Sigma DP0 Quattro shots

[furtle]

Whichford Woods, Warwickshire. The Bluebells will be over very soon and finally a bit of sun to brighten them up.

 

[furtle]

My first 'fail' with DNG (using dp2 Quattro) whilst doing some test shots - buttercups amongst some greenery, half of the petals had overexposed to white. I don't know why the Quattro sometimes does this, especially with flowers in the sun, but I do know that with X3F I could probably have recovered with the overexposure compensation tick box.

Lee

Hello Lee, I don't think it is DNG but all modes where the Quattro will blow highlights. There is no handbook on how to use Quattro cameras and everyone using them has a favoured method of camera settings and image development. Your example of yellow flowers blown out to white is very easy to do and I think it was Quentin who first highlighted this. Lately, in DPReview there was a recommendation to Expose To The Right (ETTR) referencing the histogram with the reasoning being the Quattro sensor needs maximum light to minimise noise. This is technically correct but it is a sure fire way to blow the highlights!

My experience is when the highlights are blown, they are gone. Nothing in SPP will recover them. This is why I always bracket three shots and pick the best compromise.

The SFD mode on the Quattro has opened up a whole new world but it is strictly for use with static scenes and tripod use. SFD produces noise free photos with even the deepest shadows being clean. The seven shot XFI photo have three "1.0 EV difference" shots either side of a 0.0 EV base shot. This definitely over exposes and blows the highlights for the high EV shots. But if you set the camera to, say, EV -0.7 then this becomes the base shot and the higher EV shots are moderated. I hope Sigma release a software update allowing the user to select the EV difference (say, 0.3) between the seven shots because an EV difference of 1.0 is brutal.

I'm happy with my dp0Q now and find the technical quality of the photos it produces to be very good (artistic merits are another subject....). But this has been a journey of great disappointments and frustrations. Sigma may be an innovative company but launching a camera such as the Quattro without an easily digestible tutorial is madness.

 

[TN Args]

The manual or tutorial should not be easily digestible. One can get hungry while waiting for SPP to perform an instruction.

 

[biglouis]

I am a complete convert now to dng on the my DP0Q. I can't think why I would go back to X3F. It is not only the workflow which is simpler but I genuinely feel as though the images quality is better. Obviously, the blown highlights issues has not disappeared so I continue to bracket or use filters.

Yesterday, I even began to think about changing my beloved DP3M for the DP3 Quattro just so I can shoot with dng (and I love my DP3M!).

Wide angle macro shot with DP0Q:

 

[ggibson]

Heck, that's a pretty great macro with the DP0! Who needs the DP3?

Just kidding, that's great to hear you are so happy with DNG. I must admit, it makes me want to pick up a Quattro, despite the body style/ergonomics holding me back.

 

[tagscuderia]

Lately, in DPReview there was a recommendation to Expose To The Right (ETTR) referencing the histogram with the reasoning being the Quattro sensor needs maximum light to minimise noise. This is technically correct but it is a sure fire way to blow the highlights!

Hi Steve, ETTR is to protect highlights! If you're blowing highlights whilst using ETTR then something is going wrong; I pre-ordered the dp0 and have shot ETTR from day one with 1EV bracketing and mostly use the +1EV without any clipping issues.
I bought the kit but rarely use the LVF-01, the Live Histogram is small but perfectly formed

 

[furtle]

Hi Steve, ETTR is to protect highlights! If you're blowing highlights whilst using ETTR then something is going wrong; I pre-ordered the dp0 and have shot ETTR from day one with 1EV bracketing and mostly use the +1EV without any clipping issues.
I bought the kit but rarely use the LVF-01, the Live Histogram is small but perfectly formed

It's mostly bright light through tree branches yellows of flowers that I find get clipped at higher EV values. Anyhow, we all seem to have our own way of using these Sigma cameras and processing the images. Now we have DNG and SFD added to the mix.

A tree Peony bloom snapped off and looked forlorn. Plonked in a vase it'll do well as a cut flower for a few days. The dp0Q managed pretty well on my kitchen table.

 

[furtle]

Had a meeting in Birmingham yesterday and the centre around the Bull Ring has been massively developed with the Selfridges building looking great. The old iconic Rotunda still stands; I don't suppose they had the heart to pull it down. Certainly improved since I did Civ Eng at Birmingham Uni! A few pics as I had my dp0Q in my bag.

 

[retow]

The digital X-Pan. 21:9 ratio.

 

[furtle]

Keble College, Oxford

The Dining Hall

Dining Hall ceiling

And a bit closer in using the dp3Q

Except the first, all where shot using SFD mode which is excellent for low light, still scenes. Tripod essential.

 

[biglouis]

Great shots, Steve. The second exhibits some distortion, is it a stitch of some kind?

Louis

 

[furtle]

Great shots, Steve. The second exhibits some distortion, is it a stitch of some kind?

Louis

Thank you, Louis. The second is not a stitch. It is a very near, full, uncropped shot using the dp0Q pointing straight up to the vaulted ceiling which is some 30' up. The ceiling almost certainly is distorted!

The first photo is a stitch of 5 individual shots. I have my doubts about loss of detail quality when stitching because the overlaps/joins of the various photos taken at different angles will never be as perfect as an unjoined, single photo. For example, the middle of one frame will be overlapped by a different part of the next frame, so, unless the lens is perfect, I think there will be loss of quality. But it is a very useful tool for making photos that would be near impossible to create in any other way.

By contrast, the Super Fine Detail mode using 7 shots are all from exactly the same spot, so, the stacking should be nearly perfect. I just wish Sigma would provide a firmware update to allow the user to set the EV steps between the 7 shots. I think 1.0 EV is too much and would like to experiment with smaller increments.

SFD mode is superb on the Quattro but not quick from setup to producing the finished photo. I may set up the Slow Digital Photography movement!

 

[furtle]

Stratford upon Avon. Royal Shakespeare Company theatre.

Sigma dp0Q doing its stuff

 

[furtle]

Sacré-Coeur, Paris.

Ugolino eating his children. Rodin.

 

[Stoneage]

Sacré-Coeur, Paris.......Ugolino eating his children. Rodin.

Nice composition and mood (the first image)
Not sure about the second image. The two important and interesting subjects (the Rodin and the building) overlay, which i find a bit distracting.
I like the special clouds though.

 

[furtle]

Nice composition and mood (the first image)
Not sure about the second image. The two important and interesting subjects (the Rodin and the building) overlay, which i find a bit distracting.
I like the special clouds though.

Thanks, Stoneage. I agree about the Rodin image not being the most flattering angle. I was in Paris with my wife and just took a few snaps as we walked around and from memory I too thought the sky looked good and doubt I would have taken the shot otherwise.

I think the dp0Q does very well and is a great city break camera. (along with one's phone for candids and selfies!)

 

[blessingx]

New member, but wanted to thank those who've posted in this thread. Some inspiring shots. Although I had a rarely used dp2Q, these posts made me dust that off and then quickly pick up a refurb dp0Q. Here's one of the first from the latter.

 

[ggibson]

Nice shot. Feels like summer!

 

[biglouis]

Haven't had much reason to use my DP0Q for a couple of months but I went on holiday last week and took it with me.

 

[Vadim Piottukh]

Summer. Meadow grass. Novosibirsk suburb. Panorama 3 photos. Jul 24, 2017. Sigma dp0 Quattro.