The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

Sigma DP2 Merrill shots

retow

Member
The DP2M should give roughly a comparative quality to 1.75 to 2.25 times its pixel count in Bayer sensor terms. This means 26.25 to 33.75 megapixels. Yes I would expect the DP2M to do notably better than an RX100- though of course if you are printing 8x10 and doing web publishing it really doesn't matter on that end.

The Foveon in general still has a certain crispness to its colors though.

If your photography is done mostly in good light and at the lowest ISO's (100, 200), the DP2M is indeed a great proposition. You get a pocketable (or near so) tool that can give you ballpark medium format or near medium format quality, that's quite something.

From what I have seen of the shots so far in general, the lens of the DP2M is indeed improved over the DP2's- the DP2's had some weird ghosting bokeh when up close with some subjects- I have yet to see this issue with the DP2M.

Where the DP2m/Foveon falls apart is at high iso, low light, night shots that require higher iso. Here I would expect even the RX100 to do better. (Hell, even the Pentax Q seems to do somewhat better at the highest iso's in some situations). If your photography is in lower available light, a Foveon based camera isn't as hot.

I would say right now if I was a daylight photographer I would buy one *yesterday* and make that my main camera for my personal work.

- Raist
I think the RX100 and the DP2 Merrill will make a great ultra light travel combo. I'll pick mine up on Saturday. The RX100 I already have and think it's a great and very capable point and shoot.
 

Thorkil

Well-known member
Keep on pushing Quentin..! We all sit still and patiently and wait for some more....
PS. Have you all dropped your GRD and turned over to the RX100? But will the love last? 2 weeks with enthusiasm(like a new car), 2 months and then its just a camera, and after that, it will only be YOUR camera if you get friendly connected(look back, how many camera did you achieve that with in your lifetime). Do you get friendly-RX-connected (I woun't ask that about the DP, because I know I would...allmost 98,5% certain..:rolleyes:)
Well....I have to wait 2 month to ask again of course....:p
Thorkil
 

gandolfi

Subscriber Member
Keep on pushing Quentin..! We all sit still and patiently and wait for some more....
PS. Have you all dropped your GRD and turned over to the RX100? But will the love last? 2 weeks with enthusiasm(like a new car), 2 months and then its just a camera, and after that, it will only be YOUR camera if you get friendly connected(look back, how many camera did you achieve that with inm your lifetime). Do you get frienly-RX-connected (I woun't ask that about the DP, because I know I would...allmost 98,5% certain..:rolleyes:)
Well....I have to wait 2 month to ask again of course....:p
Thorkil
Well Thorkil,

You will see over on another thread I have now consummated my affair with the RX100 and I think it will be everlasting love, well, for ever really.

ps. Keep on making me laugh please.
 

Thorkil

Well-known member
Well Thorkil,

You will see over on another thread I have now consummated my affair with the RX100 and I think it will be everlasting love, well, for ever really.

ps. Keep on making me laugh please.
:D
Plaese then report when you are being unfaithfull.. :D
Best
Thorkil
 

Quentin_Bargate

Well-known member
When it comes to cameras, I'm a man with no morals at all...:thumbup:

I still have the RX100 and its a great camera but not really close to the quality of the DP2M.
 

Thorkil

Well-known member
When it comes to cameras, I'm a man with no morals at all...:thumbup:

I still have the RX100 and its a great camera but not really close to the quality of the DP2M.
I guess we all are more or less unfaithfull in that area all the time...if only the producers wouln't produce so much, life would be more simple, even happyer in a way, and perhaps with better pictures (even though we buy more camera's to make better pictures....hmm)
And the last sentence of yours is importent, thats where the waters divide themselves, looking for the inner soul of a camera. Thanks.
 

Thorkil

Well-known member
:)
I guess, somehow, you are right, right now. But, allthough, I'm wondering how much happier my D800E have made me compared to D3 (yes less bulk, less weight, but also less simple, more demanding).
Thorkil
Just generally speaken: too much/many choises can be distracting, you often don't get maximum out of a "one(or two...three)-and-only", perhaps a pro do. Or is it sometimes our dreams/expectations that are skyhigh, and we soon have to realize that they don't "save our lives", they are just a tool, and the rest is in our mind (and legs)
 

Quentin_Bargate

Well-known member
Just a few of many from Ely today

Ceiling of the Cathedral









The 30mm lens on the DP2M is sharp from edge edge with zero fringing - spectacular performance which shows just what Sigma are capable of. However, 400ISO is really as high as you can safely go.
 

scho

Well-known member
Very nice work with the DP2M Quentin. I decided to give the DP2M a try as well after seeing your outstanding images and others around the net. I enjoyed using the DP2S two years ago and was amazed by the Foveon sensor output. Although it produced lovely images it just didn't have enough resolution for my printing needs so I moved on to other cameras (too many) that had more resolution, but not the output quality that the Foveon produced. Here are a few full size jpegs from the DP2M, shot in raw and processed minimally in SPP and then LR4 for jpeg output.

Blue Sky
Weathered Door
Weathered Window & Shingles
Dirty Towels
Boathouse Door

A comparison (flawed of course) of the DP2M and OMD
DP2M
OMD

Note the lack of artifacts, moire, and aliasing in the wood grain in the shots of the window and doors. I'm looking forward to doing some landscape work this fall with the DP2M. I use the camera on a small Gitzo (1027) tripod, ISO 100, and 2 sec self timer release. Processing in SPP includes no noise reduction, -1 sharpening, and export as 16 bit tiff. LR4 is only slight clarity adjustment, no sharpening, and also no noise reduction. Can't get more minimal than that. I haven't pushed these files very much but so far I don't see any of the banding and shadow noise people are screaming about over at DPR (see blue sky and boathouse door images).
 
