HAMILTON VIEW AND NEARBY AT HALLOWEEN 2022[8TH LOCK ROYAL CANAL PARK]
These photographs, taken during my October 2022 visit, capture the area around Hamilton View and the 8th Lock Royal Canal Park. While some changes may have occurred since then, I plan to revisit the area in 2025, hopefully with a new Leica Q3. My 2022 photographs were taken using a Sigma DP1 Quattro, a truly unique camera discussed in detail below.
Sir William Rowan Hamilton (1805-1865)
Sir William Rowan Hamilton, an Irish mathematician, astronomer, and physicist, held the Andrews Professorship of Astronomy at Trinity College Dublin and directed Dunsink Observatory. His significant contributions span geometrical optics, Fourier analysis, and his groundbreaking work on quaternions, establishing him as a founder of modern linear algebra. Hamilton's impact extends to optics, classical mechanics, and abstract algebra, with his reformulation of Newtonian mechanics (Hamiltonian mechanics) proving crucial to theoretical physics, particularly electromagnetism and quantum mechanics.
Royal Canal Park Development
This area of Ashtown has undergone significant transformation. In April 2021, Union Investment (a German investor) finalised a €200 million deal with Ballymore Group for over 400 apartments and a health centre within Royal Canal Park, Dublin 15. This 8th Lock residential development comprises five sections, ranging from four to 13 storeys, with completion anticipated between October 2023 and March 2025.
Ballymore received planning approval in May 2020 for 435 homes at Royal Canal Park (Phase IV). Located on the former Ormond Printworks site on Ratoath Road, this mixed-use development will offer 218 one-bedroom and 217 two-bedroom apartments, along with approximately 4,200 sq.m of commercial and amenity space. Plans include public plazas, a healthcare centre, pharmacy, offices, gym, 255 car parking spaces, electric vehicle charging points, disabled parking, and nearly 950 bicycle parking spaces.
Royal Canal Park's convenient location provides easy access to Dublin Bus, the Luas cross-city service, and Pelletstown rail station, facilitating commutes to Dublin city centre. Residents will also enjoy public plazas, landscaped open spaces, and proximity to the Royal Canal Greenway and Tolka Valley Park.
Upon completion of this final phase, the 162,000 sq m Royal Canal Park development will comprise over 1,630 residences, office space, cafes, retail units, and an existing Aldi supermarket.
The Sigma DP1 Quattro
The Sigma DP1 Quattro is a truly unique camera, distinguished by its unusual design, exceptional image quality, and various quirks and issues.
Unique Design: The DP1 Quattro features a distinctive, elongated body with a prominent handgrip and a fixed 19mm f/2.8 lens (28mm equivalent on full-frame). Its polarising design is either admired for its aesthetics and ergonomics or considered bulky and awkward.
Foveon X3 Sensor: The 29MP Foveon X3 sensor captures colour information differently than traditional Bayer sensors, resulting in images with exceptional detail, colour accuracy, and dynamic range.
Fixed Lens: The fixed 19mm lens encourages creative composition.
Why Choose the Sigma DP1 Quattro?
Exceptional Image Quality: The Foveon X3 sensor delivers incredible detail, colour fidelity, and dynamic range, rivaling medium format cameras.
Unique Perspective: The 19mm lens offers a wide-angle view, ideal for landscape, street, and architectural photography.
Creative Constraint: The fixed lens fosters creative exploration.
Niche Appeal: The DP1 Quattro appeals to photographers who value its unique design and exceptional image quality despite its limitations.
Issues Associated with the Sensor and Camera:
Slow Performance: The DP1 Quattro is notoriously slow, with sluggish autofocus, long startup times, and slow image processing.
High ISO Limitations: The Foveon X3 sensor struggles at high ISOs, exhibiting noise and colour shifts above ISO 400.
Limited Features: The DP1 Quattro lacks features like video recording, image stabilisation, and a built-in viewfinder.
Software Dependence: RAW files require Sigma's proprietary software, which can be slow.
Ergonomic Challenges: The unusual design can be challenging to handle.
Conclusion:
The Sigma DP1 Quattro presents a unique blend of strengths and weaknesses. Its exceptional image quality and distinctive perspective appeal to photographers willing to accept its limitations. However, its slow performance, high ISO issues, and other drawbacks mean it's not suitable for everyone. Choosing the DP1 Quattro depends on individual preferences and needs.
