EXCERPT page containing first few paragraphs. 2024-05-09 15:08:05
UA_SEARCH_BOT_compatible_botmozilla/5.0 applewebkit/537.36 (khtml, like gecko; compatible; claudebot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com) @ 3.144.16.254
For full access, subscribe here. Or click title to login.
Sigma Photo Pro software
The Sigma Photo Pro (version 3.3) is usable, which is to say better than some other manufacturer offerings. I used only the Mac version; the Windows version might have a few small additions.
The feature set is very limited, with some irritating design flaws. Here is a partial list of annoyances (far from complete):
- There is a command in the edit menu, but it is always dimmed! So I could never set any preferences.
- On my 30" monitor, the DP-2 images display at 80.9%, almost actual pixels and there seems to be no way to default it to 100% (actual pixels). It’s also irritating that cmd-option-0 (as in Photoshop) does not work. In fact, I could find no command-key shortcut at all to go to actual pixels. Unbelievable.
- An irritating splash screen appears over all windows of all programs until the program has generated thumbnails for all the images in a folder. This prevents using any program while you wait (clicking won’t eliminate it). I have the fastest Mac available, so if you have a slower one you won’t find this very enjoyable.
- Help is rudimentary, not very helpful, and not telling you much of anything useful over the obvious. Pretty much the inept help that comes with most manufacturer-supplied RAW converters.
- I found the X3F/Auto/Custom approach very confusing. Even after reading the manual I was left scratching my head on the idea and its usefulness; settings I applied to one image apparently defaulted to others.
Article continues for subscribers...
Diglloyd Guide to Mirrorless is by yearly subscription. Subscribe now for about 25 cents a day ($90/year).
BEST DEAL: get full access to ALL 8 PUBLICATIONS for only about 75 cents a day!
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.
Want a preview? Click on any page below to see an excerpt as well as extensive blog coverage, for example on Sony.