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Canon 5D MIV vs Sigma DP1 Merrill Comparison

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Canon 5D MIV

30 MP | Full frame (36 x 24 mm) CMOS Sensor

Canon 5D MIV
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Sigma DP1 Merrill

15 MP | APS-C (24 x 16 mm) CMOS (Foveon X3) Sensor

Sigma DP1 Merrill
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Canon 5D MIV vs Sigma DP1 Merrill Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Canon 5D MIV, which was introduced in August 2016 is a Advanced DSLR camera with a 30.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Sigma DP1 Merrill, which was introduced in February 2012 is a Large Sensor Compact camera with a 15.0MP APS-C sensor. As you can see, DP1 Merrill is 4 years older than 5D MIV. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Comparing a DSLR camera to a Fixed Lens camera is not an easy task but we will do our best to make this a fair comparison.

Here is a brief look at the main features of the Canon 5D MIV and Sigma DP1 Merrill before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Canon 5D MIV Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2016-08-25
  • 30MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 32000 ( expands to 50 - 102400)
  • Canon EF Mount
  • 3.20" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 7.0fps continuous shooting
  • 4K (DCI) - 4096 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • Built-in GPS
  • 890g. 151 x 116 x 76 mm
  • Weather-sealed Body
  • Replaced Canon EOS 5D Mark III Compare

Sigma DP1 Merrill Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2012-02-08
  • 15MP - APS-C CMOS (Foveon X3) Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Mount
  • " Fixed Type Screen
  • fps continuous shooting
  • - 640 x 480 video resolution
  • 330g. 122 x 67 x 64 mm

Sigma DP1 Merrill was replaced by Sigma DP2 Merrill. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Sigma DP2 Merrill vs Sigma DP1 Merrill
Sigma DP2 Merrill vs Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

Let's read on in the following sections in order to better understand in detail how the Canon 5D MIV and Sigma DP1 Merrill compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Canon EOS 5D Mark IV over Sigma DP1 Merrill
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Viewfinder
Optical vs None Better framing and control
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs No very handy for portraits
Sensor Resolution
30 MP vs 15 MP 100% more pixels
Max ISO
32.000 vs 6.400 400% higher Max ISO
LCD Screen Size
3.2" vs 3.2 inches larger display
LCD Resolution
1.620k dots vs 920k dots 76% higher resolution screen
Microphone Port
Yes vs No High quality audio recording option
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs No shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs No creative shooting
Max Video Resolution
4096 x 2160 vs 640 x 480 Higher Resolution Video
Top LCD
Yes vs No Help viewing and changing settings easily
AE Bracketing
Yes vs No Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Flash Sync Port
Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
4K Photo Mode
Yes vs No Extract 8MP photos from 4K Video
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
UHS Card Support
UHS-I vs none Read/Write in High Speeds
USB Version
USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec) vs USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) Faster Data transfer from the camera
Webcam Function
Yes vs No Use your camera as a Webcam
Anti Flicker
Yes vs No Reduced uneven color and exposure under flickering light
CHECK 5D MIV PRICE


Reasons to choose Sigma DP1 Merrill over Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Weight
330 g vs 890 g 560 g lighter
CHECK DP1 Merrill PRICE

Common Strengths of Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and Sigma DP1 Merrill
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Common Weaknesses of Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and Sigma DP1 Merrill
In-body Image Stabilization
No vs No No Built-in stabilization
Fixed Screen
Fixed Type vs No Screen tilts or Flips out independently, perfect for both stills and video
Built-in Flash
No vs No Require external flash
LCD Screen Size
" vs " Small display
Canon 5D MIV vs Sigma DP1 Merrill: Physical Specs and Body Features Comparison

Size and weight are big decision factors when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, we are going to illustrate the Canon 5D MIV and Sigma DP1 Merrill side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Canon 5D MIV has external dimensions of 151 x 116 x 76 mm (5.94 x 4.57 x 2.99″) and weighs 890 g (1.96 lb / 31.39 oz) (including batteries). Sigma DP1 Merrill has external dimensions of 122 x 67 x 64 mm (4.8 x 2.64 x 2.52″) and weighs 330 g (0.73 lb / 11.64 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front-view size comparison of the Canon 5D MIV and the Sigma DP1 Merrill. Sigma DP1 Merrill is clearly the smaller of the two cameras. Its body is 29mm narrower, 49mm shorter and 12mm thinner than Canon 5D MIV. As you can tell, actually this is not a fair size comparison since Sigma DP1 Merrill has a built-in lens but Canon 5D MIV doesn't. Once you put a lens on 5D MIV, its thickness will increase significantly.

Canon 5D MIV vs Sigma DP1 Merrill Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of the Canon 5D MIV and the Sigma DP1 Merrill Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of the Canon 5D MIV and Sigma DP1 Merrill.

