Sigma DP1 samples on DPReview

Sigma DP1

Digital Photography Review has some samples from a beta of Sigma’s upcoming and LONG-awaited large-sensor compact DP1.

From what I can tell having a very quick look at these is that the detail as you’d expect with a Foveon sensor, and the dynamic range looks pretty too. Colour aberrations look pretty controlled in that lens too, as is lens flare, including when the sun is right in the shot.

Also to be expected, but nice to see pretty much confirmed is the very low noise on the ISO 800 sample. What little noise there is looks like “nice noise” too – nothing to make you recoil. That’s the main conflict of compact cameras for me: the times when I really need something smaller to shoot with is also *exactly* when I need good high ISO and/or low-light performance, like in a bar or club.

Yet another item for the Gearlust list! *<sigh>*

Lighting and its importance.

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As everyone knows, photography is 10% photographer, 10% equipment and 80% lighting (or something like that) proving again the 80-20 rule I suppose. Then again, lighting’s 80% can largely be answered by equipment or more precisely its correct application.

Anyway, the point is that there’s not much difference between shots with an SLR and a good compact if the lighting is good. (Not taking in to account responsiveness, speed and all that…) I’ve done this twice in the last few days, setting up a couple of 285HV’s with umbrellas in the first case and bounces off a low-ish white-ish ceiling in the second case. The shots from the 20D and the GX100 aren’t that easy to tell apart.