The original Sigma DP2 (non-Merrill non-Quattro) is not the easiest camera to handle. Perhaps common for the time, camera makers made slippery metal cameras lacking very tactile surfaces or grips to making them difficult to hold. In the photo below, it can be seen the tactility is only provided by the metal bumps on the front and back of the camera. The back of the camera offers a slight thumb grip making which is helpful.
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| Bumps |
Photographer Don Ellis used to host the sale of Richard Franiec's camera grips. Richard Franiec machined beautiful aluminum finger grips for a number of point and shoot cameras including the original DP1 and DP2. I had previously purchased one of these grips for my Canon PowerShot S90 (great camera by the way) and my Sigma DP2 Merrill. Although the grips are no longer sold, thankfully Don continues to maintain a webpage with the history of the different grips. The Franiec grip provides a molded middle finger and replaces the shiny Sigma logo with the capital Sigma letter. The grips were fantastically constructed and looked like they were OEM.
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| Richard Franiec's grip, photo from Don Ellis |
I use the camera with a thin hand strap that is double looped around my right hand. This provides a tight and secure grip on the camera. A strong hold is important with this camera because the shutter release is a bit cheap feeling and can cause the camera to shift when pressed. I often use Self Timer 2 sec. when taking photos to ensure the camera is as steady as possible during exposure.
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| Hand strap camera hold |