Canon 5D MIV vs Sigma DP1 Merrill Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of the Canon 5D MIV and the Sigma DP1 Merrill Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Canon 5D MIV and Sigma DP1 Merrill.
Canon 5D MIV vs Sigma DP1 Merrill Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of the Canon 5D MIV and the the Sigma DP1 Merrill Size

Weight is another important factor, especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sigma DP1 Merrill is significantly lighter (560g ) than the Canon 5D MIV which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Again, this comparison may not be very useful in real life as we are comparing the weight of a camera with a built-in lens to the body-only weight of an interchangeable lens camera. Once you put a lens on 5D MIV, the total kit will weigh much higher.

Weather Sealing

With its weather-sealed body, we believe that the 5D MIV has a big advantage over the DP1 Merrill which doesn't provide any kind of environmental sealing.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Canon 5D MIV's 3.20" LCD screen is slightly larger than Sigma DP1 Merrill's screen.

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.


Canon 5D MIV vs Sigma DP1 Merrill: Sensor Comparison

Canon 5D MIV has a 30.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Digic 6+ processor. On the other hand, Sigma DP1 Merrill has a 15.0MP APS-C (24 x 16 mm ) sized CMOS (Foveon X3) sensor and features Dual TRUE II engine processor.

Canon 5D MIV's sensor provides 15MP more than Sigma DP1 Merrill's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Below you can see the 5D MIV and DP1 Merrill sensor size comparison.

Canon 5D MIV vs Sigma DP1 Merrill Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon 5D MIV and Sigma DP1 Merrill Cameras


As seen above, Canon 5D MIV has a 2.3x Larger sensor area than Sigma DP1 Merrill. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Canon 5D MIV and Sigma DP1 Merrill Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Canon 5D MIV and Sigma DP1 Merrill for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Canon 5D MIV for Portrait Photography

GOOD

Sigma DP1 Merrill for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 30.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Large APS-C (24 x 16 mm) sensor
External Flash Shoe
Average Resolution Sensor: 15.0MP
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Canon 5D MIV for Street Photography

GOOD

Sigma DP1 Merrill for Street Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details
Large APS-C (24 x 16 mm) sensor
Small Body
Live-view
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.80
mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Canon 5D MIV for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Sigma DP1 Merrill for Sports Photography

POOR
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 7.0fps
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
41 Cross Type Focus sensors
61 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 900 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
External Flash Shoe
No Image Stabilization
No Built-in Viewfinder
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/s
Focus Points
mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Canon 5D MIV for Daily Photography

GOOD

Sigma DP1 Merrill for Daily Photography

AVERAGE
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
890g
Body Thickness 76mm
Read the details
Large APS-C (24 x 16 mm) sensor
Compact Body
330g
Body Thickness 64mm
X Optical Zoom
Read the details

Canon 5D MIV for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Sigma DP1 Merrill for Landscape Photography

POOR
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 30.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Built-in GPS
Read the details
Large APS-C (24 x 16 mm) sensor
mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 15.0MP
No Environmental Sealings
Read the details

Canon 5D MIV vs Sigma DP1 Merrill: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far, but in case you wonder how we rated Canon 5D MIV and Sigma DP1 Merrill, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Canon 5D MIV and Sigma DP1 Merrill scores compare:

Canon 5D MIV
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #6 out of 95 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #57 out of 1259 in all Cameras
Sigma DP1 Merrill
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #56 out of 62 in Large sensor compact cameras
Ranked #724 out of 1259 in all Cameras

Canon 5D MIV is the overall winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Sigma DP1 Merrill in all criteria except one: Portability. Sigma DP1 Merrill is significantly smaller than Canon 5D MIV. If small size and light body is a big priority for you, choose Sigma DP1 Merrill. Otherwise, Canon 5D MIV is the better camera overall.

Canon 5D MIV
Canon 5D MIV
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Sigma DP1 Merrill
Sigma DP1 Merrill
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Sigma DP1 Merrill vs Canon 5D MIV Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Sigma DP1 Merrill
Brand Canon Sigma
Announced 2016-08-25 2012-02-08
Body Type Mid-size SLR Large sensor compact
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS (Foveon X3)
Size Full frame APS-C
Dimensions 36 x 24 mm 24 x 16 mm
Area 864.00mm2 384.00mm2
Megapixels 30 megapixels 15 megapixels
Max Resolution 6720 x 4480 4704x3136
Max Native Light sensitivity 32,000 ISO 6,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 102400 ISO -
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 50 ISO -
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 61 n/a
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Canon EF fixed lens
Max Aperture no lens F2.8
Screen
Type Fixed type Fixed type
Size 3.20" "
Resolution 1,620k dots 920k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) None
Viewfinder Coverage 100% n/a
Viewfinder Magnification 0.71x n/a
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s n/a
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization No No
Built-in Flash
Max Flash Sync 1/200s n/a
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 7.0 fps n/a
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 4096 x 2160 640 x 480
Video Formats MPEG-4, Motion JPEG Motion JPEG
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 890g 330g
Dimensions 151 x 116 x 76mm 122 x 67 x 64mm
Battery Life 900 shots n/a
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS Built-in None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 91 not tested
DxO Color Depth 24.8 not tested
DxO Dynamic Range 13.6 not tested
DxO Low Light ISO 2995 not tested
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