Great advancement in every respect

I'd like to nominate to the known technical data, some relevant differences in practice to the predecessor models, which struck me particularly positive. I already had the DP1, DP1 Merrill and DP1x.

HOUSING / DESIGN:

First of all, of course spingt the unusual shape eye. Initially, only seen in pictures on the internet, I was very skeptical. I found the design brave, valuable and interesting. Besides, I thought, Sigma does well to stand out a little more to get out of the niche a little further. But I suspected a rather impractical and especially unpleasant feel. Some time later, held for the first time in his hand, the skepticism gave immediately the enthusiasm and admiration. Due to the unusual shape it is very safe in their hands, not least because of the Quattro was finally donated a neat grippy rubber. That has always bothered me with the predecessor models. The minimum knobs on the housings of the predecessor offered virtually no practical use. The housing had me simply too slippery and easy.

Finally, the keys are labeled directly and not with symbols next to the keys, as with its predecessors. This had somehow immature.

The Quattro is great, is tired of their weight in the hand and has no reason to the quality or material appearance to criticize.

The monitor is neat, but there are better. It is rigid, ie non-rotating -or swivel.

The menu is modern, reduced to the essentials and very intuitive - even here for me no reason to complain.

Another new feature is a built-in AF-assist illuminator. Something like that simply belongs to nowadays - now finally at Sigma!

The back is use technically very tidy, not confused with a thousand little buttons and levers simultaneously or even exaggerated many double occupancy. Straight through the still existing QS button, you always have direct access to the most important setting - perfect!

Again on the subject of rubber: There's even a rubber coating on the underside, rather rare in compact cameras common, but extremely useful. Finally, we no longer scratched himself when installing on hard documents the housing!

Rather less solved, however, is the great door for inserting the memory card. A truly fummeliger fingernail Killer! Although a good seal and flush with the housing from, but can detach only quite difficult. The battery, however, offers no cause for criticism.

Ansonten there is still the hot shoe, a status LED and a metal tripod mount in the middle of the opt. Axis.

Good to know: A filter thread is integrated directly on the lens, so you need an adapter or the like.

Unfortunately, there is still a dirt lens cap, which is always removed, stowed somewhere and then dusted off again and must be replaced. That's still annoying!

The case was therefore improved really massive. It is a pleasure to hold in your hand and to work with her.

IMAGE QUALITY:

I've always been very impressed by the image quality of the Foveon sensor in the predecessor models. So clear, so clean, so dynamic and rich in contrast, so full of details, so outrageously sharp! At least up to ISO 200 and in RAW format! JPEG and anything above ISO 400 was unacceptable for me (except for B / W shots maybe). To my absolute enthusiasm here has really done a lot! So a pixel sharpness, so I had never seen a clean and detailed picture quality. A technically successful picture provided you can in the picture zooming in to "stop". It's just unbelievable, downright wasteful, how much information contained in the image files and recorded razor sharp! And now for me the biggest and in practice quite relevant improvement: The JPEG engine has been improved massively and is now finally available! Colors, contrast and sharpness are excellent! Hurrah! Finally no (quasi) RAW forced more! I photograph now mainly in JPEG and only for particularly important or challenging motifs in RAW.

Since all DP cameras use prime lenses as lenses, one is naturally not as flexible, if a subject is a look in (supposedly) to further distance. The gigantic image quality can be relaxed later in the PC simply increase a cut. It saves a quasi medium telephoto lens, because as already written, with satisfactory quality, as deep can zoom into the picture. Of course, a compromise, but still.

SPEED:

The storage time of the photos, always a point of criticism from Sigma cameras, I find in the Quattro perfectly acceptable and appropriate. The parallel saving a RAW -and JPEGs lasts felt for about 5 seconds. One must here but keep in mind that we are talking about (a total of) approximately 70MB per save. A RAW file is approximately 50MB and a JPEG in the highest quality setting again about 20MB! The many image information just need their space. Disadvantage: The editing, managing and viewing images on a PC / Mac degenerates quickly from an ordeal - even with modern computers! It might make sense, depending on personal preference, the quality -bzw. Resolution setting to reduce slightly and achieve a good compromise between file size and the benötigtem mass of image information.

ISO Ability:

Again, a lot has happened! I shot pictures indoors with moderate light with ISO 800 in JPEG and would argue that these are absolutely useful. In its predecessors, this was virtually impossible. The course offers in low-light key ente benefits and I am very pleased.

Autofocus:

The autofocus is, if he can successfully for focusing, almost always completely accurate and fast. If the ambient light is less, but he gets into trouble quickly. Here the examiner has only repeatedly try or use of the very well-implemented manual focus.

So, follow me again all just incident pros and cons at a glance.

BENEFITS:

+ Gigantic image quality and color fidelity
+ High-quality, razor-sharp lens
+ Solid Refined housing
+ Significantly improved JPEG Engine
+ To ISO 400 still very useful, partly ISO 800
+ Filter thread on the lens available
+ AF-assist illuminator available
+ Fast and very more accurate autofocus with enough light
+ Good unconverted manual focus
+ Electronic level available
+ Meaningful gumming on the camera bottom
+ Very easy to use
+ As usual fully manually adjustable
+ Experience has shown that Sigma DP cameras are very durable and reliable
+ Printed manual included
+ You fall with the camera definitely on (or rather a disadvantage?) ;-)
+ Made in Japan (now rare)

DISADVANTAGES:

- Fummeliger fingernail-killer as a cover for SD card slot
- No video mode available
- No built-in flash
- No really suitable camera bag on the market
- Very large JPEG image files (RAW anyway)
- RAW files can be (sensor dependent) only with Sigma's own software to open / edit
- Battery life is still below average, but kindly 2 batteries supplied
- Unfortunately still no built-in viewfinder
- Impractical lens cap
- No mobile Monitor
- No automatic mode, no scene modes (who's needs)
- Camera is significantly larger than the previous
Worth expensive, but in relation to the quality offered the price -

In my opinion, a Sigma-entry for demanding photographers definitely worthwhile. Even an upgrade of one of the predecessor models is worth considering in any case. I would make it again at any time!

I like to give without compunction a 5-star rating. The camera has been consistently designed for only one purpose: A stunning picture quality! This purpose, the camera satisfies like no other in this class of camera and in this price range! Any other bells and whistles, which has nothing to do with this objective, has been omitted here consistently. That has to be a conscious before buying!

I have certainly forgotten many things, and will possibly extend the review or add an update.

I hope the review was (at least somewhat) useful.