Sigma DP1: YEEESSSSS!!!! Halleluja! Whoopee! etc. etc.

[mr.izo]

this would be perfect camera, if:
-it was rangefinder concept (no mirror, just shutter), optical viewfinder

-ok, fixed lens is just fine (but leica mount won't be bead idea), but make it leitz/zeiss glass with at least f/2 aperture and let say 35mm ekv. leica format (or something like 3 step 24-35-50mm).

-there's no viewfinder, so sensor is active all the time, it warms us, so noise is higher too, where is sense in that?

if u want video, u buy video camera, but i do admit, if video was taken fom all sensor area, tha would be fantastic (i'm takling about film effect, short dof etc, which is essential in film making-). but then, make just video "back" so u can exchange lenses on it.

if sigma done something like konica hexar af http://www.cameraquest.com/konhex.htm

that would be real gem for low light/street fotographer, but i'm no too excited on this. i hope i'm wrong, let's see what tests will say..

 

[D_Bug]

I meant, it could give a superr-high-quality EVF/LCD if it could
output video, and sounds like it can. As i understand, the SD10
sensor could not provide this.

jack

Thanx for clarifying.

D_Bug.

 

[Ryan Li]

A camera like this should be equipped with a speedy lens. Not
slower than F2.8, preferably F1.8.

To my knowledge Sigma have not published the exact dimensions of this camera, but guessing from the size of the LCD it doesn't look like it'll be very big. For me, a dealbreaker would be whether it fits in one pocket - if it does (and if a faster aperture would mean that it doesn't) then I'd very happily live with F/4.

Cheers
Ryan

--
One night in Sofia
http://ryan.li/

 

[mr.izo]

again, if sensor is active all the time, then noise level is much higher.

 

[Ryan Li]

They still might decide to include an accessory shoe.

I may be missing something, but I could find no reference from the press release that it's a prototype?

Cheers
Ryan

--
One night in Sofia
http://ryan.li/

 

[joe mama]

Initial reports of posters at Photokina made from the SD14 suggest
it will have very good higher iso noise performance.

The noise of the previous sensors is what has stopped Foveon from becoming mainstream. If they can conquer that, then Sigma has a real opportunity here, especially with all the great lenses they've been releasing (although, please Sigma, get with the program and start putting HSM in all your lenses!).

If the new Sigma digicam can outperform conventional digicam's noise performance by a stop, then that will negate the slowness of the lens (the larger sensor already takes care of the DOF issue).

Then the only concern is that you are trading zoom (and movie mode?) for image quality. The price of the camera will be critical in deciding how much of the market the new offering attracts.

If the price is high, then they alienate both DSLR users (they'd just get the SD14 instead) and compact digicam users. It's a very fine line to walk, and, quite honestly, I don't think it will do well.

All that said, I say again, that I love the idea of the camera, but it just seems that the price puts it in a netherworld for all but a cult following, like a rangefinder.

--
--joe

http://www.josephjamesphotography.com
http://www.pbase.com/joemama/

Please feel free to criticize, make suggestions, and edit my photos. If you wish to use any of my photos for any purpose other than editing in these forums, please ask.

 

[Ryan Li]

again, if sensor is active all the time, then noise level is much
higher.

And again for those who missed it, evidence does not support this in practice.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonydscr1/page16.asp

Cheers
Ryan
--
One night in Sofia
http://ryan.li/

 

[MBL81]

Of course I'll buy SD cards if I need to (just like I bought those
$@%@ xD cards for the F10), and I know they aren't too pricey, it's
just nice when you can keep using your existing stuff, you know?
Plus CF is just so much more compatible and capacious.

Of course it's nice to use existing stuff but CF tech is little old and CF cards are quite big and I think there isn't much empty space in that body..

BTW big CF cards are 8gb (ok, 16gb are coming) and biggest SD is 4gb. I manage just fine with 1gb card in my SD10. And isn't there a SD-to-CF adapter so you can use SD card in CF slot?

Still, this is in the category of picky gripes which wouldn't stop
me from being first in line at my local dealer to pick one up

I would also pick one but the cost will probably too much for a student.

Miikael Leskinen

 

[jonrobertp]

How many people still pay good $$ for a fixed lens, no zoom , no way to expand the view? Everyone wants a range of FOV, don't they??

 

[Petteri Sulonen]

(NT)

 

[Asher]

Depends on the price:quality ratio. No point having a zoom if you want a sharp, CA free image in a smallish camera.

