Customer Reviews

Sigma DP1 14MP Digital Camera

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am a professional photographer using Nikon's D300 and D3 for portraiture and weddings. These are both super cameras that have been a boon to my business. However, like all modern SLRs they are big, heavy, noisy and the automation works for most everything. I came to photography when cameras were much simpler and actually required a knowledge of how a camera works. I am glad I did, as to use the DP1 to its full advantage you must know what you are doing.

Photography is a passion even in my off time and I wanted something light, small, and quiet for the candids of life that I would always have with me. The poor image quality, control, and responsiveness of compacts was not what I was looking for. I briefly considered the M8 but for a non-money making "fun" camera it was way too much to spend. The DP1 filled the bill for me.

Why? You will read complaints about slowness. If you are a point and shooter, that is correct, and you should avoid this camera.

However, if you are a photographer read on. During my research I read an article written by a Leica user that said he was always ready to shoot by having his camera prefocused and ready to go. That is the best way to use the DP1 also. Use manual focus and the correct aperture for your expected depth of focus needs. Unlike any other compact camera you can both turn off the lcd and the sleep mode and walk around with the camera ready to shot in an instant. Of course with the lcd off you will need the optional viewfinder.

I normally shoot in A mode and the controls allow fast changes to aperture and exposure compensation, something else no other compact camera does.

The image quality at ISO 100 is astounding and loses some quality as it goes up to ISO 800. 800 is somewhat disappointing as color saturation drops off dramatically.

Yes it is slow for point and shooters and has a lousy lcd but if that is sacrifices Sigma had to make for a superior image from a compact camera at this price point its fine with me. I am having a blast with this camera as it opens up a whole new world of image possibilities. I highly recommend it to anyone who has a photography style that suits a M8 but does not want to spend a fortune for the tool to do it with. Its not a M8 of course but a bargain in comparison.

If you are looking for a high end digital camera for street or personal diary work, this might be it. It's more expensive than other high end "point and shoots", but this is much more like a digital Leica M3, than a consumer level p+s. I mainly do fine art photography in urban settings, here's a link to a monograph of my latest work The Electric Image so you have an idea of the kind of shooting I do.

Start with the sensor, the Foveon 14 megapixel gives you color fidelity that other digital cameras can't touch. It's great to have this in such a small package. The camera is extremely compact and while you might think the 16.6mm fixed focus lens (28mm equiv. on 35mm camera) is limiting, it is perfect for urban street shooting. The lens quality is very good and the test shots I've taken so far look very promising.

Things I'd like to see; a larger buffer so you can keep shooting longer, a dedicated button on the rear of the camera for faster ISO changes, higher ISO up to 3200 even with all the noise, faster autofocus (though real street shooters always use manual prefocus anyway), a better grip, zero shutter lag -- an issue all digital cameras have and finally support in Lightroom and Photoshop RAW, which I would expect within the next three months or so.

Overall, a very good camera, fairly priced for what it is.

***Update*** I have now been using the camera for about a month. I still love it -- but it is really designed as a daylight street-shooter. I never take it out at night, the noise is too severe, but during the day, the color it produces is JUST GORGEOUS. Remember the first time you saw Kodachromes?? It's that kind of experience.

What could be better about this camera? First, the buffering needs to be improved. I can get a shot off every 2 seconds or so, which in a fast moving street scene means you get one chance for the shot. I wish the powerup was quicker and the lens was a stop faster. Of course, that would mean a fixed lens (that doesn't retract on poweroff), so the camera wouldn't be quite so portable, but I'd pay that price. Another issue is the Sigma supplied software to process RAW images, which takes a bit of getting used to. It's OK, but extremely slow and I'm looking forward to the day when I can use Lightroom, as I mentioned above.

One thing that is perfect about this camera is that it is SILENT. You can make hip-shots all day long without attracting one iota of attention. Kudos!

The Sigma DP1 delivers on its promise of excellent image quality, but this is overshadowed by disappointing handling. The autofocus is simply too slow for a camera at this price, and it is made worse by the fact that the preview image freezes while focus is acquired. These problems combine to make it very difficult to focus and frame the image properly in dynamic situations.

Other issues are the rather slow write speed for RAW files...3 seconds, even with a SanDisk Extreme III card and the fact that it takes too many button presses to change the ISO.

If we can have dramatically better handling in compact SLRs at the same price-point, why can't the DP1 match that? (I know SLR's use a completely different focusing mechanism, so it may be hard for a compact to completely match their focus speed). But at a minimum, the DP1 should be at the top of the performance charts in every category when compared to other compacts. The fact that it's only average is disappointing.

I wanted to love the DP1, but I've returned mine. I think the real problem is Sigma's lack of experience with compacts. Please, Canon, Nikon, someone...take the sensor and image processing pipeline from one of your 1.5x crop compact SLR's and build us the DP1 we really want!

The DP1 is the first of its kind. A compact camera with a large sensor similar to a mainstream DSLR rather than the usual tiny sensor found in all other compacts.. Sigma's number one goal was image quality and they sacrificed a lot of other things to get it, so this is not a camera for everyone.

