Rumor: New Pentax DSLR Causing Stir Photographer David Noton

Sigma DP2 Review: Gorgeous Image Quality

20 comments

Posted by Patrick on Apr 19, 2009 in Cameras, Compact, Reviews

Interested in cameras, photographers, and tutorials? Then consider subscribing to our RSS feed to stay up to date on the latest in photography related news at Neutralday.com

I know I’m prone to gushing for favorites (I admit it ok?) but c’mon, this first look at images coming of the Sigma DP2 from Carl Rytterfalk is impressive. In addition, Rytterfalk has just a few tidbits on how the DP2 has improved over its somewhat troubled predecessor:

Faster operation! Now very useful in studio as shot to shot is much improved! Also for 360 panoramic photography. Wait is now over.

Color Modes! For color maniacs such as myself I really like this. Will get back to this in more detail later.

Lens. 24,5 (41mm) at F2.8. One word! Wow! There is a slight distortion but none has been taken care off in the above shots – it’s really no issue.Just look at that Bokeh and how well it handles tough light etc.

-Carl Rytterfalk

This is not the sort of distraction I need while saving up to build my Canon lens library.

via The Online Photographer

Pre-order here at Amazon,

Continue the Discussion

Join us on Facebook! Become a fan of Neutralday today!

Become a fan of Neutralday on Facebook. Interact with us and stay updated on what's coming next at Neutralday, photography news, and other fans' insights.

Follow us on Twitter! Grab our tweets right here.

Follow Neutralday on Twitter. Insights on the cameras we're reviewing, and frequent photography related news, thoughts, and links.

Support Neutralday by shopping at our preferred retailer, B&H Photo

Explore Similar Posts

20 Responses to “Sigma DP2 Review: Gorgeous Image Quality”

Elliot says:
April 20, 2009 at 9:58 am

Please be careful with anything Rytterfalk writes. He’s a Sigma fanboy of the highest order, and was posting raves about the DP1 for weeks after he got it … then got curiously quiet after it got into the hands of more unbiased reviewers. He owns or borrows everything Sigma makes, bodies and lenses, and never gives anything other that extremely positive reviews to the gear.

reply
- Patrick says:
  April 20, 2009 at 9:41 pm
  
  Thanks for the word of caution, I had noticed his Sigma collection….but,
  You’ll admit that the IQ is nice right? I really want this DP2 to be a better camera than the first in terms of function, usability–but believe me, I’m skeptical.
  
  I’ll need good reviews from lots of folks before pulling the plug on a $600+ camera.
  
  reply
richmond says:
April 21, 2009 at 3:45 pm

Interesting comment on Carl Rytterfalk. I think he’s just very enthusiastic about the DP1 quality, which I can understand. Personally, I find it disappointing that in all the time that has elapsed since the first announcement of the Sigma DP1 and its subsequent release, and now the eminent release of the DP2, that Sigma seems to have not listened to its customers, and has skimped on everything except image quality. I recently bought the DP1 and love its image quality. But even I will admit that the design of it gives the impression that more thought is given to design of a bar of soap than was given this camera. It is light and sturdy, but in ergonomics it gets a zero. I also recently bought Richard Franiec’s grip for the DP1 and find it makes an enormous difference in the feel and holdability of the camera. Why didn’t the Sigma designers think of that? Why settle for a 230,000 pixel 2.5″ display when there is no viewfinder? (Even the camera pouch included is not large enough to accommodate the DP1 with the viewfinder attached.) Why limit the sensor to 2640 x 1760? Why does the camera groan when the lens extends? Why is the autofocusing so slow? It seems as if most of these inadequacies have traveled to the DP2. Given all that, in time I will probably buy the DP2 solely on image quality if it’s as good as its predecessor.

reply
- Patrick says:
  April 21, 2009 at 9:25 pm
  
  I’m thinking there hoping there’s enough customers like you, who despite less than inspired camera design, are still willing to bite the bullet for IQ (even if it means struggling to get the photo).
  
