Sigma DP2 Reviews: Not a Whole Lot of Love

The Sigma DP2 (check prices: Amazon, B&H, Adorama) features a 14 mega-pixel (4.6MP effective) FOVEON X3 Direct Image CMOS Sensor and a fixed focal length 24.2mm (41mm 35mm equivalent) lens. Apparently Sigma is targeting a group of niche market users who want a small portable camera that takes great photos of ordinary life, who want to go back to the basics of photography with the single-focal length lens and doesn’t mind the “inconvenience” of “zoom with your legs”.

With the large 20.7×13.8mm (0.8 inch×0.5 inch) sensor that is much larger than those in most high-end digital compacts and a fast prime lens, the Sigma Dp2 belongs to a unique category of digital cameras that is between DSLR and compact point & shoot. For Sigma’s targeted customers, the DP2 sounds very interesting and brings high expectations. However quite a few reviews I have found online found the DP2 offers less than expected.

In the review, Ken Tanaka of The Online Photographer found the Sigma DP2 has poor build quality, image issues related to color casts and vignettes, slow and noisy focus, low end LCD screen, clunky and outdated user interface, lock-ups, and poor battery life. In closing thoughts, he wrote, “After using the DP2 daily for over a week I found it to be a sluggish, noisy, unreliable, and generally charmless device which I ultimately decided to return for a refund.”

In the review posted on Gizmodo, Wilson Rothman noted poor high ISO performance, slow focus, lack of RAW+JPG mode, dismal video recording capability, poor battery life, and being relatively expensive.

If you read Sigma’s DP2 product site, Sigma emphasizes on the DP’s philosophy, concept, and identity that are quite different compared to most other digital cameras available today. However these should not be excuses for the problems we see in the Sigma DP2. Even for people who want the DP2 for what it is, it may be a tough decision, considering the price tag.

Further readings

Posted in Photography gadgets on June 5th, 2009. 9 Comments.

Sigma Buys Foveon

Camera and lens maker Sigma has acquired Foveon, the developer of the Foveon X3 image sensor. The sensor had a lot of promises but it didn’t really turn into any meaningful market advantages for Sigma, who used it in the Sigma SD14 digital SLR camera and the Sigma DP-1 compact camera. Read More…

Posted in News on November 11th, 2008. No Comments.

Sigma Impresses with a Barrage of Lens Introductions at PMA 08

Being a owner of five quality Sigma EX lenses, I am happy and impressed with the latest Sigma lenses announcements at PMA 08. The gigantic green beast Sigma 200-500 f/2.8 EX DG is a showcase of Sigma’s achievement in the photography lens market. Labeled as the “ultimate wildlife lens”, APO 200-500 f.2.8 is “the world’s first lens to offer an f/2.8 aperture at 500mm focal length”. It was actually displayed at PMA 2007 as prototype. Read More…

Posted in Digital SLR Cameras, Lens on January 31st, 2008. No Comments.

Tamron Announces the Development of Three New Lenses with Built-in Motor for Nikon Mount at PMA08

Tamron just announced at PMA 2008 three new lenses with built-in AF motor for Nikon mount SLRs. This is a great news for users of Nikon D40(x) and future users of the newly announced D60, which do not have a AF motor in the camera. The press release is posted at Tamron USA website with the specifications.

  • AF18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di II (model A14NII)
  • SP AF17-50mm F/2.8 XR Di II (model A16NII)
  • 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di (model A17NII)

The first two are designed for cameras with APS-C sized (DX) sensors (labeled as “Di II” lens) and the last one also works for camera with full frame (FX) sensor. No word on availability yet.

Previously, Tamron announced AF18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Di-II LD Aspherical (IF) Macro with built-In auto focus motor for Nikon. Sigma also has a similar 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC with a built-in motor for Nikon.

Many have seen over-exposure problems with the 17-50 f/2.8 in TTL-BL flash mode that might be a design flaw. I hope this new version brings a fix to it.

Posted in Digital SLR Cameras, Lens on January 30th, 2008. No Comments.

New Sigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC for Nikon Are D40, D40x Friendly

Sigma recently updated its 18-200mm super zoom lens to be D40/D40x friendly with a built-in auto focus motor. The press release states,

Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce the launch of the new 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC for Nikon. This high zoom ratio lens, designed exclusively for digital SLR cameras, covers wide angle to telephoto focal lengths. The built-in motor is capable of autofocusing with all Nikon DSLR cameras. Two SLD (Special Low Dispersion) lenses and two Aspherical glass elements provide excellent correction for all types of aberration. Sigma’s super multi-layer coating reduces flare and ghosting and provides high image quality throughout the zoom range. The compact and lightweight construction of 70mm (2.8″) in diameter, 75.6mm (3.0″) in length and 395g (13.9oz) makes it ideal for field work. This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 45cm (17.7″) and a maximum magnification of 1:4.4. An inner focusing system also eliminates front lens rotation, making this lens particularly suitable for using the petal lens hood and circular polarizing filters. A zoom lock switch mechanism is provided to prevent the lens from creeping due to its own weight.

This is apparently not a professional grade lens (lack of the EX label), but it should a good candidate for people who are looking for a light weight super zoom intended for walk-around and travel lens. For people who wants more reach, the Tamron AF18-250mm F/3.5-6.3 Di-II LD Aspherical (IF) Macro, which also has a built-in AF motor and is D40/D40x friendly, is also worth considering.

Sigma actually has four different 18-200mm zoom lenses. If you are confused by the Sigma’s lens offerings, you may want to check out its complete lens line-up.

Posted in Digital SLR Cameras, Lens on December 22nd, 2007. No Comments.
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