Product ReviewsSigma DP Series DP2 Merrill 46.0MP Digital Camera - Black

Sigma DP2 Merrill

This camera , which I bought used , is in excellent condition. Most on-line reviewers criticize Sigma DP cameras for their frequent need of battery recharging and I don.t know enough to disagree with them so I downgraded the ease of use. I already owned a Sigma DPis and I bought this DP2 to compare the 1s' wider angle lens with the DP2 lens. I do like the DP1 camera's wider angle lens so at some point I will probably sell this one to get a DP1 Merrill. However this camera takes great pictures as does my DP1s and in fact as most reviewers describe pictures with the Foveon sensor, which is currently only available from Sigma.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: sjd50771

Rich details.

This star rating can be misleading when it come to image quality, it's really a 5 start image when conditions are ripe. The Sigma 30mm f2.8 lens fixed to the camera and superbly matched to the sensor for rich color, high details beyond what you would expect for an apsc sensor. The sensor does not use an anti aliasing filter, it does not need one, so details are pixel sharp, and the colors are RGB unique to each pixel as no color information is shared between neighboring pixel like all other sensors out there. If you are looking for a street camera, with colors and details that can wow you this is a good choice camera. The reason for three stars is, its best image performance is ISO 100-200. The processing times between shots can be about 20 seconds long. There is no viewfinder just the LCD finder on the back. The menu system is easy to learn and this is not a complicated camera. This camera will suit best the photographer that is favors a more classical approach to photography and is a perfectionist by nature.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: sadatayokay

Rivals the best DSLR (Nikon D800 etc) under the right conditions

Its unique, non standard Foveon APS/C sensor provides excellent color rendition with 40 megapix equivalent resolution. Coupled with an appropriately sharp lens, this is one of the best Foveon cameras Sigma has produced. Most knowledgeable photographers are aware of this camera series. Sigma is also well known for producing very competitive high quality lenses for Nikon/ Canon/ Sony mounts.

On the minus side, its effective ISO range of 100-200 ASA precludes action shots and is not very practical for casual photography. Its non standard raw files cannot be processed by standard software from Adobe or Phase One etc. - only by Sigma's software, which is good but a little slow. And its battery has a low capacity, so carrying multiple batteries is necessary.Read full review...

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Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: japan-buyer

Excellent image quality, fairly slow image transfer

This camera is better than it looks. The lens is matched to the sensor and it shows in excellent image quality. The image file writing time is fairly slow, 10 seconds for a RAW file, and the camera is demanding on batteries ( about 30 RAW files ). The dedicated RAW processing software from Sigma is also a bit slow but has a very pleasing interface and produces excellent editable TIFFs or JPEGs. It is quite fast enough for my use. I use this as a landscape camera on a tripod, so image quality is more important than speed. This camera does what I am looking for and is excellent value. I recommend buying a Sigma lens hood too.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: new | Sold by: nostalgic868

Not for the beginner photographer.

This has amazing quality for day time images. Very nice long exposure shots on a tripod in low light. I was able to use my Nikon Flash on Manual mode. I don't think it's really worth $400 just because the technology is old. If you're a snap shooter, this is not the camera for you either, It takes about 10 seconds to write the file with the fastest SD card, you won't be able to do a follow up shot or preview the image right away. It really reminds me of a film camera because the images are amazing!Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: mpcaputo

DP2m - the b&w king

Not easy to use, battery dies after 60 shots. Files are painfully large and cumbersome to process. I use it as a black and white camera which is where it truly shines.
The image quality is ridiculously good across the range and makes up for every single one of the drawbacks. The software it comes with can also do some cool things with the blue channel when shooting black and white.

Would definitely recommend it for an advanced photographer who came from black and white film.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: mapcamera

A cult classic gem.

I give the DP2 Merrill 5 stars because after all the research was not disappointed with its short comings. Used, mint, not a scratch and priced below trending costs. Even jpegs untouched are outstanding. A unique look not found elsewhere. WOuld it be a good value at launch price back in 2012? $1,000. Maybe not but still worth it for the image quality.

Below are three jpegs straight out the camera with minor tweeks.Read full review...

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Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: annatara

Sigma DPx Merrill an oddball rangefinder camera with brilliant quality images at economical price

Brilliant camera for my needs, which is art photography outside (landscapes, etc.).

Advantages:
1. compact, solid build quality, excellent controls
2. very high image quality (on par with MF film, on par with Canon EOS 5D mark II, or EOS 6D)
3. economical (to obtain comparable image quality in a DSLR, you pay 5x as much)

Drawbacks:
1. very slow image processing (30 seconds per image, 8 image buffer).
2. prime lens, not removable (silver lining: never any dust on sensor - saves you time later).
3. poor performance in low light / high ASA, poor auto focus in low light.
4. very odd lens flare pattern, which I might try to turn into something artistic.
5. poor battery life. Figure 2 hours per battery w/LCD on. There's a matching Ricoh battery so get extras.
6. absolutely NO WAY to remote release shutter (big issue for me b/c I shoot in stereo). Oh well.
7. haven't been able to get any off-camera flash to fire / sync. with the camera. No sync. cord socket.
8. some issues with subtle digital patterns in dark images (this is in RAW format).
9. forces an inconvenient workflow. The proprietary Sigma RAW file format is not recognized by common software, so you have to go through Sigma’s “Photo Pro” software, which is just like the camera: slow and odd. You then export TIFF out of SPP.
10. strange camera OS that one has to learn... then it is okay/handy
11. I found an on-camera (hotshoe) flash that works sort-of with camera. This works only in manual mode.

Gosh, with so many drawbacks, why am I giving five stars?? Image quality vs. price and size of camera. At what these cameras sell for now (2016), the image quality cannot be beat.

Any other kind of camera, with this image quality, will cost three to five times as much, and/or be twice as large. (I think Sony’s newest Alpha full-frame EVF mirrorless cameras might beat the Sigma in image quality, at a similar camera size, but they cost ten times as much). All other options with this image quality come with a full frame bayer sensor. The Sigma uses a APS-C format Foveon sensor, which captures as much image, if not more, in a smaller package. Beautiful color and tonality (in good light or at low ASA). This camera will be carried around and will thus be more likely to capture images that you find. I don't want to have to carry around a full-frame DSLR, much less pay for one!

And despite it's drawbacks, it still shoots faster than my Sputnik!Read full review...

Verified purchase: No

A great camera!

Extra batteries are needed. Tripod is necessary for low light. Processing picture is slow. Focusing in low light is slow. BUT, the picture quality is insane! That's all you need, isn't it? Buttons and UI are straightforward. The focus ring is smooth. SPP software is simple and works well.Read full review...

Great little magic

This little magic camera, when use it in a good light conditions you will get the best ilmage for a camera in this class.

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: ya_camera_japan001