Sean Reid has published Part 1 of his "rolling review" of the Sigma DP2. Sean's site, Reid Reviews, is a pay site, meaning that one must pay a $32.95 fee yearly to maintain access to the content. There are no advertisements.

Many are used to ad-supported content and averse to paying for content on the web, but Sean's reviews are far higher quality than most if not all of what you'll find elsewhere. The reviews are both photographer-oriented and technical, often pointing out subtle but significant findings which are omitted in reviews done by writers who are not working photographers.

These are just a couple excerpts from the DP2 Part 1 review showing the sort of fine points Sean makes in his reviews (click to view larger):

Again, those are just snippets from an extensive Part 1 review.  There is a great deal of useful information in the review.  If you are willing to pay a subscription, I highly recommend Reid Reviews.

Also, don't miss these excellent reviews at The Online Photograper:
T.O.P.: Sigma DP2 Review (link)
T.O.P.: The Sigma DP2: A Second Opinion (link)

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I have long admired Jim Radcliffe's photographs made with advanced compacts such as the Leica D-LUX 3, D-LUX 4, Sigma DP1, and Canon G10. I received word from Jim that he had just posted a review of the Sigma DP2. His concise review covers the important aspects of the camera from the standpoint of a photographer and includes numerous sample photos made with the DP2.

Link: Jim Radcliffe - My Photography with the DP2

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By now, most of us have seen the legitimate appearing, leaked photos of the upcoming E-P1 from Olympus:

Some points of interest:

• Tiny Olympus 17mm f/2.8 lens; slow by comparison to the similarly unavailable Panasonic 20mm f/1.7, though the Olympus lens appears to be even smaller than the Panasonic
• Tiny overall size; based on the hot shoe, this camera and lens combo is sized similarly to the Sigma DP1, Panasonic LX3, and Canon G10.  OMuser.com has a useful size comparison is here.
• There appears to be a paucity of tactile controls for things like aperture, ISO, and shutter speed, but that remains to be seen.
  

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Dennis (dmcguire) asks in our Flickr group discussion section, what is the "best compact for street photography?" 

Documentary photography has long been a strength of compact cameras, both film and digital. While portability is less of a factor for most landscape photography, excepting perhaps the mountain climber or hiker who needs to travel light, it is a great advantage for documentary work. Compared with larger cameras, compacts are easier to take everywhere and keep ready for any moment that should arise. Compact cameras are also more discreet than larger cameras. This can be an asset, not necessarily because of stealth, but because a less distracting camera may make it easier to document a moment without affecting its content.

Whether "street" or otherwise, the list of documentary photographers who have put compacts to outstanding use is beyond the scope of this blog post. Here are a few to consider:

• Magnum photographer Alex Majoli used Olympus digital compacts for award-winning photojournalism (link).
• New York street photographer Markus Hartel makes use of a variety of compacts including the GRD II and Sigma DP1 (link).
• Magnum photographer Peter van Agtmael also uses digital compacts including the GRD (in addition to the Leica Digilux 2 and others).  See his Lightstalkers gallery with intact EXIF data (link).

Share your thoughts about compact cameras for documentary photography here in the comments or the Flickr discussion thread started by Dennis (link).

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I received the following message from Bruce McL:

Overlooked serious compacts

What is the smallest camera that has manual exposure controls and RAW?

How about a compact camera that has PASM, IS, 30 mm wide angle (to 150 mm tele) and takes AA batteries?

The first camera is the Panasonic FX150. The second is the Panasonic LZ10. Both cameras are nearing the end of their production lives and can be had for very good prices. It doesn't look like Panasonic will repeat the feature sets of either of these cameras. No other small Panasonic FX or FS camera has RAW, and no other Panasonic camera with AA batteries has manual exposure controls and semi wide angle.

I have the FX150, a neighbor has the LZ10, and I think both are worthy of the name serious compact. You might be doing your readers a favor by calling their attention to these two cameras. They can get into the world of RAW in a very small compact for under $225, and get a serious camera with AA batteries and decent wide angle for $150.

I confess that I didn't know that the FX150 offered RAW capability. It was announced alongside the Panasonic LX3 and thus received less attention than it otherwise may have gotten. Most major review sites (DPReview, Imaging Resource, and DCRP) also seem to have slept on this camera, though Steve's Digicams and PhotographyBLOG have posted reviews.

With a relatively large (by small sensor standards) 1/1.72" sensor, slimmer profile than the LX3, versatile 28-100mm (equivalent) f/2.8-5.6 lens, and RAW, the FX150 offers quite a lot for the money.

Link: Panasonic FX150 (Black) at Amazon

[Thanks Bruce]

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