Review on 📸 Sigma DP-1 Merrill Digital Camera: 46MP FOVEON X3 Sensor & 19mm f/2.8 Lens by John Bailey

I had a Nikon D200 with lots of lenses and a Nikon Coolpix P7700. Coolpix shoots better than D200. Getting a Nikon DSLR with the quality I wanted would have cost me thousands of dollars that I can't afford. So I had two plans: * In Plan A, I would sell all my DSLR gear, buy a Merrill DP-1, and make $1,000. In this scenario, I would keep the Coolpix as a regular camera when I want to take family photos and use the Sigma for landscape and other outdoor photography.* In Plan B, I would sell all my Nikon gear, including the Coolpix, and buy the Sony DSC-RX100 II. In this scenario I would use Sony for everything and end up with maybe an extra $100 or $200 in my pocket. The AI weighed the pros and cons fairly carefully. In the end, Sigma kept calling me. So I went to Plan A. Before I continue I would like to say that I am absolutely delighted to have purchased this camera. Now. If you are looking for a versatile camera that you can use for both good outdoor photography and low burst indoor family photos, then DO NOT BUY THIS CAMERA. you will not be happy If you shoot mostly in daylight, look for a camera with an incredible sensor that can compete with cameras selling for more than five times the price, feel free to pack a few extra batteries, and don't whine that you can't Can't convert RAW to Lightroom or Photoshop, this camera is for you. To be honest, I'm thrilled with this camera. You need to know from the get-go that the camera runs on batteries, as it needs juice to process ultra-high-resolution images. This is not the type of camera that can be used for quick photos as it has to write large files to a memory card. However, due to the way I shoot, I didn't notice any issues with having to wait for the camera before I could shoot again. I'll say it again: you can't use this camera to capture a quick burst of images. Think of this camera as a 4 x 5 camera and you will be happy with it. If you consider this a snapshot camera, you'll want your money back. I shot in RAW format with the D200. Even when using RAW, photographing a high-contrast scene meant that the highlights were washed out to the point where they were unrecoverable. Photos taken with the D200 were noisy even at low ISOs. I just did a test shoot with the Sigma and I can't believe it. Shooting in the early afternoon in dazzling summer light, in a high-contrast environment with shadows and white objects, this beast's sensor was able to record everything. I didn't think it was possible. That is amazing. The criticism that this camera is not an ergonomic building block is entirely justified. However, search for Richard Franiec and you will find his website. This guy sells a $37 custom grip for the Sigma DP1/DP2/DP3 Merrill that turns the camera into a new camera that fits in your hand. This grip is not bulky and looks the same as the material the camera is made of. You will love it. (I have nothing to do with this guy or his company. I am a customer.) The only complaint I have about the camera is that the rim on the lens is obvious. But you can handle it in post-processing. So if you know what you're getting yourself into with this camera, you'll be glad you bought it. You can see some of my pictures in client's picture gallery. This is a pavilion and park area with bars.