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Sigma DP1 review

Started Aug 25, 2009 | User reviews thread
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Ijk1985 Regular Member • Posts: 101
Sigma DP1 review

I've been DP1 user for one month. I have a Nikon D50 so I wanted DSLR quality.
IQ is excellent, outdoor it outperforms my D50. The most advantage over any other compats the huge, almost APSC sized sensor. It beats them in overall IQ, sharpnes, and iso performance. Iso400 still very clean, on iso800 there is some color problem, but friendly film-like chroma noise.
An excellent prime glass serves the outstanding image sensor, this is a real camera!
Really good bulid quality, well placed buttons, I can controll everything without searching in menus, nice work Sigma! No idiotic scene modes.
I get mine for 280EUR new, very good price.
Overall, it is an excellent outdoor camera for street and holiday photography with light weigh and dslr IQ. I'm really satisfied.

Problems:

So first the relative cons:
Like other products, it isn't for everything use. If you need point&shoot, keep looking forward. If you want camera for sport, animal or kid photos, buy a DSLR, forget any compact cameras. But if you are tired to carry your DSLR gear all time on your holiday and want outstanding IQ, this is the one for you!
The new m43, especially the PEN seems very good option too. But it isn't pocetable, only with primes! But the m43 prime choice is very poor yet (only 34mm). And almost three times expensive.

Real problems:
-In low light it's almost impossible to find focus. AF is unusable in poor light without contrast, and MF difficult to use.
-Writing time on card takes forever, although you can shoot during writing, but without metering.
-LCD's drawbacks, I'm looking for OVF, I hate compose on screen.

 Ijk1985's gear list:Ijk1985's gear list
Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.8D
Sigma DP1
5 megapixels • 2.5 screen • 28 mm
Announced: Sep 26, 2006
Ijk1985's score
4.6
Average community score
4.2
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