Sigma's lineup of high-end and rather odd compact cameras continues to intrigue and disappoint. Wired's Josh Valcarcel loves the image quality, especially for portraits—and dislikes pretty much everything else.
Mike Tomkins explains its unique sensor technology.
Ever since we first heard of the X3 Quattro chip, we've been debating precisely how to describe it on our site. Foveon's chips have always defied categorization in terms of the not-so-humble megapixel, but more than ever that's true with the Quattro image sensor. … But now, things have taken an even more complex turn. … We now have, essentially, no meaningful way to describe this sensor or the cameras on which it is based in terms of pixel resolution.
Photo Review likes it more.
The dp3 Quattro won't suit everyday snapshooters and may not be ideal for some photo enthusiasts. It's even more ponderous to use than its dp2 Quattro sibling and the raw conversion software, though capable, is quirky. But that Foveon sensor is hard to beat if you're after rich colour rendition plus detail that rivals the best DSLRs we've reviewed.
Sigma DP3 Quattro [Amazon]
