Sigma DP1 - Expert Reviews

Review summary: : This is a unique compact camera - it has a large sensor straight from the Sigma DSLR. The sensor, of the Foveon type, is only used by Sigma and Polaroid. (For a technical description see the Wikipedia entry: tinyurl.com/tqlyj) The camera has a retro loo

Pros: : The picture quality is without peer amongst compact cameras. The larger sensor produces images comparable with those from DSLRs. Superb sharpness, resolution, dynamic range and colour in RAW at low ISO speeds. The lens is excellent.

Cons: : The need to plunge into the menu system for every control other than exposure compensation is a pain. But the worst feature of this camera is the time that it takes to write an image to the memory card. From pressing the shutter to finished write is 15

Verdict: : The Sigma DP1 is not a pleasant camera to use. In many ways it feels like a throw-back to the bad old days when compacts were in their infancy. Responsive is not a word you would use for this unit. But then, just as you are ready to throw the camera awa

Review summary: The first compact digital camera with a DSLR-sized sensor has been widely anticipated, but how does it fare?

Verdict: With an SRP of -600, the DP1 is hardly a cheap compact, in fact it costs more than a DSLR, but it is a unique proposition both in terms of its design and its sensor. There are other cameras with similar handling, but the sensor size is sure to appeal to a

Review summary: A funny thing happened to me while I was shooting and reviewing the new Sigma DP1 compact camera in New Mexico.

Review summary: Apart from its Spartan collection of controls, the DP1 is clean, sleek and solid

Pros: Fantastic lens; Solid build; Great pictures

Cons: Sluggish operation; Limited features; Expensive

Verdict: Naturally you'd expect a camera that costs almost £600 to be well built -and it is. All the DP1's switchgear is of high quality but the body could definitely benefit from a rubber grip for a more ergonomic hold

Award: Highly Recommended!

Review summary: Who would have thought that Sigma, with its comparatively tiny budget and short history of producing cameras, would release one of the most important compact digital models of 2008, and perhaps of all time? The principal reason for this bold assertion is

Verdict: The Sigma DP1 offers the best image quality, JPEG or RAW, of any compact camera currently available today and in many ways equals DSLR cameras with APS-C sized sensors. There is virtually no noise throughout the ISO range, only at the fastest setting of I