Sigma dp2 Quattro Ergonomic Study

Finger on shutter button. Least uncomfortable basic hold position

 

Using a mockup

Fake, joke or real ?  When rumors and first pictures of this highly unusual looking camera started to appear on the web, some  commentators opined that they thought it was a joke or fake. Others said they hoped it was a fake because it looked so strange and how was anyone with human hands and fingers supposed to hold the thing anyway ?

It's real   Soon enough, the dp2Q was revealed at the CP+ show to be indeed real.  There were plenty of photographs of the device from all angles but no pictures of any one actually holding it.

A "Hands On" published by DPReview (dpreview.com) on 13 February 2014 was actually a "Hands beneath", as if the thing were too hot to hold.  

My enquiring mind  I want to know how stuff works, or indeed if it works at all. So I was intrigued by the dp2Q the shape which was nothing like any thing I had seen in 60 years of using cameras.

The mockup  The basic method which I use to investigate camera ergonomics is to make mockups. So, using the published specifications and photographs, I made one of the dp2Q.  It is built up from some plywood offcuts I had sitting about in the garage. The finish is a bit rough but the dimensions and button/dial locations are correct if the published dimensional specifications are correct.  

The purpose of this was to discover how one might hold and operate such an unlikely looking device. 

Analysis  My investigations and comment are entirely about holding and, to the extent permitted by a non functioning mockup, operating the device as a hand held camera.

There is much discussion in forums about technical aspects of the sensor, lens, etc. I have nothing useful to contribute to this line of discourse.

Questions  I can't help wondering however why the thing is so wide. There must surely be some compelling reason because the extreme width makes the shape difficult  to fit in most camera bags/pouches intended for a single camera. Maybe the  width enhances heat dissipation, or reduces electronic cross talk or something like that.

I also wondered why the lens module has such a large diameter when the glass inside it is so much smaller. Presumably answers to these questions will be forthcoming in due course.

Then I wondered why the handle has been given such an unusual shape and configuration. I wanted to know if it would represent an ergonomic triumph, abject failure or just an eccentric mediocrity.

Hands on  At first I had no idea how the designers intended the hands and fingers should be positioned so as to best hold and operate the camera. So there was quite a bit of experimentation until I settled on the positions you see in the photographs.

Comments on holding  I was unable to find any comfortable, secure hold position with the right hand. The photographs show what I found to be the least uncomfortable hand/finger positions. The left hand was an easier proposition with the thumb and index finger falling naturally onto the top and bottom plates of the body.

In general the right hand grip was weak, bordering on precarious, with no proper forward projecting handle on which the fingers might gain purchase. Use of the rear dial and AF button in particular, require the camera to be held securely by the left hand.

In use the camera would be a two handed proposition with little opportunity for safe one handed use.

Photos 

The header photo shows my average adult male hands holding the camera in the least uncomfortable position which I could find. It's not a particularly enjoyable experience. The third and fourth fingers of the right hand have to wrap around a sharpish corner on the front of the handle. No part of the handle fits the shape of my hand. I have my thumb tucked under the funny little protrusion topped by a button labelled "focus". This provides a reasonably secure hold and enables the right index finger to operate the shutter button and the dial around the shutter button.  Note however that my thumb is almost touching one of the red buttons (of course they are not red in the real camera) which appear to be at high risk of accidental activation.

Now my thumb has moved up to press the "Focus" button. I don't know if this activates AF or a Focus/Autofocus Mode. This is a bit precarious. There is now nothing into which any of the fingers of the right hand can hook to prevent the camera from falling. Some purchase is gained by squeezing the third and fourth fingers of the right hand, thereby pressing the handle into the palm. But the main camera support has to come from the left hand.

The pad around the focus button is a 4 way cursor/controller.  When operating this I need to remove my finger from the shutter button which leaves no part of the right hand actually holding the camera. It is possible to hook the little finger of the right hand under the handle at this time to give some support to the right side of the unit.

 

 

 

Now the thumb is raised further to engage with the rear dial. You can also see that my index finger is obstructing the thumb from rotating the dial to the right. Most times when I tried this it was easier to lift the index finger off the shutter button to give the thumb free movement.  This leaves nothing much holding the camera in the right hand. There is a bit of purchase gained by squeezing the third and fourth fingers in towards the palm.

 

 

To the left, as viewed by the user, of the shutter button is a button labelled "Mode". Presumably one changes Shooting Mode by pressing this button then rotating a dial, with or without holding down the Mode button. Either way, this operation is very awkward, requiring the right hand to completely release it's (somewhat tenuous) hold on the handle in order to reach over to the Mode button. In the meantime my thumb appears to be  accidentally hitting one of those red buttons again.

If I want to press a red button I will again have to completely release the right hand or maintain grip with the right hand and use the left hand to reach the red buttons.

 

Conclusion  So, is the dp2Q an ergonomic triumph, abject failure or eccentric mediocrity ?

I suppose one could say it is a triumph of sorts:  of  modernist angular design over human functional anatomy. Or  some designer's vision over ergonomic reality. But that is probably not the kind of triumph the designers were hoping for.

It's not a complete disaster either, in the sense that a practiced user should be able to operate the device without too many major dramas. And it will only fall to the ground if one forgets to hold on with the left hand or fails to keep some kind of neck strap in place all the time.

So, it's an eccentric mediocrity. The handle in particular feels like something which is different for the sake of difference.

Shame really, they could easily have done it so much better.