sigma's DP1: a DSLR in a compact's body (almost) shipping this Spring
Why hello darlin.' As we had hoped, Sigma's DP1 just got a release date. Come Spring, we'll finally see what that 14 megapixel FOVEON X3 sensor found in Sigma's SD14 DSLR can do in a compact's body. That's about 7 to 12 times larger than the sensor found in ordinary compacts. The biggest compromise you'll be making though, is with the lens. A fixed, 16.6-mm F4 lens designed exclusively for the DP1 illuminates each 7.8μm pixel on that 20.7 x 13.8-mm sensor. If you're still game then rounding things out are Sigma's new "TRUE" image processing engine, a 2.5-inch LCD, pop-up manual flash, hot shoe, manual or 9-point autofocus modes, and QVGA movie recording to SDHC cards. All this in a 4.5 x 2.3 x 2-inch body weighing 8.5-ounces. We remain intrigued.%Gallery-14980%
Sigma teases again with its full-spec DP1 compact camera
We understand that many of you have relinquished hope of seeing Sigma's compact DP1 with DSLR-sized (APS-C not full-frame) sensor. For the rest of you, take note, Sigma just sprouted a new teaser page promising, "The worldwide debut, soon." For all of Sigma's claims that the DP1 is "a camera that belongs to no known category," we'll be sure to toss it under the "vaporware" tag if we don't see it say, PMA-soon as in tomorrow.[Thanks, Daniel]
Sigma's DP1 with 14 megapixel APS-C sensor gets a waffle not a release
More than a year since its announcement, Sigma has released an official update on the progress of their DP1 anomaly. According to Sigma, the delay is the result of poor image quality delivered during testing necessitating a "change to the entire image processing pipeline." Alpha tests of the redesign began in early November with no date given for production. Remember, this is slated to be the first compact to feature an APS-C sized image sensor found in DSLRs -- no easy task. In this case, we're talking the 14 megapixel FOVEON X3 found in their SD14. At least that was the plan. Sigma now says that the specs will change from what was originally announced. Bottom line: Sigma will be rolling out a redesigned compact with unknown specs on an unspecified date. Clear?
'Professional gang' invades Sigma warehouse, grabs plenty
We're beginning to wonder if someone isn't adding a little something to the water over in England, as a recent heist of Sigma Imaging's UK offices makes the country home to the second high-stakes consumer electronics robbery this month. The crooks, which were affectionately dubbed a "professional gang," reportedly broke into the offices and warehouse of Sigma UK in order to lift "a large quantity" of wares. So much so, in fact, that Sigma has warned that the incident could "temporarily disrupt supply to customers," but it failed to mention exactly what was stolen. Notably, the culprits must have momentarily forgotten that they were in the surveillance capital of the world, and now police are breaking down CCTV footage in order to garner more details.
Sigma SD14 reviewed: promising, but not quite there
We've been hearing about Sigma's SD14 14.1-megapixel DSLR with that nifty Foveon 3-layer image sensor since last year, but it looks like all the hype was just that: Popular Photography got their hands on a review unit and wasn't too impressed. Although the cam earned high marks for color accuracy and image quality, the reviewers didn't see the full potential of the novel image sensor -- JPEG shots were rated on par with the 8-megapixel Canon Digital Rebel XT, while RAW images actually had less detail in them than shots taken by the 10-megapixel Nikon D80. The reviewers also knocked the slow image processor, which they found produced blocky JPEG images at higher ISOs and took 8-10 seconds to clear its buffer after shooting just six pictures in burst mode. Although the Foveon sensor is promising, the review concludes that you're probably better off spending your $1,600 elsewhere -- not exactly a ringing endorsement of the "fundamentally better technology" Sigma and Foveon promised.Read - Sigma SD14 reviewRead - Foveon X3 sensor review
WayForward licensed to develop for Wii
Another Western developer has signed on to make Wii games-- hopefully they can get the funding to make some original ones. WayForward mostly makes licensed stuff these days, of undetermined quality (we haven't had a chance to test GBA Unfabulous), but they are also responsible for the excellent Game Boy Color platformer Shantae and the clever GBA shooter Sigma Star Saga. Also Ping Pals, but let's not talk about that. WayForward has actually had a Wii development kit since last year (they got access to some early pre-release duct tape) and they've been doing research and development since then. We know the licenses are coming, but we're really hoping that WayForward will have the time and resources to do some original stuff too.[Via DCEmu]
More on Sigma's DP1, the "world's first full-spec compact"
Some additional details and stylings have emerged on Sigma's DP1. In addition to sporting a cleaner design than the early prototype peeped back in September, the DP1 also receives a a new hot-shoe up top for attaching a dedicated external flash and new external viewfinder. Otherwise, it still packs the same 14 megapixel FOVEON X3, APS-C sized image sensor good enough for their SD14 DSLR; a 2.5-inch, 230k pixel resolution LCD monitor; and CF slot making this , according the Sigma, the "world's first full-spec compact." We'll just have to wait and see how it performs (and costs) when released in Spring 2007. A few more pics after the break. [Via dpreview]
Hands-on with Sigma's SD14 DSLR
We have to admit, we were a bit surprised that Sigma, which has continually delayed the release of 14 megapixel SD14 DSLR, had a couple of them out for playing around with at PMA. The unit we played with didn't seem quite perfect, and was definitely a little heavy and clunky by comparison to many of the sexier, slicker high-end DSLRs it competes with. But you can't argue with a sturdy brick that fires at 14 megapixels -- oh, and the mirror-reflex had a very satisfying Sony Alpha-like clack to it, which we can definitely appreciate, silly as that may sound.%Gallery-2000%
Sigma finally cops to a release date for its SD14 DSLR
Well it'll have been over six months between the time we first heard about it and when it actually hits store shelves, but we finally have a solid release date for the somewhat-anticipated, Foveon-packing Sigma SD14 DSLR. If it's possible for you to remember back that far, you may recall that Sigma attempted to drum up some interest in this 14 megapixel shooter with a teaser campaign in late August of last year, just before it was officially announced at Photokina 2006. The disappointment came a few months later when Sigma pushed back the SD14's street launch to March, citing some hardware issue that the company wouldn't disclose. And according to a press release on Sigma's website, the problem has indeed been addressed, with the camera scheduled to ship starting on the 6th of next month. Keep in mind, though, that this model isn't for the thrifty -- it's gonna cost you over $2,000 to get in on this action.
