Sigma is known primarily forlenses , but it also makes cameras . The most recent creation is theQuattroseries . Like previous models , it use Sigma ’s unique high resolution Foveon sensor . But this time around , some serious form - shifting has been applied to the body for a really oddball camera that is hard to come to grips with ( literally ) .
It ’s hard to live how seriously to take a photographic camera like the DP1 Quattro . Historically , Sigma ’s cams have been bad in low-pitched light , dull to focus , and quite expensive . They only remain a spectacle because of the Foveon X3 — a uniquely design species of image sensor which stack three layers of exposure - sites that detect crimson , unripened , and puritanic distinctly , aggregate each signaling to create the persona . This is unlike from traditional bayer sensors which use a single pixel to memorialise all the colouring material wavelengths at once , requiring a filter process to develop a final prototype . Basically what Foveon sensors add together up to are more finely detailed pictures with stronger vividness depth .
Having never shot with a Sigma tv camera before , I was aroused to appear at the gorgeous 29 megapixel mental image this affair was capable of . As an disciple to a strictly RAW diet , I was disappointed to see that only JPG way can bring on 29 megapixel images . When shooting RAW , you are limited to 19 megapixels . Oh well . But before I could even submerge my sorrow , I had to enwrap my nous around the Quattro ’s shape .
I can only necessitate myself , WHY ? Why on dry land Sigma resolve to forge ahead with this body design is beyond me . Where most cameras have a travelling bag that jut out in front of the body to fit in your clasped fingers , the Quattro ’s grip extends in the diametrical direction : toward you . I spent a few minutes shuffle my hands around the thing , but could n’t cypher out how this frame made sense . It ’s unmanageable to get any form of leverage on the camera . This disaster is compounded by the fact that the buttons and dial are actually bully , sitting in legitimate positions with a nice and click - y tactile feel . But that grip — oh dear . I did see that when I flip the Quattro upside down , the hold fit utterly in my hand . Maybe a fudged aim schematic drawing made its way through the procedure and nobody had the gumption to admit to error . I can only desire , because its hard to otherwise justify such ergonomics !
Despite the Quattro ’s shape , everything else about it is super slick . It ’s minimum , with a stationary display on the back and a pretty expectant 19 mm ( 28 mm full - frame equivalent ) f/2.8 lens on the front . That ’s on the DP1 version . There is also a DP2 , which is the same , but skylark a 30 mm lens system ( 45 mm full - frame equivalent ) .
Shooting with the Quattro was wanton to get used to , with logical carte and warm access to most control . The braggart vault was speed , which it miss any ghost of . frivol away a undivided JPG icon required a delay of about 15 secondment before you could play it back . Not even joking . There is about two seconds of lag between shots . Autofocus is also torpid by modern standards , especially in miserable light . gratuitous to say , the Quattro is not for sports or even street shooters .
These shortcomings could possibly be lived with but for one sincerely calamitous flaw — humiliated light . Like previous Sigma cams , the Foveon sensing element just ca n’t keep its mien in the iniquity . You are n’t going to require to hazard past ISO 800 with the Quattro , or else you will find yourself awash in a ocean of interference .
For all these grounds , landscape picture taking is really where the Quattro shines . As long as you have a stationary subject with a tripod that will allow you to keep the ISO low by using tedious shutter speeds , the images from the Quattro can be really fantastic .
I got the full results stick around with the veritable honest-to-god 19 megapixel closure . The Super - HI modality , which yields 28 megapixel JPGs , feed you pictures that hurt from some very jaggy and squeeze - take care haphazardness form . It ’s not really a surprisal , because the 28 megapixel resolve is the result of a rendering algorithm that essentially upscales from 19 megapixels . The regular , aboriginal resolution pic are much more natural looking .
Visit ourFlickr galleryto view the following range in their native resolution .
Here are a few of the “ Super - HI ” 28 megapixel JPGs :
Here ’s a 100 % craw of the above image , showing how contingent can get a flake noisy and jaggy , even at ISO 100 :
Here are a few of the 19 megapixel JPGs :
A demonstration of how spoilt the low light results are . This is at ISO 1600 :
The Quattro DP1 ’s 19 mm f/2.8 lens is neat in the center , but the perimeter is not very sharp at all . Also , magenta fringing was rearing . That makes it very important to check the highlight with this camera .
Here ’s a crop showing the horrible Battle of Magenta fringing :
To make the most of the Quattro ’s paradigm quality , the birthday suit images are where it ’s at . Even under idealistic conditions , I still launch that fine detail can get a little garbled , but most of the sentence I end up with tack - sharp results . Unfortunately , you need to use Sigma ’s propietary ProPhoto package to take the RAW files , which hinder workflow if you are used to Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop .
Here ’s a RAW image shot at ISO 100 , converted to a bickering with Sigma ’s ProPhoto software , with no noise reduction applied :
Here ’s a 100 % crop of the center of the above image :
There ’s no question that the Quattro is an oddness , and it seems like it ’s that way on use , to make stir around the Foveon sensor which is a sensational engineering but very limiting . It was sure interesting carrying it around for a while , but it was lovely to come back to traditional camera consistency , the speed of modern auto - focus , and the power to spud in low light .
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