I recently purchased a Sigma DP1. If you haven't heard of this one, basically it's the first compact camera to have an SLR-sized sensor in it.
I just finished writing a little article reviewing this camera and my previous two compacts, including full size samples; check it out: Quest for the Ultimate Compact Camera
I thought all you fellow camera gearheads out there like me might enjoy that little write-up.
Anyhow, this one's from the Ice Park a few days ago. It's melting!
Great review of all 3 cameras, Jack, and I really like the two photos here. I guess the ice is melting fast and is a bit dangerous, why no one is climbing it in your photo . Also, looks like an awesome line for skiing/riding!
Jack, that's an interesting article. The G9 has gotten so much press lately, most of it good, that I was little surprized that you didn't include it in your comparisions. ( Also, mine just arrived yesterday and I was hoping not to got through any serious buyer's remorse) An interesting article. Boy your "blog" layout has a nice appearance!
Paul, once it really starts to warm up, I'd like to go up there with a lawn chair and some beers and watch all the ice crash down... that would be fun!
Mel, yeah I think so too... I can't wait to take it out backpacking and really see what it can do (or can't do).
Roger, I've updated that page to address the G9. I tend to shoot wideangle a lot, so the G9's 35mm max doesn't cut it for me. Thanks for your compliment about the blog!
Thanks for posting those reviews! Your blog really is one of the best I've seen.
You're probably aware of the new DP1 firmware upgrade just announced that addresses one of the 'quirks' you refer to.
For me, the ultimate compact camera remains the Canon G6.
The G6 was the last of the 'G' series to retain that wonderfully versatile tilt 'n' swivel LCD screen.
It also has RAW capture and a reasonable 7 MP sensor and images at ISO 400 are much cleaner than the G9 at that speed. The G6 lens is even faster than the G9 ( f2-f3 vs. f2.8-4.8). One can still find the G6 around these days.
Perhaps the G10 will go 'retro'?
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Anyway, thanks again for the well written reviews!
Posted by Rene Pirolt on April 9, 2008 at 12:37 AM
Thanks for the review, Jack!
Posted by Paul Martin on April 9, 2008 at 12:42 AM
Great review of all 3 cameras, I haven't looked at much online about the Sigma and its nice to get your take on it. I also hadn't really heard of any Ricoh cameras, so that was very interesting. The 2 shots you've posted here are definitely solid and shows the potential of that little Sigma.
Thanks for the great review and saving me some moo-lah for the time being. The detail in the ice falls is obscene! How's the DOF in big landscapes?
Posted by Laurent Baig on April 10, 2008 at 12:02 PM
Jack, you say SLR sized, but that's ambiguous. Do you mean APS-c or full frame?
Looks like a good camera, but the lack of a good optical zoom kills it for me. Hope it works out well for you. Looking forward to the images.
Posted by Jack Brauer on April 10, 2008 at 6:04 PM
Jack, you say SLR sized, but that's ambiguous. Do you mean APS-c or full frame?
Laurent, yes it is ambiguous, but for a reason perhaps. The sensor has a 1.7 crop factor; however, I would say that this doesn't translate to a direct comparison because of the whole Foveon thing - this sensor is working with a much higher per-pixel resolution than an APS-c sensor.
Also please keep in mind the context of my statement - all other compacts have much smaller sensors... this one is 12x as large as most compact sensors. It's the same sensor that's in Sigma's SD14 SLR camera.
How's the DOF in big landscapes?
Dave, the DOF is very good, as would be expected from the relatively small lens (and aperatures). The max aperature is f4, so the problem would be more with selective focus limitations rather than deep DOF limitations.
Discussion
11 repliesI just finished writing a little article reviewing this camera and my previous two compacts, including full size samples; check it out: Quest for the Ultimate Compact Camera
I thought all you fellow camera gearheads out there like me might enjoy that little write-up.
Anyhow, this one's from the Ice Park a few days ago. It's melting!
Mel, yeah I think so too... I can't wait to take it out backpacking and really see what it can do (or can't do).
Roger, I've updated that page to address the G9. I tend to shoot wideangle a lot, so the G9's 35mm max doesn't cut it for me. Thanks for your compliment about the blog!
You're probably aware of the new DP1 firmware upgrade just announced that addresses one of the 'quirks' you refer to.
For me, the ultimate compact camera remains the Canon G6.
The G6 was the last of the 'G' series to retain that wonderfully versatile tilt 'n' swivel LCD screen.
It also has RAW capture and a reasonable 7 MP sensor and images at ISO 400 are much cleaner than the G9 at that speed. The G6 lens is even faster than the G9 ( f2-f3 vs. f2.8-4.8). One can still find the G6 around these days.
Perhaps the G10 will go 'retro'?
_______________________________________________________________
Anyway, thanks again for the well written reviews!
Looks like a good camera, but the lack of a good optical zoom kills it for me. Hope it works out well for you. Looking forward to the images.
Laurent, yes it is ambiguous, but for a reason perhaps. The sensor has a 1.7 crop factor; however, I would say that this doesn't translate to a direct comparison because of the whole Foveon thing - this sensor is working with a much higher per-pixel resolution than an APS-c sensor.
Also please keep in mind the context of my statement - all other compacts have much smaller sensors... this one is 12x as large as most compact sensors. It's the same sensor that's in Sigma's SD14 SLR camera.
Dave, the DOF is very good, as would be expected from the relatively small lens (and aperatures). The max aperature is f4, so the problem would be more with selective focus limitations rather than deep DOF limitations.