14 DAY TRIAL // Well-known camera and optics manufacturer Sigma has just revealed its latest compact camera models, which come with a quite unexpected design that celebrates the reinvention of the “dp” series.
The new Sigma dp Quattro series includes three new fixed focal length lens compact cameras that have been redesigned from the ground up (image sensor, engine, lens, and body) and given a unique look that surely makes them stand out from the crowd. Let's take a closer look to see what Sigma has prepared for its customers.
The Sigma dp Quattro lineup features three camera models, each with a different fixed focal length lens for a unique photographic approach: a 19mm wide-angle dp1 Quattro, a 30mm standard dp2 Quattro, and a medium telephoto 50mm dp3 Quattro, all packing a 35mm equivalent focal length of 28mm, 45mm, and 75mm, respectively.
Although coming with an exciting new design, the dp Quattro series cameras pack more than meets the eye. Under the hood of each of them you will find a newly developed 29MP Foveon X3 Quattro CMOS image sensor that uses vertical color separation technology instead of the usual horizontal type, making it the world's first sensor with such a feature.
This new sensor is capable of delivering outstanding image quality thanks to the Foveon technology, which doesn't use color, and low-pass filters that could cause a loss of information transmitted by light. Moreover, the data from this sensor doesn't require artificial interpolation as traditional sensors do, thus being capable of capturing hue, value, and chroma accurately for each pixel.
Besides the different focal length lenses, all three dp Quattro series cameras share exactly the same features, including: lossless RAW capture at 14-bit, low-light sensitivity up to ISO 6,400 in 1/3 steps, contrast detection 9 points AF mode, auto bracketing, and a shutter speed range from 30 seconds to 1/2000 of a second.
The cameras also come with a hotshoe that will allow the usage of optional flash and viewfinder units, and features a 3-inch 920k-dot LCD display. Pricing and availability is yet to be announced.