On the plus side this is a very well built, metal bodied camera with a high quality lens, DSLR sized sensor and phenomenal image quality in well lit conditions. Image quality is clearly superior to other compact camera's (puts my Canon G9 to shame at all ISO's and I love low ISO shots from the G9). Image quality at low to moderate ISO's clearly competes well with any entry to mid level APS-C or 4/3 sized sensor DSLR.

On the minus side, performance and handling is more like an economy P&S compact. Its no DSLR in these areas, and falls considerably behind something like a Canon G9 in terms of speed and performance. Things like power up time, focus speed and performance, buffer size, write performance, flash performance is more like an entry level P&S.

While I find its no nonsense utilitarian feature set both desirable and refreshing, it requires a lot of work on the part of the photographer. No scene modes, face recognition, image stabilization, or much handholding of any kind. Very few menu options and configurations compared to most camera's today (P&S or DSLR). Its reviews are very mixed because of its limited feature set and primitive implementation.

If you are into photography as an art, think about most of your pictures before you take them, value image quality over everything else and want a light compact camera, this could be a GREAT camera for you. Otherwise take heed of all the negative points in all the reviews out there - there are a lot of them and they all seem to agree on both the good and bad points - its just a matter of degree.

I was nervous ordering one given the reviews but I was attracted to the DP1's rugged simplicity. Some of the things I though would bother me (mostly speed related issues) don't - this camera is fast enough for most pictures I take. Its LCD does not appear to be near as bright or as fine as that on my G9, but its ok indoors and at the golden hours outside. It offers an optical finder for use in brighter conditions (although at $150 I would have preferred a built in optical finder like the G9). Its flash is very low powered but they do offer an external flash. This all adds up to well more than the price of a mid level DSLR, so compact better be important to you.

Bottom line: Compact, simple, no frills, high image quality, lots of warts. Think it's a keeper though

First, I love my Sigma DP1 camera. That being said, I also am 100% clear on the reason why other reviewers may hate this camera.

So, to help anyone else out there who is trying to sort through the good and bad reviews, let me present the following three questions you should ask yourself before buying.

1. What am I shooting mostly?

Looking back through my old digital albums, I saw mostly architecture, stills of people, animals, and nature scenes. So, if you are shooting mostly static subjects (i.e., not moving too quickly), you will love this camera.

However, if you are shooting a lot of action (kids playing, sports, weddings, events where fast focus is needed) do NOT buy this camera. You will only be disappointed by the lack of speed that every other reviewer compains about.

Yes, using infinity or pre-set focus can be a work-around in some cases, but compared to other digital compacts, it's still too sluggish in the moment.

2. What do I value more, ease-of-use or image quality?

Before buying, I recommend using sites like Flickr or Smugmug to search image results based on cameras. When looking at others' results with the Sigma DP1, my reaction is the same as when looking at my own shots (WOW!).

When researching other competing cameras in this category (Canons, Leicas, Nikons) I still saw great pictures but with less of a WOW! factor.

The sensor in this camera captures a range of colors, shadows, and highlights like no other. The captured images are very highly nuanced and almost exhibit a film-like result.

Of course, if you care less about capturing beautiful images and you need a "fast-draw" camera, stay away from the DP1.

3. Am I creative?

Yes, I'm quite sure there will be some who read this and say, "I'm creative and I STILL don't like the Sigma DP1!"

I can't overemphasize the use of the term "Picture Maker" (as used by one pro photog reviewer). That is, if you have an eye for angles, composition, use of light, and a steady hand, your options for creating rich, stunning images are unlimited (remember, there's no zoom or image stabilization on this thing!).

However, if you just want a camera where you just point, shoot, and capture subjects on the fly, then this may be the wrong camera for you.

By no means do I mean to denigrate anyone who simply wants a camera that is a "no-brainer." This is a perfectly normal and natural need for a busy person or someone who is using their camera as an image recording device.

Of course, if you are a creative individual (who is not offended by the clunkiness of traditional film cameras) this camera may be a great option for you.


I hope this helps anyone trying to decide which camera to buy. Good luck!

I've had the DP1 for a month now. I have taken around 1,600 shots with it.

The DP1 takes a little getting used to, just like any camera you use from a different manufacturer. This is not a negative. Once you learn the control system, you'll find it quite fast and intuitive.

Changing, ISO, Aperture, Shutter speed, EV, are all very quick and easy.

The LCD isn't as bright or as high res as some other cameras but it is quite usable. I took about 300 shots the other day at Niagara Falls in full sunlight and didn't have any major issues with it. I did have the
LCD set on high brightness.

AF speed: it is a little on the slow side. I believe this is due in part to the DP1's higher focus accuracy. There are several reports of AF accuracy being very good. I would agree.

Manual focus is a dream! If you are in MF, when you press the shutter, the shot is taken instantly. With a little practice, you capture those quick moments using MF.

Image Quality: Stunning; Ground Breaking; especially considering the size of the camera. ISO800 is very usable. On most other compact cameras, anything above ISO200 gets very grainy.

