Although there are a number of widely varying opinions amongst the reviews on this page, hardly anyone says anything that I'd say is wrong. It's just a question of what priorities you have and what you want in a camera. If you're looking for the best all-around compact you can get, and are satisfied with perfectly decent image quality, maybe you'd be better off with something like the Canon G10 or Panasonic LX3, excellent cameras by all accounts. On the other hand, if you want a compact camera that has, hands down, the best picture quality of any compact digicam on the market today, and you are willing to put up with a slow, quirky, limited camera to get it, welcome to the Sigma DP1.

A lot has been written about this camera, both in these Amazon reviews, and elsewhere. Since there is no shortage of information, I am going to limit my comments to two areas. First, some specifics regarding image quality, followed by a couple of clarifications regarding things that people have said in other reviews on this page.

Other than being cool looking (to my eye), and very solidly built, this camera is basically a one trick pony, and its trick is unsurpassed image quality. So even the most minor image quality flaws bear mentioning. Keep in mind, the pictures from this camera are outstanding, and I am doing everything I can to nitpick here.

1. Color noise, especially at high ISO in dark areas, takes the form of green and magenta mottling. It is much less finely grained than color noise usually is, and as such, is not entirely removed by the normally very effective "color noise reduction" slider in Lightroom.

2. White balance sometimes tends towards magenta in the highlights, and green in shadow areas, making a global white balance correction difficult in some cases.

3. Color saturation is greatly reduced at high ISO.

4. Chromatic abberation, though slight and easily corrected in Lightroom, seems more pronounced in many of my photos than it had been in sample photos that I'd looked at before purchase.

Again, I'm really looking for flaws here. Sharpness and dynamic range are incredible. Color and noise levels are amazing. The picture quality of this camera bests not only any other compact, but indeed many lower end DSLRs as well.

Lastly, a few comments regarding some things said in other reviews on this page.

1. The latest DP1 firmware (1.04 as of this writing) includes a number of improvements, including the ability to map the ISO controls to the otherwise useless "zoom" buttons on the camera. This means that ISO can now be changed directly with a single button push, without going into any menu. (My camera, ordered a couple weeks ago from Amazon, did not come with the latest firmware, but it is easy to download and install from Sigma's website.)

2. As of this writing, Adobe Camera Raw, DNG Converter, and Lightroom 2.1 now offer "preliminary" support for DP1 raw files. I have been using Lightroom 2.1, and to be honest, it does not render the DP1 raw files as well as Sigma's own software. But it is adequate in most cases, and it is reasonable to expect that this will improve once the support is no longer just "preliminary."

3. Some reviewers have mentioned that the camera is not really 14 megapixels, one reviewer going so far as to suggest that the claim is misleading, "since each pixel records only one color." By that logic, the megapixel claims of all manufacturers are spurious, since the same is true of every camera on the market. If you're interested in this camera, you probably already know what the Foveon X3 sensor is, and understand issues of color interpolation vs. spacial interpolation, and photo sensors vs. final image pixels. But if you're interested in reading more about this, Mike Chaney gives the best explanation I've encountered [...] . Mr. Chaney is talking about the Sigma SD14, but the SD14 and the DP1 use the same image sensor, and all of his comments are applicable to the DP1 as well.

All in all, I am very happy with this camera, and I hope it is a sign of things to come. It is not perfect, but it's a step in the right direction, and it would be great to see Sigma, and other manufactures, continue down this road of making compact cameras for serious photographers.

Pros:

+ Nice optics

+ Awesome colour fidelity

+ Cool manual modes

+ Manual focus

Cons:

- LCD freezes between shots

- AutoFocus is too slow

- Expensive

I wish Amazon increased the availability of the macro lens adapters.

This cam is really good for amateur photographers who want to avoid the endless cost loop of collecting DSLR lenses and accessories for each single purpose.

