Sigma First DP2 Merrill photos

MarkMx72

New Member
Hello all,

new forum member and DP2 user here, and I had the first proper chance in my holiday to take photos with the DP2 Merrill I bought just a few weeks ago. Not having to lug a DSLR around while hiking was pretty liberating, and after all the horror stories I read in advance, I was relieved to find the camera a joy to use.* :)

*Let's not talk about battery life, though, which can be a bit of a problem when you're several days without electricity!

Comments are obviously welcome, and the Flickr album is here, if anyone is interested: Hiking with the Sigma DP2 Merrill

DP2M0728.jpg


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DP2M1006.jpg


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DP2M1130.jpg


DP2M1172.jpg


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DP2M0658.jpg
 
Lovely shots. And ---- I'M SO JEALOUS!! I just got a DP2S because I couldn't wait to afford the Merrill. But shots like yours make me know I will be getting one -- and sooner rather than later.

Finally: Welcome! I think you'll enjoy the camaraderie of the place. It can be a lot of fun.
 
Thank you for the kind words - I was actually given the advice (by a brick and mortar shop no less) that Sigma themselves occasionally sell the Merrill cameras on eBay with a considerable discount - which is the reason many shops don't sell them anymore here in Germany! So I waited a few weeks, and 12 of them popped up for 550,- EUR (instead of the usual 800,-).

I am not sure if that is a good business strategy, as it obviously annoys the authorised dealers, but I didn't complain! ;-)
 
Wow! Great shots, love the first!I really like how your photos look natural yet punchy!
Welcome to SC, I'm sure you'll have a great time here. Looking forward to seeing more of your shots :)
 
Number five is a striking example of the way Sigma's handle clouds. A pet peeve of mine is blown out clouds - they don't look natural and often times distract from what otherwise is a excellent image. I don't have the DP2 (Merrill), but I do have the DP2 (to compliment my D-lux4) and the DP2 also handles clouds very well. Great set of images.
 
Thank you all, I am blushing here!


I'm intending to buy one of the DP Merrills - would like to know how many shots you get out of a fully charged battery?

Between 40 and 80 maybe, depending on how bright the LCD is, how long it takes you to frame your photos, and, significantly, on the outside temperature. 100 is pushing it under ideal conditions, but on some of the cold mornings (where you can see the white frost in the photos), it died shockingly quick.

The camera comes with two batteries, but I also bought a set of third party ones which have even less capacity. I think I'll need to buy a couple of original ones.

The good thing is: the files are so big, and Sigma Photo Pro is so slow, that you don't really want to take 100s of pictures, anyway! ;-) I still did, as I was learning how to use it, and I deleted a lot of them immediately, but I intend to cut it down in the future.
 
Wonderful images. And good tips to consider regarding battery capacity. It's also good to hear that contrary to some reports, the camera may not be quite so difficult to work with as some reports might lead one to believe. The images themselves are certainly a testament to the capability of the camera (and to your "eye" for image making).

If you wanted to retrieve it, I would imagine there is probably a good bit of detail and color in the shadowed trees in the second image?
 
First of all: welcome!
Striking and beautiful shots!
As said already, the camera handles the skies superbly. A fantastic camera. But it's the quality of the photographer that makes it sing.
Peter
 
If you wanted to retrieve it, I would imagine there is probably a good bit of detail and color in the shadowed trees in the second image?

Cheers, that's a good idea, I'll try that - got to admit, I find it extremely difficult to post-process photos taken in the early morning - the lighting is beautiful, but it's very dark, which rarely looks good in photos - but if you make it visible, the early morning mood is often gone.

And yes, as far as usability is concerned, as long as you're aware of the weaknesses (low iso required, battery life, no viewfinder), I can only recommend getting one. In fact, I find it better to use than the Fuji X100 (which I dearly love) in many respects - quicker start-up time, more reliable auto-focus. My dream camera would be one with the Foveon sensor and the X100's viewfinder. :)
 
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