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Larry posted about the Sigma DP1 compact digital camera on the first day of the show. But I have some more photos of it and it's something I've been anxiously awaiting, so I thought I'd share my own thoughts about it.
A few years ago I had a Yashica T4 Super 35mm point-and-shoot camera. It had a fixed f/3.5 35mm lens, a spot meter, and I could shoot slide film with it and get great photos. Some of my favorite photos ever were taken with that pocket-sized camera. One of the casualties of the digital camera takeover have been wonderful little cameras like my T4 Super (T5 outside the US), the Olympus Stylus Epic, and the premium compact 35mm cameras from Ricoh, Leica, and Contax. Back when every camera used the same quality sensor (aka film), image quality didn't vary quite so much from camera to camera. The lens and exposure were the issue then.
Now, sensor size is the most important factor - at least when you're comparing compact digital cameras to digital SLRs. The larger sensors in digital SLRs mean bigger individual pixels and that means considerably better image quality and better high-ISO performance. So far, no digital camera manufacturer has been willing to go out on a limb and make a compact camera with a digital SLR-sized sensor. Therefore, no matter what the features and lens quality, all compact digital cameras, have had noticeably compromised image quality.
And along comes Sigma with the new 14-megapixel Foveon sensor. Who woulda thunk it? I would have expected it to come from Canon, Nikon, or Leica. But Sigma is the visionary company willing to take a chance. And it looks good. It's a little large - more like the Leica and Contax 35mm compacts than the Olympus, Ricoh, or Yashica. But it's got a fixed 28mm f/4 lens, full manual controls, and most importantly, the same sensor as the new Sigma AD14 digital SLR. I am psyched!
The build quality of the DP1 doesn't feel as good as the Leica or Contax cameras, or even the Olympus Stylus Epic. But it's the pictures that matter. If the image quality is as good as I hope it will be, any "feel" or "build" issues will be forgiven - at least by this photographer. Although, that does depend on the price. All I was told was that it would cost less than $1000 US. Sounds pretty expensive. If it's over $500, I hope they do improve the fit and finish. Because that's the old Leica and Contax point-and-shoot pricing territory. And for that kind of money, I think the buyer deserves that kind of premium buil quality.
Got my fingers crossed for a winner!
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