  And still, I want one too.
  
  reply
richmond says:
April 22, 2009 at 9:43 am

Hi Patrick
I have to tell you that even with only 2640×1760 pixels I am still surprised at the detail and color quality of the Sigma DP1. I was always trying to squeeze out just a bit more quality from my Canon G9 RAW files and have owned a Panasonic LX2, but the DP1, in my opinion, exceeds both of those. So, yes, despite everything I mentioned I’m also looking forward to see what the DP2 is capable of. Rytterfalk’s sample pictures are encouraging. Too bad that both the Sigma DP2 and SD15 will still lack image-stabilization and a larger sensor. I did come across this interesting video that gives SIgma’s explanation of why the Foveon sensor’s images look as good as they do.
http://www.sigmaphoto.com/downloads/PPSigma.mov

reply
- Patrick says:
  April 22, 2009 at 12:44 pm
  
  Richmond,
  thanks for the link very interesting.
  As for the IQ, once in awhile somebody strolls into the blog wondering what I’m gushing about when it comes to the DP1/DP2 look, I’m like you can’t see the difference? It has such a clarity to it, different than the other cameras…
  
  reply
  - Elliot says:
    April 22, 2009 at 3:32 pm
    
    I’m looking forward to independent reviews of the camera, but I do not remember seeing comparative reviews of the DP1 RAW-to-RAW that showed anything particularly superior. It might offer better out-of-the-box jpegs than most other cameras, but I shoot everything in RAW and don’t mind tweaking my best images. DPreview’s review of the dp1 showed the quality approaching that of the 450D in RAW at low ISO but the conclusions has a long list of negatives most importantly issues of chroma noise and slow speed:
    
    “The AF gives up completely once you dim the lights and there is no AF help light on the DP1. Speed is the second (hugely) negative factor. The DP1 is generally very (and I mean veeery) slow but the AF, shutter lag and read/write times are especially frustrating.”
    
    If you need something small and pocketable for daylight shooting then the Sigmas might be quite good but for fleeting shots, especially in less than bright light I think you might be disappointed.
    
    Wait for the serious reviews…..
    
    reply
    - Patrick says:
      April 23, 2009 at 7:37 am
      
      elliot,
      Functionally, the DP1 wasn’t good, and likely the DP2 won’t be a giant step forward, still I find the IQ to be very good for a compact size camera…note I haven’t actually broke down one and purchased one….:)
      
      reply
richmond says:
April 22, 2009 at 3:44 pm

The thing that usually stands out to me besides the detail is that the color rendition of the DP1 seems cleaner, less muted. The blues and greens can be strong without toning down the reds and yellows. If you’d like to see some good shots with a DP1 go to
http://www.pbase.com/ghoerdt/dp1
or do a search at pbase.com for Sigma DP1. Enjoy.

reply
- Patrick says:
  April 23, 2009 at 7:39 am
  
  richmond,
  Oh, I agree totally, I quite like the “cleaness”.
  
  reply
richmond says:
May 11, 2009 at 3:46 pm

There are some new DP2 samples at pbase.com
http://search.pbase.com/search?q=Sigma+DP2&b=Search+Photos&c=sp

reply
- Patrick says:
  May 11, 2009 at 10:54 pm
  
  richmond,
  thanks! Wow, so clean, amazing clarity.
  
