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Sigma Bag Mates

scho

Well-known member
My Sigma camera bag now has one permanent resident and a new companion. The permanent resident is the Sigma DP2M that was recently re-purchased after a long absence (big mistake to sell the first one). The new companion DP0Q is (for me and the DP2M) considered a visitor for now until I see how they get along. I had a DP2Q for awhile that occasionally produced some nice images, but they just could not compete with the DP2M it replaced for quality. I added the DP0Q primarily because I liked the focal length (21mm equiv) for landscape work. I would have preferred to have this lens on a Merrill but not going to happen so I caved and purchased the Q. Here are two images from the new bag mates of the same boring supermarket wall. If I wanted to convey intricate detail the DP2M would be the pick, but for overall view and depth then the DP0Q. Click images for originals.



 

darr

Well-known member
My Sigma camera bag now has one permanent resident and a new companion. The permanent resident is the Sigma DP2M that was recently re-purchased after a long absence (big mistake to sell the first one). The new companion DP0Q is (for me and the DP2M) considered a visitor for now until I see how they get along. I had a DP2Q for awhile that occasionally produced some nice images, but they just could not compete with the DP2M it replaced for quality. I added the DP0Q primarily because I liked the focal length (21mm equiv) for landscape work. I would have preferred to have this lens on a Merrill but not going to happen so I caved and purchased the Q. Here are two images from the new bag mates of the same boring supermarket wall. If I wanted to convey intricate detail the DP2M would be the pick, but for overall view and depth then the DP0Q. Click images for originals.
Hi Carl,

I am pretty much where you are at. I rented a Q2 to test the Quattro (the Q0 was not out at the time) before buying the Q0. I bought the Q0 for the lens. Like you, I prefer closer to a 20mm over a 28mm for landscapes. I have the Merrill Trio, and the SD1M, and this is where I am staying in regards to Sigma cameras. At least for now. I am not inspired by the Quattro except for the Q0. There is something unique about the Merrill sensor. So you are not alone in your assessment.

Kind regards,
Darr
 

Stoneage

Member
Same here.
I'm working with the SD1, DP2m and DP3m. Last year i bought the dp2 Quattro but i sold it after 2-3 month because the image quality didn't convince me.
In the meantime, SPP made some progress and the dp0 Quattro was released, so i bought it.
It was the lens that was convincing me to buy it, and i somehow like it, but not completely. Let's face it, the camera is ugly, uncomfortable to hold and doesn't fit in any normal bag.
Yes the lens is better than the 8-16mm that i use with the SD1 but there is a flatness in the images, a strange noise, and kind of a "smartphone look" at pixel level. (i exaggerate a bit)
Then there is SPP 6.4 which is again slower than 5.5.3 with the Merrills. How is this possible? Quattro files are not bigger.
SPP 6.4 was bringing some new features that i wanted to test, like the detail slider. I was hoping to get back some of the unique Merrill magic, but what it mainly does, is destroying the image and exaggerate noise.
In all my tests that i've done, i didn't see a better ISO performance and didn't see a better dynamic range. It's actually the opposite. Lifted "Quattro"-shadows look terrible (reds/yellows in particular) And the Merrill Monochrome mode (blue layer) is cleaner than anything Quattro can produce. Big advantage for the Merrill monochrome mode.
So i now decided to sell the dp0Q, get some money back and wait for a new ultra wide prime (or zoom) for my SD1.
 
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