Sean Esopenko

Sigma DP2 – First Impressions

June 15, 2011

Last weekend I acquired a Sigma DP2.  Months ago I caught wind of Fuji coming out with an extremely compact camera with an APS-C sized sensor in it.  It was an appealing idea to me because it would be the formula for a camera I could have on me at all times and still take pictures that should make good web resolution shots and maybe the odd 12 inch print.  Then I discovered Sigma had made a camera aimed at the same market:  The DP2.  The Sigma DP2 uses a Foveon X3 sensor.  Theoretically a Foveon sensor records more accurate colour information which I felt I would appreciate.  Many reviewers of the camera gripe over it being only 6.5 “megapixels” but they fail to recognize that Bayer sensor cameras interpolate those extra pixels.  DPreview did a test of a Foveon camera, the Sigma DP1, and had shown that megapixels don’t make up everything and the Foveon sensor whipped the butt of many of the competing APS-C cameras, including the Leica M8.

So I was a bit nervous buying the last one at the local camera shop, their demo unit.  This camera’s received very mixed reviews but I had assumed that most reviewers were not understanding what this camera was capable of.  It’s frustrating that people can’t get beyond the “megapixels” and that more means better.  They think that a camera has to be blazing fast.  Yes, a wedding photographer wouldn’t like taking this thing along for a shoot.  This is not a camera to take pictures of your kids with.  But if you’re the type of photographer who takes time to compose the image, shoots subjects that aren’t moving around quickly and want to really push your pictures in Photoshop then this camera is great.  And it fits in the pocket so there is absolutely not excuse for not having a camera on hand at all times.

This was one of the first pictures I shot with the Sigma DP2.  I instantly fell in love with how it rendered the intricate shadows of the foliage.  My 5D can’t do this.  Even with Zeiss glass.  The following are a few more shots I’ve taken since getting the camera 2-3 days ago.  The first one (the barfy flowers) is a 100% crop showing the colour detail this camera records.  The rest are full-views.

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