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Sigma US announces DP1 Merrill at $1000, arriving in mid September

Aug 31, 2012 at 05:00:00 GMT

CAMERA NEWS FOVEON SIGMA

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Sigma Corportation of North America has announced that the DP1 Merrill will be available from mid September at a price of around $1000. The DP1M is the version of the company's fixed lens, APS-C compact camera with a 28mm equivalent, F2.8. It uses the same Foveon X3 sensor as the company's flagship SD1 DSLR, which captures three colors at each of its 14.6 million pixel sites. The quoted price is the camera's 'street price' reflecting what Sigma thinks the camera will actually sell for, rather than a more speculative recommended selling price.

Press Release:

Sigma Corporation announces pricing and availability of Sigma DP1 Merrill

New generation compact camera to hit US shelves in September for street price of $999

Ronkonkoma, NY, August 31, 2012 – Sigma Corporation of America (www.sigmaphoto.com), a leading researcher, developer, manufacturer and service provider for some of the world's most impressive lines of lenses, cameras and flashes, has announced that the Sigma DP1 Merrill compact digital camera will be available in the United States in mid-September for the street price of $999.

This upgraded, high-resolution, compact digital camera with a fixed lens is named in honor of Richard “Dick” Merrill, the co-creator of the Foveon X3 Direct Image Sensor technology that powers Sigma’s unique lineup of cameras. It differs from its predecessor, the DP1x, because its lens now includes one “F” Low Dispersion glass element to correct aberrations, and its resolution has grown by moving from Foveon’s 14.6-megapixel APS-C size image sensor to the 46-megapixel APS-C image sensor found in the company’s flagship SLR, the Sigma SD1 Merrill. The full-color Foveon X3 direct image sensor ensures outstanding resolution, richly gradated tones and images with a three-dimensional feel. A focus ring and custom Quick Set (QS) mode also improve the user interface.

“We are extremely pleased with the engineering and design involved in the upgrade of the DP1 Merrill,” said Mark Amir-Hamzeh, president of Sigma Corporation of America. “Its wide focal length, fixed lens and impressive sensor capture stunningly sharp images that are truly incredible, especially given the compact nature of the camera’s design.”

The Sigma DP1 Merrill boasts an exclusively designed, high-performance, telecentric 19mm F2.8 lens, which is the equivalent to a 28mm lens on a 35mm SLR camera.This camera differs from the DP2 Merrill, which was released in June, due to its wider focal length. The DP2 Merrill has a 30mm F2.8 lens, which is the equivalent to a 45mm lens on a 35mm SLR camera. Both cameras are compact and lightweight, and feature Super Multi Layer Coating to reduce flare and ghosting.

Other features of the Sigma DP1 Merrill camera include:

A dual, three-layer responsive ultimate (TRUE II) engine that now incorporates two TRUE II processors to improve the processing speed and overall quality of the final image
RAW and JPEG format recording to retain the full image detail of the utmost quality captured through the direct image sensor, as well as a JPEG recording format for convenience
Sigma Photo Pro processing software to convert RAW data quickly and easily
Manual focus for use when autofocus or focus-lock is not desired
Easy-to-use auto focus with a “nine-point select mode” which can select the desired focusing point from nine different frames, and a “free move mode” that allows shooters to select their desired focusing point
An advanced user interface complete with a custom QS menu and the metallic command dial to improve usability
Continuous shooting capabilities to capture up to seven RAW images per sequence
A large, highly visible, three-inch TFT color LCD monitor for great visibility
A hot shoe for the use of the dedicated external flashgun EF-140 DG (optional)
Movie mode for movie recording with VGA (640×480) size, with 30 shooting frames per second

For information about Sigma Corporation of America or information about the companies cameras and lenses, visit www.sigmaphoto.com.

Comments

Total comments: 364

Has Sigma made a mirrorless ILC yet? That, and if they made adapters for majority of mounts, will probably sell faster than the Sigma DSLRs... There are some users out there who probably wonder how good the IQ can come from if their bodies had a Foveon sensor instead of the usual Canon/Sony/Aptina ones with Bayer filters.

2 upvotes

Sigma is mainly a lens manufacturer. That's where their income comes from. They will never make cameras for other lens mounts.

1 upvote

> Has Sigma made a mirrorless ILC yet?

