Friday, August 24, 2012

A letter to a friend recommending the Sigma DP2 Merrill

Anywhere you look online will refute everything I'm about to tell you.  Just so you know this isn't what the experts are saying...  They say the best camera is the best camera, and pixel peepers might rejoice but nobody else cares...  I am showing you this because I know you shun fancy equipment and are more interested in the substance, subject and context of the project than you are the most sophisticated photography system, blah blah blah, and this camera's only benefit is being handy and the potential for producing 220dpi 40"X40" prints that feel like film.  You know, don't get so wrapped up in the details for now.   the 16bit Tiff produced by the sigma dp2m is 180dpi, but it is easy to flip up.





What I have attached to this email (Linky-doodle to Full-Sized FLICKR Image) is a 6270X9470 pixel (approximate) jpg, which is a picture of some bikes in front of the Meis Van Der Roe Building at 111 E Wacker.  

The image was taken with my Sigma DP2m around noon while walking my dogs on Saturday... I can't believe how long things take me.

If you open this file with Mac Preview, once you've had a chance to look it over, you should choose to view it in actual size, under the view tab.  There you should see my reflection with my dogs, which is why I took the picture.  That central image of me and the dogs is about 1/200th of the entire image, which I also straightened and cropped, losing some of the entire image (probably more pixels than the central image itself - I am always 4 or more degrees wonky).  
I don't know which picture i sent him seeing as the one shown above looks wonky as all hell...  ooh... I found it, nevermind...

See below.



To keep things brief, a 39mp camera produces a 7216 × 5412 pixel image.  @ 180 ppi  7216 X 5412 starts to look kinda sorta like my image in the middle there, high contrast, some evident pixelation, etc.

Now bear in mind that you are looking at the JPG produced from the raw X3F file that is only 3135X4745 pixels...  because each pixel retains all the color data per pixel, you can easily double the size.  I can also create an 8 or 16bit TIFF that is 45-50MP, approximately, and fine tune it in Lightroom.

There are many cons to this camera but I think the Pro (singular) outweighs the cons... From a 1000 dollar point-and-shoot camera, you can produce giant, beautiful prints, larger than the 5D MII, 5D MIII, Nikon D800 and possibly even the D800E ( I haven't checked yet, although the price difference and form factor makes the DSLR dealio a whole other kettle of fish). 

Honestly, and again I must emphasize that I am possibly the only person on earth who will say this, but the post processed images from the DP2M resolution-wise are neck in neck with the Pentax D645, the cheapest medium format camera available @ $8000 with no lens.

Considering your process, and your love of a carry-able camera, I think the DP2M would be a tremendous boon to your work, and cosequently to the world in general, being able to enjoy your work.  You would have a camera you could take everywhere, take more pictures, and from those pictures find a few that worked and print them at a nice size.  I know that size is irrelevant, but it is nice to have the ability to go there if you want to.

Okay...  CONS (plural)

The cons are that you have to use Sigma's software to process the raw file, which sucks because Sigma Photo Pro isn't as good as ANY other software, meaning you still have to use lightroom, and LR 2.0 cannot process 16 bit Tiffs...  The camera itself also kinda chunky, 80's cellular phone style, not nearly as wee and sleek as my rx100, which I can't compare here because it's raw file program doesn't work with mountain lion and no other programs support it's ARW files. 

Also, it takes a while to figure out how best to use the DP2M's limited feature set to you advantage.  The auto focus is "meh" and the manual focus is "Wha?"  I can't figure it out, but mostly because my penny sculptures are still in storage, and for dogwork the out of focus shots look great to me anyways.  Some more cons...The movie function on the DP2M SUCKS!  A fisher pixelvision from 1992 is 5 times as good.  So you'll still need your 5d mII!  The DP2M has no zoom, it is a fixed lens camera with a 30mm f2.8 lens... forcing you to take the pictures that fit within the frame... not a terrible thing, but it isn't as handy or versatile as a Kodak Shareymatronic, or whatever they are called.

You don't have to buy one, I just wanted you to see why I find it so exciting.

Okay.

cheers!

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Struggles with Photo Pro 5.2 and the cure in 5.3

I have a mac.  So I have continually struggled since the arrival of my SD1m with the crazy color casting or "Broad Banding" I experienced with PP 5.2.

I received my dp2m yesterday (has anyone mentioned that bricks come in smaller sizes than the dp2m?  They do. )  and for the first two hours of processing I used 5.2, and got so frustrated that I changed to 5.3...  As the following pictures show, the difference is noticeable.  I'm not sure why the strange green cast occured, or how to fix it, so I am glad to see it go.

wierd cast or wide banding in spp 5.2

attempted correction

Straight out of SPP 5.3 
again SPP 5.2

Botched correction in SPP 5.2

SPP 5.3
 Let the celebration begin!








