Andrewteee
All-Pro
I'm trying to imagine holding.
I sure hope they've updated SPP too!!!!!
I sure hope they've updated SPP too!!!!!
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News New generation Sigma DP!
- Thread starter Chris2500dk
- Start date
Lawrence A.
Hall of Famer
- Location
- New Mexico
- Name
- Larry
Well, it's good to know about the new viewfinder, but the sheer weirdness of the design means this is a camera I'd want to hold before I bought it. Six inches long and 2.6 inches tall, along with the way the 3 inches of depth is laid out doesn't look like it will be a comfortable shooter. I may be wrong; maybe in hand it's a wonder, but initially I find it off putting. I don't care about beauty, just how it works in my hand. I'm not a big fan of clunky grips, and though I think this one was trying to be stylish, it looks lumpy and uncomfortable. We'll see. None of the local stores carry the Sigma DP's, so I'd have to travel to get one in my hand. My only two planned trips are to Boston in March (probably too soon) and to Laos in November, where I doubt I'll find one to test.
I felt comfortable getting the DP 2 Merrill based on reviews, sample images, and pictures of the body. I knew I'd get along fine with the black box (I bought and loved the Evolt E300). I'm a lot less sure the boomarang design of the Quattro will work for me. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. There was plenty in the Merrills that could have been improved -- the work flow, as has been mentioned -- but not the basic box, not for me anyway.
I'd love to be proved wrong.
I felt comfortable getting the DP 2 Merrill based on reviews, sample images, and pictures of the body. I knew I'd get along fine with the black box (I bought and loved the Evolt E300). I'm a lot less sure the boomarang design of the Quattro will work for me. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. There was plenty in the Merrills that could have been improved -- the work flow, as has been mentioned -- but not the basic box, not for me anyway.
I'd love to be proved wrong.
entropic remnants
Hall of Famer
- Name
- John Griggs
Not a Sigma guy, and the brutal workflow on them, short battery life, etc. have me put off.
However: what I always thought was fabulous was the lack of interpolation needed to create a final image. This new setup requires a sort of de-mosaicing almost like a Bayer sensor with the way the layers have different resolutions. I too will be interested to see what this does for image quality or if it really means anything at all.
I agree with Ray though: the best thing they could have done would have been to work on the camera's true deficiencies which appear to be battery life, processor speed, and sensitivity. Maybe they have addressed all that though.
However: what I always thought was fabulous was the lack of interpolation needed to create a final image. This new setup requires a sort of de-mosaicing almost like a Bayer sensor with the way the layers have different resolutions. I too will be interested to see what this does for image quality or if it really means anything at all.
I agree with Ray though: the best thing they could have done would have been to work on the camera's true deficiencies which appear to be battery life, processor speed, and sensitivity. Maybe they have addressed all that though.
Lightmancer
Legend
- Location
- Sunny Frimley
- Name
- Bill Palmer
I have to say, the ergonomics leave me cold. The first thing that sprang to mind was this:
Sent from another Galaxy
Sent from another Galaxy
- Location
- Jersey Shore
- Name
- Steve
It looks like that lens may be an interchangeable one, no?
- Location
- Newcastle, NSW, Australia
- Name
- Sue
Thats just... fugly.
Luckypenguin
Hall of Famer
- Location
- Brisbane, Australia
- Name
- Nic
I really want to see a picture of someone holding it, otherwise it didn't happen.
KillRamsey
Hall of Famer
- Location
- Hood River, OR
- Name
- Kyle
Lawrence A.
Hall of Famer
- Location
- New Mexico
- Name
- Larry
Will do. The trip is mostly to be there for my mother's 98th birthday, but I planned 10 days in order to do a few other things. There's a friend in Cambridge I haven't seen in ages. Maybe I can combine a trip to Cambrige: My family is in Braintree, about a 10 minute walk from the end of the Red LIne, so it's an easy shot. Hope we can manage it. I'd love to see you in action with your Yashica!
Archiver
Top Veteran
- Location
- Melbourne, Australia
Now, this is very interesting! In the past, Sigma have given considerable advance notice before releasing a new camera. This is like sudden thunder in the night.
The design is way outside of 'safe' camera expectations, looking more like a European Bang and Olufsen style device than a Japanese camera. Gone is 'the box', replaced by what I suspect is a very ergonomically nice gripping area, and room for a much larger battery. This hints at improved battery life and handling.
