The image size is tiny by today's standard (5 MB) but nonetheless still amazingly detailed. "Classic DP2 at its best" gallery on flickr: The combination of a superb lens, the Foveon three-layer sensor and the Sigma color science really shines: It's tiny and lightweight (about 260g !) but it is capable to produce stunning images. Like the fp, the DP2 has a very industrial design, and its menus are also very simple (in a positive way!). This camera was released in 2009, it is a compact camera with APS-C sensor (crop factor 1.7) and built-in 41mm lens. If you want to understand the roots of the Sigma fp I would encourage you to look back at the Sigma DP2. I'm sure you and others would also like to see a next-gen FP with EVF and other improvements, but who knows because of the current situation whether either of these will ever happen, but meanwhile we can enjoy what we've got. Sigma had announced last year that a full-frame Foveon camera was in development for delivery this year, but recently put that off for at least another year due apparently to sensor production problems. They aren't too hard to find in good used condition or sometimes open-box demos and the Sigma lenses for the SD Quattro are excellent and cheap, also. Even with their blocky, minimalist bodies with no stabilization, slow operation, terrible ISO performance above the base, and bad battery life, they take wonderful photos that I have never seen the likes of from other cameras. I thought, these people are nuts, don't they know those things are terrible? After trying them, however, I'm kind of like you what do I usually pick up to take on a walk instead of the wonderful Lumix G9 or Olympus OM1? You guessed it, one of the Foveons, either the interchangeable-lens SD Quattro or the fixed-lens DP1M. I innocently started reading the DPR Sigma forum, looking for more info on the FP, when I started noticing that most of the comments were about the APS-sized Foveon cameras. I got sucked into buying a couple of them after reading about your early interest in the FP. What is intriguing, though, is how many of your pros and cons for this camera apply to Sigma's mostly-forgotten Foveon sensor models, at least regarding still photography. I enjoy your posts on the FP, although it's probably not for me. If all you care about it really great color, and you can do without fast and flexible autofocus, don't need in-body image stabilization, can adapt to using the rear screen for exposure evaluation and composing, and love small packages, then this might be the right camera for you. I have no idea whether it's Sony chip under the filter or a TowerJazz but whatever it is it's sharp and relatively noise free I'd go out on a limb and say that the files it produces are currently my favorite of all the cameras I've tried. The sensor is a full frame (24 by 36mm) device that is among the current state of the art 24 megapixel sensors in any camera brand. Sigma have delivered a sensor and processing package that makes beautiful raw and Jpeg files. One is the very good sensor with its commensurate, wonderful color science. There are only three reasons I can think of to own and use a Sigma fp. The body feels very well made and all the controls are built from good, solid materials and are.adequate. Essentially your $1,800 USD buys you a very well fabricated "brain" of a camera and then invites you to outfit it to suit your purposes.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |