Initial impressions Sigma dp2m - Page 2

GaryLH · 10-24-2012

Sigma photo raw SW still has not crashed on me, but I suspect it is because I only use it as a raw to tiff converter. I do all my real work in aperture.

I like the way sigma implemented their quick menu system. Pretty fast to get to critical things that need to be changed. So far have not reconfigured from default.

Auto white balance when compared to Sony rx100, not as good.

Once af starts hunting or it just plain mis-focuses, ie. green confirm, but from LCD obvious bad focus, time to go to mf mode. Good thing easy to do.. with the dedicated up arrow button to change focus mode. I have only seen the bad af confirm issue so far w/ close focus subject even w/ af auto limit disabled.

I have seen the hunting mainly when light is not bright enough or contrast is not good enough even when there are both vertical and horizontal lines where I have pointed the af bracket.

Gary

noimmunity · 10-24-2012

I just received mine yesterday, Gary. No images worth showing, but some things are clear.

The image quality at low ISO blows me away. Clarity and presence remind me of the M8, yet the resolution and color definition is just so much better. Did some comparison test shots of flowers hand held in good light against the X-Pro 1 with 35/1.4. Whoa! Better stop doing that!

Boring technical stuff:

Batteries: I can get over 90 shots on one 1250 mAh battery (consistent so far over two batteries), much higher than some reports. I've ordered a couple of 1500 mAh batteries to see if those don't go even higher. Old batteries that worked with my Fuji F20 can be used, too (provided you cut out the slots on the battery), an added bonus!

Write times are comparable to the first generation GRD, i.e., slow! And that is with the fastest card commercially available.

No problems so far using the RAW software on a Macbook Pro running Lion. And since I was used to using RPP for M8 files, I'm already conditioned and used to the extra step. Yet files are much larger and processing slower than what I am used to.

I love the 45 fov, and will definitely add the external OVF.

Sigma put the strap attachments on the right side of the camera on the back of the top panel, less than ideal for wrist strap users. (Milich's grip might address that, if you want to go that route).

Wrist straps with metal O rings will scratch the body, as I found out

so I switched to a braided spectra cord, which will hold up better than leather for outdoor use.

Without a lens hood mounted, the camera fits easily inside an Ortlieb waterproof Protect pouch that I keep mounted on my backpack waistbelt. Perfect for hillwalking, backpacking, and alpinism.

Perfect, except for the limitations of the focal length (which in its own right, I love).

The DP1M beckons... If only there were a version with a 21 efov lens!

GaryLH · 10-24-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by noimmunity

The image quality at low ISO blows me away. Clarity and presence remind me of the M8, yet the resolution and color definition is just so much better. Did some comparison test shots of flowers hand held in good light against the X-Pro 1 with 35/1.4. Whoa! Better stop doing that!
!

Dp2m is not going to be your go to do everything camera, but nice sunny days, iso 100-200, the color and iq cannot be beat.

Btw the lens hoods are lh2-1 for dp2m and lh1-1 for the dp1m. Did u find one for your camera? I have one back ordered..

Have fun w/ it.

Gary

noimmunity · 10-25-2012

No hood on order yet.

Have you checked your sensor yet to see whether or not it is dirty? Seems like this is one of the must-dos at the beginning.

noimmunity · 10-25-2012

A couple of images. No cats around, so foliage and bodhisattvas will have to do

First at ISO200

Fall by the Rhône by areality4all, on Flickr

Second at ISO400

Chenrezig by areality4all, on Flickr

GaryLH · 10-25-2012

http://type-g.at.webry.info/201208/article_4.html

Just found this while browsing. Can't read Japanese, but the picture samples are labeled well enough.

Found links in a forum thread that had direct to pictures. Cut and past below from that thread

Gary

-------------------------------- paste -------------------------------

Here you go, links to the full scene original image from each camera. D800e was using the 24-120 f4, 5Dmk3 was using the 24-105L.

Its pretty interesting to open them all up in PS and play around with them a bit. The amount of you can uprez the DP2M shots and still retain good detail is pretty phenomenal.

Nikon D800e
http://www.flickr.com/photos/type-g/...n/photostream/

DP2M
http://www.flickr.com/photos/type-g/...n/photostream/

RX100
http://www.flickr.com/photos/type-g/...n/photostream/

5D mkIII
http://www.flickr.com/photos/type-g/...n/photostream/

GaryLH · 10-25-2012

I forgot to mention.. I wish the comparison was one w/ prime lenses on the Nikon and Canon dslrs. A bit flawed of a test but still interesting.

Gary

umcelinho · 10-25-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by noimmunity

If only there were a version with a 21 efov lens!

Sigma, please read that again, and again, and again...

GaryLH · 10-25-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by noimmunity

Have you checked your sensor yet to see whether or not it is dirty? Seems like this is one of the must-dos at the beginning.

Nope not yet.

Gary

GaryLH · 10-25-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by umcelinho

Sigma, please read that again, and again, and again...

I would settle for a high quality converter to get there, similar to the one Fuji did for the x100. But on the other hand, if we are talking a 24 that is a different story

Gary

noimmunity · 10-25-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaryLH

I would settle for a high quality converter to get there, similar to the one Fuji did for the x100. But on the other hand, if we are talking a 24 that is a different story

Gary

I would take a 24, too. 28 just isn't wide enough for landscape usage, which is one of the best applications for this camera, given all its speed limitations.