There was an official statement. Sigma has no plans to develop a mirrorless camera/camera system. They concentrate now on the lenses for the mirrorless instead.

0 upvotes

I have both DP1 and DP2, and 28mm is my favourite focal lenght...

0 upvotes

Most ppl gave an unfair comments coz they didn't use or try the camera.
Just saw the specification and give comment. I have Dp2m and I will buy Dp1m also. it give me stunning images than D800e gave me.
It is 100%crop at night scene
http://www.flickr.com/photos/34433284@N07/7831871370/sizes/h/in/set-72157612672561626/

Comment edited 2 times, last edit 2 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Samples plz. @sigmaphoto

0 upvotes

http://www.sigma-dp.com/DP1Merrill/jp/samplephoto.html

3 upvotes

Wow. Those are beautiful.

1 upvote

A very specific camera for very specific customers. It´s definitely not for everyone, because as far as value for money is concerned, it is the worst camera on the market. However if you have a DSLR (which is able to shoot nice pics at ISO 6400 and is fast) but need something small and travel-friendly without any compromise in picture quality (e.g. nature where high ISO is not an issue), Sigma may be the right choice.

2 upvotes

It is a specific camera, yes. Aimed at photographers who want the best possible image quality and are willing to work for it.
The price of a 1000 dollars is I think tremendous value for money, maybe even the best camera on the market today. It has a Leica quality lens, absolute world class and the sensor can match that of the S2 and D800 in terms of IQ. If you are a creative photographer with high standards and you love the way film works and feels, this camera is for you.

3 upvotes

The optics on this camera are absolutely top-notch, easily on par with the very best Leica has to offer. The sensor, in good light, is nothing short of spectacular in both detail and color fidelity. In the right hands, with good efforts of a patient and knowledgeable photographer, this little unassuming camera delivers medium-format image quality.

2 upvotes

I've took alook at samples: astounding IQ at low iso.
WIN
Who the h#ll cares of fast AF and good IQ at high iso, I've already a camera for that...

3 upvotes

...if you've already got a camera for that, then why would you need this?

1 upvote

For astounding IQ at low iso.

1 upvote

I was waitng several mounths for but I bought Ricoh GR IV.
There are several diferences, but price is price :)

0 upvotes

Slow AF, strange noises when focusing, weird focal lenght for a one lens camera, drains batteries like hell but ... has foveon sensor? Fail!!!

4 upvotes

Why is 28mm weird for a single FL camera?

3 upvotes

Because it is too wide; to be universal it should have been cca. 35-45 mm eq. (23-30 mm). So basically a DP2. ;-)

1 upvote

28mm is a great focal length and good for many occasions, I own a DSLR and my 28mm lens is on it 95% of the time!

1 upvote

@iudex, you mean DP2m?

0 upvotes

Sure, the DP2m. ;-)
Btw. 30-35 mm on APS-C is the ideal and most universal focal length. I wonder why this FL is not more common (there are more 50mm lenses on APSC cameras, which is not as useful as 35 mm).

0 upvotes

Have you used the DP1 Merrill ?????

0 upvotes

If we were still shooting film, I'd agree that 35mm would be choice for fixed lens. With digital, and the hundredfold easier time we have cropping, 28mm makes more sense. You can always crop out area, but can never add what's not there. A grid overlay on lcd would be nice to emulate a couple different focal lengths.

Curious, how many pixels are you left with if you take the full frame and crop to FOV that 35mm would have yielded? cropped to 50mm?

0 upvotes

There will be A markt for it but no thanks for me!

0 upvotes

The camera is for real photographers not "flavor of the month" techno-babblers like you. If you have ever used a Foveon-based camera you'd understand.

Comment edited 27 seconds after posting

2 upvotes

Hey I was joking, all good but the price

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

6 upvotes

I'm a real photog, why do I need a $1K 28mm equiv point-shoot? To take WA distorted images of what? Whats Foveon going to give me that every other manufacturer who refuses to use it (and I doubt because they are all dumb asses as you would have it)?

2 upvotes

If you call you a "photog", I doubt very much you are nothing but a poseur.

5 upvotes

As the original DP1 was not cluttered by useless gimmicks, it was popular with photographers who use cameras in difficult situations. I don't own a DP1 but the lack of face recognition (I can do that myself), scene selections and all the other toys makes this camera very attractive.