  reply
richmond says:
May 23, 2009 at 11:45 am

In nearly forty years of photographing I have rarely been more disappointed with the performance of a camera right out-of-the-box. I’ve worked with both digital and film (Hasselblad’s, Nikon’s, Canon’s, Leica’s, Contax’s, Pentax’s), and there is no excuse for what seems to be common flaws: the inconsistency of accurate autofocus, the wild fluctuations in auto-white balance, the spontaneous lock-down/freeze of a camera where it merely stops functioning, the near glacial processing of RAW files (5-to-7 second for a single shot, and 40 seconds for a six-shot burst), and the super-stiffness of the Command Dial. What makes it so frustrating is that the Sigma SD14 COULD have been a great camera. But the only thing that is great about this camera is the Foveon sensor, which Sigma did not even invent. I scratch my head in wonder as to what the reasons are for this. Is Sigma so technologically deprived that it lags so far behind the “big boys” (Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc.) in the business that they could not do better? Or is it sloppy quality-control? I purchased the SD14 thinking that it would not be world’s apart from SD15 and I could save over $130 dollars. Big mistake. Just comparing the difference between the DP1 and the SD14 makes me think that, yes, there will be a big difference between the SD14 and SD15. In processing times for RAW and LCD pixel count (hence, image-preview sharpness) the DP1 is clearly superior. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Foveon output and the image quality is outstanding when it operates properly. Which makes it all the more frustrating. So a word to the wise, wait for the SD15 or better if there ever is one.

reply
- Patrick says:
  May 23, 2009 at 7:44 pm
  
  richmond, clearly you’re the local authority around here on sigma cameras. But yes, I’d take your advice, in the meantime I’m trying hard to get a hold of the DP2, and make my own decision. I know it will present “challenges”, but I keep thinking it might be worth it.
  
  reply
richmond says:
May 24, 2009 at 4:52 pm

As I said I’ve worked with a wide variety of cameras and find myself really drawn to the color quality of the Foveon sensor. I’ve had Canon G7’s and G9’s and liked the color, handling, and speed of those but always felt as if the RAW output could be a lot better. I think that as flawed as the Sigma DP1 is, the pluses (image quality) are more than the minuses. But I did expect better from the SD14.

I noticed in reading Mike Chaney’s review of the Sigma SD14 http://ddisoftware.com/sd14-5d/
that he ran into exactly the same focus and lock-up problems that I’m having. I called the people at Sigma and it seems that it will take 6 weeks to get the camera fixed. Annoying to say the least but in the end, if it works well, will be worth it. Will update you.

BTW, did you see the dpreview.com preview of the DP2?

reply
- Patrick says:
  May 24, 2009 at 7:23 pm
  
  Well hopefully that will all get worked out (your sd14)…And I did see the preview image samples at DPR, if there was written material, I must have missed it. On their images at DPR, at this point I don’t think any more convincing…on IQ.
  
  reply
richmond says:
May 25, 2009 at 7:30 pm

Fortunately I was able to return the SD14. Maybe I have better luck with the SD15 when it ships. Keeping my fingers crossed… let me know what you think of the DP2 when you get one… BTW here are some user reviews
http://www.amazon.com/Sigma-DP2-FOVEON-Sensor-Digital/dp/B001W3429E
http://www.photoreview.com.au/Sigma/reviews/advanced/sigma-dp2.aspx

reply
richmond says:
May 28, 2009 at 1:18 pm

Another review of the Sigma DP2
http://www.photoreview.com.au/reviews/advanced/sigma-dp2.aspx
“Each JPEG image took an average time of 2.2 seconds to process, while it took almost five seconds to process each raw file. In the continuous shooting mode the review camera was able to record four high-resolution JPEG images in 1.1 seconds. Processing appears to be on-the-fly as it took only 2.3 seconds to process this burst. For raw files, the buffer limit was three files and the buffer memory filled in 0.8 seconds. It took 10.2 seconds to process this burst.”
http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/19/sigma-dp2-gets-reviewed-but-not-respected/

reply
Leo says:
August 28, 2009 at 7:22 am

Nothing wrong with being a “fanboy”. I am a “fanboy” of the DP series as well and for mij Canon 5d I bought a Sigma 50 mm F1.4 which is simply stunning. I admire Sigma for it’s guts to come with a camera which is unic in every way. The results of the DP serie can be better then I have ever seen by a digital camera. Way to go Rytterfalk! I share your enthusiasm.

reply
- Patrick says:
  August 28, 2009 at 7:41 am
  
  I mean it may seem fanboyish, but I genuinely and objectively think that the DP2 kicks a**. I honestly haven’t seen IQ like this…anywhere.
  
  reply