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Page 1 of 3 The DP range was first announced at Photokina in 2006; with a build up campaign and ongoing development it would be the beginning of 2008 before people could hold and use the pioneering camera. That gestation period saw the development of a new processor and pipeline for Sigma cameras; it also saw the details emerge that the DP was not to be a one-off, but part of a family of large-sensor compact cameras. Unique in the market still, the 28mm “wide” DP1 has been joined by a 41mm “standard” DP2.
With a much shorter period from announcement to availability it looks like Sigma’s ownership of Foveon will allow the firm to react to market demands more effectively - and the DP2 demonstrates how the feedback from early DP1 users has shaped their latest camera.
Sigma’s new DP2 will appear instantly familiar to any DP1 user - the minimalist aesthetic and fixed-focal-length body has not been changed significantly, retaining a single control wheel on top and the dedicated manual focus wheel (which is much stiffer than the early DP1 models most reviewers encountered - current DP1s also feature this improvement). A true flash hotshoe and pop-up flash also remain; the latter is rated as GN6 but becomes more useful on the DP2 thanks to higher ISO options. The button and textured grip layout on the rear has been revised, with a grip surface more “thumb” shaped and the appearance of a new “QS” button as featured on the SD14 - it’s now possible to use the four way control to quickly change 8 different shooting parameters. The zoom controls (which in the DP1 allowed a 3x digital zoom function, of little use to most people) are now simply “up and down” with secondary playback zoom functions identified with icons, and are employed in manual mode for direct adjustments. The DP2 has dispensed with the digital zoom function entirely.
With the new TRUE II processor developed by Fujitsu and Sigma, the DP2 promises slightly faster performance than the DP1, and also has a little more processing power for offering more advanced features. Aside from the revised menu structure, the DP2 now offers ISO 1600 and 3200, interval timer, a live-view histogram and more sophisticated user controls (plus the ability to save/load your personal settings). As a sibling camera to the DP1, the newer model is clearly an evolutionary stage rather than a revolutionary model. It’s reassuring to see that the Sigma are not allowing advances in the associated technology to pass them by, however - 12 months is a long time in the electronics industry and it does feel that the DP2 has been designed to take advantage of this.
The biggest change between the DP1 and the DP2 is the focal length. In place of the 16.6mm (28mm equivalent) f4 lens, the DP2 sports a 24.2 (41mm equivalent) f2.8 - an option which both matches the absolute definition of a “standard” lens (the focal length is equivalent to the diagonal measurement of the sensor, providing the optimum relationship between the viewing point and the recording surface) and provides unparalleled control of depth of field in a camera body of this type. Most small sensor compacts - even the models using a true diaphragm in place of an ND filter for “lower apertures” - simply cannot provide a truly narrow focal plane whilst providing the same equivalent focal lengths.
The DP1’s lens and sensor combination was carefully optimised, and this showed in the results the camera delivered. Whilst it wasn’t as fast a lens as some buyers wanted, the f4 lens was sharp fully open, ensuring the DP1 as a complete camera could hold its own against lenses that cost as much as the entire camera - many of which simply weren’t sharp until f4 anyway. Combined with the Foveon sensor, the DP1 concept was a great match for a classic film camera and is much favoured by street shooters. The DP2 has a much tougher task ahead - standard lenses for DSLRs cost less and there are many good options out there, including Sigma’s own 50mm f1.4, for less money.
Sigma have optimised the relationship between the lens and sensor in the DP2 in much the same way - and have refined the processing (and hardware, possibly) to extend the capabilities of the DP2. The lens performance is stunning; there’s none of the back or front focus issues that some DSLR owners will encounter due to the (inherently) less than perfect compromises of mass produced interchangeable lenses and as a true standard lens, there’s minimal distortion (I don’t have any test targets, and I checked my nearest brick wall - the wall isn’t straight). It remains impressively sharp from corner to corner with only very slight softness wide open in the far corners. Given the narrow depth of field in such conditions this is a high-performance lens for anyone’s expectations; that it’s on a camera which fits in a pocket would be astounding had Sigma not already demonstrated their engineering targets with the DP1.
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