Sigma DP1 Merrill: Class Leading Sharpness (Green Brick Summit Building)
With the ~20-megapixel Sigma dp2 Quattro availability likely to be early summer, users looking for a large-print-capable compact camera might meanwhile want to consider the ~15-megapixel Sigma DP Merrill lineup, particularly the 28mm and 75mm (equiv) models, the DP1 Merrill and DP3 Merrill. The dp2 Quattro will replace the 45mm DP 2 Merrill, but the other two siblings are coming sometime later.
Real detail free of digital artifacts, especially for natural materials including very fine textures, nuanced crystalline metallic zinc coatings and similar coupled with deep real (actual) depth of field are the hallmarks of the Sigma DP Merrill cameras with their Sigma/Foveon true-color sensors.
A planar subject like this is a demanding task for any lens, but particularly so for a 28mm (equiv) wide angle lens, and here the DP1M performs well above its pay grade. See also the recent reader comments as well as Pixel for Pixel, *Nothing* Beats a Sigma DP Merrill.
Aperture Series: Summit Green-Brick Building (Sigma DP1 Merrill)