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Sigma DP3 Merrill
Leica X Vario

Shootout: Sigma DP3 Merrill vs Leica X Vario: (Titanium Ride to the Green Machine)

The Sigma DP3 Merrill uses the Foveon X3 true-color sensor, capable of resolving detail down to the pixel level without interpolation (Bayer matrix demosaicing). The 50mm f/2.8 lens used on the Sigma DP3M is a superb optic, so we can expect excellent results.

The Leica X Vario utilizes a conventional Bayer Matrix RGB sensor. Leica has said that the X Vario lens offers “perfect imaging quality”. But that is a statement on the lens which is only part of the situation: a digital image is a product of lens + sensor + electronics.

Which camera actually produces more detailed images?

Camera details

The Sigma DP3 Merrill is an APS-C camera with a Foveon true-color sensor. Each photosite is a true red/green/blue pixel capable of a full RGB value. This gives a significant advantage for details in areas dominated by red or blue in particular (green less so), but also in general yields a level of resolved detail that captures texture in a far superior way to a conventional sensor. The images also “blow up” to very large prints with near medium format quality.

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Diglloyd Guide to Mirrorless offers comprehensive integrated coverage of most APS-C and full frame mirrorless cameras and lenses.

Special emphasis is placed on Sony full-frame, including Sony lenses and the high performance Zeiss Batis and Zeiss Loxia lenses plus Rokinon/Samyang and others. Fujifilm X, Olympus and Panasonic M4/3, Sigma dp Merrill and dp/sd Quattro are also covered in depth. Years in the making, it offers a wealth of material for choosing and using a mirrorless camera.

  • Make better images by learning how to get the best results right away. For example, the best way to set up your Sony camera.
  • Save money by choosing the right lens for your needs the first time, particularly with the numerous lenses available for Sony.
  • Make better images, a sort of “cheat sheet” saving yourself months or years of ad-hoc learning—best practices and how-to and processing parameters are discussed and shown.
  • Jaw-dropping image quality found nowhere else utilizing Retina-grade images up to full camera resolution, plus large crops.
  • Real world examples with insights found nowhere else. Make sharper images just by understanding lens behavior you won’t read about elsewhere.
  • Aperture series from wide open through stopped down, showing the full range of lens performance and bokeh.
  • Optical quality analysis of field curvature, focus shift, sharpness, flare, distortion, and performance in the field.

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Variants DP3M, XVario available in full article

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