Carl Rytterfalk has posted a great review of Sigma's close-up lens attachment for the DP1. Check it out here.

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Source: Tim Ashley, Open Photography Forums

Following Michael Reichmann's recommendation of the Sony DCS W300 over at Luminous Landscape, I picked one up today (cheap, too, at about £220) and added it to my unsatisfying stable of carry-everywhere cameras. Currently that's a Ricoh GRDII and a Sigma DP1, plus a Panny LX2 that lives on a shelf.

The Sony is REALLY not my sort of thing...

Read on at OpenPhotographyForums.com

Thanks s w i t t e r s

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The Sigma DP1 and Ricoh GR Digital II are frequently compared since they both offer nearly distortion free 28mm equivalent lenses, manual controls, and RAW capability. They are also priced similarly at the high end of the compact digital camera market. For those who haven't had a chance to handle both cameras, here's a quick look at how they compare in terms of size:





Camera size constraints come down to the photographer. Those who wear cargo pants or coats with large pockets may find the DP1 an easy fit. In my case, the GRD II is truly a pocket camera whereas the DP1 lens bulge puts it, along with the G9, in the small belt case category.

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Sensor sizes seem to fall into two distinct size categories: large DSLR sensors and a second class of much smaller sensors found in compact cameras. Most serious compacts, those with full manual control, seem to have sensor sizes at the upper end of the group of small sensors.

The diagram below illustrates the relative sizes of the two sensor groups. The cropped DSLR sensor group is shown in orange tones, the compact sensor group in blue tones.

As evident in the diagram, there is a big gap in sizes between the largest compact sensor, the now rarely used 2/3” (8.8 x 6.6mm) sensor, and the smallest DSLR sensor, the 4/3 (18.0 x 13.5mm) sensor. This gap is much larger than the size difference between individual sensors in each of the two groups.



Sigma’s DP1 has used a sensor in the first group of large DSLR sensors. The price of having a very large sensor in a compact body is a not very bright, nor versatile, fixed 28mm lens. All other serious compacts to date (late May 2008) use the much smaller sensors typical in compact cameras. Except for Ricoh’s GRD I/II, all these cameras feature versatile zoom lenses that are at least fairly bright at the beginning of their respective zoom ranges. Because their sensors are small, noise and noise reduction remain an issue in all but the best lighting conditions.

The question is why there isn’t an intermediate size of sensor for serious compacts: a size that fits between the DSLR and compact sensor sizes. These sensors could offer better image quality than those sensors in the compact group while they wouldn’t be so large as to preclude zoom lenses. An intermediate size would be 12.0mm x 9.0mm, which I’ll call the “S/C” sensor. This hypothetical sensor has approximately half the area of the 4/3 sensor and about twice the area of the 2/3” sensor. This sensor should allow for reasonably compact lenses and camera bodies.

Making a sensor for just one class of camera or model seems feasible if we take Panasonic’s LX2/D-LUX 3 as an example. Its unique 16:9, 8.8mm x 4.8mm, was only ever used in that particular camera model. As of May 2008, Fuji’s 2/3” Super CCD HR sensor is also only used in one model: the FinePix S100fs.

So perhaps a new intermediate sensor size could provide a better balance between image quality and a compact form factor.

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In Part 3 and Part 3s of the shootout, I compared ability of the DP1 to capture detail to that of the Canon 5D with 28mm f/2.8 lens and Olympus E-420 with 14-42mm lens. Based on those comparisons, it seemed that the DP1 is capturing a good bit less detail than the 12MP 5D combination. However, would a 12MP small sensor compact camera also capture more detail than the DP1? That is the question I set out to answer here in Part 7. As in Part 6, the DP1 will be compared to the 12MP Canon Powershot G9 and the 10MP Leica D-LUX 3 (Leica's version of the Panasonic LX2).

I tested each camera in turn to see what f-stop would be optimal for sharpness across the frame. For both the Canon and Leica, the best results were obtained at f/4. Stopping down to f/4.5 of f/5 (f/4.9 with the Leica) resulted in very slightly better performance in the extreme corners with a slight drop in performance in the center of the frame. Stopping down beyond f/4 did not appreciably help further eliminate C.A. in the Canon or Leica images. The Sigma was a consistent performer across a variety of apertures, and I finally settled on f/5.6. The Canon was at ISO 80, the Leica and Sigma at ISO 100. Each camera was allowed to determine shutter speed and white balance automatically.

The tripod location was fixed for the Leica and Sigma images and then moved for the Canon image in order for that capture to have a similar field of view to the others, given a change from 28mm equivalent (Leica and Sigma) to 35mm equivalent (Canon) angle of view.

