Photography

Sigma redesigns the compact camera, with the dp2 Quattro

Sigma redesigns the compact camera, with the dp2 Quattro
The Sigma dp2 Quattro is not your typical compact camera
The Sigma dp2 Quattro is not your typical compact camera
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The Sigma dp2 Quattro is not your typical compact camera
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The Sigma dp2 Quattro is not your typical compact camera
The Sigma dp2 Quattro measures 161.4 x 67 x 81.6 mm (6.4 x 2.6 x 3.2 inches)
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The Sigma dp2 Quattro measures 161.4 x 67 x 81.6 mm (6.4 x 2.6 x 3.2 inches)
On the rear of the Sigma dp2 Quattro is a 3-inch LCD with 920k dots
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On the rear of the Sigma dp2 Quattro is a 3-inch LCD with 920k dots
The Sigma dp2 Quattro features a strange-looking grip with two control dials on top
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The Sigma dp2 Quattro features a strange-looking grip with two control dials on top
A 30-mm F2.8 lens gives the Sigma dp2 Quattro a 35-mm-format focal length equivalent of 45-mm
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A 30-mm F2.8 lens gives the Sigma dp2 Quattro a 35-mm-format focal length equivalent of 45-mm
The Sigma dp2 Quattro will all have an ISO range of 100 to 6,400, and autofocus will be dealt with by a 9-point contrast-detection system
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The Sigma dp2 Quattro will all have an ISO range of 100 to 6,400, and autofocus will be dealt with by a 9-point contrast-detection system
Sigma has not yet revealed when the dp2 Quattro cameras will go on sale, or how much they will cost.
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Sigma has not yet revealed when the dp2 Quattro cameras will go on sale, or how much they will cost.
At the core of the dp Quattro line is a redesigned version of Sigma's APS-C sized (23.5 × 15.7 mm) Foveon X3 sensor
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At the core of the dp Quattro line is a redesigned version of Sigma's APS-C sized (23.5 × 15.7 mm) Foveon X3 sensor
The top photodiodes layer of the Sigma dp2 Quattro sensor is 20-megapixel, while the middle and bottom ones are 4.9-megapixel
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The top photodiodes layer of the Sigma dp2 Quattro sensor is 20-megapixel, while the middle and bottom ones are 4.9-megapixel
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At first glance you can see the Sigma dp2 Quattro is not a typical compact camera. It has a long thin body, with a protruding fixed lens and an unusual kinked grip. But its design isn't the only thing that makes this camera different – it also features the latest iteration of Sigma's Foveon X3 direct image sensor, which uses vertical color separation technology.

The dp2 Quattro will be the first in Sigma's new line of fixed focal length cameras which prioritize image quality above all else. Following on from the DP Merrill range, a trio of dp Quattro compacts will feature either a wide-angle, standard, or medium telephoto lens. The dp2 will be the first to be released and is the standard focal length offering, with its 30-mm lens giving a 35-mm-format equivalent of 45-mm.

At the core of the dp Quattro line is a redesigned version of Sigma's APS-C sized (23.5 × 15.7 mm) Foveon X3 sensor which now offers an effective 29 megapixels, though not in the conventional manner. That's because as with previous Foveon sensors, it uses three layers of photodiodes each corresponding to a different RGB color, rather than the more traditional mosaic sensors.

The top photodiodes layer of the Sigma dp2 Quattro sensor is 20-megapixel, while the middle and bottom ones are 4.9-megapixel
The top photodiodes layer of the Sigma dp2 Quattro sensor is 20-megapixel, while the middle and bottom ones are 4.9-megapixel

This vertical color separation allows the sensor to record hue, value, and chroma for each pixel. It also means no color filter or low pass filter is required, resulting in high-quality images with rich color detail. Presumably to allow for faster image processing, the top photodiodes layer of the new sensor is 20-megapixel, while the middle and bottom ones are 4.9-megapixel – in the DP Merrills, all three layers had the same resolution. RAW images will have a 5,424 x 3,616 (19.6-megapixel) resolution.

As mentioned, the Sigma dp2 Quattro will feature a standard 30-mm F2.8 lens (offering a 35-mm-format equivalent of 45-mm). It will be followed by the dp1 Quattro, with a 19-mm F2.8 lens (28-mm equivalent), and the dp3 Quattro with a 50-mm F2.8 (75-mm equivalent). All the dp Quattro cameras will also feature a new TRUE III image processing engine, which is designed to get the most out of the sensor and produce rich, detailed images.

The cameras will all have an ISO range of 100 to 6,400, and autofocus will be dealt with by a 9-point contrast-detection system, which is hopefully faster than that which hindered the DP Merrills. There will be the option to shoot 14-bit RAW and JPEG, but as with the Nikon Df, there's no movie recording.

The Sigma dp2 Quattro features a strange-looking grip with two control dials on top
The Sigma dp2 Quattro features a strange-looking grip with two control dials on top

Design-wise, the dp Quattro cameras feature the same body, though measuring 161.4 x 67 x 81.6 mm (6.4 x 2.6 x 3.2 inches), the dp2 will be the smallest, as the 19-mm and 50-mm lenses will be bigger. On the back, the cameras will have a 3-inch LCD with 920k dots and plenty of space for a minimalist button layout, while on top of the grip there will be two control dials.

Sigma has not yet revealed when the dp Quattro cameras will go on sale, or how much they will cost.

To see a bit more of the Sigma dp2 Quattro, check out the Sigma promotional video below.

Product page: Sigma dp2 Quattro

SIGMA dp2 QuattroーConcept Movie

View gallery - 9 images
2 comments
2 comments
Alba Silva
I have read in some blogs that people is fascinating for its design but I wouldn't say it's the more important of this compact. It's sensor is just amazing ! Think how many things you can do with it! The market of the compacts is improving a lot on my opinion, also the new coolpix 340 is pretty good.
morongobill
The technology is amazing. But I really can't believe that they do not have their sample image gallery up on their website. Surely they have some shots that they could put up.
I am really tiring of all the teaser campaigns. Where's the beef?
Did anyone else notice that they will have an old fashioned viewfinder(hot shoe mount) available for purchase? Just like in the old time medium format days.