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First looks: Sigma dp2 Quattro camera

By Marcus Wong - 19 Nov 2014

First looks: Sigma dp2 Quattro

While not exactly new (the camera was announced February 11th this year), the Sigma dp2 Quattro is a camera we haven’t seen much of locally, and so we were quite interested to take a look at this somewhat unconventional camera that packs an APS-C sized, multi-layer Foveon sensor in a camera body that’s just about the size of a mirrorless camera but handles like a point and shoot camera.

Perhaps because the Quattro series features fixed lenses only, the Quattro dp comes in three flavors: the wide-angle dp1 comes with a 19mm (28mm in 35mm format equivalent) f/2.8 lens, the "standard" dp 2 features a 30mm (45mm in 35mm format equivalent) f/2.8 lens, and the telephoto dp3 features a 50mm (75mm in 35mm format equivalent) f/2.8 lens. All three use the same CMOS Foveon X3 Direct Image Sensor, which has an effective resolution of 39 Megapixels, and an ISO sensitivity range of 100-6400 in 1/3 stops.

The difference between a foveon sensor and a regular one.  *Image credit: Foveon.com

Unlike regular image sensors that mix three types of photodiodes (red, green and blue) on the same layer in a single array sensor, the Quattro sensor uses three layers of sensors so that each sensor only has one type of photodiode. In this way, every pixel on the sensor captures all three colors at once by reading the sensor vertically. This means it can record hue, value and chroma accurately and completely for each and every pixel. There’s no color filter array needed, and hence no need for an additional low pass filter to correct for interference, resulting in greater resolution achieved.

Because the information is captured vertically, the Foveon sensor uses a 1:1:4 sensor structure, with four times the number of pixels on the top layer as compared to the middle and bottom sensor. This is because the top layer also captures luminance information, while the bottom two only handle color information. This allows for faster processing and helps to minimize noise, and also is the reason for the name “Quattro”.

A quick selection menu allows you easy access to commonly used settings.

Dedicated knobs allow for adjustments of shutter and aperture.

While the camera itself is relatively slim, it’s also most definitely long, measuring some 16.14 cm across and 8.16 cm tall. It’s most definitely an odd-size for a point-and-shoot, but still fits comfortably in the hand, and at just 395g (without battery or memory card) is certainly light enough to bring around all day. There’s a nice 3-inch TFT LCD display with about 920,000-pixel resolution, and the camera has a standard hot-shoe for your usual accessories.

There's a standard hotshoe for additional accessories.

The SD card slot is on the left of the camera.

The camera takes standard SD cards, and does seem decently well balanced in the hand despite the extra length, but we can see how some people may find it a little too large (or rather, long) for comfort. It’s certainly not something that you can slip into your pocket, but still should fit into any day bag easily. There’s a big "Focus" button by the right grip, but it doesn’t actually activate autofocus. Rather, it takes you to a menu with the different focus modes available.

Focusing speed isn’t the fastest we’ve tried, but it certainly is acceptable for what is essentially a high-end point-and-shot camera and Sigma themselves say the camera is meant to go against competitors like the Ricoh GR and the Sony DSC-RX1, which also offer large sensors in a compact camera body, and not ILCs (interchangeable lens cameras). Where it does differ from your regular point and shoot models is that the dp2 will allow you to shoot in Aperture, Shutter, Manual and Program priority modes. There are dedicated knobs for shutter and aperture adjustments, and you can do manual focus with the 30mm lens if you so wish.

The prints from the camera that they had on display certainly seemed to boast vivid colors, but there wasn’t quite as much color available at Sigma's office for us to test this out for ourselves. Overall though, we’d say that the Sigma dp2 Quattro certainly seems capable of producing beautiful images with amazing resolution under the right conditions, but whether or not it truly is on par with that of a digital back remains to be seen - until we can put it to the test at least. In the mean time, here are some shots taken at different ISOs. 

30mm at f/4.0, 1/30s ISO 800

30mm at f/4.0, 1/60s, ISO 1600

f/6.3 at 30mm, 1/100s, ISO 6400

30mm at f/16, 1/30s, ISO 800

There's also a list of dedicated accessories for dp Quattro cameras that are already available, like the lens hood, external flash and optical viewfinder. We're told an electronic viewfinder will be coming soon, as well as your usual half-body cases and hand straps.

The optical viewfinder isn't synced to your LCD, but it allows you to see what the camera sees.

There's an external flash unit you can purchase for the dp Quattro cameras.

A lens hood helps to protect your lens.

The Sigma dp1 Quattro and dp2 Quattro are available now at all authorized retailers for a recommended retail price of S$1,369, while the dp3 Quattro should be coming in towards the end of the year, also at a RRP of S$1,369.

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