The Canon and Leica files were processed in Adobe Lightroom, latest version, with default settings. The Sigma file was processed in Sigma Photo Pro with +0.5 Exposure to give a similar apparent exposure to the other files. The only other change from default settings was a -0.4 Sharpness adjustment in order to decrease the apparent sharpening artifacts. I experimented with sharpening settings from -1.0 to 0 and determined that -0.4 did not adversely affect overall detail captured in any way. The DP1 file was processed at native size (4.6MP).

Leica and Sigma files were upsized to 109.35% and 160.71%, respectively, using Genuine Fractals 5. This resulted in an output size of 12MP, matching the native output of the Canon G9. Genuine Fractals maintains detail well during upscaling, sacrificing perhaps a touch of detail when compared against Photoshop Bicubic. I tried both methods for this comparison, and the only significant difference was that the Bicubic method resulted in more jaggies along diagonals in the DP1 image. The All three files were given the same final sharpening step in Photoshop CS3 (Smart Sharpen, amount 50, radius 0.3). This resulted in a similar degree of sharpening (all being a bit oversharpened) amongst the three images, as determined by comparing halos throughout each image.

The DP1 and D-LUX3 samples shown below represent 100% crops of images that have been upsized to match the native G9 output size (12MP).
The specific area of examination is depicted by the yellow box in the resized photo preceding each set of crops.





Some C.A. is present in the G9 crop, and a trace in the D-LUX crop as well. Shadow detail is smeared in the D-LUX3 crop. The G9 crop is holding the most detail.





Again the G9 is showing a bit of C.A. around the sign here, but the more impressive difference is just how much detail the G9 is capturing even out towards the edge of the frame.





The DP1 is the most consistent here in the extreme corner, but the G9 is still capturing more detail. The Leica has fallen well behind here, though it clearly faces the greatest challenge of the three given the 28mm equivalent diagonal angle of view with a 16:9 aspect ratio. To put this in perspective, Canon representives have stated in the past that Canon's advanced compacts currently do not go wider than 35mm equivalent because of technical difficulty maintaining performance beyond that point.





A bit more softness is apparent in the upper left extreme corner of the Canon image. Once again, the DP1 is consistent.





Here the Canon again has captured the most detail, but again it is affected by C.A. in high contrast areas, as is the Leica. Both the G9 and D-LUX3 are also showing color aliasing effects here, whereas the DP1 is showing a bit of luminance aliasing.





Moving towards the left edge, we can see again that the G9 and D-LUX3 suffer C.A., and the G9 captures the most detail. Additionally, this crop nicely demonstrates that the G9 shadows are the noisiest, the DP1 shadows the cleanest, and the D-LUX3 shadows the most smeared of the three.





More of the same here. G9 has the most detail, C.A., and shadow noise.




Now just left of center, the D-LUX3 and DP1 are capturing a similar amount of detail. The G9, meanwhile, goes a step further.

A DP1 review at DPReview recently concluded "Class leading detail in ISO 100 images" and "Resolution is as good as it gets in compact cameras." However, based on my tests, the DP1 simply cannot match the G9 (at its widest setting) for absolute detail captured at base ISO in good light. Which compact delivers the best overall image quality? Easy, in my opinion, DP1. Most detail resolved? G9.

As always, the RAW files are available for your interest/investigation:

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Carl Rytterfalk has posted early impressions of and samples (both stills and video) from the Sigma DP1 on each of the two days he has had the camera thus far. It is great to see even more of what this camera can do in the hands of a talented photographer. If you are interested in the DP1, be sure to bookmark www.rytterfalk.com.

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After reviewing the official Sigma DP1 examples, my thoughts turned to the best method for upsizing them. While it is clear that these images contain a ton of detail, the choice of upscaling approach is important for getting the best possible extra large prints out of relatively small (4.65MP) files. As luck would have it, Ctein of The Online Photographer today posted Part 1 of a three-part comparison between Genuine Fractals, Blow Up, and Photoshop Bicubic. I'm looking forward to Parts 2 & 3, which are said to be coming over the next week.

