The world's first full-spec compact
“A large sensor in a compact body.” Appearing
all over the media, this phrase neatly summed
up Sigma's DP series of high-performance, high
image-quality compact cameras.
Ever since digital cameras ousted film cameras
from their mainstream status, the image sensors
used in compact cameras had been far smaller
than those used in SLRs. Of course, photo
sensor size plays a crucial role in determining
image quality. This was true in the days of
film, and it's just as true in the digital age. Yet
compact cameras had been getting steadily
smaller and lighter. Meanwhile, the all-important
pursuit of higher image quality had become
an afterthought, for reasons of cost and
technological difficulties.
What's more, digital compacts were all about
extra functions and more megapixels. Higher
pixel-counts were achieved simply by making
the pixels extremely small, so that more of
them could be crammed in, while the sensor
itself remained as small as ever. In terms of
the essence of photographic expression, pixel
counts don't really count. Yet competition on
this front had reached fever pitch by the spring
of 2008, when the Sigma DP1 made its long-
awaited debut.
The DP1 opened up new horizons
The DP1 was introduced as a compact digital
camera with an SLR-sized image sensor. It was
a camera that satisfied the artist's need for top
image quality and yet was compact enough
to take anywhere. This had always been the
amateur photographer's dream. And a dream
it remained, until Sigma boldly took up the
challenge and overcame numerous challenges
to make it happen.
That glimpse of unexpected beauty on your
daily commute, early in the morning or late
in the evening. The subtlety of human drama
encountered on a street corner. The dewy petal
of a nameless roadside flower. As anyone who
loves photography could tell you, those crucial
moments can't be contrived. There's only one
place you find them: the often overlooked
corners of ordinary life.
At Sigma, we have strong views about what
a camera should be. Sensor size isn't our only
obsession: we're also big on pioneering sensor
design. That's why our DP cameras feature the
Foveon X3® direct image sensor, which breaks
new ground by capturing the full complement
of colors at each individual pixel location.
Thanks to this sensor, our DP cameras produce
distinctive images that combine exquisite
vividness with astonishingly high definition,
outclassing conventional digital image quality.
Thanks to the unique 3-D feel plus the clarity
and sharpness, delivered by Sigma's proprietary
three-layered Foveon X3® direct image sensor,
the images created by the DP1 won acclaim from
photographers all over the world. Their image
quality was compared to that of a medium-
format film camera rather than that of a DSLR.
The rest is recent history: the DP1's formidable
descriptive power not only made a worldwide
splash, but also transcended the existing
distinction between SLRs and compacts,
creating the new “full-spec compact” category.
There's just no doubt about it—the DP1 created
quite a buzz in photographic circles.
Sigma's photographic passion and principles
You wouldn't carry an SLR around unless you
intended to shoot some serious photos. Pictures
taken with an SLR have to be carefully set up,
framed and posed. All sorts of complicated
settings have to be fiddled with. That's
how most people would think of an SLR.
Yet Sigma took the essence of an SLR, and
packed it, unabridged, into a compact body.
We also included a generous dollop of extra
high-performance functions. We gave the
photographer more artistic control, and left
more scope for creative expression.
With the introduction of the Sigma DP series,
serious photography can now be part of
your everyday routine. And that's not all:
these cameras are the perfect fit for today's
increasingly nonconformist, free-spirited
users. They awaken the creativity within many
photographers, often causing them to fall in
love with photography all over again.
In its forms and workflows, photographic
equipment changes with the times.
Photographic expression is also subject to
passing trends. What stays unchanged is
the way a camera should be. A camera should
slavishly follow your direction. It should respect
your intention. And it should do this without
losing sight of the essence of photography,
namely, capturing your own personal sensory
experience, the picture in your mind's eye—
a single image only you could create.
This is the fundamental concept underlying all
of Sigma's evolving technological innovation.
The revolution has gained refinement.
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