The new sensor is also a surprise. The aps-c Merrill sensor hasn't been around for that long, and given Sigma's resources, I thought they would milk it for at least another generation.
Also of interest is the introduction of the 45mm version first. The DP1, with its 28mm eq. lens, was always the first to be released and upgraded, until the Merrill cameras hit the market. The Merrills began with the DP2, and the Quattro series continues this release order.
Unlike the DP1/s/x series, which were definitely works-in-progress, the Merrills seem to have a homogenous colour signature across the models. The DP1M has a similar colour signature to the DP2M and DP3M. I hope that the Quattros also have homogenous colour across the line.
I've held off from the Merrills because of the woeful battery life, among other niggles. Here's hoping that the Quattro series are as enjoyable to shoot as their photos are (should be) to view.
The design is way outside of 'safe' camera expectations, looking more like a European Bang and Olufsen style device than a Japanese camera. Gone is 'the box', replaced by what I suspect is a very ergonomically nice gripping area, and room for a much larger battery. This hints at improved battery life and handling.
The new sensor is also a surprise. The aps-c Merrill sensor hasn't been around for that long, and given Sigma's resources, I thought they would milk it for at least another generation.
Also of interest is the introduction of the 45mm version first. The DP1, with its 28mm eq. lens, was always the first to be released and upgraded, until the Merrill cameras hit the market. The Merrills began with the DP2, and the Quattro series continues this release order.
Unlike the DP1/s/x series, which were definitely works-in-progress, the Merrills seem to have a homogenous colour signature across the models. The DP1M has a similar colour signature to the DP2M and DP3M. I hope that the Quattros also have homogenous colour across the line.
I've held off from the Merrills because of the woeful battery life, among other niggles. Here's hoping that the Quattro series are as enjoyable to shoot as their photos are (should be) to view.
IVN
Veteran
Yes, they do.
lenshoarder
Veteran
This is crazy. It's like the 4:2:2 in old NTSC video. How is this a step forward from their Merrill sensors?
lenshoarder
Veteran
It's a well known and solved problem. It's not de-mosaicing. It's separate luminance and chrominance channels. This is how analog video worked for decades. The problem for me is that analog video worked that way because color was a add on to the monochrome video. They had to be backwards compatible so them came up with 4:2:2 to fit the color information into the blank space in monochrome video. It was a "hack" to fit into limited bandwidth. It was not done for quality. It's amazing that it looked as good as it did. Why anyone would think about doing it now is beyond me. I can't see how this will work better than the current Merrill sensor. I guess they are trying to leverage the higher resolution. 20MP versus 15MP is much like how you can resample a 20MP Bayer sensor image to approximate a 15MP Merrill.
I can't believe they would choose that shape without extensive testing. Looking at them, they look quite small. I'd like to see them alongside some other common item to get a size reference. While I find the design confronting its nice to have something a bit different and in I think they will handle very well. Less compromise on looks and more consideration for the hands.
The Sigmas don't actually look any worse than say this
Samples is what we need now. Then a review on their handling.
The Sigmas don't actually look any worse than say this
Samples is what we need now. Then a review on their handling.
CM_SK
Regular
- Location
- Saskatoon, SK, Canada
The poor man's Alpa? Perhaps that's not such a bad inspiration; several DP owners admit that they treat their Sigmas as view cameras, not as snap shooters, then things make sense.
BruPri
Top Veteran
- Location
- Seattle, Washington USA
- Name
- Bruce J. Pritchard
I really love the looks, kind of a Bang and Olufsen style about it.
Will be interesting to see IQ comparisons of the DP2 Merrill with the new version. Unless I see it with my own eyes, I will not believe that the Merrill IQ can be noticably topped with anything smaller than MF as the current models are already in a class of their own. Camera performance is another matter. For landscape and still shooters, the Merrills are real bargains now.
Ghosthunter
boo!
- Location
- London UK
- Name
- Andy
The more I look at this camera the more I like it! I love things that are a bit 'left of centre' and Sigma sure do produce odd cameras. Sigma seem to be on a real drive to increase quality in all their products so I'm hoping this will be a real top quality product with a lot of the Merrils problems ironed out or at least made better.
Dewi Sant
Veteran
- Location
- Lancashire, England
- Name
- Guess?
I know where the inspiration for that came from. Last week I was laying a wooden floor in my bathroom and that thing looks like the block they give you to knock the joints together with! Not a looker is it?
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