In the meanwhile, I've been having fun experimenting with resizing approaches. In particular, I've been comparing Genuine Fractals and Photoshop Bicubic Smoother for their ability to upsize the DP1 samples to 14MP. The major problem I've encountered with upsizing the SD14 and DP1 files is that of aliasing artifacts (jaggies). Genuine Fractals seems to do an excellent job of preserving detail while minimizing these artifacts. I'm finding that the default setting on Genuine Fractals used to upsize followed by modest Smart Sharpening in PS (Amount 100, Radius 0.3) gives good results. In the comparison crops that follow, I compared this approach to Photoshop Bicubic Smoother, which required more aggressive subsequent sharpening (Smart Sharpen, Amount 200, Radius 1) for a similar degree of apparent detail. Disclaimers up front: 1) I don't yet have permission from Sigma to post upsized images, but I believe that using these tiny crops as examples is permissibile from a copyright standpoint. The original photographers for the images from which these crops were derived agreed with this; 2) JPEGs aren't the best source for upscaling. JPEG artifacts become more prominent; 3) Obviously my methods for upscaling may be suboptimal and therefore not representative of the DP1 X3 potential; 4) Rick Decker pointed out that the crop I chose from his image may not do justice to the sharpness possible with the DP1 given that the light wasn't that bright at the time of the capture.

Here are some examples (Click image for intended viewing size):


Another example (Click image for intended viewing size):

The differences are definitely subtle, and it would probably take quite a large print to show them. However, if you pick through looking for aliasing effects, they're present in the images resized using PS Bicubic to a greater extent than in those resized with GF5. The jaggies on the slope near the observatory are the most prominent example, but there are others if you look closely at 100%.

In a response to Ctein's article, Hugh Crawford posted the following insights regarding Genuine Fractals: "The behavior of the Genuine Fractals makes sense if you keep in mind that it was originally designed as a file compression program that converted the raster information to vector information and compressed it using wavelets. It tends to want to define things as areas with edges. On the one hand it does a good job of getting rid of aliasing effects on edges and sharpening them without the usual sharpening artifacts, but at the expense of wanting to make things look like areas with edges if the blur is near the sampling frequency." These comments agree well with my preliminary results shown above; and in examples not shown, I've seen a bit of the downside to which he referred.


I have written to Sigma for permission to feature upsampled images on this site. Depending on their reply, I will be able to more fully demonstrate the potential of this approach.

If you use the link below to join me in pre-ordering the DP1, Amazon will give me a small credit towards the purchase of my DP1. Thanks!

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Sigma has posted the DP1 Sample Image Gallery. Check it out here.

Update: The site is having intermittent problems loading, but direct links to images continue to work. The url for the first image sample is the following: http://www.sigma-dp1.com/sample-photo/img/SigmaDP1-001.jpg

Replace "001" with any number from 002 to 037 for the other images.

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As I anxiously wait for my DP1 pre-order to ship, here are a few tidbits I've come across:

One new DP1 owner over at SLRClub.com has posted a brief comparison of a DP1 crop (presumably a crop from a 3x DP1 image) with a crop from a 5D & 16-35L as well as a Samsung GX20 & D-Xenon 12-24. He or she also mentions the Ricoh GX100 and Leica M8 amongst other cameras. I'd love to know what was said, but the Google translation isn't much better than my Korean.

There's also been quite a bit of interest on the web about a Korean review of the DP1 found here. An English translation has been provided here. Discussions have popped up in all the usual forums. That review contains crop comparisons of the DP1, 5D, LX2, and GRD (I) in addition to a great many resized DP1 images. At greater than 55MB for a single page, a broadband connection is needed for viewing.

Flickr user Chang Jung Lee (houdinifx) has the DP1 in hand and is sharing a number of resized image samples.

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Having pre-ordered the DP1, I'm working towards doing a shootout along the lines of the GX100 vs G7 vs D-LUX 2 Shootout. The issue is that there really isn't another camera like the DP1. The GRD II is probably the closest match from the standpoint of a photography tool, but others will likely do that comparison. Professional photographer and reviewer Sean Reid will no doubt do a thorough job of comparing the two when he does his DP1 review. Pavel Kudrys of Ricoh Forum has posted a number of excellent GRD II tests and has stated his intent to try to obtain a DP1 for comparison. Nevertheless, I'd be willing to add my comparisons to the mix. Alternatively, I could do a comparison of the Canon 5D and EF 28mm f/2.8 lens to the DP1, but that is unsatisfying for three reasons. First, the 5D is massive compared with the DP1, so they obviously serve different functions. Second, the 5D is a good deal more expensive; and third, the SD14 (which has the same sensor as the DP1) has already been compared with the 5D. The Canon G9 is a reasonable camera for comparison since it offers excellent image quality, RAW, and is only moderately larger than the DP1. It seems to be the compact carry of choice for a number of folks who are serious about photography. The main downside is that the G9 lens doesn't go wider than 35mm (equivalent). The upcoming Canon Rebel XSi/450D is an attractive candidate for the shootout since it is priced close to the DP1 and has a kit lens that goes to 28mm (equivalent). I'd be interested in seeing the DP1 compete against a 12MP, recently-announced entry-level DSLR. I'd choose the Canon over the Nikon equivalent simply because I already have a couple Canon lenses I could use with it. The downside, again, is that an XSi isn't compact. It also won't be available for testing until mid-April at the earliest. The Leica D-LUX 3 and its equivalent, the Panasonic LX2, are also under consideration. These are excellent cameras which offer wide angle, RAW, and, like the G9 are frequently the compact choice for serious photographers. The GX100 also deserves consideration but is off the list since the best comparison from Ricoh is almost certainly the GRD II. The Olympus E-410 with 14-42mm kit lens, as the most compact DSLR available, is another comparison some may find of great interest. The Olympus Stylus Epic is an old 35mm film compact with a 35mm f/2.8 fixed focal length lens. It would make for an interesting comparison, but somehow I doubt that many folks will have trouble deciding between this one and the DP1.

