8.15.2010

Have Not





Sigma's DP1 is a compact camera with a full sized (four thirds sized) sensor. The sensor itself is multi layered (invented by Foveon), allowing each pixel to capture the color as it truly is, instead of relying on complicated algorithms to guess the colors. This sensor design is exclusive to Sigma (for now):

vs Traditional Mosaic sensors
courtesy of dpreview.com


Images themselves are beautifully sharp and incredible in low light situations (important to me), although they seem to have a slight green cast to them. I find it nicer than the dullish, overexposed look that goes with my big, old canon xt tho. 

The DP1 is on sale for 300 bucks (from around 500), but I still hesitate because it has a fixed lens. Its a wideangle lens at 16mm (equivalent to around 28mm on a film camera), with an f stop of 4. A lens that slow means little to no bokeh (when the aperature seperates what is in focus from its back- and foreground with a soft blurring effect), and more camera shake at night. 

Id still love one tho as its incredibly handsome and produces such nice pictures, im just am not willing to pay so much for such limited functionality. Hopefully they will announce a DP3 at Photokina in September, with a fast zoom lens a la the s95 or LX5 or TL5000, or even removable lenses like micro four thirds cameras. That might be more feasible with the recent introduction of the Sony NEX and Ricoh GXR.
(all cameras I would love to hang from my wrist!)

Video would be nice too!

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