Comments about Sigma Sigma DP-1 Digital Point & Shoot Camera, 14 Megapixel with FOVEON X3 Direct Image Sensor, Fixed 16.6mm f/4 Lens, 3x Digital Zoom, 2.5" LCD:

I read all the reviews about how slow this camera is, I didn't notice it. I shoot medium format with an all manual camera, so it seems fine speed wise to me. I suppose if you are shooting a current DSLR in the "point and shoot" modes it would seem slow. It is defiantly not a sports/ action camera.

The 16 mm lens is about right for buildings, bridges and landscapes. It even does a good job on posed portraits. If you are not used to wide angle shooting, there will be a learning curve.

I bought this camera for one reason, the images, and it delivers. The prints made from this camera are excellent. Seeing computer Jpegs doesn't do the images justice, hold a real wet print and see. The level of detail and dynamic range is far better than other digital cameras I have used. The images have a film like quality to them.

The camera has the controls you need and none of the junk that is on the new DSLRs. It also has a great manual focus arrangement for those who use it. You can control all the aspects of the shot. There is a full auto mode for when you hand it to someone else.

The only nits I have are the battery life and the Sigma software. The battery life is like that of a old Nikon D1, 150-250 shots per charge. Get a spare battery or two. The Sigma software IS slow, but is powerful,easy to learn and use.

So, It's a great camera for the views, but not for high speed action. If you can use a manual film camera, you will be right at home. And last but not least, it is all about those greatly detailed images.

Comments about Sigma Sigma DP-1 Digital Point & Shoot Camera, 14 Megapixel with FOVEON X3 Direct Image Sensor, Fixed 16.6mm f/4 Lens, 3x Digital Zoom, 2.5" LCD:

The Sigma DP1 is a highly specialized tool for the artist/photographer and sports a very sharp 28mm (35mm equiv.) wide angle. It has no zoom (other than digital zoom). It is a great accessory camera that gives you the luxury of having a 28mm available without having to change lenses on your SLR.

Much has been written about the quality of its images and it is well-deserved. The images are amazingly beautiful. The colors seem “cleaner,” less muted. Interestingly though, Sigma has skimped on the little things, like not having a spring loaded battery cover or a wrist strap (there is a neck strap) or generating a jpeg simultaneously along with RAW files. (Jpeg's are standard, but when set to RAW there is no jpeg generated, which means you can view it on the camera's LCD but not on the computer, unless you create a jpeg by processing it through their Sigma Photo Pro program.) The Sigma DP1 is a very compact camera, about the same size as the Panasonic LX3 and weight and bulk of the Canon G9, but with an DSLR-sized CMOS Foveon sensor. It comes with an excellent manual and once you turn off the beeping for focus confirmation and button click (which I tend to do), it operates silently except for the mechanical groan it emits when extending or retracting its lens on power-on and power-down.

It handles easily on a wrist strap. Its 230,000 pixel LCD is adequate for a 2.5" display and doesn't seem unusually coarse or dim. Auto-focusing is deliberate and slow. As a work-around, you can speed things up by setting the camera to manual focus and either zone-focus for a distance or infinity. Auto-exposure is also slow, taking a second or two to settle on the exposure. Since the camera has no image stabilization (a big draw-back in my opinion, and fairly common amongst point-and-shoots costing less than half the price) forget about photographing indoors without flash, unless of course you use a tripod. Noise (graininess) is evident in darker tones beyond ISO 200. In low light the display becomes grayscale even though the final image is normal.

Letter size prints looked awesome but the real test was seeing how they would print on 13" wide paper on my Epson 2200. Increasing image size in Photoshop (bicubic for smoother) from 2640 x 1760 pixels to 3240 x 2160 pixels (for 12x18") while maintaining resolution at 180 ppi (pixels-per-inch) yielded impressive results.

The updated Sigma Photo Pro v3.2 software for processing RAW files has a new interface which makes it more user-friendly. The Firmware update 2.0 (released late 2008) adds a bit more customizable functionality to the LCD display and buttons.

If your photography is one of reflection and observation rather than quick reaction, you will find the Sigma DP1 a noteworthy asset in your arsenal of image-making tools.

Comments about Sigma Sigma DP-1 Digital Point & Shoot Camera, 14 Megapixel with FOVEON X3 Direct Image Sensor, Fixed 16.6mm f/4 Lens, 3x Digital Zoom, 2.5" LCD:

Very hard to beat. Foveon system produces wonderfully "filmic" effect with very high resolution and color "content." It is also discrete and can be used without proclaiming "I am a photographer!!!" Set at ISO 400, manual focus, 125th at f8 and hyperfocal distance it make a great "grab shot" device.

It is an ideal replacement for that old Leca M6 with a 28 mm and viewfinder, and, I think, is better and more discrete.

The SD14 which also produces superb photos and is used mostly on a tripod. However, the DP1 is my all time favorite photographic companion.

Comments about Sigma Sigma DP-1 Digital Point & Shoot Camera, 14 Megapixel with FOVEON X3 Direct Image Sensor, Fixed 16.6mm f/4 Lens, 3x Digital Zoom, 2.5" LCD:

Perfect photos. Just don't expect mod cons like AF that works or decent speed.