Perhaps you have a better suggestion, or maybe you think that a shootout would be pointless since the DP1 represents a new class of camera. Kindly let me know by responding to the poll featured to the right as well as by leaving your comments below. The poll restricts each individual to a single selection. The reason for this is that I have neither the time to test nor the money to buy all those cameras! I'm simply considering buying and/or borrowing one or two (max) for the purposes of a shootout and would like to get a sense of where the general interest lies. Thanks!

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The digital camera industry is heavily invested in the concept of megapixels, where one megapixel = one million pixels. One can define the number of megapixels based on the number of pixels in the camera sensor, or one can define the number based on the number of pixels in the resulting image. With nearly all cameras, there is no substantial difference between the two. For example, Canon's flagship compact digital camera, the Powershot G9, has a sensor made up of 12 million pixels in a single layer and outputs a final image that is 4000 pixels by 3000 pixels (12MP). The Foveon X3 sensor in the Sigma DP1 and SD14 is an exception. This sensor uses three layers of pixels with 4.6 million pixels in each layer. While that means that there are roughly 14 million pixels altogether in the sensor, the output of this sensor is an image measuring 2640 pixels by 1760 pixels (4.6MP). Sigma and Foveon detractors have pointed out the obvious discrepancy here. Clearly a 4.6MP output image cannot contain 14MP of detail. For essentially marketing reasons, Sigma is referring to the DP1 as a 14MP camera. After all, who would pay $1000 ($800 street) for a 4.6MP pocket camera?

As it turns out, Sigma is forcing us to re-evaluate megapixel ratings just as AMD forced us to re-evaluate gigahertz ratings in the computer processor industry. Not all megapixels are created equal from a detail standpoint, and that's without even considering other aspects of image quality including color fidelity, noise, and dynamic range. Anyone who's ever put a mediocre lens on a good DSLR can tell you that to do so is to literally throw away megapixels. In fact, it takes a very good lens to fully utilize the resolving ability of a sensor across the entire frame. Assuming one has such a good lens on hand, the next issue is whether the sensor itself can deliver in terms of "per pixel sharpness." For technical reasons that are well explained elsewhere, the sensors used in most cameras simply don't deliver as much detail as their megapixel ratings imply. Without delving into the reasons for this, it is easy to recognize the issue. View any image from a high megapixel camera on screen at 100%, and one can see that the level of detail simply isn't as high as it is in a resized image. At their "per pixel level," these images are just a little bit blurry. Typically speaking, one has to resize the image to 75% or less and then sharpen before the apparent detail is truly crisp. On average, this resizing step corresponds to an approximately 50% loss in megapixels. Depending on the particular camera and lens combination, the resizing may have to be even more significant. For example, a DSLR with a strong AA filter and a mediocre lens may output only a fourth of the advertised MP count in terms of true detail.

After examining hundreds of Sigma SD14 images and all available DP1 samples available online, it is clear to me that the me that this Foveon sensor provides better "per pixel sharpness" than any camera I have ever owned. The quality of the detail looks as good at 100% on screen as it does resized, and that is refreshing. Rather than advertising the DP1 as a 4.6MP camera with superior per pixel sharpness, Sigma has decided to classify it based on the number of pixels in the sensor. While the latter is indeed somewhat misleading, the former would have been disastrous from a marketing standpoint. As far as I am concerned, Sigma has been as forthright as have been other camera manufacturers in declaring megapixel counts. To quote Wikipedia's entry on the Pentium 4, "a review showed that in games, it took a 5.2 GHz Prescott core to soundly beat the performance of a 64-bit Athlon FX-55 that clocked at 2.6 GHz." Thanks to AMD, most of us now know that the gigahertz specification of a computer processor gives only limited information about overall performance. Thanks to Foveon and Sigma, it is more clear than ever that the megapixel rating is a highly limited assessment of the level of detail a camera can output.