I've had the Sigma Dp1 for about 4 months now and it has helped me create some great images (I've uploaded them to amazon so please check them). The camera does have some serious drawbacks but if you work to its strengths-shooting in good natural light-focusing manually-you can get some superb results. I've also taken some nice shots using long exposures but it can be hit or miss. I like to experiment a lot in my photography and with the Dp1 I know that I may miss some shots. If I'm going to a party I'm much more likely to take my Canon SD870, which is also a great camera. For Macro or sports photography I'll take my Nikon D300 but for an everyday camera for street photography something I can carry around and is very unobtrusive it the Dp1.

My biggest complaint about the Dp1 is not the camera but the software that comes with it, its not very mac friendly and is clunky. I hope that some day I'll be able to import directly to Adobe lightroom directly.

So to conclude I'm very happy and satisfied with my purchase. Its not the right camera for everyone. But if you love experimenting and can work with its limitations I think you will like this camera.

dp1 is a great camera, but it really is not a point and shot. specially for portrait, it's a bit too slow to capture anything with only small movements. for still life, it's a great camera if you learn how to use it. the noise level is really really good compared to any other point and shot. but compared to DSLR the resolution desires a bit more. while RAW is great, none of other software been able to read it and the sigma photo pro is so limiting even in the converting side, i have to figure out a work flow to convert 2 times for lightroom (one low res and when finishing a highest res with 16 bit).

but the biggest lacking features is a small zoom and anti-shake, if sigma can put a decent zoom and good anti-shake and still keep the size, I would never have to bring my DSLR anymore.

This little camera even with its quarks, like slow write SD card times, is amazing. The image quality of the Foveon sensor is great, with the sensor being full scale shooting raw at iso 400 gives almost noise free images, even at 800 with a properly exposed image the noise is not too great. This is a wonderful camera to add to a DSLR collection for those everyday, carry everywhere shots. It's size and handling make it a super street camera. The Dp1 even with it's auto features it is not a beginner or PTBS machine, it does require a bit of thought and understanding to make it work for the photographer. I do recommend getting either the Sigma or a Voigtlander view finder, the lens hood and an extra battery.

After reading so many mixed reviews about this camera I sure was confused.It took me several weeks to decide what to do.I finally took the plunge and purchased it and I do not regret it.This camera produces excellent quality pictures and that`s what I was after.Also manual controls are what I needed.Anybody who is not familiar with basic photography should choose a different point&shoot camera..This is not a camera for rapid shooting.I shoot a lot of landscapes an slow prepared set-ups,so as I already said "it`s an excellent little camera".

After 3 weeks of using this camera (and tons of research), I am very impressed. The image quality is far superior than any other point & shoot camera, and IMO better than most DLSRs. I've even seen the DP1 create better photos than a $4500 Canon setup and a $2500 Olympus set up.

But even if other companies started putting larger sensors into small bodies, I would still buy another Sigma. Why? Because of the Foveon sensor!

I was almost discouraged from buying this camera due to many of the negative comments about poor speed and lack of features. Now I am very happy that I went ahead and bought the Sigma DP1.

I understand some customer disastisfaction with the slower in-camera image processing speed, limit of rapid fire shots, and lack of face/smile recognition. Yes, this camera is lacking some of the modern bells and whistles of the digital camera age. Rather than a major con, however, I see it as something positive.

This camera forces the photographer to slow his itchy trigger finger and be present with the subject. Being forced to slow down returns the photographer to the simple beauty of photography. The fine details of the subject and the camera settings become important again. The removal of "auto-everything" features restore the magic of photography and imbue the photos with individual personality.

The Foveon sensor is simply amazing. When compared to every other Bayer-sensored DSLR (Canon, Nikon, etc), the over-saturated cartoonishly fake colors become very apparent. Foveon sensors capture real color, while Bayer sensors guesstimate colors with mathematics. In this age of simulated reality (TV shows, Hollywood blockbusters, XBox 360), the DP1 may seem a bit out of place. But I prefer to capture the natural beauty of our lovely world and not some artificial reconstruction.

If you want a simple and authentic camera, then the Sigma DP1 may very well be for you. I've read a few stories of loyal film photographers finally taking the plunge to digital with the DP1, and being very pleased.

