Sigma fans, the wait is over: DP1 Merrill delivery imminent

Last February, Sigma Corp. announced two new fixed-lens cameras that promise mighty resolution in a relatively compact package, a great pairing for street shooters. The Sigma DP1 Merrill and DP2 Merrill are both based around the same full-color Foveon image sensor seen previously in the Sigma SD1 digital SLR. They also share the name of Foveon co-founder Dick Merrill, who jointly invented the Foveon sensor technology that differentiates Sigma's cameras from everything else on the market. They differ from each other solely in their choice of lens, as well as the variance in body size and weight this brings.

When we tried the SD1 at the start of the year, we found ourselves impressed by its image quality at base sensitivity. Although its sensor yields 14.8 megapixel images, it punches well above its weight in terms of resolution, comparing favorably to 25 megapixel full-frame sensors. Thanks to the lack of a Bayer color filter, it offers great, artifact-free detail, but like any SLR it's not necessarily the best option for unobtrusive street photography. Bearing that in mind, we've rather been looking forward to availability of the DP1 and DP2 updates incorporating the same sensor.

 

Sigma's DP1 Merrill digital camera has a 28mm-equivalent lens.

The 45mm-equivalent DP2 Merrill was first to ship, arriving last July, and now the DP1 Merrill is almost here.  Set to ship from the middle of this month, the Sigma DP1M substitutes a much wider 28mm-equivalent lens. Pricing is identical to that for its more telephoto sibling, at around US$1,000. More details in our Sigma DP1 Merrill preview!