SIGMA Shares

The Sigma dp3 Quattro – The First Look!

The Sigma team was in Pasadena, California for the annual Professional Photographers of California for their Pro Photo Expo.  The weather was great and the temperature was hot both outside and on the trade show floor in the 30-foot Sigma booth.  The wonderful model Jennie was on-site for the 3-day show for photographers to try out any of the Sigma lenses or the Sigma dp Quattro cameras.

© 2015 Ryan Brown
© 2015 Ryan Brown

As a Sigma Technical Representative, I was able to get my hands on the brand-new Sigma dp3 Quattro camera and photograph in the booth with it.  If you have followed my first Sigma blog over the Quattro series, you will know that the topic was on aspect ratios and in-camera black and white.  Just like the dp3’s siblings, the body is the same, just a different lens.  This camera includes a 50mm lens to photograph to it’s APS-C size Foveon sensor.  This means that what you have here is really the perfect portrait lens with its 35mm equivalent being 75mm.

I took a look through the menus and really only noticed one change.  The aspect ratio menu now includes a new size of 6:7.  If you are a Quattro user now you can go to Sigma’s website and download new firmware for the dp1 and dp2.  This new firmware will give you the same updates.  Another really great change is the ability to add owner and copyright information into the files metadata as it is photographed.  Again this update is included with the new firmware for the dp1 and dp2.

© 2015 Ryan Brown
© 2015 Ryan Brown

Photographing Jennie with the dp3 was an experience.  At f/2.8 the background has a beautiful bokeh that is enhanced with the longer focal length.  If you like the creaminess of the Bokeh on the dp1 or dp2, you will love this even more.  The colors throughout the dress and background show how the Foveon sensor renders colors of reds and blues that sometimes are just not possible with other sensors.  These images were photographed at a variety of apertures render more and less depth of field.  With these cameras you have more creative freedom than you ever though possible.  Here I have photographed a black and white vertical 21:9 aspect ratio portrait.  Enjoy and be sure to get your hands on one to tryout!

© 2015 Ryan Brown
© 2015 Ryan Brown
© 2015 Ryan Brown
© 2015 Ryan Brown

If you have questions over this camera or other Sigma products, I may be reached at rbrown@sigmaphoto.com.

Comments (2)
  1. Steven says:

    Nice to see these samples Ryan, i’m keen to know more on how you soften the skin in your portraits, I have the DP3M and the DP2Q which I love the amount of micro contrast in those files but of course that level of detail isn’t always beneficial for portrait work. I personally smooth out the level of detail in the skin with SPP by using the noise reduction settings of chromo 4 and luminance 1, but I wondered if you have a different approach.

  2. Jesper Hansen says:

    Hi
    I have been wondering if Sigma is going to include dng format either in camera raw converter or in spp sowftware.
    I am curious to the sales numbers of the merrill and quattro series. Is it available? Is the any software developing company listed as subsidiary cooperation or is it all in house creation. Do you know why tgis strategy has been chosen.
    Regards Jesper

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