0 upvotes

What no WiFi or Android? so yesterday, they can so learn something from Samsung...LOL...Oooo my God it's only a camera how dare they?
And the price is Apple like

Comment edited 3 times, last edit 4 minutes after posting

9 upvotes

I am waiting for the price in the European and Italian market......

However, I have no idea why Mr. Yamaki not want to make a DPXXX Mirrorless.

SIGMA has the technology to do so and allow users to use, with adapters (such as SONY, FUJI, CANON, PENTAX, RICOH, etc. ....) all lenses currently available, in order to yield the sensor FOVEON X3F sensor vs BAYER sensor even of the latest generation ....

Who says the price is unacceptable, he never tried to use the Foveon do not know the sharpness of his images ......

Comment edited 7 minutes after posting

1 upvote

Mostly because Sigma hasn't developed a lot of short back focal distance lenses optimal for mirrorless cameras. In time they will. Then it will be attractive. The body is the easy part. The glass takes a lot of R&D. But I suspect they're on it. The first two lenses are "meh" worthy, but there are plenty of opportunities for Sigma to shine. Whether they do...we'll see.

0 upvotes

Who would actually buy a camera like this for such a price?

4 upvotes

foveon sensor - it's special

9 upvotes

yes, it's special in a way that it puts out crappy high ISO, but produces very sharp low ISO.

5 upvotes

Me. Silly comment really, shows your lack of knowledge!

3 upvotes

Who?

Someone with the patience of a saint, wanting IQ from the gods.

It was designed as an instrument of torture; semi-randomly producing heartstopping images, then putting a dozen moving hurdles in your path to prevent you from intentionally capturing them.

Comment edited 54 seconds after posting

4 upvotes

Me. I think it is the best value camera on the market for my needs.

3 upvotes

People who want to concentrate on quality, you know, there are photographers out there that are not only shooting high ISO action pics. At low ISO, you can get better photos than from any other APS-C Bayer camera.

1 upvote

I would. I like medium-format IQ in a little no-frills metal box with a fantastic prime lens on it.

1 upvote

$1k for a compact camera just because of 49mega pixel but with very basic features..? No-no unless it is leica.. Plse show us more selling points.

Comment edited 59 seconds after posting

0 upvotes

It is 46MP in 3 colors, ie its files are 15MP.
Its photos will be much sharper than a 15MP due to the sensor and this appeals to foveon fans like leica appeals to leica fans.

The only appeal I see is possibly very sharp movies, too bad it's only VGA.

1 upvote

How in the world would a RED DOT give it more selling points?

By your logic, If Sigma was able to buy the license to use that Leica "Red Dot" and stick-it to the DP1M then you would not have a problem with it.

Oh yeah.. That Red Dot would bring the price up to another $1,000.

1 upvote

focal length: too wide.
Aperture: not wide enough.

This camera is dead on arrival.

Who's Merrill anyway. If you want to name the camera after someone try Ansel Adams or Peter Lik or one of those guys.

2 upvotes

This site seems full of idiots and idiots who can't even do a little research before opening their mouths to show the world how stupid they are. Gotta dispair at times!

7 upvotes

I am in photography for 5 years now, avid reader, and I have never heard of Peter Lik.

P.S. I have just checked him out, there is a good reason I haven't heard of him, his work is average, at best. No reason to put his name next to one of the classic masters.

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

4 upvotes

Must troll harder!

2 upvotes

Chadley you might want to learn how to spell "despair" before you start whining about other anybody else being idiots who don't do a little research

0 upvotes

Lol at Peter Lik's work being average, I bet you think Picasso was average too right? No average photographer can sell their work for seven figures or has has their own galleries.

0 upvotes

If the FL is too wide you could try the DP2M. But you won't. Dick Merrill is the guy who designed the Foveon Sensor, a bit like Bryce E. Bayer developed the 'Bayer' filter array.

Seems to me you are a more of a 'Dick' than Mr Merrill

1 upvote

What an imbecile comment. "Who's Merrill anyway" Sigh... Ever googled Foveon and Merrill? Foveon beats any Bayer camera at pixel level.

