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Sigma DP1 Merrill

 
Sigma DP1 Merrill front
 
Portability
82
Imaging
56
Features
30
Overall
45

Sigma DP1 Merrill summary

Sigma DP1 Merrill is Sigma's Large Sensor Compact camera originally revealed on February of 2012. It houses a 15 MegaPixel, CMOS (Foveon X3) APS-C sized sensor and has a full resolution of 4704 x 3136.

Sigma introduced the more recent Sigma DP2 Merrill (Read Full Comparison) to replace this camera.

The DP1 Merrill is placed #58 out of 65 in Large Sensor Compact cameras & over-all #531 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our database. Please check out our Advanced camera search to get camera ratings based on your customized criteria.

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Below is a diagram of multiple factors used in the rating system.

Sigma DP1 Merrill family

The Sigma DP1 Merrill is part of a family of products. You can see the detailed range below.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
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Sigma-DP1-Merrill front thumbnailSigma DP1 Merrill()mm
F2.8
15MPAPS-C2012
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Sigma-DP1x front thumbnailSigma DP1x
DP1 Merrill vs DP1x
28mm
F4.0
5MPAPS-C2010
Sigma-DP2 front thumbnailSigma DP2
DP1 Merrill vs DP2
41mm
F
5MPAPS-C2009
Sigma-DP1 front thumbnailSigma DP1
DP1 Merrill vs DP1
28mm
F
5MPAPS-C2008

Sigma DP1 Merrill Pros and Cons

Below is a shortlist of benefits and drawbacks of the Sigma DP1 Merrill based on things that are generally regarded as essential in a camera.

delivers RAW formats
great minimum ISO (100)
high resolution screen (920 thousand dots)
manual focus
resolution is good (15MP)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
can't change focal length (()mm)
does not posses selfie friendly display
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
lack of image stabilization
lack of phase detect auto focus
low res video (640 x 480 resolution)
missing HDMI out
missing headphone support
missing microphone support
missing Timelapse function
no moving screen
slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
small screen ( inches)
Photography Glossary

Sigma DP1 Merrill Sensor details

The Sigma DP1 Merrill houses the Dual TRUE II engine processor. The specification of the sensor on the Sigma DP1 Merrill is 24mm x 16mm (APS-C). The 384 mm² sensor has the ability to capture 4704 x 3136 pixels .

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The CMOS (Foveon X3) sensor has 15MP and delivers a native ISO range of 100 to 6400. RAW photos are saved therefore the user has wider margin for error.

The picture below shows the DP1 Merrill's sensor dimensions in comparison to other common sizes. The DP1 Merrill sensor has a crop factor of 1.5 and is shown in green.

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To get a sense of different aspect ratios, you can refer to the visual below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Sigma DP1 Merrill dimensions

Sigma DP1 Merrill is 0.73 lb (330g / 11.64 oz) & the sizing of the camera is 122mm x 67mm x 64mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.5"). The weight of average Large Sensor Compact camera is 396g and the Sigma DP1 Merrill is less heavy when compared with various competitors.

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Below is a visual of the Sigma DP1 Merrill next to a softdrink to help you get a sense of its scale.

Sigma DP1 Merrill dimensions scale

The top view directly below will show you the button layout on the DP1 Merrill.

Sigma DP1 Merrill topview buttons dials

Sigma DP1 Merrill Lens specs

The DP1 Merrill provides a fixed lens providing a fixed focal length of ()mm which means you don't have the luxury to zoom.

At the widest ()mm, it features an aperture of f2.8 making it kind of slow and not very good for low light occasions and you will likely struggle to get good bokeh. You will also need to raise the ISO producing noisy pictures.

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Sigma DP1 Merrill Connectivity

The DP1 Merrill has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes

Digital cameras that have NFC or Bluetooth connectivity can easily be used wirelessly with smartphones. You are able to copy photos and usually adjust camera settings without the hassle of connecting straight to the camera.

Certain applications even enable a Liveview and release the shutter if you are not near the camera. If the camera boasts a HDMI port, it could be connected to an external monitor. Almost all cameras will allow you to recharge the battery pack with the USB socket.

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Sigma DP1 Merrill Video specs

The highest possible video resolution on the Sigma DP1 Merrill is 640 x 480 and you can capture in Motion JPEG format. 480p is awful for today's standards. You should aim for at least FUll HD resolution for good video. The camera does not offer a microphone or headphone jack which means that you get no control over the sound. It is perhaps a better idea to look at another camera if you want better sound for your video clips.

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Sigma DP1 Merrill Weather Sealing

There is no environment sealing on the Sigma DP1 Merrill so you need to be careful in rainy and dusty situations.

Sigma DP1 Merrill Display and Viewfinder

The Sigma DP1 Merrill is equipped with a inch fixed display screen boasting a resolution of 920 thousand dots.

Sadly the display screen is not a touch screen.

