Sigma DP1x 14MP FOVEON CMOS Sensor Digital Camera and 2.5 Inch LCD

The title may be confusing for some - let me explain. I previously owned a DP-1s. I was very happy with this little camera, both in image quality and build. I regretted getting rid of the camera as soon as it left my possession. Fast forward a year or so and I couldn't pass up a sale on the DP-1x.The DP-1x takes great pictures, but for some reason they are not as good as the DP-1s. Don't get me wrong - the image quality is still great, but the '1x pictures don't "pop" like the '1s pictures do. The build quality was also not on par with the '1s. The buttons on the back rattled around and seemed made of cheaper materials.Interface was about the same and the buttons were labeled a bit better than the '1s. Price was about $50 more, even though I got both on sale.Bottom line is that this is a good camera, just didn't meet my expectations from the DP-1s. Still 4 stars though.

Okay, kids. Here's a camera all you 'aficionados' will absolutely love if you're into composing a shot, once you know what you're looking for. While I've only had the camera for a day, it wins points on its revolutionary approach to digital-imaging, capturing the light for all the world much the way all the old 'chromes' did, back in the day when all you had were f-stops and shutter speeds. Remember back that far? This ain't no average 'Point-and-Shoot'. Matter of fact, it's pedestrian-style when you think of speed, in the digital age, that is... If you're looking for a camera to take to a sports-event, or one to capture 'on-the-fly' images, this ain't your camera. If, on the other hand, you find yourself walking about town for the simple reason that it's nice outside, you want to go for a walk and maybe catch a few shots, some REALLY GOOD shots, with accurate color-rendition and incredible detail, this might be what you're looking for. If you don't have the scratch for an 850 (about 3k, right now) or a Leica (I feel for you, I really do) and love 'sleepers' (this camera looks rather, uh, 'nondescript'...PERFECT!) then you're gonna love this little gem. While there are those that denigrated the Leica D-Lux3's 'noise' at low-light levels (man, I don't get that one, period) I thought the images it rendered were top-drawer, and being able to fit a fine camera in one's pocket it a huge plus. You don't 'get the shot' if you don't take the camera along, and this one fits nicely in my Carhartts. Okay, they're not Dockers or Van Heusens (although they have, lamentably of late, become a fashion statement of sorts) the generous space offered by the Carhartts make stuffing a truly pocketable camera an easy matter, and the plain-looking, solidly-built Sigma is perfectly suited to this application. Yeah, the red 'processing' led winks for a bit, but hey, I believe in results. All you goonies out there into a 10-frame-per-second sickness should pass this type of excellence up. That kind of camera is designed for pro-sports photographers who really NEED that sort of fire-power, not the fellow (or gal) who savors an excursion, taking it all in, in a languorous fashion, risking labeling as some sort of NUT for heaven's sake. New-agers and Zen devotees, your camera has arrived. Check it out, take the time, and your dedication will be amply rewarded. Pixel-peepers need not apply: this is the artist's camera. Like Kinkade? Buy a Nikon, and hit the street in your Polo ensemble, hey, you'll fit right in...Me, I'll take Vermeer anyday... Nuff sed...

I purchased this camera at the same time I purchased a Canon EOS7D. I intended the Sigma to be my everyday carry-arround camera for vacation, street photography, etc.The camera takes beautiful photos, but it is so slow to boot up and acquire focus that whatever image you wanted to grab has usually moved on...I then tried to trade it in for another camera at a camera store "event" and was offered $10.00 for it.Mine sits in the corner of my desk gathering dust.I hate to say it but the camera is useless to me. I paid a lot more than what's being asked here, but even at $250, I'd say don't buy one of these.

the focussing on this camera was far too slow to take photos.the quality of the photos was good .

For a start-off, the 14MP sensor is what normal people think as being a 14MP sensor and not the 4.65MP sensor it really is. This make it too small an image for publishing. This "confusion" arises from the Foveon sensor design in which each light well can record three different colours. But at the end of the day, you get a 14MB TIFF which means you have 4.65MP for each of the three primary colours. So don't buy this thinking you are getting a 14MP sensor because you are not, from a publishing point of view.In good light this camera can take outstanding photos. The lens is very sharp right out to the edges. In the corners there is only a slight degradation of image quality and about a half stop vignetting.There is no viewfinder. If you want one you have to buy a hot-shoe viewfinder and these are not cheap (~$175). The lens is sharp enough to show up camera shake and unless the light is good then there will be camera shake showing up if you try to snap shots from the screen at the back so a viewfinder is essential and something you would need to factor in to the price.The rear screen is small. If you replay your shots and magnify to 10x then your shots will look out of focus on the screen when in fact they are sharp.Colours are good except for bright coloured objects when it gets the hue wrong and I found it gave better results if I set it to florescent lighting. You can not set a colour temperature which is a big negative.Photos at ISO 400 and higher are grainy and this for me is a big negative with the camera. There are some very good cameras out there like the Fujifilm X100 that perform excellently in low light. This Sigma does not and so limits its indoors usage.When it takes shots where there is some bright light it can end up underexposing compared to what you see on the screen.I give it three stars because its annoying features and limitations balance out its strong points.