Innovation vs. Performance: The New Sigma Quattro Camera

As a DSLR user I’m naturally skeptical about the point-and-shoot cameras and hard to convince to replace my Nikon D90 for anything less than that. The only issue I have with DSLRs is they get pretty heavy when dragging them with you after a while. If there was a DSLR quality in a smaller body, that would be a game changer for me, as I can imagine for many other DSLR users.

The new Sigma DP Quattro will definitely change the minds of many. Company, more known after their high quality lenses, introduced an interesting design that doesn’t resemble any other camera on the market. It’s thin body is designed in a minimalistic way with a grip that makes for an unusual angle. Reduced to bare essentials and with all the control buttons on the reach, the camera is strikingly bare but at the same time very practical for use.

Sigma DP Quattro will be available with fixed 19mm, 30mm and 50mm 2.8f lenses paired with Sigma’s unique Foveon APS – C sensor which translates into about 15.5 individual pixels, each of which captures all three colors instead of the usual 4 pixel white. The color reproduction may be appealing to some but the slow auto-focus is a disadvantage.

The boxy minimal design on Sigma DP Quattro sure does stand out from its competitors but the features can hardly compare to a DSLR. For being a premium product, this camera may as well go for as much as its predecessor DP Merrill, costing $999. It will be a battle between innovation and performance.