Identity | SIGMA DP1x : Special Contents

The DP1x has an integral wide-angle lens equivalent to 28mm in a 35mm camera. Since its field angle is greater than that of the human eye, a wide-angle lens can be used to bring out perspective, adding dynamism and drama to your photographs.

This type of lens really comes into its own when shooting landscapes and buildings, where its distinctive perspective can be used to full advantage. It allows dynamic captures of clear blue skies, white fluffy clouds and deep crimson sunsets. Buildings, be they historical structures, stylish examples of modern architecture, or anything in between, can be cleverly framed for maximum interest, or captured in a thousand other cool ways.

The wide-angle lens is also great for snapshots. For one thing, it has technical advantages – it’s less susceptible to camera-shake and allows a greater depth of field. For another, its wide field angle gives you an edge when it comes to capturing subtle human interactions, or snatching that rare and unexpected photogenic moment that can show up in the most banal of everyday scenes.

Portraits are another genre you really should try with the wide-angle lens on the DP1x. The telephoto lens is the mainstream choice for this type of shot, so using a wide-angle lens adds a fresh twist right away. For a classic headshot, use portrait (vertical) orientation. Whether you shoot in portrait or landscape, you can inject a sense of depth and a dash of drama by cleverly incorporating the existing background, or by arranging background objects yourself.

Most photographers start out with an interest in using telephoto lenses. An obsession with wide-angle lenses tends to follow later. What gets them hooked on the wide-angle lens is its versatility and its infinite potential for artistic expression. This type of lens brings all sorts of extraneous objects into the frame, so it can be tricky to master. The effort is more than repaid, however, by the extra scope for dramatic staging. In terms of sheer artistic enjoyment, the wide-angle lens gets more and more rewarding as you go up the learning curve.

Like the other Sigma DP cameras, the DP1x uses a single-focus lens. As high-performance zoom lenses have become mainstream even in integral-lens cameras, this might seem an unusual choice.
Certainly, when you can only shoot from a certain spot, a high-magnification zoom lens is hard to beat: its extensive visual field conveniently covers the range from wide-angle to telephoto. If you’ve ever struggled to take pictures with a single-focus lens that has the wrong field angle, you’ll know just how frustrating it can be.

And yet, the single-focus lens has an elegance all of its own. Give it some serious attention, and it will repay the favor by taking you right back to the basics of photography. Choosing the subject. Finding the best angle. Framing the shot in the best way possible. Considering the light and shadow falling on the subject. Taking account of the colors. This is what photography is all about. In Sigma’s philosophy, there’s only one way to take a picture that is truly your own. You have to establish your personal, subjective relationship with the subject. And that means making all the artistic decisions yourself.

Shooting with a single-focus lens forces you to frame the shot by moving your physical position. With a camera that automatically selects the best field angle for the subject, it wouldn’t really matter where you positioned yourself. With a single-focus lens, however, actively searching for the best way to frame the shot makes you rethink your old habits. This prompts you to re-establish a new, more authentic, more personal relationship with photography.

Rediscover the joy of photography. Unleash your inner artist with the DP1x.