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The View Finder details for Sigma DP1 Merrill are as follows:

  • ViewFinder None

Viewfinders are quite useful in bright outdoor situations which might make the camera display washed out and very difficult to see.

Sigma DP1 Merrill Shutter specs

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Sigma DP1 Merrill Flash and Hot shoe specs

Sigma DP1 Merrill features external flash support but comes without in-built flash.

Sigma DP1 Merrill Autofocus specs

Sigma DP1 Merrill does not have Auto focusing. Phase Detection focusing is a lot faster & precise when compared with Contrast Based focusing.

Sigma DP1 Merrill has manual focusing if required in low light or you want more accurate control on focusing.

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Sigma DP1 Merrill Battery life

The average Large Sensor Compact camera battery life is 301. Leica X-U offers the best (450) battery life in this type of cameras.

Here is a number of Large Sensor Compact cameras with the best battery life:

Sigma DP1 Merrill for specific forms of photography

The following bar chart shows a rundown of the Sigma DP1 Merrill for specific forms of photography. To check out more, check out the specific section below.

Sigma DP1 Merrill Portrait photography information

The Sigma DP1 Merrill has a rating of 73 which is above average, meaning that it is a fine fit to use for portrait photos. Taking portraits leans heavily to sensor dimensions, support for RAW photos & potential to work with external flash.

Photography Glossary
focusing manually
good resolution (15MP)
good sensor size (APS-C)
saves RAW formats

Sigma DP1 Merrill Street photography information

Getting a nice score of 64, the Sigma DP1 Merrill is a fine option to buy for street photography. A very good street photography camera provides a fine balance of image quality and portability.

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sensor size is nice (APS-C)
exports RAW files
screen is fixed
no image stabilization

Sports photography with Sigma DP1 Merrill

A moderate sports photography score of 48 indicates the Sigma DP1 Merrill is reasonably acceptable for taking photos of sports. A camera needs good autofocus and fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

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megapixel count good (15 megapixels)
sensor size is good (APS-C)
can't change focal length (()mm)
no image stabilization
doesn't have phase detect AF

Sigma DP1 Merrill Travel photography highlights

Size is super critical when picking a camera for travel. Over-all, the Sigma DP1 Merrill gets a decent 54 as a travel camera which is relatively adequate for your trips.

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sensor resolution is decent (15MP)
missing Time Lapse function
doesn't contain selfie friendly screen
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)

Landscape photography with Sigma DP1 Merrill

For anyone planning to purchase a digital camera for landscape photos, the most significant factor will be image quality. The Sigma DP1 Merrill with it's average grade of 50 as a landscape camera is fairly suited within the current marketplace.

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manual focus
megapixel count decent (15MP)
sensor size is nice (APS-C)
exports RAW files
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
can't change focal length (()mm)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f2.8)
small screen ( inches)
no image stabilization
does not have Time Lapse function

Sigma DP1 Merrill as a Vlogging camera

A camera for vlogging preferably should posses a articulating display, microphone input and if possible IBIS. Taking everything in to account, the Sigma DP1 Merrill is just not very good as a vlog camera as it delivers a really bad score of 22.

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sluggish maximum aperture (f2.8)
does not offer selfie friendly display
no image stabilization
video res low (640 x 480 pxls)
missing mic support

Sigma DP1 Merrill Alternatives

If you want replacements to the DP1 Merrill, below is a selection of the top placed cameras that fall within the family of Large Sensor Compact.

The chart here provides you a summary of the DP1 Merrill vs it's top ranked competitors listed earlier.

Following are additional cameras you may consider as alternate options. To read through a comprehensive comparison, click the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Manufacturer
Sigma
Model type
Sigma DP1 Merrill
Category
Large Sensor Compact
Introduced
2012-02-08
Physical type
Large Sensor Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CMOS (Foveon X3)
Processor Chip
Dual TRUE II engine
Sensor size
APS-C
Sensor measurements
24 x 16mm
Sensor surface area
384.0mm²
Sensor resolution
15 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Peak resolution
4704 x 3136
RAW format
Highest native ISO
6400
Lowest native ISO
100
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
AF continuous
Single AF
AF tracking
AF selectice
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Lens
Lens mount type
fixed lens
Lens zoom range
()
Largest aperture
f/2.8
Focal length multiplier
1.5
Screen
Display type
Fixed Type
Resolution of display
920 thousand dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch functionality
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type
None
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating
not tested
DXO Color Depth rating
not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating
not tested
DXO Low light rating
not tested
Features
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation
Yes
Set WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance
no built-in flash
Flash settings
no built-in flash
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Video resolutions
640 x 480
Highest video resolution
640x480
Video file format
Motion JPEG
Microphone support
Headphone support
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environmental sealing
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
330g (0.73 pounds)
Dimensions
122 x 67 x 64mm (4.8" x 2.6" x 2.5")
Other
Time lapse shooting
Card slots
1
Pricing at release
$1,250