The Sigma DP line is quite unique in the compact camera segment. Despite its many flaws including short battery life, slow autofocus and poor high ISO performance in low light, its Foveon sensor is probably one of the finest on the market in terms of sharpness and colour rendering.
Here at MirrorLessons we only had the chance to try one model at the Milan Photoshow last year. Despite being very specific cameras, they deliver such exceptional image quality that they simply cannot be ignored by IQ purists.
The new Sigma DP Quattro
The fourth generation of Sigma’s premium DP compact camera line brings with it a number of changes. First, the body has been radically updated, featuring a very modern, almost futuristic design. The body appears slimmer and larger, with a large grip on the right.
Sigma states that they have redesigned every aspect of the camera, and while this is obvious from its outer appearance, the same applies to the hardware on the inside too.
There is a new Foveon X3 sensor named “Quattro” that now has 39 megapixels and promises 30% higher resolution than the previous generation Foveon sensor. The amount of data to be recorded has decreased which results in faster image processing (thanks to the new TRUE III image processor) and less power consumtion (better battery life).
The new generation series will come in three models like the previous series, where the difference resides mainly in the focal length. DP cameras are compact cameras with a fixed prime lens. There will be a 19mm version (DP1), a 30mm (DP2) and 50mm version (DP3) that offer approximately a 28mm, 45mm and 75mm equivalent focal length on a full frame format.
We will have to wait a little bit more for an official price or release date. In the meantime, you can read the official press release here.
Wow – the Dp2 image quality is praised but the operation and RAW processor get totally dissed at Luminous Landscape. Seems Sigma just can’t get it all together – if they did they would probably shock themselves at how well they would sell.