Image Quality

All of the sample images in this Review were taken using the 14 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 2.5Mb.

The Sigma DP1s's image quality is very good, much better than most compact cameras that we've reviewed, and on a par with many entry-level DSLRs and the latest Micro Four Thirds cameras.

The Sigma DP1s handled noise extremely well, with only the fastest JPEG setting of ISO 800 showing some noise, slight loss of detail and colour desaturation. I'm a little puzzled why Sigma chose not to include ISO 1600 and 3200 settings as on the DP2, which on this evidence would have been pretty clean and made the DP1s more versatile.

The Sigma DP1s dealt with chromatic aberrations so well that I struggled to find a single example from our test shots. The images were just a little soft straight out of the camera at the default sharpening setting, but you can increase the level in-camera, or use Adobe Photoshop later. The night photograph was very good, with the maximum shutter speed of 15 seconds allowing you to capture enough light for the majority of after-dark situations.

The built-in flash worked quite well indoors, with no red-eye, adequate range and fairly good overall exposure. Macro performance was the only fly in the ointment, allowing you to focus as close as 28cms away from the subject, which means that you'll need to buy the DP1s lens hood and then fit a third-party close-up macro filter if you want to get really close to your subject.

Noise

There are 5 ISO settings available on the Sigma DP1s. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting, with JPEG on the left and RAW on the right:

JPEG	RAW
ISO 50 (100% Crop)	ISO 50 (100% Crop)
ISO 100 (100% Crop)	ISO 100 (100% Crop)
ISO 200 (100% Crop)	ISO 200 (100% Crop)
ISO 400 (100% Crop)	ISO 400 (100% Crop)
ISO 800 (100% Crop)	ISO 800 (100% Crop)

Sharpening

Here are two 100% crops which have been Saved as Web - Quality 50 in Photoshop. The right-hand image has had some sharpening applied in Photoshop. The images are just a little soft at the default sharpening setting of 0. You can change the in-camera sharpening level to one of the 10 preset preset levels (0.2 increments on a scale of +1 to -1) if you don't like the default look.

Original (100% Crop)	Sharpened (100% Crop)

File Quality

The Sigma DP1s has 3 different JPEG image quality settings available, with Fine being the highest quality option, and there's a RAW mode too. Here are some 100% crops which show the quality of the various options, with the file size shown in brackets.

14M Fine (2.98Mb) (100% Crop)	14M Normal (1.80Mb) (100% Crop)
14M Basic (1.23Mb) (100% Crop)	14M RAW (1.23Mb) (100% Crop)

Chromatic Aberrations

As with the DP1, the Sigma DP1s handled chromatic aberrations so well during the review that I struggled to find a single example to show you. You won't notice any chromatic aberrations in almost all photos from the DP1s.

Example 1 (100% Crop)

Macro

The Sigma DP1 doesn't offer a dedicated Macro setting. The closest distance that you can focus on a subject is 30cms away from the camera when it's set to Full Focus mode. The first image shows how close you can get to the subject (in this case a compact flash card). The second image is a 100% crop.

Macro Shot	100% Crop

Flash

The flash settings on the Sigma DP1 are On, Slow Synchro, Red-eye Reduction, Slow Synchro + Red-eye Reduction and Flash Compensation. These shots of a white coloured wall were taken at a distance of 1.5m.

Flash Off - Wide Angle (28mm)	Flash On - Wide Angle (28mm)

And here are a couple of portrait shots. As you can see, neither the Flash On or the Red-Eye Reduction options caused any red-eye.

On	On (100% Crop)
Red-eye Reduction	Red-eye Reduction (100% Crop)

Night

The Sigma DP1s's maximum shutter speed is 15 seconds, which is good news if you're seriously interested in night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 15 seconds, aperture of f/8 at ISO 200. I've included a 100% crop of the image to show what the quality is like.

Night Shot	Night Shot (100% Crop)

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Sigma DP1s camera, which were all taken using the 14 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample RAW Images

The Sigma DP1s enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Sigma RAW (X3F) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movie & Video

As of February 2025, we are no longer providing full size sample images or videos for download.

Please contact us if you have any feedback on our new policy.

Product Images

Front of the Camera

Front of the Camera / Turned On

Front of the Camera / Flash Raised

Isometric View

Isometric View

Rear of the Camera

Rear of the Camera / Image Displayed

Rear of the Camera / Turned On

Rear of the Camera / Main Menu

Top of the Camera

Bottom of the Camera

Side of the Camera

Side of the Camera

Front of the Camera

Front of the Camera

Memory Card Slot

Battery Compartment

Conclusion

With all the excitement surrounding the recent introduction of several small Micro Four Thirds cameras by Panasonic and Olympus, it's hard to raise much enthusiasm for the Sigma DP1s, especially considering that it's to all intents and purposes virtually identical to the original DP1 model.

Annoyingly Sigma haven't changed the external design of the DP1s in any way, which means that several usability enhancements that were introduced on the DP2 haven't made it onto this newer camera, most notably the dedicated Quick Set button, AF Point button and faster True Imaging II processor. The DP2 is the best model of all three Sigma compacts, but if you want the wider-angle lens of the DP1s, you'll have to accept the now out-of-date and painfully slow operational quirks. The addition of the Quick Set menu is a nice touch, but side-by-side the DP2 is quicker and easier to use than the DP1s.

Image quality is thankfully still excellent. There is virtually no noise throughout the ISO range, only at the fastest JPEG setting of ISO 800, but we can't understand why Sigma chose not to include faster the faster ISO 1600 and 3200 settings that the DP2 offers. Chromatic aberrations like purple and green-fringing, typically a problem in this class of camera, are simply non-existent on the DP1s, testament to the excellent prime lens, which is also the reason for the almost complete lack of pincushion or barrel distortion. Just be aware that the quoted 14.06 megapixel resolution isn't comparable to a Bayer sensor, in that it creates much smaller 2652×1768 pixel images which you'll need to interpolate for larger print sizes.

Officially price is also an issue for the DP1s, with £549 / $649 simply too much for such a slow and now out-moded camera. Happily many retailers seem to have realised this, with street prices in the UK much nearer the £350 mark, a much more realistic figure. We've scored the DP1s on the official RRP, but it's worth at least one more star at these kinds of prices.

You've really got to love the images that the DP1s produces to justify buying it, especially with rivals like the Panasonic DMC-GF1, Samsung NX10 and Olympus E-PL1 waiting in the proverbial wings. Sigma's compact cameras still have a certain back-to-basics appeal, but modest upgrades like the DP1s simply don't cut the mustard in 2010.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	3.5
Features	3
Ease-of-use	3.5
Image quality	4.5
Value for money	3

Specifications

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