Tuesday, July 17, 2012

new image

Okay So I wanted to show the difference between different settings in photopro, sadly it is too slow to process on my macbook pro for me to tolerate.  I also have no time.  So here is my guinea pig image, for future reference.






Monday, July 2, 2012

SD1 Merrill Image Samples Y Mas!


Sigma SD1 Merrill, SD1 Merrill Image Sample
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Special cross-over edition!  Dogs & Sigma!

Not taken with the SD1... just cute.
How you gonna floss your teeth now?  What?  Got Somethin to Say?  I didn't think so.

Sigma SD1 Merrill Image Sample
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The SD1 Merrill can make anything look good.

Image deets

Garbage in the Trees Can Look Lovely


Friday, June 29, 2012


Sigma Corporation announces pricing and availability of Sigma DP2 Merrill

Sigma Corporation announces pricing and availability of Sigma DP2 Merrill
New generation compact camera to hit US shelves in July for street price of $999
 
Ronkonkoma, NY, June 29, 2012 – Sigma Corporation of America (www.sigmaphoto.com), a leading researcher, developer, manufacturer and service provider for some of the world's most impressive lines of lensescameras and flashes,has announced that the Sigma DP2 Merrill compact digital camera will be available in the United States on July 12 for the street price of $999.
 
This upgraded, high-resolution, compact digital camera with a fixed lens is named in honor of Richard “Dick” Merrill, the co-creator of the Foveon X3 Direct Image Sensor technology that powers Sigma’s unique lineup of cameras. It differs from its predecessor, the DP2x, because its resolution has grown by moving from Foveon’s 14.6-megapixel APS-C size image sensor to the 46-megapixel APS-C image sensor found in the company’s flagship SLR, the Sigma SD1 Merrill. The full-color Foveon X3 direct image sensor ensures outstanding resolution, richly gradated tones and images with a three-dimensional feel. A focus ring and custom Quick Set (QS) mode also improve the user interface.
 
“We are very proud of the engineering and design involved in the upgrade of the DP2 Merrill, and we are especially pleased to honor Dick Merrill with its name,” said Mark Amir-Hamzeh, president of Sigma Corporation of America. “The addition of the 46-megapixel sensor and the continued use of Foveon’s unique three-layer design results in images that can’t be reproduced by other cameras on today’s market.”
 
The Sigma DP2 Merrill boasts an exclusively designed, high-performance, telecentric 30mm F2.8 lens, which is the equivalent to a 45mm lens on a 35mm SLR camera. The camera is compact and lightweight, and features Super Multi Layer Coating to reduce flare and ghosting.
 
Other features of the  Sigma DP2 Merrill camera include:
 
·         A dual, three-layer responsive ultimate (TRUE II) engine thatnow incorporates two TRUE II processors toimprove the processing speed and overall quality of the final image
·         RAW and JPEG format recording toretain the full image detail of the utmost quality captured through the direct image sensor, as well as a JPEG recording format for convenience
·         Sigma Photo Pro processing software to convert RAW data quickly and easily
·         Manual focus for use when autofocus or focus-lock is not desired
·         Easy-to-use auto focus with a “nine-point select mode” which can select the desired focusing point from nine different frames, and a “free move mode” that allows shooters to select their desired focusing point
·         An advanced user interface complete with acustom QS menu and the metallic command dial to improve usability
·         Continuous shooting capabilities to capture up to seven RAW images per sequence
·         A large, highly visible, three-inch TFT color LCD monitor for great visibility
·         A hot shoe for the use of the dedicated external flashgun EF-140DG (optional)
·         Movie mode for movie recording with VGA (640×480) size, with 30 shooting frames per second
 
For information about Sigma Corporation of America or information about the companies cameras and lenses, visitwww.sigmaphoto.com.
 
About Sigma Corporation
For more than 50 years, Sigma Corporation’s expertise and innovation has driven the company’s core philosophy of “knowledge, plus experience, plus imagination,”with anemphasis on producing high-quality, high-performance photographic technology at moderate prices. This family-owned organization is the largest, independent SLR lens manufacturer in the world, producing more than 40 lenses that are compatible with most manufacturers, including Sigma, Canon, Sony, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic and Pentax. Sigma Corporation also produces digital SLR cameras and high-definition digital compact cameras. The company is headquartered in Japan, with offices strategically located throughout Europe, Asia and North America. For information, please visit www.sigmaphoto.com.

Monday, June 25, 2012

PennyWaaah

Waaah!  Not like I'm crying but that sound they use to imply of heavenly origin...




beauty, eh?

Friday, June 15, 2012

SD1 - hahahahaha


I waited until the SD1 Merrill came out.


I got one, finally!


It is as clumsy a camera as the SD14, but the images pack a lot of punch!


I could do a shootout if you please.


I took the picture you see above with a Sigma SD10... 4MP, but 4 lovely MP


SD1