Sigma DP1 Quattro First Impressions Review

Like Sigma's previous DP-series cameras, the Quattro is going to come in three flavors. They're all identical, except each has a different lens. We originally checked out the DP2 Quattro, which has a 30mm f/2.8 lens. Recently, however, we had a chance to check out the DP1 Quattro, which has a 19mm f/2.8 lens. Let's see if the new glass makes a difference.

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Design & Handling

The Quattro's giant grip is... still giant.

The first thing I noticed when I picked up the DP1 Quattro was the overwhelming sense of deja vu. It feels exactly like the DP2 Quattro, even with a different lens. The body still seems like it's been stretched sideways like fresh mozzarella, with dual control dials and a giant, blocky grip stuck on the right side.

The grip is the most obvious talking point when it comes to all the Quattro cameras. It's large and makes the camera completely unpocketable, but it's surprisingly effective at helping you keep the camera steady. That's especially useful given the Quattro's use of a high-resolution Foveon x3 sensor—small shakes will be very evident in the final image.

The other controls on the camera are all very snappy, with good response from the shutter and the various buttons strewn around the back of the camera. It's a fun camera to shoot with, and the user interface is excellent. It has a very slick presentation in general and is well-organized, making it easy to pick up and just shoot.

If we've got one complaint about handling the Quattro (other than the absurd footprint) it's that the control layout doesn't mesh very well with the grip. There are plenty of cameras that have large grips, but they still tend to sit flush with the back of the camera. The DP1 Quattro's grip extends both in front and behind the main plane of the camera body. This makes reaching buttons near the LCD with your thumb more difficult than on typical cameras.

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Features

The Foveon sensor is the camera's best feature, but it presents problems.

In most digital cameras every pixel on the sensor is covered in a red, green, or blue filter. The camera then captures three incomplete pictures—one for each color channel—and interpolates them to produce a fully colored photo. Foveon sensors, such as the 29-megapixel one in the DP1 Quattro, are made up of three color-sensitive layers stacked on top of one another. This way every single pixel captures red, green, and blue information, theoretically producing more detailed images.

The Quattro cameras are something of a novelty, but they also take razor-sharp photos as a result. The photos are much larger than average, however. This has a few different knock-on effects, most notably that Foveon-based cameras tend to be pretty slow. The DP1 Quattro is actually quite snappy—unofficially we'd peg it at about three frames per second—but its internal buffer fills up after just seven full-resolution RAW shots.

The other thing that separates the DP1 Quattro is its 19mm f/2.8 lens. Though DP-series lenses have the same focal length and max aperture as Sigma's DN-series Art lenses for mirrorless cameras, this is an entirely different optical design. It has more elements in more groups, a 9-bladed aperture, and appears to be sharper in the corners. It should be a good lens, with a 28mm (35mm equivalent) focal length—a bit wider than the DP2 Quattro's 45mm equivalent.

If there's one fact that haunts all Foveon-based cameras, however, it's poor battery life. The DP1 Quattro appears to fall prey to this, with a rated life of just 200 shots.

Conclusion

Sigma's Quattro experiment continues with aplomb.

The Quattro series is, without question, one of the weirdest-looking camera designs we've seen in recent memory. We understand why Sigma has designed the camera the way that it has, but we also understand that it's going to be a non-starter for many shooters.

Even DP-series die hards have griped about the Quattro, for a variety of reasons. To Sigma's credit, it appears to be sticking to its guns. Not only is the DP1 Quattro supposed to hit retail soon, it'll be accompanied by some new accessories such as a giant viewfinder that bolts onto the back of the camera—just in case the design wasn't weird enough.

As we've said before, either you'll love the Quattro design or you'll despise it. Either way, it's a bold camera that shakes up typically staid camera design, and packages it with impressive Foveon technology. It's a snappy camera that's fun to shoot with, even if it'll take up entirely too much room in our bags.

Is it worth picking one up? Well, with an MSRP of $999, there are definitely better cameras for the price, but if you've been waiting for a wide-angle Quattro this is something you can wrap your hands around.