1 upvote

I don't mean to get into juvenile name-calling, but honestly, I have to agree that Peter Lik's work is not very inspired. Much of it, frankly, is cliche: close-ups of the Chrysler Building's roof, Horse-shoe Bend, long exposures of water, etc. And then he sells these "Elements" packages that look like they came out of the Microsoft Windows Desktop-Background School of Photography. And then if you're cheap (i.e. only have $500 to spend), you can get (obvious-looking) crops from his "full" works.

He's what you would call "Pop Art" -- the photographic version of Thomas Kincaide. And while both Lik and Kincaide may have their own galleries (for which the only criteria, incidentally, is the money for a lease payment) and are quite profitable, that doesn't make them artists in the class of Ansel Adams. Frankly, look any day at 500px, and you'll see work that is just as good or better.

That said, if you enjoy his work, that's fine.

4 upvotes

And how exactly do you think Peter Lik got the money to have his own galleries,which I might add are in places where the rent is not exactly cheap? He's immensely popular how many other people make shots like this http://www.petapixel.com/2011/01/13/australian-landscape-photographer-peter-lik-sells-photo-for-1-million/

and this

http://www.aworldofinspiration.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/peter_lik2.jpg

0 upvotes

Lik has some great, amazing photos, and he's achieved an unprecedented level of success, but I wouldn't compare his work with the work of Ansel Adams. There is a certain over-the-top-ness to Lik's work - super saturated, fantastical - that is absent from Ansel's photos. If I give a long look at a print from each photographer, and analyze them to discern the person behind them and the story they are telling - Ansel comes off as the more genuine every time. Lik's photos have always felt in your face, but I get the feeling that Ansel just wanted to share his vision of the world with you, as if to say "I was here and this is the beauty that I witnessed." The emotional response I get for Ansel's work is almost always more pleasant.

0 upvotes

I agree with you but I like Lik better because I like those qualities of being in your face, saturated, etc. I like being wowed by photos instead of having to analyze them in depth.

0 upvotes

No matter you like Peter Lik or not, you are still clueless for saying 28mm is too wide and 2.8 is not wide enough.

0 upvotes

Will the DP1M be super slow like the DP2M or will it have an improved processor?

1 upvote

No reason to think they would change the processor so soon. It's never going to be an action camera, but the DP series never was.

0 upvotes

Looking at the specs, it now has dual processors. Yet presumably all those layers make for demanding work and from what I've heard, it is still slow.

0 upvotes

It's still not a speed demon, but the IQ and lens are superb - spectacular even in good light.

0 upvotes

The Sigma Cameras with X3F FOVEON imager are not for common people but for specialists !

If you buy a DPxx or a SDxx it must be implied that you have other cameras of a certain level.

Not all of them can satisfy all the requirements ..... It must, however, use the right camera for a given situation. So we can use PENTAX, CANON, NIKON, SONY etc. ... for high ISO and low light and have some great images ....

For normal lighting situations (eg by day, views and photos in external) will be used SIGMA with the certainty of having pictures with better quality , clarity, sharpness and color rendition.

Cheersi

Comment edited 5 minutes after posting

1 upvote

That gonna be hard for Sigma because, DP1 have the same size than Nex5n+19mm 2.8.
Price for Nex5n+19mm : 650€
Price for Sigma DP1 : 949€
You really need to love Foveon to buy the DP1

0 upvotes

If you are patient in a few months you'll find it at that price.

SONY NEX certainly could be more versatile but as for image quality DP1M is better in everything ....

Ciao

1 upvote

If its image quality as good as its sister, the DP2 Merrill, which I own, it will be a bargain at $1,000.

0 upvotes

Not over 400 ISO ...
Not for movement picture
But it gonna be a great lifestyle camera.

Comment edited 2 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

I already own the NEX-7 and several other cameras - I have high ISO and action covered. Horses for courses. Why does every camera have to be good at everything? The DP2 is obviously not designed for sports or action photography, so what is the point of even discussing it in that context? My Hasselblad H4D-50 is also pretty useless at action phtography but what it does do, it does exceptionally well. Same for the DP2M and D1M. For sport and high ISO, look elsewhere.

0 upvotes

Just right, Quentin!!!|

A camera for all situations does not exist.........We must learn so......

could exist only for the Sunday or Olydays photographers...

Bye

Salvatore

0 upvotes

Total comments: 364


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