BTW, first experience with B&W conversions suggests this can also be one heckuva of a monochrome shooter. Tonality at low ISO is great, while the grain at 400 and higher looks to my eyes different from other digital grain I have seen. It looks less random, and more integral to the image.

btgc · 10-25-2012

Wider isn't mandatory better for landscape usage. Landscape as well as portraits can be very different and often 45mm FOV landscapes are more pleasing or just better looking than wide-to-superwide landscapes with miniscule details. I know, we here know how to use WA properly, I'm talking about them who don't

GaryLH · 10-25-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by noimmunity

BTW, first experience with B&W conversions suggests this can also be one heckuva of a monochrome shooter. Tonality at low ISO is great, while the grain at 400 and higher looks to my eyes different from other digital grain I have seen. It looks less random, and more integral to the image.

Yep I was thinking the same thing.. Could almost be considered a poor mans Leica monochrome.

or not.

Gary

GaryLH · 10-25-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by btgc

Wider isn't mandatory better for landscape usage. Landscape as well as portraits can be very different and often 45mm FOV landscapes are more pleasing or just better looking than wide-to-superwide landscapes with miniscule details. I know, we here know how to use WA properly, I'm talking about them who don't

Quite true...Super wides are not needed. A lot depends on the shot and what u are trying to do. I have shot landscapes with 135 and 200 lenses as well and everything in-between.

Gary

noimmunity · 10-26-2012

Kind of OT, but as concerns landscape, it really depends on what you intend to shoot, just like Gary says.

I love to shoot sky, so really wide is often a huge advantage.

My other great passion is for mountains. But not all mountains scenes are alike. In Taiwan, where the mountains are very steep and very tight together, a WA like 18 or 21 is great. But in Auvergne, these angles will make the Crests look flattened out and boring.

When I shoot landscape I always want a normal and a wide, and, if possible, a short tele. 21, 45 and 135 would be ideal for me. When I use a film RF, I go with 21 (or 24), 50 and 90 (the 90 is sooo much lighter than the 135).

It tells you what my priorities are that I began with the DP2M. That plus the fact that the DP2M lens/sensor combo is really stunning, not to mention the 20% discount I got by stumbling on a refurbished version. I suspect the refurbishment could have been one of those models that shipped with a dirty sensor. (Yeah, I checked, and it's clean now).

noimmunity · 10-26-2012

Back to the DP2M

some more foibles:

*No way to view monochrome on the LCD when shooting in RAW mode. Monochrome view is available only when shooting exclusively in jpeg--now what's the point of that?

*Since there is an external VF, it would be nice to have a way to turn the LCD off completely (with a hard button toggle to turn it back on).

GaryLH · 10-26-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by noimmunity

*Since there is an external VF, it would be nice to have a way to turn the LCD off completely (with a hard button toggle to turn it back on).

U can cycle thru the LCD display modes. There are two modes that are usefull for using the vf.
- info only similar to Fuji xp1 style default
- no LCD active at all

On your other point. I agree w/ the monochrome in jpg only issue.. I use it all the time on the Fuji.

Gary

noimmunity · 10-26-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaryLH

U can cycle thru the LCD display modes. There are two modes that are usefull for using the vf.
- info only similar to Fuji xp1 style default
- no LCD active at all

Where do you find "no LCD active at all"?

btgc · 10-26-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by noimmunity

Where do you find "no LCD active at all"?

I think all digital non-SLR cameras have this LCD mode, from ancient times - don't they? At least all my relics workd thus way, DP1 including. LCD wakes up when settings are changed, though.

noimmunity · 10-26-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by btgc

I think all digital non-SLR cameras have this LCD mode, from ancient times - don't they? At least all my relics workd thus way, DP1 including. LCD wakes up when settings are changed, though.

Maybe the problem is that we need to define terms? I'm talking about having the LCD off during shooting, not during review.

The only LCD-related settings on my DP2M are called "LCD Brightness" and "LCD Off". The former does not allow the LCD to be turned off completely during shooting, only dimmed. The latter only covers automatic shut-off time, the lowest figure being 10 seconds. It does not allow the LCD to be turned off during shooting.

I have updated to the latest firmware.

GaryLH · 10-26-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by noimmunity

Where do you find "no LCD active at all"?

Bottom right button can be used to cycle thru all the view modes, one press at a time.
- Normal LCD
- normal w/ histogram
- LCD w/ just af bracket and nothing else
- LCD off
- LCD in info only mode

Cheers
Gary

GaryLH · 10-26-2012

Given the 28 (19) is a 2.8 as well and is not in the same class as the 45 equiv in terms of iq but still a very good lens. My thinking was a 21 would most likely need to be a f4 or 5.6 lens in order to have good iq w/o an outrageous price point. A 24 has a better chance at keeping the cost reasonable and may be able to keep it at f2.8, f4 at worst.

Gary

noimmunity · 10-26-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaryLH

Bottom right button can be used to cycle thru all the view modes, one press at a time.
- Normal LCD
- normal w/ histogram
- LCD w/ just af bracket and nothing else
- LCD off
- LCD in info only mode

Cheers
Gary

Brilliantt!!
Gary, you da man!
Although I am quite proficient at French (yet still less so than at Chinese and Japanese), I haven't spent the time to learn the photography-related vocabulary in French (the language in which the manual was shipped).
This is a big help.

GaryLH · 10-26-2012

No problem.. Have fun

Gary

noimmunity · 10-26-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaryLH

Given the 28 (19) is a 2.8 as well and is not in the same class as the 45 equiv in terms of iq but still a very good lens. My thinking was a 21 would most likely need to be a f4 or 5.6 lens in order to have good iq w/o an outrageous price point. A 24 has a better chance at keeping the cost reasonable and may be able to keep it at f2.8, f4 at worst.

Gary

f/4 would be fine for my needs. When I use a 21 or 24 on film, it is either the ZM C Biogon, maximum opening f/4.5, or the Leica Elmar M 24, opening of f/3.8. And that's on Velvia 50.

I could live with a DP1M Super Wide at 21/4 efov.