However, if you want to shoot 1,000 photos of your son's soccer game and skip the post processing, then go with another brand. You may get frustrated with the patience and peace of using such a simple camera.

But you'll miss the amazing photos!

I am a professional photographer using Nikon's D300 and D3 for portraiture and weddings. These are both super cameras that have been a boon to my business. However, like all modern SLRs they are big, heavy, noisy and the automation works for most everything. I came to photography when cameras were much simpler and actually required a knowledge of how a camera works. I am glad I did, as to use the DP1 to its full advantage you must know what you are doing.

Photography is a passion even in my off time and I wanted something light, small, and quiet for the candids of life that I would always have with me. The poor image quality, control, and responsiveness of compacts was not what I was looking for. I briefly considered the M8 but for a non-money making "fun" camera it was way too much to spend. The DP1 filled the bill for me.

Why? You will read complaints about slowness. If you are a point and shooter, that is correct, and you should avoid this camera.

However, if you are a photographer read on. During my research I read an article written by a Leica user that said he was always ready to shoot by having his camera prefocused and ready to go. That is the best way to use the DP1 also. Use manual focus and the correct aperture for your expected depth of focus needs. Unlike any other compact camera you can both turn off the lcd and the sleep mode and walk around with the camera ready to shot in an instant. Of course with the lcd off you will need the optional viewfinder.

I normally shoot in A mode and the controls allow fast changes to aperture and exposure compensation, something else no other compact camera does.

The image quality at ISO 100 is astounding and loses some quality as it goes up to ISO 800. 800 is somewhat disappointing as color saturation drops off dramatically.

Yes it is slow for point and shooters and has a lousy lcd but if that is sacrifices Sigma had to make for a superior image from a compact camera at this price point its fine with me. I am having a blast with this camera as it opens up a whole new world of image possibilities. I highly recommend it to anyone who has a photography style that suits a M8 but does not want to spend a fortune for the tool to do it with. Its not a M8 of course but a bargain in comparison.

This camera has the best image quality in a compact body out of all the compact cameras in the market today. Yes, it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the other small cameras but for people who are serious about photography, image quality comes first.

Would I like it to be faster, have face recognition, better button layout, higher resolution screen, etc? Sure, but I sure wouldn't be willing to sacrifice image quality in order to get it. I know many point & shoot users would. This is NOT a camera for those folks.

This is a thinking person's camera. You have to use your brain to figure out what aperture, speed, ISO, DOF, etc. to get professional photos out of it. Of course the camera can also help but it's not the quickest in focusing. Hopefully, future updates to the firmware will address some of the shortcomings.

For those of you who want to learn about photography, this is the perfect camera for you also. It's the perfect camera to learn since it gets you to think about the settings before you take the shot.

One other comment I would like to make is on the Foveon sensor. It does have a unique image signature that's very different from the Bayer sensor cameras. Just as Leicas had a different film signature in the old days with film. The DP1 has a 3 dimensional accurate color reproduction that's hard to describe. You'll have to see the samples for yourself.

I have had this camera for 3 weeks now and have taken it on flights all over the Asia region - the form factor means it slips into my briefcase easily and is truly portable. The images taken in bright sunlight are truly STUNNING - clear, sharp and with fantastic color. The lens is especially good showing sharpness from edge to edge. The sensor obviously delivers smoothly graduated and vibrant color - the results speak for themselves. However it is not all good. The fixed lens while good is a little too wide for general use IMHO, so it forces some real discipline onto your photos. Maybe a 50mm would have been better. It is a little slow to focus and sometimes just seems to get confused into doing nothing - which is strange. The low light results actually seem quite pedestrian compared to the truly spectacular bright light results. Added to all of this, it seems that the "non-Bayer" sensor means that few RAW converters (in my case Apple Aperture)can work with the RAW files it makes - so you need to use the very odd SPP software that comes with the camera. So in summary I will use this when the light is good and the colors work well, and just work around it's limitations. I recommend this as an alternative to an SLR. The results is produces can be and are amazing, once you work within its capabilities.