Sigma DP1 Review

So, is this Sigma compact camera worth our expectations thanks to its SLR embedded sensor ? Well, dpreview tends to answer that question in a review of the Sigma DP1.

published : Thursday, May 22, 2008 | model : SIGMA DP-1
Theme : Digital Photography | D-SLR

Sigma DP1 Digital Camera

Amazon

681.04 $

Dell

699.99 $

eBay

669.95 $

Adorama

699.00 $

J&R Music and Computer World

699.00 $

A few good points thank to the Foveon X3 sensor
Let's says it right now : the sigma dp1 is not, yet, the compact camera we all dreamt of. Still it offers a few nice things which have been pointed out by the dpreview test of of the DP1 like the excellent image quality of the camera at ISO 100, much better than any other compact digital camera on the market. Its dynamic range is also better, thanks to the huge sensor used on the DP1. However, the DP1 remains quite compact although it contains a DSLR sensor. Finally, dpreview has found that the build quality of the camera is quite good and will definitely suite the needs of the targeted photographers.

Disappointing review of the Sigma DP1
But, unfortunately, the DP1 does not seem to be the fantastic compact camera we where all expecting when we learnt Sigma was launching an SLR sensor based compact camera. On the noise issue, the DP1 is quite disappointing : even at lower ISO settings, it shows a lot of noise. JPG images straight from the camera are way too flat and not saturated enough. But the DP1 is also a slow camera : the AF is slow, the shutter lag is too long etc…. The battery life has also been judged by the reviewers as "not impressive" which means what we know it means…

Should we wait for the Sigma DP2 ?
So finally, we can say that the Sigma DP1 has failed the dpreview exam with an "above average" rating. Let's not be too hard with Sigma which has launched a new concept and let's wait a few month to let them improve the mix and come up with a more impressive DP2 !