Awful Review or Awful Camera?

Looking at this video, I don't really believe that the Sigma DP1 is what I would pay so much for...

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=cFAtl_aRfxo

Sure the video doesn't say much about details but what I've seen has got alarm bells ringing in my head! And why is the focus speed so slow?!?

I thought it would be worth the price tag but it now looks like Ricoh is the better alternative especially as I take lots of macro shots.

Regards,
Rachis
---------------
I am an Amateur / Enthusiast / Hobbyist / etc… not a Pro = I can be wrong

Cautions:
I may when the mood suits me become a pixel peeper!

Buy the Ricoh..it will be better for you. The camera is not for everyone.

Rick
--
It's a tough job living in Hawaii but somebody's got to do it.

See Sigma Lens Tests At:
http://www.lightreflection.com/sigmalenstests/matrix.htm



http://www.lightreflection.com
http://www.silveroaksranch.com
http://www.pbase.com/rickdecker

Rachis

I don't have a DP1 but I expect to get one.

You can use the DP1 for macro, but it is not really meant for that, because you have to use auxiliary lenses. The camera seems to demand some patience, because it does have a slow shot to shot time. And the auto-focus, although accurate and effective, seems to slow down the camera, and it is limited in low light situations.

The idea of the DP1 is to produce an excellent image, in part due to the larger sensor. Most of the limitations of the DP1 can be overcome or worked around, if you are motivated by the desire for the high quality images. The manual focus is said to work quite well.

The DP1 is best described as a compact camera, not a "point& shoot," so it does not embody the simplicity and ease of operation of a point & shoot. Consistent with that, the screen on the back is apparently not meant for showing recent images to friends and relations, and so it is not the highest possible resolution. Also, the jpg images are not as good as compared to what can be obtained from the RAW files.

And the lens is a fixed focal length, not a zoom. But it is a very good lens, and perhaps a great lens.

So it is not really meant as an all around point & shoot although I think it could function that way. It could be a very good travel camera.

Every camera is "imperfect" in some ways. The usual question is whether you can live with the limitations of a camera and/or work around them. There have been some excellent macro images from the DP1 posted on this site. The colors from the camera are excellent. The images from the camera are, in may cases, as good as or better than images from cameras that cost much, much more, and which are much bigger.

Richard

--
My small gallery: http://www.pbase.com/richard44/inbox

that was not a review but a reading of the instruction manual.

But Rick is right. the Ricoh will probably suit you better.

--
Chunsum

Use your camera wisely.

Oh my, alarm bells are annoying. Buy the Ricoh. It will suite you just fine DP1 is probably too much for you to handle and images are way to sharp for you. You'll probably won't like the aliasing at 300% maginification. Also the lack of noise would probably stun you and make the alarm bells even louder.

Regards,
Larry

rachis said:

Looking at this video, I don't really believe that the Sigma DP1 is
what I would pay so much for...

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=cFAtl_aRfxo

Sure the video doesn't say much about details but what I've seen has
got alarm bells ringing in my head! And why is the focus speed so
slow?!?

I thought it would be worth the price tag but it now looks like Ricoh
is the better alternative especially as I take lots of macro shots.

Regards,
Rachis
---------------
I am an Amateur / Enthusiast / Hobbyist / etc… not a Pro = I can be
wrong

Cautions:
I may when the mood suits me become a pixel peeper!

Click to expand...

The Sigma DP1 is first and foremost about DSLR-like IQ. It's also about having the Foveon sensor (same one in the SD14) on your side all the time. For those of us who have experienced and learned to appreciate the Foveon's strong points, like pixel-level sharpness, color rendition, and lack of noise when properly exposed, it's hard to go back. I had a Ricoh GRD, and it was a great P&S; but, the overall IQ of the DP1 blows it away....especially when you enlarge to 11x14" and up.

For me, everything else is secondary to IQ:









Full DP1 gallery here: http://www.flickr.com/gp/23313294@N00/t813C7

Take care.

Mark T.
Ocala, FL

The video is misleading in showing the focus speed. The reviewer was trying to focus on the box and he was too close. The DP1 does not have a macro mode.

My DP1 autofocus is fine, even in low light.

oh yes, get the ricoh. it's the best macro camera eva.

--
my makeshift collection of photographs:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nome_alice/

When he was trying to show focusing, he was doing it against a subject (the box) which was too close for the normal focus mode he was in (50cm-infinity) I'd bet the box was no more than 20-30cm away. When you try to focus the DP1 to something so close it slows it down while it attempts to focus what cannot be focused.

Also, when going through features, he glossed over many parts.

Generally it was a poor quality review. IMHO.
--Britton
My Gear: Sigma DP1, Sony P200, Minolta X-7A
My photos page: http://brittonx.smugmug.com/
Blog: http://brittonx.blogspot.com/

Visit my site at http://www.boxedlight.com/dp1 and view some of the experimental macros I did with 52mm diopters... here is one sample that I really liked.



--
Jim Radcliffe
http://www.boxedlight.com/dp1
http://www.boxedlight.com/dlux3
http://www.image36.com
http://www.oceona.com

The ability to 'see' the shot is more important than the gear.

Great macro shot... seems I might have been a bit hasty in my opinions of the DP1's macro ability.

Thanks for sharing!

Regards,
Rachis
---------------
I am an Amateur / Enthusiast / Hobbyist / etc… not a Pro = I can be wrong

Cautions:
I may when the mood suits me become a pixel peeper!

the auto focus was so slow because he was totally out of focus range! he never did get focus. I use the auto focus all the time, and have an extremely high % of well-focused photos.

