Sigma New York Street Photography with a Sigma Merrill (or two)

Location
Hawaii
Name
Joe Marquez
Despite warnings I recently picked up a Sigma Merrill DP2M and DP3M and decided to test them out in New York City. My intent was to use my Ricoh GR for street photography, but decided to give the two Sigmas a try. I know, I know, these cameras are not intended for quick candid shooting on the street, but I couldn't resist seeing what the foveon sensor could deliver. I certainly had to slow everything down and consider the cameras limitations much more than usual.

Overall, I found the quirks of the camera were not as bad as I expected and the image quality met my expectations and was quite impressive. Bottom line - I was pleasantly surprised with the Sigma Merrills as a street rig. Mostly used the DP2 without a tripod or monopod. Hope you enjoy these few photos.

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Great stuff Joe. Man, we should have had a beer or a coffee if you were here as late as this past weekend. We're staying in an apartment about a block from that Christopher St Park next to the Stonewall... I tried a bit of street shooting with the DP1M once and it worked well enough, but I never saw a compelling reason to keep using it that way with the Nikon A around...

-Ray
 
Yes Bill, the camera was smokin' and Sigma detail is impressive.
Ray, I've not used the DP1M but I can see why you prefer the Coolpix A which I have used. The Coolpix A has nice auto-iso implementation and handles higher iso quite well. This makes for a much more versatile street rig. My guess is the only advantage for the DP1M is more detailed image quality at base iso.
 
My guess is the only advantage for the DP1M is more detailed image quality at base iso.

Right, which arguably matters somewhere between a little and a lot for landscapes, but seems almost beside the point for most street work. But, it was kind of fun playing around with it that little bit I did on the street. If just for a different type of challenge, if nothing else...

-Ray
 
So true Ray. Definitely a challenging street camera. What I liked about the Merrill was getting that little extra IQ with a bit more discipline in my shooting. It also allowed me to get some high quality scenic shots without having to carry my D810. IMHO a Merrill or two combined with a Ricoh GR or Nikon Coolpix A or a Nikon Df might make for a well rounded kit.
 
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