Compared to...

Studio scene comparison (JPEG)

This is our standard studio scene comparison shot taken from exactly the same tripod position. Lighting: daylight simulation, >98% CRI. Crops are 100%. Ambient temperature was approximately 22°C (~72°F).

Sigma DP2 vs. Olympus E-P1 (downscaled image)

Camera settings:

  • Sigma DP2: Aperture Priority, ISO 100, JPEG Hi/Fine, Manual WB
    Default Parameters, Landscape mode, Self-Timer
     
  • Olympus E-P1: Zuiko Digital 50 mm F2.0 Macro lens, Aperture Priority, ISO 100
    JPEG Large/Fine, Manual WB, Default Parameters, Self-Timer
Sigma DP2
Olympus E-P1 (downscaled)
2.6 MB JPEG (2640 x 1760)
1,017 MB JPEG (2347 x 1760)

To level up the playing field, we've downsampled the E-P1's image to match the image height of the DP2 (we frame the scene vertically, so the DP2's extra pixels along the long axis are only being used to describe the white wall at the back of the scene). We used Photoshop's 'bicubic sharper' reduction method in order to compensate for the inherent softening effect of downsizing.

As you can see, the DP2's resolution is still marginally higher than that of the E-P1, but we're at the point where you have to be looking very close to see it. The E-P1's image has been rather over-sharpened by the resizing process but it's doing almost as good a job of capturing fine detail as the Sigma. The Olympus is one of the sharper 12MP cameras on the market but it demonstrates that there is only the smallest resolution advantage to the Sigma's Foveon sensor that is sampling all three colors at each point.