Sigma DP1 vs Sigma SD1 Merrill

Its time to take a deeper look at the Sigma DP1 and Sigma SD1 Merrill, one is a Large Sensor Compact and the other is a Advanced DSLR and they are both produced by Sigma. There is a significant difference between the resolutions of the DP1 (5MP) and SD1 Merrill (15MP) but both cameras offer the same sensor dimensions (APS-C).

Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The DP1 was brought out 4 years before the SD1 Merrill which is quite a sizable gap as far as tech is concerned. Both cameras have different body design with the Sigma DP1 being a Large Sensor Compact camera and the Sigma SD1 Merrill being a Mid-size SLR camera.

Before we go into a detailed comparison, here is a short summary of how the DP1 matches up versus the SD1 Merrill in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall score.

This is a sample of the gallery pictures for Sigma DP1 and Sigma SD1 Merrill. The entire galleries are available at Sigma DP1 Gallery and Sigma SD1 Merrill Gallery.

In case you're planning to carry around your camera frequently, you are going to need to consider its weight and size. The Sigma DP1 has got external measurements of 113mm x 60mm x 50mm (4.4" x 2.4" x 2.0") accompanied by a weight of 270 grams (0.60 lbs) and the Sigma SD1 Merrill has specifications of 146mm x 113mm x 80mm (5.7" x 4.4" x 3.1") having a weight of 790 grams (1.74 lbs).

Contrast the Sigma DP1 and Sigma SD1 Merrill in the new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool.

Do not forget, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change dependant on the lens you are working with at that time. Underneath is a front view measurement comparison of the DP1 vs the SD1 Merrill.

Looking at size and weight, the portability rating of the DP1 and SD1 Merrill is 87 and 57 respectively.

Oftentimes, its difficult to envision the contrast between sensor sizes merely by reading through technical specs. The picture here may give you a greater sense of the sensor measurements in the DP1 and SD1 Merrill.

As you have seen, both cameras have the same sensor dimensions but not the same resolution. You should anticipate the Sigma SD1 Merrill to give you greater detail having its extra 10MP. Greater resolution can also help you crop images a bit more aggressively. The more aged DP1 is going to be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.