Sigma DP3M - tell me about it

[rhl-oregon]

Although you have made a good choice with the XE2/27/56, Peter, one DPM caution just occurred to me for the future. It's quite easy to blow highlights with the Merrill, and since you spend a lot of time in highlight-blowing snow/ice/high altitude sun, the lack of an EVF in that environment might entail a degree of trial/error metering, images with cramped dynamic range you discover only later in the tent's darkness, etc. Nothing you can't compensate for, yet a liability to consider, despite the sensor's tremendous resolution. I have experienced this problem only in summer/white sandbeach glare, but it was very challenging--even without goggles and gloves ;-).

 

[Peter_S]

Hi Robert,
is that still the case with the current generation of X3 sensors? I surely remember blown highlights from the DP2s, worse than with the Leixa X1 and X2 and surely worse than film.

 

[GaryLH]

Each generation has gotten a bit better in terms of dynamic range..but only slightly better. The latest Quattro, is slightly better than the Merrill but it is not near as good as my Fuji or Sony a6000.

For me, I shoot the foveon sensor cameras like I did for color slides.. Meter so I can get the brightest highlight I want to preserve and let spp handle getting back as much as the darker mids and darks I want to preserve.

If u are in a part of the world where is always very bright and contrasty, then depending on the LCD is going to be hard. For the new Quattro series, sigma released a hoodman like device for the LCD, which should help a lot at expense of overall size. It looks to be detachable though.

Good luck
Gary

 

[VertovSvilova]

For me, I shoot the foveon sensor cameras like I did for color slides..

I do the same. But I'm also super critical with my light (which to me is what photography means), and only photograph in what I call the 'right light' 🙂 And in nice bright, yet diffuse light the Merrills are really good, imho.

btw, I see that the Quattro does have a new LCD finder device as you mentioned. I use a Hoodman with the Merrill. I've got the RRS L-bracket (increases handling dramatically, imho) and I've attached the Hoodman like you see in this pic. It's not my pic, but I got the idea from it. I had a machinist I know attach a small arm and nut/bolt, etc., it's cleaner and smoother looking than the example in the pic, and is easy to remove. Works great.

 

[rhl-oregon]

Ditto the two posts above. Expose to the right in contrasty light, and address the shadows in Lightroom.

Even though the shot below was 1/125 f6.3 @ISO 100, you can see bits of undigested highlights in the upper middle of the trunk. I could have stopped down more. Yet I could hardly see the screen, and the Merrill was telling me I was at -1.7.

More recently, I picked up an inexpensive DP1 and yes, the highlights seem easier to blow out. In the following image, the clouds registered fine, not hot (and looked OK on the LCD afterward), while the main subject was very nearly murk. I recovered good detail from the murk, but look at the clouds--they're like white phosporous--burn right through your skin:

As VertovS, says, it's great for diffused light. And Gary has the Quattro to compare, so the dynamic range is getting better. I love my DP2M, but a Merrill will be more of a prima donna than your big Fuji or the T3.