Sigma DP2 Review

[Don Ellis]

I've read so many negative comments, both here and on the Sigma forum at DPreview, that I'm surprised... surprised that I'm enjoying the DP2 so much. There's really nothing about the camera I don't like...

Rubbish LCD? I just use it for framing, not reviewing, so I don't have a problem with it.

Plasticky back buttons? Hadn't noticed.

Toy-like quality? I think it's amazing that it's smaller than my G9 (which now feels like a DSLR to me) and takes such great photos. Its diminutive size also puts people's photo-fears at ease... making it much more of stealth camera.

Freezing? My first one did and my second one doesn't and Sigma has released a quick firmware update (what do I care if "they had to" as some people claim?).

Sluggish? I think contemplative. I have other cameras for faster shots... assuming I want to take them.

I love the hot button that puts eight features just a press away. And the manual-focus magnification feature that I discovered yesterday.

Could the camera be better? Sure... so can everything, including me.

I've just added Richard's grip, a 3M Vikuiti ARMR200 screen protector is in the mail, along with a Markins quick-release plate so I can use it with my Markins ballhead, I'll probably buy a couple more batteries and maybe the VF-21 viewfinder just because it's so cute (and I have to accessorize somehow), and because in blinding light, when even my G9 LCD would be a white sheet, it might help me get a shot or two.

But I'd like the camera even without these things... because of the images. I'm not being an apologist for the camera, or for my taste. I like it. And people who don't like it can not buy it and can just wait around for something that suits them. It's really that simple.

Don

 

[fordfanjpn]

Don,

Very nicely put. Although how you can defend such a terrible camera is beyond me!

Sure am glad I bought one though, warts and all. One question, how do you like Richard's grip? I've been using mine in an Artisan&Artist leather case, which I really love both for it's looks and the improved grip it gives me on the camera. However, having to remove it every time I need to access the memory card or battery is starting to get a bit old. It seems like the grip might be a better way to go. I'd appreciate your thoughts on the grip after you've had a chance to use it a while. Thanks.

Bill

 

[Don Ellis]

Don,

Very nicely put. Although how you can defend such a terrible camera is beyond me!

Love responds to aura, not piddly details... because little details "that could be better" exist on all things and all people. I liked this camera from the moment I saw it -- although I was surprised at how small it was, which became another plus for it. Then I held it and liked it even more. The "always smile" photo of the three girls was taken with the camera at waist level with my thumb on the shutter, a technique I've been using since my Canon G1 in 2001 (and the reason I never bought that boxy G6).

Sure am glad I bought one though, warts and all. One question, how do you like Richard's grip? I've been using mine in an Artisan&Artist leather case, which I really love both for it's looks and the improved grip it gives me on the camera. However, having to remove it every time I need to access the memory card or battery is starting to get a bit old. It seems like the grip might be a better way to go. I'd appreciate your thoughts on the grip after you've had a chance to use it a while. Thanks.
Bill

I'm a real fan of Richard's grips. I discovered his grip for the G9 about 18 months ago and liked it so much that I put a message with photos on DPreview:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1010&thread=25596817

So it was natural for me to get his grip for the DP2... and I can answer your questions now, because I had the grip before I had the first DP2 and it went on the day I bought it (and was pried off before I exchanged it for another DP2).

I love it... I hate cases, no matter how nice they are, because they're fiddly. I want to reach into my camera bag and pull out a camera, ready to shoot. To that end, I've always carried my cameras sitting on the end away from my right hand (and shutter button) in a plastic Lock&Lock box (in a storm or water crossing, I can flip the camera on its back and lock down the lid to create a waterproof case, but that's not the main reason I use them).

I just reach in and the grip is right there for me to grab. In the bottom of the small box, I have an extra memory card, an extra lens cap, and two extra batteries, all covered up by the DP2 soft pouch folded in half for padding and on top of that a couple of micro-fibre lens cloths for my filter and my own glasses. If I switch bags, I just grab the box and set it in.

Another nice feature of Richard's DP1/DP2 grip is that it hides the bright white SIGMA logo.

If I get some time, I'll take a photo of the box and what's in it. If I didn't use the box, however, I would still position the camera in a bag with the grip facing up.

Also, I use a small tether for safety... I don't like neck or wrist cords.

I would be surprised if you didn't like the grip. It certainly simplifies the shooting process and makes the camera feel much better.

Cheers,
Don

 

[nei1]

Bill,did you ever try the "thumbs up" on the DP2? For me it would be the ideal solution,thanks..........Neil.

 

[Diane B]

I'd love to handle the DP2--I could probably live with everything but no VF is still my problem. The photos coming from it are just lovely--and what I would love from a small camera--and I'm nothing if I'm not a 'contemplative' shooter LOL.

