The Foveon X3 Direct Image Sensor uses technology that was originally developed by Dick Merrill, a brilliant engineer and talented photographer who died in 2008. Working along imaging innovators Carver Mead and Dick Lyon, Merrill tapped into his passion for electronics to build an innovative pixel structure that uniquely demonstrated the ability to capture RGB information in each pixel location. This revolutionary discovery led the Foveon team to the development of the X3 Direct Image Sensor and, ultimately, to the creation of some of the most vibrantly colored and detailed imagery the photography industry has ever seen.

Unlike the SD1, which is a DSLR that utilizes Sigma’s extensive lineup of camera lenses, the DP1 Merrill and DP2 Merrill each boast exclusively-designed, high-performance fixed lenses. The DP1 Merrill features a wider lens than the DP2 Merrill, sporting 19mm F2.8 lens, which is the equivalent to a 28mm lens on a 35mm SLR camera. The camera is compact and lightweight, and include “F” Low Dispersion (FLD) glass to correct abberations and Super Multi Layer Coating to reduce flare and ghosting. With the 46-megapixel, full-color Foveon X3 Direct Image Sensor, the new DP cameras capture all primary RGB colors at each pixel location with three layers, which results in incredibly detailed images with a three-dimentional feel.