I truly don't think this 'reviewer' has used the camera for photos. He made the same mistake I did on my first shots with the camera, coming in too close; not understanding the the warning was that he wasn't focused, couldn't focus, didn't focus. And he called it 'slow' ... this is basically incompetant or kind of pathetic for a 'review'

I think macro would be beyond this guy's capability... with a macro focusing special filter like Jim and Seng are so beautifully doing.

Watch Carl's videos http://www.rytterfalk.com for the camera in use by someone who knows how to use it.

PS: it's a nifty camera.

Best regards, Sandy
[email protected]
http://www.pbase.com/sandyfleischman
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyfleischmann

rachis said:

Great macro shot... seems I might have been a bit hasty in my
opinions of the DP1's macro ability.

Click to expand...

The DP1 produces stunning images with great IQ and DR.. it blows my Leica d-Lux 3 away. The Photo Pro software is quite adequate and I look for Adobe to add support for the DP1 RAW files.

The DP1 is not a point and shoot camera but rather a compact camera which will provide excellent photographs in the hands of an individual who understands photography.. not just pointing and shooting.

What the DP1 lacks in bells and whistles it makes up for in image quality. I have no regrets in making my purchase.

If you buy the camera, take your time, read the manual, experiment and fall in love with the images it is capable of producing.

And all of that comes from a Canon 5D owner. The DP1 has rivaled the images from my 5D in some cases and I look forward to becoming more adept at using it.

--
Jim Radcliffe
http://www.boxedlight.com/dp1
http://www.boxedlight.com/dlux3
http://www.image36.com
http://www.oceona.com

The ability to 'see' the shot is more important than the gear.

link to spm's first macro thread
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1027&message=27527460

Awful "review" from a complete mörön.

He does not show much about the camera's performance, except AF. And you are absolutely correct: AF is awful . . . when you attempt to focus on a black surface from a too-close distance.

Forget the Ricoh. Get a Lomo.

rachis said:

Looking at this video, I don't really believe that the Sigma DP1 is
what I would pay so much for...

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=cFAtl_aRfxo

Sure the video doesn't say much about details but what I've seen has
got alarm bells ringing in my head! And why is the focus speed so
slow?!?

I thought it would be worth the price tag but it now looks like Ricoh
is the better alternative especially as I take lots of macro shots.

Regards,
Rachis
---------------
I am an Amateur / Enthusiast / Hobbyist / etc… not a Pro = I can be
wrong

Cautions:
I may when the mood suits me become a pixel peeper!

Click to expand...

--
Laurence

My idea of good company is the fellowship of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation and liberality of ideas.

Jane Austen

http://www.pbase.com/lmatson/root
http://www.pbase.com/sigmadslr/root
http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/dp1
http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/sd14
http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/sd10
http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/sd9

rachis said:

Great macro shot... seems I might have been a bit hasty in my
opinions of the DP1's macro ability.

Click to expand...

As shipped, the DP-1 is not at all a macro camera - just to warn you. However people here have been having good luck fitting close-up (magnification) filters onto the DP-1 - usually ranging from 1x to 4x.

So that's something to consider if you want to do macro out of the box. If you are willing to attach such a filter, you will get some impressive results (buy a good filter).

--
---> Kendall
http://InsideAperture.com
http://www.pbase.com/kgelner
http://www.pbase.com/sigmadslr/user_home

Laurence Matson said:

Forget the Ricoh. Get a Lomo.

Click to expand...

Just wondering... are you being derisive of me? Ricoh? Lomo? or a combination??

If there was a digital Lomo camera about, I would add it to my list of toys.

Regards,
Rachis
---------------
I am an Amateur / Enthusiast / Hobbyist / etc… not a Pro = I can be wrong

Cautions:
I may when the mood suits me become a pixel peeper!

Noted with thanks!

I guess I will definitely need the filters if I am going to consider buying the DP1

Regards,
Rachis
---------------
I am an Amateur / Enthusiast / Hobbyist / etc… not a Pro = I can be wrong

Cautions:
I may when the mood suits me become a pixel peeper!

A bit of all.

If you truly cannot spot how stupid this "review" is from the outset, then you really will not have much success with the DP1. It is not a toy.

Not to sound "elitist" but it does require a bit of thinking, as most good photographic tools do.

Just the way this nincompoop overlooked half the menu structure (6 items) on the settings side is enough to discount all that follows. And those who follow him sufficiently to not understand how stupid he was being should not go to where the DP1 is at.

All a convoluted way of saying: Be a lot more critical of junk like this.

rachis said:

Laurence Matson said:

Forget the Ricoh. Get a Lomo.

Click to expand...

Just wondering... are you being derisive of me? Ricoh? Lomo? or a
combination??

If there was a digital Lomo camera about, I would add it to my list
of toys.

Regards,
Rachis
---------------
I am an Amateur / Enthusiast / Hobbyist / etc… not a Pro = I can be
wrong

Cautions:
I may when the mood suits me become a pixel peeper!

Click to expand...

--
Laurence

My idea of good company is the fellowship of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation and liberality of ideas.

Jane Austen

http://www.pbase.com/lmatson/root
http://www.pbase.com/sigmadslr/root
http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/dp1
http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/sd14
http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/sd10
http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/sd9

richard stone said:

richard stone said:

So it is not really meant as an all around point & shoot although I

Click to expand...

think it could function that way. It could be a very good travel
camera.

Click to expand...

Quite agree - I bought my DP1 with travel in mind as for landscape/scenic shots I think its ideal.

If you're into macro shots, rapid sports shooting or require telescopic zoom then you will almost definitely need/want another camera.
-------------------------------------------

Owner of a Sigma DP1, Fuji F31fd and Panasonic TZ5