How many people still pay good $$ for a fixed lens, no zoom , no
way to expand the view? Everyone wants a range of FOV, don't they??

--
http://photos.ashernet.co.uk/

 

[joe mama]

How many people still pay good $$ for a fixed lens, no zoom , no
way to expand the view? Everyone wants a range of FOV, don't they??

I'm about to drop $1600 on exactly that -- the Canon 50 / 1.2L. However, I'm paying for a high quality superfast lens. The lens on the Sigma digicam, however, is very slow for a fixed FL at f / 4, so the lack of zoom in such a slow lens is an issue for sure.

However, if the lens is critically sharp edge-edge by at least f / 5.6, and hopefully wide open, then that may save it.

Nonetheless, like I said before, the pricing of this digicam is critical to its success. If it costs the same as other compact digicams, then I think it will do well. However, if it's priced between high-end digicams and low-end DSLRs, or, worse yet, even higher, then I predict an ugly fate for it, as it will appeal neither to the compact digicam users or DSLR users at such a price.

I'm pretty sure that's what will happen, although I'm very much rooting for it. Time will tell.

--
--joe

http://www.josephjamesphotography.com
http://www.pbase.com/joemama/

Please feel free to criticize, make suggestions, and edit my photos. If you wish to use any of my photos for any purpose other than editing in these forums, please ask.

 

[Murray McCulloch]

They still might decide to include an accessory shoe.

I may be missing something, but I could find no reference from the
press release that it's a prototype?

Phil referred to it as a "development announcement", and the press release didn't include specs. I guess it's perhaps a bit past the prototype stage though.

--
http://www.pbase.com/mmcculloch

 

[MT]

....

 

[madmaxmedia]

I don't think card format has anything to do with it. Especially say MPEG4 recording, which produces good image quality at very reasonable bitrates.

I think most digicams started moving to SD right around when VGA 30FPS video started becoming the standard.

I imagine this cam will use SD as well anyways, because why not save the space?

--
http://www.madmaxmedia.com

 

[Brian Mosley]

I think it's "development" as in, 'it doesn't work yet and we don't know how long it will take to fix the bugs' - at least they're fixing the bugs before releasing it! lol

Kind Regards

Brian

They still might decide to include an accessory shoe.

I may be missing something, but I could find no reference from the
press release that it's a prototype?

Phil referred to it as a "development announcement", and the press
release didn't include specs. I guess it's perhaps a bit past the
prototype stage though.

--
http://www.pbase.com/mmcculloch

--
--



http://www.gopetition.com/online/9523.html

 

[Chris Rijk]

To my knowledge Sigma have not published the exact dimensions of
this camera, but guessing from the size of the LCD it doesn't look
like it'll be very big. For me, a dealbreaker would be whether it
fits in one pocket - if it does (and if a faster aperture would
mean that it doesn't) then I'd very happily live with F/4.

Looks pretty pocket-fittable to me:



Now we just need to know how big the person's hand was

--
New-ish SLR user and Sigma owner in London.
See my profile for my equipment list

 

[Spiky]

Luckily for you there is now a digital rangefinder, probably superior to a Sigma in most comparable ways. Not exactly the same price range though. (assuming DP1 is less than the SD14)

 

[Giuseppe D'Agata]

Fixed lens? but why the lens is extensible an W/T buttons are present? Digital zoom only?

 

[DeeTee]

I wonder what kind of video mode the DP1 will have, and what the
image quality will be like. Will it only be a 15fps 'add on'
function, or a decent 640x480 30fps mode like the Canon S3IS? If
it used mpeg-4 that would be really amazing. Mpeg-4 video with a
28mm lens, that would be just fabulous, as long as the movie ran
for the capacity of the card.

If it could do reasonable quality movies, as well as high quality landscape stuff I'm in the queue. I want something to take skiing. SLR's are too big (they hurt when you land on them ;-) and I always end up looking at these great landscapes wishing I had my camera with me.

I am assuming that the DP1 uses SD cards. If not, then we're
probably back to 15fps. I have never seen a CF-card camera that
does 30fps movies.

CF based DSLR's write at over 8mb/s with decent cards (or at least my D200 does, I assume the current bunch are in the same ball park). My wife's IXUS uses about 1mb/s to record 640x480 at 30fps including mono audio, so I can't see any reason why a CF based compact couldn't do the same.

I kind of hope it uses CF cards, because I've got a few spares floating around. The DP1 looks like a really interesting camera. I really hope it's as good as it's potential suggests.

regards,
Damien