I followed the DP1 on another forum for a good while--thinking I would buy it to replace my G9. In the meantime, another camera got my attention and purchase because I had decided the DP1 wasn't the camera for me--yet. Perhaps I need to look into that VP-21 VF Don is buying LOL. I had thought the Hoodloupe might be the answer http://www.outbackphoto.com/CONTENT_2007_01/section_gear_cameras_2009/20090507_Viewfinder/index.html but now I realize that the DP2 has a 2.5" LCD so don't think this would be a great solution.

I'll keep on watching here. Later this year I might be interested in a small cam again--as I find myself liking to work with small cams more and more.

Diane

 

[Don Ellis]

I'd love to handle the DP2--I could probably live with everything but no VF is still my problem. The photos coming from it are just lovely--and what I would love from a small camera--and I'm nothing if I'm not a 'contemplative' shooter LOL.

I followed the DP1 on another forum for a good while--thinking I would buy it to replace my G9. In the meantime, another camera got my attention and purchase because I had decided the DP1 wasn't the camera for me--yet. Perhaps I need to look into that VP-21 VF Don is buying LOL. I had thought the Hoodloupe might be the answer http://www.outbackphoto.com/CONTENT_2007_01/section_gear_cameras_2009/20090507_Viewfinder/index.html but now I realize that the DP2 has a 2.5" LCD so don't think this would be a great solution.

I'll keep on watching here. Later this year I might be interested in a small cam again--as I find myself liking to work with small cams more and more.

Diane

Hi Diane... I looked at the HoodLoupe and decided that it would be a gigantic nuisance for me, even if there were one for 2.5-inch viewfinders. Having that thing swinging around my neck and having to bring it up every time...despite its obvious benefits once it was in place... made me dismiss it (without ever trying it, of course). But as you said... it's for 3-inch LCDs.

A week after I got my DP2, a camera enthusiast at work picked up his... and bought the VF-21 the same evening. It is brilliant... as you know, I'm used to shooting with the LCD, but this thing is too cool. Bright, beautiful frame lines, and tiny. It really does go with the look of the camera and until you see it in person, you have no idea how small it is. Also works with my glasses, so no problem there.

I have no doubt that I'll buy it... and let you know after I use it for awhile.

Don

 

[fordfanjpn]

Bill,did you ever try the "thumbs up" on the DP2? For me it would be the ideal solution,thanks..........Neil.

Neil, I seem to have misplaced the darn thing! I thought I knew right where it was, but when I went to get it out, it wasn't there. I'm afraid this is not at all unusual for me, but hopefully it will surface sooner or later. Thanks for reminding me about it.

Bill

 

[fordfanjpn]

I would be surprised if you didn't like the grip. It certainly simplifies the shooting process and makes the camera feel much better.

Don, you have talked me into it. Now all I have to do is figure where to get one.

By the way, I only just now realized that you are THE Don Ellis, of Kleptography fame! It's an honor to be sharing a forum with you. I'll be looking forward to seeing a DP2 section on your website.

Bill

 

[Jonathon Delacour]

Mike Johnston has written a follow-up post to Ken Tanaka's DP2 review that cuts straight to the core of all the controversy about the camera:

So which would you rather have: a beautifully built, ergonomically perfect camera that gives you so-so image quality at best, or a hunk of antediluvian junk held together with baling wire and chewing gum that yields image quality that's really outstanding? Given that choice—putting it that way—in my view it's not even a question; the conclusion's foregone.

The DP2 seems to do some things wrong, but the really important things right. As I read more and more about it, and see more results from it, the more the feeling sneaks up on me that I could do good things with it.
​

His entire post provides a truly effective counter-argument to the kind of pointless negativity that we've seen in this thread.

 

[retow]

DP1 & DP2

 

[Streetshooter]

retow,
welcome aboard...your safe here with the DP cameras....
nice images by the way....the 2nd one is funny but her skin tone is great....oh that's right....DP cameras.......forgot...
shooter...aka Don

 

[Don Ellis]

Don, you have talked me into it. Now all I have to do is figure where to get one.

Remember the old ad about Remington, where Victor Kiam said: "I liked it so much, I bought the company." Well, I didn't go that far, but I liked Richard's grip so much that I put up a webpage for him. You can only buy direct from him, or through Lensmate, and I didn't post the address because I didn't want to advertise it in this forum... but since you asked: www.kleptography.com/rf

By the way, I only just now realized that you are THE Don Ellis, of Kleptography fame! It's an honor to be sharing a forum with you. I'll be looking forward to seeing a DP2 section on your website.
Bill

Oh, "THE" is so much nicer than "Mr."... and helps to differentiate me from the other five thousand Don Ellises out there. (It took me ten years to rise to near the top of Google listings because of Don Ellis the jazz trumpeter... but he's gone and I'm still around and that helps a little.)

