Sigma dp0 Quattro Camera Pricing and Availability Announced

Sigma USA has announced the pricing and availability of the Sigma dp0 Quattro large-sensor compact camera which features a fixed 14mm f/4 wide-angle lens.

The dp0 Quattro incorporates a fixed 14mm f/4 lens, which is equivalent to a 21mm lens on a 35mm camera; and features four “F” Low Dispersion (FLD) glass elements, two Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass elements, and two aspheric lenses. The image sensor is a three-layered, panchromatic Foveon chip with green-sensitive middle and red-sensitive bottom layers each having 4.9 megapixels, plus a top layer that captures 19.6 megapixels of blue-channel chrominance and resolution/luminance information for the red and green channels.

The Sigma dp0 Quattro camera will be available in the United States in late July for the street price of $999.

Sigma Corporation of America Announces Pricing and Availability of dp0 Quattro Camera

Fourth camera in the Quattro series to be available in late July

RONKONKOMA, N.Y.—Sigma Corporation of America, a leading researcher, developer, manufacturer and service provider of some of the world’s most impressive lines of lenses, cameras and flashes, announced the pricing and availability of the fourth compact camera in the Quattro series, the Sigma dp0 Quattro. The dp0 Quattro camera will be available in the United States in late July for the street price of $999.

“The dp0 Quattro specifically offers wide-angle capabilities combined with the high resolution sensor that makes this camera ideal for landscape and architecture photographers.”

The dp0 Quattro incorporates a fixed, high performance 14mm F4 lens, which is equivalent to a 21mm lens on a 35mm DSLR and is optimized to maximize the performance of the series’ Foveon “Quattro” Direct Image sensor. The Quattro line is great for photographers seeking the utmost in image purity, and the 14mm F4 lens is designed to take full advantage of the exceptional detail and color captured by the Foveon Quattro sensor.

“Each camera in the dp Quattro series provides photographers with an option for their unique photographic needs,” said Mark Amir-Hamzeh, president of Sigma Corporation of America. “The dp0 Quattro specifically offers wide-angle capabilities combined with the high resolution sensor that makes this camera ideal for landscape and architecture photographers.”

In order to achieve the highest optical performance, the dp0 lens features four “F” Low Dispersion (FLD) glass elements, which have performance equal to fluorite, two Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass elements, and two aspheric lenses, including a wide double-sided aspheric lens. This reduces chromatic aberration and distortion, which are characteristics typically present in super wide angle photography. The camera offers sharp rendering performance from the maximum aperture, and the superior telecentric optical design improves image quality throughout the frame and maximizes the sensor’s ability by passing on information about subjects to the sensor. In addition, the wide angle of view of 91 degrees and depth of field are ideal for architectural structures, interior photography and landscapes.

As with all the cameras in the Quattro series, the dp0 Quattro features the distinctive styling of the line. The Foveon Quattro X3 Direct Imaging sensor is the equivalent of a 39 megapixel (MP) Bayer sensor in resolution testing. The next generation sensor builds on the distinctive properties of the X3 technology, which uniquely records red, green and blue wavelengths at each pixel location within three layers.

The Quattro sensor is a three-layered, panchromatic silicon chip with green-sensitive middle and red-sensitive bottom layers each having 4.9 MP and record only color/chrominance information. The top layer captures 19.6 MP of blue channel chrominance and resolution/luminance information for the red and green channels, resulting in greater detail capture and resolution capabilities that are higher than the Merrill DP camera line. The Quattro sensor’s architecture also contributes to true color rendition, more detail capture, and faster image processing, all of which delivers even more realistic images.

With four cameras now in the line-up, photographers can select the most suitable camera based on their photographic needs with the Sigma dp0 Quattro 14mm F4 lens, Sigma dp1 Quattro 19mm 2.8 lens, Sigma dp2 Quattro 30mm 2.8 lens, Sigma dp3 Quattro 50mm F2.8 lens and Sigma dp3 Quattro with dedicated conversion 1.2x lens 90mm.

The dp0 Quattro camera will also feature:

• Optional dedicated Optical Viewfinder VF-51 that offers accurate framing and makes composition easier as it is unaffected by external light conditions
• The TRUE III Image processor, providing ultrafast processing of an immense volume of image data without any deterioration of the final image
• Better high ISO performance with one to two stops of improvement
• Improved 3A performance: Auto Color Mode, Auto Focus and Auto White Balance