The terrific IQ is due to two key elements:

1.) The superb lens. Sigma has really outdone themselves with the lens. It has terrific sharpness and accuracy. It's quality is on par with professional-quality Digital SLR lenses.

2.) The Foveon Direct Image Sensor. www.foveon.com
On standard (Bayer) sensor cameras, 2/3 of the color data at each pixel site is estimated rather than measured. In the Foveon sensor, each of the pixel sites measures the full true color. There is no guesswork. This results in much sharper images with high dynamic range. Because of the higher quality of the image data, images from the DP1 can be upsized with better quality that standard digital camera output.

The final answer:

The Sigma DP1 is worth every penny.
It's a little quirky in a classic sort of way.
It's not perfect but very likable.
It is capable of truly stunning imagery. Isn't that what photography is all about?

If top image quality is at the top of your requirements then you will be delighted with the Sigma DP1.

After 3 weeks of using this camera (and tons of research), I am very impressed. The image quality is far superior than any other point & shoot camera, and IMO better than most DLSRs. I've even seen the DP1 create better photos than a $4500 Canon setup and a $2500 Olympus set up.

But even if other companies started putting larger sensors into small bodies, I would still buy another Sigma. Why? Because of the Foveon sensor!

I was almost discouraged from buying this camera due to many of the negative comments about poor speed and lack of features. Now I am very happy that I went ahead and bought the Sigma DP1.

I understand some customer disastisfaction with the slower in-camera image processing speed, limit of rapid fire shots, and lack of face/smile recognition. Yes, this camera is lacking some of the modern bells and whistles of the digital camera age. Rather than a major con, however, I see it as something positive.

This camera forces the photographer to slow his itchy trigger finger and be present with the subject. Being forced to slow down returns the photographer to the simple beauty of photography. The fine details of the subject and the camera settings become important again. The removal of "auto-everything" features restore the magic of photography and imbue the photos with individual personality.

The Foveon sensor is simply amazing. When compared to every other Bayer-sensored DSLR (Canon, Nikon, etc), the over-saturated cartoonishly fake colors become very apparent. Foveon sensors capture real color, while Bayer sensors guesstimate colors with mathematics. In this age of simulated reality (TV shows, Hollywood blockbusters, XBox 360), the DP1 may seem a bit out of place. But I prefer to capture the natural beauty of our lovely world and not some artificial reconstruction.

If you want a simple and authentic camera, then the Sigma DP1 may very well be for you. I've read a few stories of loyal film photographers finally taking the plunge to digital with the DP1, and being very pleased.

However, if you want to shoot 1,000 photos of your son's soccer game and skip the post processing, then go with another brand. You may get frustrated with the patience and peace of using such a simple camera.

But you'll miss the amazing photos!

Here is my contribution to the Sigma DP1 users review in the form of a question to you, potential buyer :-)

What do you prefer?

I. A compact cam from a well known and respected manufacturer with all the latest bells and whistles and designed around a small and crappy bayer matrix sensor producing noisy and lifeless images consistently?

Or

II. A compact cam from a more humble brand with average operational performance, designed around an excellent prime lens and a 7 times larger sensor producing amazing results that will make you love doing photography again?

I answered II.

I've had this camera only for a few days but I think I am going to love it. I am amazed at how much detail there is in each photograph, in terms of the color and tonal accuracy and the ability to crop in on very small regions of a photo and still get a decent sharp picture. The lens and sensor appear to be of very high quality. I have not found the F4 aperture to be a problem, and find that it produces quite acceptable noise levels at ISO 800. Previously, I was taking photos on a medium format camera, scanning the negatives, then working with Photoshop. This camera rivals what I can obtain from film, but is much more convenient to use. I would recommend it for anyone who likes working with high quality images, usually uses a wide angle lens, and appreciates a compact camera rather than a bulkier digital SLR. I would not recommmend it for the casual snapshotter, as this is not a tiny camera, it does not have a zoom lens, the pop-up flash is apparently limited, and there is a few second processing delay after each photo before you can shoot another picture. For the enthusiast who does landscape, urban setting, street photography, etc, it is awesome.

I have had this camera for 3 weeks now and have taken it on flights all over the Asia region - the form factor means it slips into my briefcase easily and is truly portable. The images taken in bright sunlight are truly STUNNING - clear, sharp and with fantastic color. The lens is especially good showing sharpness from edge to edge. The sensor obviously delivers smoothly graduated and vibrant color - the results speak for themselves. However it is not all good. The fixed lens while good is a little too wide for general use IMHO, so it forces some real discipline onto your photos. Maybe a 50mm would have been better. It is a little slow to focus and sometimes just seems to get confused into doing nothing - which is strange. The low light results actually seem quite pedestrian compared to the truly spectacular bright light results. Added to all of this, it seems that the "non-Bayer" sensor means that few RAW converters (in my case Apple Aperture)can work with the RAW files it makes - so you need to use the very odd SPP software that comes with the camera. So in summary I will use this when the light is good and the colors work well, and just work around it's limitations. I recommend this as an alternative to an SLR. The results is produces can be and are amazing, once you work within its capabilities.