Thank you for the kind words. I'll see what I can do about updating... that's been an ongoing challenge, but I'll try. One of the reasons it's been good to find GetDPI is that I can easily post something, rather than going through the coding of posting on my own site.

Cheers,
Don

 

[retow]

retow,
welcome aboard...your safe here with the DP cameras....
nice images by the way....the 2nd one is funny but her skin tone is great....oh that's right....DP cameras.......forgot...
shooter...aka Don

Don,
Thanks for the nice welcome. My first trys with silver efex pro. In the second one, I believe they just had an argument. Capturing the moment with a sluggish DP....
Reto

 

[LCT]

...A week after I got my DP2, a camera enthusiast at work picked up his... and bought the VF-21 the same evening. It is brilliant... as you know, I'm used to shooting with the LCD, but this thing is too cool. Bright, beautiful frame lines, and tiny. It really does go with the look of the camera and until you see it in person, you have no idea how small it is. Also works with my glasses, so no problem there...

Please excuse my ignorance but is there some sort of focusing device with this viewfinder? Just curious.

 

[Don Ellis]

Please excuse my ignorance but is there some sort of focusing device with this viewfinder? Just curious.

Definitely no focusing device... it's simply a small window on the world, with frame lines.

My friend was complaining about the wrong things being in focus. After chatting, we figure out it because he thought that evaluative light metering was somehow evaluative focusing.

Once I mentioned that he simply needed to put whatever he wanted in focus in the middle of the viewfinder, half-depress the shutter to lock focus, and then reframe before pressing the shutter, he was fine. In fact, he sent me a few photos this morning that were very precise focus -- all taken with the viewfinder.

Don

 

[LCT]

...Once I mentioned that he simply needed to put whatever he wanted in focus in the middle of the viewfinder, half-depress the shutter to lock focus, and then reframe before pressing the shutter, he was fine. In fact, he sent me a few photos this morning that were very precise focus -- all taken with the viewfinder.

OK i wondered if using the LCD is mandatory to focus accurately with this little beast. So i take it that there are no focusing problems for non-chimping photogs thanks.

 

[Don Ellis]

OK i wondered if using the LCD is mandatory to focus accurately with this little beast. So i take it that there are no focusing problems for non-chimping photogs thanks.

I'll do some more testing for you in the next few days... I just bought the VF-21 this evening.

Don

 

[Diane B]

Sticking my nose in here again, but first of all, I like the look of it on the DP2--as I did the Voigtlander on my G9. One thing comes to mind as Don mentions framing and focusing. Had i used my G9 at only 35mm, I think the external VF would have been just fine. Since the DP2 is a fixed FL--I would think this would be just very good. The Voigtlander has lines that help in correcting for parallax error--that was helpful too. The one thing I would imagine that is better with the dedicated Sigma is that the frame lines will correlate with the actual composition--whereas my Voigtlander's framelines were for 3:2 and the G9 is a 4:3 format so I had to take that into consideration as well as parallax error when composing.

Waiting to see how Don likes the VF and for some photos of it on the DP2.

Diane

 

[fordfanjpn]

I'll do some more testing for you in the next few days... I just bought the VF-21 this evening.

Don

Congrats on getting the finder. Looking forward to hearing what you think of it.

Bill

 

[Don Ellis]

Diane and Bill,

I got everything today:

Markins P26U Universal Quick-Release Plate -- it may not be an L-bracket, but it's as great as it gets at the moment. Very small, adjustable enough that you can fix it so that the battery door opens without having to remove it (while still remaining centered on the lens barrel), and the logo is small and now hidden underneath to the side.

Sigma VF-21: It's a jewel... very tiny and quite beautiful and the frame lines are very bright and quite accurate at first glance (and why wouldn't they be; it was designed for the camera). As I said, I'll do some testing over the weekend.

Extra Battery: bringing my total to four. I had planned on having five but after paying for everything else, and realizing that the VF-21 may cause me to turn off the LCD occasionally, I settled for four for the moment (the batteries really do run down quickly).

46mm Hoya UV Filter: I had been testing an old 49mm from my Canon G1/G2 with a step-up ring and like it... so I bought the right size, plus two lens caps.

Vikuiti ARMR200 Screen Protector from 3M: Went on well, even with me doing the affixing, and is a matte finish. Looks good and feels good.

Lens Hood and Adapter: I didn't need the extra lens hood, but I did want the adapter to screw onto my macro filter so I can just bayonet it on, rather than having to remove my 46mm UV filter and screw on the 46-49mm step-up ring plus macro filter.

All of the this caused me to break out the table-top tripod and the monopod this evening just for the pleasure of snapping my new Markins plate to my old Markins ballhead (on the tripod) and Markins QR clamp (on the monopod). Very nice... I was getting tired of screwing the camera on and off a normal ballhead.

And that's it for the moment, except to say good night. Testing of everything in the next few days. Sorry for the wait. Weather is still grim, by the way.

Don