Overview

The Sigma DP1s was designed for anyone wanting digital SLR quality in a small package. Starting with the Sigma DP1s's sensor, Sigma chose Foveon's 14.1-megapixel sensor that outputs a 4.64-megapixel image. Each of those pixels is created by three photosites that are stacked in layers, recording full color information at every pixel location. The maximum resolution is identical to that of Sigma's SD14 digital SLR: 2640 x 1760 pixels (uninterpolated), with a 3:2 aspect ratio. (Traditional Bayer-sensor cameras capture only one color at each pixel location, and interpolate the other two colors from surrounding pixels, leading to somewhat reduced luminance resolution, and a significant reduction in chrominance resolution and other color-related problems).

The Foveon X3 image sensor is coupled to a 16.6mm lens with a focal length crop equivalent to a 28mm lens on a 35mm camera. The lens has a maximum aperture of f/4. Keeping lens size and weight down for a compact camera that uses a sensor not much smaller than those used in most digital SLRs must have proved quite a challenge, and the lack of an optical zoom and maximum aperture limitation hint at this. The Sigma DP1's lens also supports manual focus via fly-by-wire.

There's no optical viewfinder on the DP1, but Sigma offers an optional external viewfinder that mounts in the flash hot-shoe. Images can however be framed on the 2.5-inch LCD -- the same size as is used in the SD14. While there's no optical zoom, the Sigma DP1 offers a 3x digital zoom. In addition to the dedicated flash hot-shoe, there's also a popup flash on the top of the camera.

The Sigma DP1 also offers a 320 x 240 pixel, 30 frames-per-second movie mode. Other modes on offer in the Sigma DP1 include auto, program, aperture-priority, shutter-priority, manual, and an audio recording mode. Finally, there are controls for exposure compensation, and auto-exposure locking, plus for the flash and a macro mode. The Sigma DP1 offers both X3F RAW (12-bit) and JPEG image recording modes.

Basic Specifications

Resolution:     4.64 Megapixels

Lens:   Non-Zoom

(28mm eq.)

Viewfinder:    LCD

LCD Size:       2.5 inch

ISO:    100-800

Shutter:           15-1/2000

Max Aperture:            4.0

Mem Type:     SD / SDHC

Battery :           Custom LiIon

Dimensions:    4.5 x 2.3 x 2.0 in .

(113 x 60 x 50 mm )

Weight:           9.8 oz ( 278 g )

includes batteries

Brand: Sigma DP1s