I Could Use Some Advice on the DP2

This is a camera I've always had my eye on, primarily due to sensor size and some really brilliant images that are posted on these forums.

I don't mind a prime lens, focus sounds, other quirks etc. I've read all about them.

What would be nice to know is just how long focusing takes on the camera (in good light, I've read all about the bad light issues).

I love to travel and shoot people, albeit candidly. Is the camera fast enought to focus on, say, a person who is walking by me at a moderate speed? Can I walk through a street market and take candid shots?

Thanks for the tips. I've read a lot of negative posts towards Sigma as of late, too bad the company is letting people down. Still a compelling camera though!

I've had my DP2 for only a couple of weeks - so I'm still learning how to tame it's slow autofocus. For moving street scenes, I would try manual focus and set the aperture to F5.6 ~ F8. And lots of practice!

Or consider Ricoh GR Digital III/IV with it's snap focus function?

Regards,

~

Had mine for a couple of years - problem in responding to your query is that I don't have any other camera to compare it with.

In good light I don't really have any problems with the focusing and it doesn't seem particularly slow (but have read elsewhere that Panasonic is far better).

As mentioned above, in good light you would have the option to use manual hyperfocal setting and get a good depth of field to play with - the advantage with this approach for candids is that shutter lag is non-existent.

Others who shoot candids will be able to help more. I'm one of those people you see standing and waiting for ages for all the people to get out of the way!
Figs

Zone focusing is probably your best bet, but the longer lens of the DP2 makes it much less suited for this than the wide angle DP1.

I made this small table which I put on my cell phone for easy reference.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?hl=en_US&hl=en_US&key=0Ai-pA4PjLrB9dHJsRHVMMWJIT3gwTUZnSmZVRzcxdWc&single=true&gid=1&output=html
--
Shooting for fun and memories.

Figsbury wrote:
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Figsbury said:

Others who shoot candids will be able to help more. I'm one of those people you see standing and waiting for ages for all the people to get out of the way!
Figs

Click to expand...

I like this comment and agree! For example, there I was in crowded New Orleans streets in October, waiting for people to clear so I could get some 'good' shots without people messing up the frame!

For OP: in good light, I've never had any trouble getting the DP cameras to focus. Seems fast enough, although I don't have other small cameras to compare them (DP1 and DP2) with. I could see a running child or a flying bird as problematic, but you're talking about a somewhat slower subject, correct? I've shot dancers at festivals with the DP2, but I'll tend to use the technique of pre-focusing on a spot and letting the action come into my spot. You can see my DP2 shots at a glance FWIW in my DP2 gallery
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyfleischmann/sets/72157619883131119/

Best regards, Sandy
http://www.pbase.com/sandyfleischman (archival)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyfleischmann (current)

added: here's one of my favorite stage shots from a festival http://www.flickr.com/photos/sandyfleischmann/3784023634/in/set-72157619883131119 girls were actually moving steadily, this is a crop removing some of the stage area.

The DP2 is usable for reasonably close stage shots; the DP1 I find not so. The only good story about the DP1 and dancers: I filmed a short clip of unusual 'scissor dancers' from Peru at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC. I recall they were from Peru and uploaded to flickr. I received a thank you in Spanish from the people involved for posting it! I've had photo(s) of Welsh singers published in magazine(s) in Wales... my claims to fame LOL

http://www.dofmaster.com/

HCB didn't have AF. But he knew his DOF.

--
"There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept." -Ansel Adams

http://www.pbase.com/sigmadslr (Sigma Users Gallery)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chunsum (Active Gallery)
http://www.pbase.com/chunsum (Not So Active Gallery)

Thanks very much!

Your replies were helpful. Oh, about the Ricoh... I like 41mm much more than 28, but yes I agree the Ricoh cameras look great and have great UI.

Ultimately the IQ in the DP cameras is better than Ricoh to my best knowledge.

I received my Dp2 two days ago.
Manual focus for me is more accurate in lower light and also for shallow dof.

jacketpotato said:

I received my Dp2 two days ago.
Manual focus for me is more accurate in lower light and also for shallow dof.

Click to expand...

Jacketpotato, does the camera manually focus by a focus ring or by another mechanism?

Hi REShultz

Manual focus ring is just below the main top dial (marked in meters).

On the four way selector pad on the back, top selector has Focus written above it.
Clicking it cycles through 28cm af, 50cm to beyond landscape portrait af, MF.
Display button magnifies the image for focus.

no text

welcome