Sigma DP2

I got mine last week - and I am very pleased. :) It takes a bit of time to get accustomed to the functions, but after that: no problems. There ist still the problem that sometimes the cam breaks down (due to the monitor, I believe), although the new firmware is installed.
The image quality is really great. I went out next day for a street shooting, and brought home some images I couldn't have made with a "normal" digicam.
I bought a viewfinder (Voigtlander) now which I prefer to the monitor.

Cheers,
dacaccia

3601340762_dd20d54644_o.jpg
 
I'm still waiting for more digital choices in the format we love. It appears to be a long wait. The DP-2 is very interesting.

I just can't see me donning my reading glasses using the back panel to focus and compose the shot. I would have to use the optional viewfinder to make the camera feel more "conventional" to me. Does everyone who uses the viewfinder either prefocus or set the focus to the hyperfocal distance? Or does the viewfinder have an AF area marked in it so that one could focus on an object with release half-pressed, then recompose and shoot?
 
> Does everyone who
> uses the viewfinder either prefocus or set the focus to the hyperfocal
> distance?

I do both options depending on the situation.

> Or does the viewfinder have an AF area marked in it so that
> one could focus on an object with release half-pressed, then recompose
> and shoot?

No it doesn't.

I've had the DP-2 for over 6 weeks now and have been using it as my only camera during that time; I love it!

I have the optional Sigma viewfinder and use it almost exclusively with the back LCD panel turned OFF so I haven't tried to use it for focusing.

When I'm walking around taking photos I either set the DP-2 to manual focus which I then set close to infinity and I get almost instantaneous shots after pushing the shutter release button or I set my DP-2 to auto focus and try to center the view in my viewfinder while depressing the shutter release button halfway. This has worked out pretty well for most of my shots.

I try to keep it set to f/8.0 and keep the camera in Aperture priority mode. I trust it to make pretty good decisions about the shutter speed.

Photos often look terrible on that back LCD panel. I try to not look at it unless I'm checking what shutter speed the camera thinks is best for the aperture I've chosen.

Did I mention I love this camera? :)

I almost bought a film-based rangefinder last year but continued to hold out for a digital rangefinder-like solution for the BW photography that I enjoy.

-cms
 
I bought a DP2 last week, and took about 350 shots with it before returning it. The IQ was excellent; I absolutely loved the colors, the black and white, and even the high ISO noise in B&W. Bokeh and lens sharpness were great, too. I would have kept that camera were it cheaper, or were it more expensive (with better built). As it is, it's awfully expensive for what you get: a camera that makes such cheap whines when focusing you can't help but wonder if it's about to die, or how soon it will die. Slow focus. Awful screen. Poor battery performance. Even the lens cap is pathetic. To me, it feels like a $450 camera, not a $650 camera.

So, I returned it, especially with the new Oly coming out.

But I've never taken such good pictures with so small a camera.
 
Hmmmm, I sold my DP2 already too. I liked the camera and the interface is better than the DP1 but the FOV at 41mm is a killer for me....toooooo tight...so I am keeping the DP1 and my G9......The OLY looks interesting but I more than likely will keep away from it....
shooter
 
Definitely I will keep my DP2 - its 41mm are around what I normally use (40mm at CLE, ca 46mm at M8, 50mm at Hexar RF); its pictures are really great. Together with a VF, monitor off, one can spare battery power. When monitor off the camera is not freezing, so no more problem. Its AF could be faster, truly. But, ok, without AF the camera is fast enough. (I would love a focus indicator, though!)
Well, the camera is not perfect - but the output of images are more than worth it!


3624610565_b649f30bd6_o.jpg


(ISO 800)

Cheers, dacaccia
 
cweg said:
After some days of doubting, I think I'm gonna love this Cam a little:)
Click to expand...
I feel the same way. I have a DP2 and an LX3 with me and I have to decide which one to keep. After a couple of days of doubting, I'm keeping the DP2. The points I had in consideration were the following:

Construction and size: the LX3 definitely feels more solid than the DP2, the latter being boxy and feeling "hollow". While the LX3 is considerably smaller, neither of them fits realistically "in a pocket" without it being horribly noticeable (unless you wear baggy clothes).

Focus: yes, the LCD screen is bad, but good enough for manual focusing if you take your time. The autofocus is noisy, but not really noticeable if you're on the street or a cafe. Also, it's not as slow as people say. I have no complaints about focusing speed or accuracy. Manual focus is practical compared to the joystick used in the LX3.

Zoom: I really like the lens on the LX3, but I got tired of the wide angle style pretty fast. I've been shooting with only a 50mm lens exclusively for two years and never felt a limitation, so I guessed it was not going to be a problem with a digital camera either. By the way, I don't understand why people complain about the zoom not being enough in the LX3. It is excellent and just the right amount, in my opinion.

Menu interface: I like the menu on the DP2 better than the LX3. I find it much more intuitive. The LX3's manual was the first instruction manual I ever read for a camera: there was some stuff I couldn't figure out by myself. This, of course, is very subjective.

Image quality: the LX3 feels like a glorified P&S while the DP2 is on another level.

I came to the conclusion that if the Sigma was constructed as good as the LX3, it would have been a dream come true. It's more pleasurable to use the LX3, but at the end, I care more about the photos than the process of taking them, so I decided to keep the DP2. It's not the camera to take out to a party at night, but then everyone else has a digital P&S so I don't bother taking pics in those occasions. It is also not what you're looking for if you want to take photos of kids or dogs, but fortunately I don't have kids yet (too young!) and my dogs are lazy and don't like running too much :)

By the way, you can get the DP2 from ebay for $600 with cashback.
 
as a loose follow-up...

I am just wondering - is Sigma to only one who is seriously developing the Foveon technology? To me - at least from the picture point of view - it is currently the only sensor that does not need any Bayer interpolation and therefore the images actually are sharp down to single pixels. This is quite obvious from the DP1 review by the DPreview. The pictures look more natural to me.

I have already complained that to make a truly sharp (and detailed) print one one actually needs to downsize the the file from a digital camera - does not seem to be the case with the Sigma DP1/2.

So - could we hope that Sigma would come up with a (maybe DP3?) camera with interchangeable lenses and maybe even RF (be it digital)? I am purely speculating here of course (wishful thinking it is).
 
A few more photos from this summer using the dp2 :
http://n0x.org/pg/bord-de-seine-dp2-2009/

After taking this series, I was very annoyed with the auto-focus and almost stopped using this camera completely. But I decided to use it again recently, and I'm still amazed by the quality of the pictures (in RAW). So now I use it when I can take my time with the focus, and when I want to have the pictures quickly (without developing and scanning film).
 
from Sigma website:

Firmware Ver.1.04 download notice for SIGMA DP2
2010.3.19

The Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce that firmware Ver.1.04 for the DP2 will be available on 26th March, 2010.

* SIGMA DP2 firmware [Ver.1.04]
Benefits of the firmware update
* Higher auto focusing speed

We will post further information regarding service procedure and time-scales in due course.

March 19th, 2010
SIGMA CORPORATION
 
Interesting. Amazon sells DP2 for $570 right now. if the firmware update brings AF speed same level to DP2s, maybe it's a good timing to snatch one.
 
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