Taiyo Yuden and Sigma Designs showcase WiMedia-based UWB HD streaming
If you're looking to pick up any UWB device to stream high definition video / audio around your crib anytime soon, chances are it might have a little Taiyo Yuden and Sigma Designs beneath the shell. The two firms are showcasing a WiMedia Alliance-based UWB wireless HD streaming solution here at CES, which highlights "Taiyo Yuden's antenna array on its mini-PCI reference design module with Sigma Designs' Windeo chipset." The unique three-antenna array offered on Yuden's solution supposedly offers up extended range possibilities, and fully supports Sigma's "Intelligent Array Radio" technology. Unfortunately there's no word on any end product uses just yet, nor any expected dates for this newfangled system to hit the mainstream, but with the ginormous pressures being felt around here to get wireless HD streaming out to consumer, we're sure it's pretty high up there on each company's priority list.
DTS licenses DTS HD Master Audio technology to ten IC producers
Although Dolby's TrueHD may be a more well-known moniker, it looks like you'll be hearing (quite literally) a lot more of DTS in the coming months. The firm has landed a deal with no less than ten integrated circuit (IC) manufacturers to incorporate its DTS HD Master Audio and / or DTS HD High Resolution Audio technology (not to mention the DTS HD LBR and encoder / transcoder jazz) into forthcoming chips. These microchips -- designed by Analog Devices, Broadcom, Cheertek, LSI, Matsushita, MediaTek, NEC, Renesas, Sigma Designs, and Sunplus Technology -- will contain DTS's high definition audio standards and will eventually find their way into next-generation HD DVD and Blu-ray players, AV receivers, and pre-packaged home theater systems. Additionally, the technology could even slither into the PC and automobile markets. While neither specific end products nor release dates were mentioned, we do know that devices coming out "in 2007" will be sporting the new protocols, and hey, we've got no qualms when it comes to options in audio (or video).
Sigma SD14 DSLR delayed 'till March
Oh, Sigma. First you get us all excited with a tantalizingly over-the-top teaser site for your flagship SD14 digital SLR, then you officially announce the camera with the usual fanfare at Photokina, only to delay the launch date by a few weeks shortly thereafter. Now, you're throwing our digital camera-loving hearts for a loop once again, announcing that the camera's been pushed back all the way to March 2007, blaming the delay solely on an unspecified "issue" that can only be remedied with a hardware fix. We'll give you this one more chance to get it right, Sigma, but there's only so torment much we can take.
Sigma SGM2 presentation remote and mouse will save the world
We're pretty certain that there isn't a gadget out there that can save the world as well as the Sigma SGM2 presentation remote and mouse. And for ¥3,480 ($30), just about everyone can afford to unleash their inner sci-fi superhero. The SGM2's crazy -- dare we say, futuristic? -- design has an inner trigger button that will probably make you feel as excited as that hairy-chested dude on the left. Better yet, when you've vanquished the purple octopus in the background (surely meant to represent your skeptical colleagues) you too can lift up the remote triumphantly in your board room. Still, we can't wait for the Sigma SGM2 straight-to-DVD anime movie to come out.
Sigma's Rotino: "world's smallest" laser travel mouse
In a refreshing reversal of pompously named colors, we bring you Sigma's Rotino laser mouse in, uh, "gross black." Sure, that's probably just a machine translation snafu but who are we to argue with the lingual powers of the almighty Google? Oh, and as long as you're here, you might like to know that Sigma calls Rotino the "world's smallest" laser mouse with retractable USB cable. Measuring in at 40-grams / 30 x 70 x 20-mm the Rotino brings an adjustable sensitivity of 1000dpi for normal office-type use or a lightning-quick 2,000dpi for you gamers with an especially sensitive trigger finger. At just ¥2,980 or about $25, can you really afford not to have this in your laptop bag? Also available in French blue or Italian lead-lead (aka, red) if you're feeling euro-funky.[Via Impress]
