DP Merrills Rising in Value?

[xayraa33]

I think the DP2Q is really quite attractive, and definitely functionally designed. While traveling, I have gotten many interested/enthused commenters and curious onlookers due to the styling.

The only thing I find ugly is the use of glossy, black plastic on the lens barrel. Completely gaudy and non-functional.

Any way you want to slice them, they are still ugly.

Sigma made a big mistake with that far-out design.

 

[Samouraï]

Any way you want to slice them, they are still ugly.

Sigma made a big mistake with that far-out design.

I'd have preferred an update to the understated style of the previous DP cameras, but the Quattros are not hindered by their unconventional design (they handle surprisingly well).

I do find great irony in the Quattro design. Whereas the Merrills were understated, belying an amazingly special sensor design and image quality, the Quattros are peacocks, hiding the fact that its sensor design (and Foveon mission) is neutered and produces less special/impressive/unique files than the Merrills.

 

[xayraa33]

I'd have preferred an update to the understated style of the previous DP cameras, but the Quattros are not hindered by their unconventional design (they handle surprisingly well).

I do find great irony in the Quattro design. Whereas the Merrills were understated, belying an amazingly special sensor design and image quality, the Quattros are peacocks, hiding the fact that its sensor design (and Foveon mission) is neutered and produces less special/impressive/unique files than the Merrills.

Quattros are still ugly no matter what sensor they have.

 

[rhl-oregon]

In the tide of recent RFF-retro style influenced by Fuji, the DP/M little black bricks remind me of Zeiss Werra minimalism around the time the M3 came out.

Vive la difference, I say, and I'm glad there are camera designers who not only look beyond the Usual Suspect templates, but also trust there are enough of us who are ourselves handily adaptable for what further empowers our eyes and vision.

My Werra IV feels very much like my DP2M--though with a big bright VF/RF, yum!

Maybe Sigma will find a way to add one of these by their 4th-5th generation DP. Maybe they'll even figure a way to make the lens barrel as universally functional as the Werra's while reducing the number of button-assigned options and functions to an--ahem--artistic minimum.

When I want critical focus in funky light, I use a Hoodman rig and a similar Varavon rig (both screw into the tripod bushing) on my Merrills. I even screw in a pistol grip or monopod to that for handheld stability. But when they get home and take off their armor, they're just their adorable lil black brick selves again. Kind of like Mozart as a kid home from performance--he doesn't look like a prodigy when he's napping, does he? ;-)

Vive la difference.

 

[GaryLH]

differences between Merrill and Quattro...
- more accurate color then Quattro w/ better more even tonal range
- really nice grayscale tonality in b&w mode than Quattro
- Quattro has more punchy colors right out of the box
- one stop better ISO then Merrill
- faster af then Merrill
- a superior jpg engine then Merrill
- 21:9 aspect ratio only on Quattro
- dp0 (21mm fov) only on Quattro - essentially a digital xpan w/ the 21:9 aspect ratio
- Merrill has more film like results especially in b&w mode. It is essentially as close to a Leica monochrome u are going to get w/o having a monochrome conversion done on a Bayer array camera

Gary

 

[Samouraï]

differences between Merrill and Quattro...
- more accurate color then Quattro w/ better more even tonal range
- really nice grayscale tonality in b&w mode than Quattro
- Quattro has more punchy colors right out of the box
- one stop better ISO then Merrill
- faster af then Merrill
- a superior jpg engine then Merrill
- 21:9 aspect ratio only on Quattro
- dp0 (21mm fov) only on Quattro - essentially a digital xpan w/ the 21:9 aspect ratio
- Merrill has more film like results especially in b&w mode. It is essentially as close to a Leica monochrome u are going to get w/o having a monochrome conversion done on a Bayer array camera

Gary

Do you think that the Quattros might have more than one stop on the Merrills, at least in practice. I'm shooting -1 to -1.7 ev most of the time to protect highlights. Whereas the Merrills need their shadows protected. So in certain situations, the difference in practical sensitivity can be pretty wide, even at the same ISO.

(I'm only shooting -1 to -1.7ev in very sunny, contrasty situations)

 

[GaryLH]

Do you think that the Quattros might have more than one stop on the Merrills, at least in practice. I'm shooting -1 to -1.7 ev most of the time to protect highlights. Whereas the Merrills need their shadows protected. So in certain situations, the difference in practical sensitivity can be pretty wide, even at the same ISO.

High contrast I tend to set -1. Low contrast closer to -1/3..for jpg+raw files. If raw only, I tend to stay -1/3 all the time.

In terms of one stop..that appears to be the average. U can get by w/ maybe 1/3 stop more, but much after that u start seeing color shift. Depending on the situation, I have seen color shift appear sooner which is why 1 stop is a safer general rule of thumb. U could push it to 2 stops but u need to go the b&w.

Gary