PiX - Sigma DP1
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Transcript of PiX - Sigma DP1
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| sigma review
Words and PiX By John and Tina Reid
I recently purchased Sigma’s latest offering,
the Sigma DP1. What follows is a hands-
on review of what I think is a unique
and interesting camera. This is not a scientific,
conclusive review but rather an account of my
opinion of the camera after a month of regular
use.
To provide some background information:
my wife and I do the majority of our work using
Canon SLRs; more specifically, the Canon 5D.
Portraiture and weddings make up the most
of our business work and I shoot landscapes
for personal work. Over the last couple of
years shooting the same sort of subjects with
the same equipment one can easily get into a
photographic rut.
The benefit of a compact camera is being
able to keep the camera in your pocket which
in turn, enables you to shoot whenever you
feel some inspiration. I cannot tell you how
often I have seen something and though to
myself, “that would make an awesome picture”
but never had a camera to shoot it. With the
Sigma DP1, I have had the convenience of a
compact camera, without having to sacrifice
image quality.
Image QualIty
90% of the images shot with the DP1, have
been in RAW and used I Sigma Photo Pro to
convert the images into 16Bit Tiff files. I have no
test charts, but comparing the images from my
5D with those of the DP1, it is difficult to notice
any differences in resolution. The DP1 files end
up at a resolution of 4537 by 3048 which is a
little larger than the 5D’s files. The 5D creates
images that have slightly less noise than the
DP1 in shadow regions at lower ISO values. The
difference is only noticeable when viewing at
100%. Compared with Canon’s 350D, the DP1
produces significantly less noise.
HandlIng and Performance
I have read complaints about the DP1
focusing speed and admittedly, it is slow when
compared with a DSLR, but for most of the
subjects that the camera is suitable for shooting,
the auto focus is good enough. Whenever I tried
to shoot quick moving subjects, I set the camera
to manual focus and had no trouble capturing
the action.
The burst mode when shooting in RAW is
pretty much one shot, so you would not use this
camera to shoot sport or wildlife, but then again,
you would struggle shooting both those subjects
with the 28mm lens.
Most camera options are selected using the
menu, which I found to be well laid out and easy
to use. There are separate buttons on the camera
for changing shutter speed and aperture values,
which took a couple of days to get the hang of,
but now is as easy as using a DSLR.
Some comPlaIntS
At the time of shooting and processing the
example images, Adobe Bridge and Lightroom
offered no support for the Sigma RAW files.
Subsequently Adobe released updates that
contain “beta” support for the Sigma RAW
files. I’ve found that I get a better looking result
from Lightroom than I did from Sigma’s RAW
converter, so I am looking forward to when
Lightroom offers full RAW support.
This is more of an observation than a
complaint: the “famous” colours produced by
the Foveon chip do not look much different
from the colours produced by Canon’s chip. In
fact, it is very difficult to notice any difference.
Maybe someone more technical might be able
to the point out the differences, but for everyday
purposes, the difference is negligible.
In my opinion, the advantage of a Foveon
chip is that the images are not passed through
the anti-aliasing filter that the Bayer chips are
subject to, which make the images sharp straight
out of the camera without any manipulation
Some PerkS
The main reason I purchased this camera
was to own a camera that I could keep in my
pocket without sacrificing image quality, but
using this camera has had other benefits I was
unaware of.
Using pocket wizards, the DP1 will sync
with my flashes at 1/1000th of a second, which
is much better than the 1/200th of my 5D.
1/1000th of a second at F11 will dim out almost
all natural light, enabling you to shoot in the
harshest of daylight with no problem.
| sigma review
Jeep AdventurerI found the focal length of 28mm to be a useful length for showing people in their environments. this is a portrait of a Jeep sponsored kayaker, Andrew pollock.exif:• Shutter Speed: 1/250th• Aperture: F6.3• ISO: 100
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| sigma review
COnteMpLAtIOnI love having the dp1 with me wherever I go. I went for a walk on the beach on a day with very dramatic cloud formations and was able to snap this great shot which captured the feeling of the evening for me.exif:• Shutter Speed: 1/80th• Aperture: F10• ISO: 100
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Another benefit was the cost of accessories. A water housing for a DSLR
can cost in the region of 10K but I was able to get a housing for the DP1
for less then 1K. Filters for the small filter thread also cost significantly less
than for the lenses a DSLR use.
I find that I am more confident doing street photography with the DP1.
Approaching people to ask for their permission feels much better when
you have an “innocent looking” compact in your hands. People tend to
maintain a “natural” looking pose. The DP1 also looks far less valuable
than an SLR system, so I feel safer walking through the streets of South
African cities.
I went for a hike to test how the DP1 would handle landscape
photography and I experienced freedom. I was able to climb up waterfalls
without the weight of a camera body and lenses on my back (the DP1 fits
snugly in my pocket). I can imagine that extreme adventurers would find the
DP1 the ideal travel companion.
for ProfeSSIonal PHotograPHerS
Does the Sigma DP1 have a place in the professional photographer’s
camera bag? I’ve found that using the DP1 has enhanced my creativity,
enabling me to capture images that would normally go by unnoticed and
provided me with more options when I’m on a commercial shoot.
The DP1 will not replace a professional photographer’s camera gear,
rather, it will enhance the options, flexibility and creativity when creating
images.
I have taken the DP1 with me to a few commercial shoots. Once I had
the “safe” shots, I pulled out the DP1 and shot a few experimental shots.
I included the DP1 images when I gave the client their images and in every
case the client was highly impressed with the image quality. In some cases
the client ended up choosing the DP1 images over my 5D images!
dAyLIght OverpOwered I shot this image whilst trying to work out the max sync speed of the dp1. this image was shot in our friend’s back garden at 15:00, directly into the sun. the flash was fired at _ power.for me.
exif:• Shutter Speed: 1/1000th• Aperture: F10• ISO: 100
concluSIon
The Sigma DP1 is a unique, innovative camera that at present
has no equal. That said; is the Sigma DP1 a camera you should
consider buying? The DP1 is a camera that you should look
into purchasing if you want to enhance your current camera
equipment. It will provide you with more options, such as high
speed flash sync, expand your creativity and provide convenience
without sacrificing quality. <<<
| sigma review
StreAM pAtternthis image displays the dynamic range captured by the dp1. Most of this stream was in the shade, but some of it was in direct sun. the dp1 was able to capture detail in
both the shadows and highlights.exif:• Shutter Speed: 0.8seconds• Aperture: F11• ISO: 100
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InvItAtIOnI found th e dp1 to be a great camera for walking and just
shooting what I see. I’m sure it will be very useful for travel
photography.exif:
• Shutter Speed: 1/50th• Aperture: F8
• ISO: 100
nAture’S wAStehiking with the dp1 gave me the freedom to get to places I normally would have battled to get to with my normal camera gear. I found this little waterfall climbing up the river over a few other waterfalls.exif:• Shutter Speed: 3.2 seconds• Aperture: F11• ISO: 50
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