RiceHigh's Pentax Blog: Pentax K-5+DA15 Vs Sigma DP1X Head-to-head Field Comparisons (Full Size Images)

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Pentax K-5+DA15 Vs Sigma DP1X Head-to-head Field Comparisons (Full Size Images)

The Bayer Vs X3 Fight begins! @ the Xitek Forum Post Here (in Simplified Chinese).

Set 1: Pentax Sigma (Click to Enlarge; Warning: Original Files in Large Size!)

Set 2: Pentax Sigma

Set 3: Pentax Sigma

Set 4: Pentax Sigma 1 Sigma 2

After all, the pixel sharpness of the DP1X pictures is impressive. And I do somehow prefer the colour rendition of the Sigma, too, which looks more natural for the sunlight whilst the K-5 pics are way too cool (blueish). The K-5 picture in the Test Set 2 was way underexposed, also.

Comments (16)

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+4 Vote up Vote down

Name · 632 weeks ago

Concerning colour rendition - there are so many options to control colour temperature etc in K-5...

+3 Vote up Vote down

zosX · 632 weeks ago

k-5 files are larger. if you downsampled to the same resolution the gulf in sharpness would decrease IMO. Also the 15ltd is not looking too good here. A 12-24 might have given better sharpness actually. Let's see......
http://imgur.com/zCIKaoP

Close.....hard to say if the 15ltd is soft or the AA filter on the K-5 is softening things....

+2 Vote up Vote down

Jose · 632 weeks ago

These pictures are all outdoors. I read somewhere (dpreview, maybe?) that Sigma sensors are good for outdoors only, nothing else. I think that's why Sigma's pictures look better.

2 replies · active 632 weeks ago

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zosX · 632 weeks ago

the foveon sensor is good in pretty much any light at base iso. once you move into even iso 400 and 800 color problems start to appear and things break down quickly after that. so that's why you probably read that, meaning that it only takes good pictures in good light or at its lowest sensitives. the detail and sharpness I must admit are very surprising even with the lower pixel count. no AA filter, no interpolation. every pixel recording RGB color vs a bayer pattern array. i still think the k-5 can do better than what we are seeing here.

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jaad75 · 632 weeks ago

Of course. And the K-5 IIs can do much better than that. But even the regular K-5 "classic" would do much better with a good copy of this lens and a picture developed from RAW.

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Big Dee · 632 weeks ago

Are this JPGs straight from the camera? If this is so, I am not surprised by the results, because Sigma's JPGs straight from camera are just great in good light.
If someone shoots RAW, this is not a relevant comparision. For example, RAWs from Olympus have a high default sharpness in comparision to Pentax. So in that case I prefer to post-process RAWs and see, what I can get out of them.

1 reply · active 631 weeks ago

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Art · 631 weeks ago

It's not the jpeg. It's the Sigma's foveon sensor that is superior to all other APSC sensors at base ISO.

The problem with foveon sensor is that IQ degrades quickly once you go higher than 200 ISO, and there is no movie mode I think.

But at base ISO, it's superior.

+1 Vote up Vote down

Claudio Costerni · 632 weeks ago

This is a amateurish comparison-test, so poorly done, sketchy in all, that is useless if not detrimental for both cameras.
Utter rubbish!

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Dave's clichés · 632 weeks ago

Hi,
The DP1 is a super capable imaging camera that can rival the K5IIs and the Nikon D800s,try tapping UTUBE the camera store Sigma DP1. This video gives a full picture of the cameras capabilities and all (and there are many) of it's drawbacks.

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mrx · 632 weeks ago

In the last K5's temple photo you can see a smear on the right hand side (the "dog"). A clean lens would be better suited for comparisons and testing...

2 replies · active 632 weeks ago

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twil · 632 weeks ago

Yes - I noticed that too - objects on the left side are sharp. I thought that it was some type of light flare / off angle reflection.

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zosX · 632 weeks ago

i think its a bad lens personally. if I had a 15ltd that was this unsharp at that high of an aperture I would surely send it back

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François · 632 weeks ago

I am very satisfied with the Pentax DA 15MM F4. Its a good en compact lens for its size.but the lens between F4 and F8 problems in the corners which may suggest a shift.(décentrement des lentilles) but its normal for this little lens.
http://photofrans.wordpress.com/

other test whit differrent pentax lens.
http://www.monuniverspentax.com/test_15mm/test_15...

http://www.monuniverspentax.com/test_15mm/test_15...