V

Vivek

Guest
Very nice work with the DP2M Quentin. I decided to give the DP2M a try as well after seeing your outstanding images and others around the net. I enjoyed using the DP2S two years ago and was amazed by the Foveon sensor output. Although it produced lovely images it just didn't have enough resolution for my printing needs so I moved on to other cameras (too many) that had more resolution, but not the output quality that the Foveon produced. Here are a few full size jpegs from the DP2M, shot in raw and processed minimally in SPP and then LR4 for jpeg output.

Blue Sky
Weathered Door
Weathered Window & Shingles
Dirty Towels
Boathouse Door

A comparison (flawed of course) of the DP2M and OMD
DP2M
OMD

Note the lack of artifacts, moire, and aliasing in the wood grain in the shots of the window and doors. I'm looking forward to doing some landscape work this fall with the DP2M. I use the camera on a small Gitzo (1027) tripod, ISO 100, and 2 sec self timer release. Processing in SPP includes no noise reduction, -1 sharpening, and export as 16 bit tiff. LR4 is only slight clarity adjustment, no sharpening, and also no noise reduction. Can't get more minimal than that. I haven't pushed these files very much but so far I don't see any of the banding and shadow noise people are screaming about over at DPR (see blue sky and boathouse door images).
Nice post, Carl. :)

A general observation (not related to your images alone): whenever someone shows images from a new camera, they are always striking. The OM-D, yesterday and the DP-M today.
 

Quentin_Bargate

Well-known member
Very nice work with the DP2M Quentin. I decided to give the DP2M a try as well after seeing your outstanding images and others around the net. I enjoyed using the DP2S two years ago and was amazed by the Foveon sensor output. Although it produced lovely images it just didn't have enough resolution for my printing needs so I moved on to other cameras (too many) that had more resolution, but not the output quality that the Foveon produced. Here are a few full size jpegs from the DP2M, shot in raw and processed minimally in SPP and then LR4 for jpeg output.

Blue Sky
Weathered Door
Weathered Window & Shingles
Dirty Towels
Boathouse Door

A comparison (flawed of course) of the DP2M and OMD
DP2M
OMD

Note the lack of artifacts, moire, and aliasing in the wood grain in the shots of the window and doors. I'm looking forward to doing some landscape work this fall with the DP2M. I use the camera on a small Gitzo (1027) tripod, ISO 100, and 2 sec self timer release. Processing in SPP includes no noise reduction, -1 sharpening, and export as 16 bit tiff. LR4 is only slight clarity adjustment, no sharpening, and also no noise reduction. Can't get more minimal than that. I haven't pushed these files very much but so far I don't see any of the banding and shadow noise people are screaming about over at DPR (see blue sky and boathouse door images).
Hi Carl, nice work. Just what the DP2 was made for. You'll love the DP2M. As for banding...well, I can see some faint hatched patterns in sky areas if I *really* push the files like crazy, but I can also easily eliminate them using Neat Image applied selectively if I need to. dpreview has become a place for obsessives, not photographers. The DP2M is a true photographers camera.
 

gandolfi

Subscriber Member
Quentin,

Pics of Ely Cathedral look great.

I have been thinking of coming up to Ely for some time and still hope to get up for a look see in the Autumn.

I have a vague thoughtdream which sometimes swims into my brain that some old relative from the 19th century lived there or thereabouts and drove geese down to market in London.

Whatever, if I do get there, I will certainly take some RX100 pics and post if any good.

Foveon still rules it seems!

Cheers,

Gandolfi.
 

Thorkil

Well-known member
They are just marvellous shots, Quentin! Wonderfull.
But specially the last one proves the ability to render in a special 3-dimentional way. I don’t think even my Hassy SWC would have been able to do the job in this sort of way. But you are also skilled, but on the other hand it demands the right basis to do such job.
When the DP1M has arrived (and I’ve sold the 800E) I’ll have to live with the shortage of 400iso, yes that’s a pity(but perhaps the way "to go back in time" as I've spoken of :)). But I then just have to get the GXR or GRD with me as support, when doing picture at job, and in spare-time just live with the limitations or bringing support. Yes I'm willing to live with limitations, I do think. Thanks
Thorkil
 

scho

Well-known member
Nice post, Carl. :)

A general observation (not related to your images alone): whenever someone shows images from a new camera, they are always striking. The OM-D, yesterday and the DP-M today.
Thanks Vivek. How true, they just keep on coming and we keep looking for the perfect camera.:loco:

Hi Carl, nice work. Just what the DP2 was made for. You'll love the DP2M. As for banding...well, I can see some faint hatched patterns in sky areas if I *really* push the files like crazy, but I can also easily eliminate them using Neat Image applied selectively if I need to. dpreview has become a place for obsessives, not photographers. The DP2M is a true photographers camera.
Thanks Quentin. The DP2M is certainly not a beauty queen - more like a small, minimalistic black box, but with an outstanding sensor inside. It requires some patience and recognition of limitations (both the camera and photographer) to get the most from it, but it sure can deliver when the stars are all aligned.
 
Top