Given the available samples from the SD14, I'm satisfied that the DP1 sensor (same as the SD14) can deliver higher overall image quality than that of any other pocket camera available to date. Based on the DPReview DP1 samples, I believe that the lens will be up to the task. Therefore, despite the fact that 28mm is not the single best focal length for my overall intended use - and with the understanding that the f/4 limitation is what it is - I pre-ordered the DP1 on Amazon earlier today. Amazon initially had the DP1 available for pre-order at a price of $750. It's currently at $800. Amazon's policy is to give one the lowest price at which it is listed between the time of pre-order placement and one month after shipping. No charges are made until the camera ships. After placing my order, I was given an estimated ship date of March 31 despite availability being listed as March 25. I'd be curious to know whether anyone else who pre-ordered earlier from Amazon was given an earlier ship date, as this would suggest that they are getting a significant number of orders.

If you decide to join me in pre-ordering the DP1 and would like to tip me in the process, you can do so by using the link below to get to Amazon.

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Out of interest in the upcoming DP1, I've recently been reading everything I can find about the Sigma SD14, with which the DP1 shares a common sensor. That led me to Carl Rytterfalk's excellent site. Going through Carl's archives, I found a link to "The Great 14MP Shootout - Sigma SD14 vs Kodak 14nx" by Whisperingcat Photography. David Millier and Erik Muehlberger did an outstanding job of comparing the output of the Sigma SD14 and the Kodak 14nx. Their article is of general interest to anyone who pixel peeps 100% crops to gain information about sensors and of particular interest to those looking to learn more about the Foveon sensor in the DP1 and SD14. That comparison, again, is here.

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Carl Rytterfalk is posting some very interesting work on his site. He is using the Sigma SD14, which has the same Foveon sensor as the Sigma DP1. While the samples available from pre-production DP1 units (available at here at DPReview and here at LetsGoDigital) have shown impressive performance at low ISOs, the high ISO files have been criticized for "blotchy" color noise. In my experience, similar color noise from Bayer sensor-derived high ISO files typically translates into "blotchy" regions in black and white conversions. Carl's ISO 3200-12800 tests using the SD14 suggest that the same may not be the case for the latest Foveon offering. His additional high ISO tests were performed at 16mm (28mm FOV in 35mm photography terms) to simulate the expected output from the DP1. Carl recently also posted a black and white portrait from the SD14 resized from 4.6MP to 14MP. Anyone interested in the SD14 or DP1 will want to check out his excellent work. To see nearly 2,000 more examples of photos taken with the SD14, check out the SD14 group on Flickr.

The DP1 is now available for pre-order from Amazon with a release date of March 25.

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Sigma has announced that the long-awaited DP1 will be available this spring. DPReview has the press release and full specifications here. Unfortunately, I don't think this model will succeed. It's distinguishing feature is that it packs a large (APS-C) sensor into a compact form. However, one of the advantages most of us associates with larger sensors is cleaner performance at high ISO values. The fact that the DP1 has a maximum ISO setting of ISO 800, maximum shutter speed of 1/1000s, and a relatively slow f/4 lens assures that low-light handheld photography will not be a strength of this camera. That and the general public bias against prime lenses, particularly wide prime lenses, make it unlikely that the DP1 will sell particularly well. I hope that I am wrong and that the DP1 finds its niche. Who knows, it could be the next cult camera. Success or not, the DP1 will likely be an important camera. If it flops, it may be a long time before we see another attempt to bring a large sensor compact camera to market. If it sells, it will pave the way for other interesting new models to come.

The DP1 is now available for pre-order from Amazon with a release date of March 25.

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Sigma has updated us on the status of the DP1, a product they announced over a year ago. As most of you know, the alleged DP1 is groundbreaking in that it is a compact digital camera with a large sensor. While I'm pleased to learn that Sigma hasn't scrapped the idea entirely, I refuse to get excited about a product that has been delayed this long. If the fixed 28mm f/4 lens were a 35mm f/2.8 lens instead, I'd probably manage a bit more enthusiasm. That said, even with total light-gathering ability similar to a small sensor camera with a fast lens, the large Foveon sensor should provide really nice dynamic range and color, likely best-in-class amongst compact cameras.

Someone wake me up when this thing is on the shelves, okay?

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