Pentax *ist DS

Posted: Tue Oct 12, 2004 2:59 pm

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/pentaxistds/

The Pentax *ist DS digital SLR was announced on 14th September 2004 in the run-up to Photokina 2004. The *ist DS is Pentax's second digital SLR and is aimed at a lower price point than the original *ist D. At the time of writing this review Pentax are quoting a body only price of $ 700 in the US and £ 700 in the UK, essentially the same price as Canon's EOS 300D (Digital Rebel). The *ist DS continues the *ist D's position of being the smallest and lightest digital SLR on the market, it's even slightly smaller. The *ist DS features a six megapixel CCD sensor and has a Pentax K lens mount which supports K, KA, KAF and KAF2 lenses. Just like the *ist D it is also possible to use screw mount lenses, 645 and 67 series lenses with an adapter.

Pentax *ist DS specifications:

Body material Plastic coating, metal subframe
Sensor • 23.5 x 15.7 mm CCD sensor
• RGB Color Filter Array
• Interline interlaced CCD
• Built-in fixed low-pass filter
• 6.31 million total pixels
• 6.1 million effective pixels
Image sizes • 3008 x 2000 (Large)
• 2400 x 1600 (Middle)
• 1536 x 1024 (Small)

File formats • RAW (12-bit)
• JPEG (EXIF 2.21) - 3 levels
Color space • sRGB
• Adobe RGB
Lenses • Pentax KAF2, KAF, KA mount lenses
* Power zoom not available
* K mount lenses available with (function limited)
* S mount lenses available with adapter (function limited)
* 67/645 lenses available with adapter (function limited)
FOV crop 1.5x
Focusing • 11-area AF
• TTL Phase matching AF system
• Focus point selectable
• EV 0 to 19 (ISO 100) detection range
Focus modes • AF-Single
• AF-Continuous (Action mode)
• Manual focus
AF assist Yes, via flash
Shooting modes • Auto picture mode
• Programmed AE Mode
• Shutter-Priority AE
• Aperture-Priority AE
• Metered Manual
• Bulb
• Picture modes

Picture modes • Standard
• Portrait
• Landscape
• Macro
• Action
• Night scene portrait
• Standard flash-off
Metering modes • 16-segment
• Center-Weighted Average
• Spot
Metering range • EV 1 to 21.5 (at ISO 200 with 50 mm / F1.4 lens)
AE Lock • Button (20 sec timer)
• Half-press shutter release
AE Bracketing • 3 frames
• 0.3, 0.5 or 1.0 EV steps
Exposure compen. • -2.0 to +4.0 EV in 0.5 EV steps
• -2.0 to +2.0 EV in 0.3 EV steps
Exposure steps • 0.5 EV
• 0.3 EV
Sensitivity • ISO 200
• ISO 400
• ISO 800
• ISO 1600
• ISO 3200

Shutter • Electronically controlled vertical-run focal-plane shutter
Shutter Speed • 30 to 1/4000 sec
• Bulb
Flash X-sync 1/180 sec
Aperture values Depends on lens
DOF preview Yes, on power switch
White balance • Auto
• Daylight
• Cloudy
• Shade
• Tungsten
• Fluorescent W
• Fluorescent N
• Fluorescent D
• Manual

Image parameters • Saturation (-2 to +2)
• Sharpness (-2 to +2)
• Contrast (-2 to +2)
Viewfinder • Eye-level type fixed penta-prism finder
• Natural bright-matte focusing screen
• Magnification approx. x0.95
• 95% frame coverage
• Diotric adjustment (-2.5 to +1.5)
• Viewfinder info bar

Viewfinder info • Built-in flash status
• Picture mode
• In-focus
• Shutter speed
• Aperture value
• Exposure compensation factor
• Manual WB
• Manual focus
• ISO sensitivity warning
• AE lock
• Focus point indication
• AF frame with superimposed dislpay
• Spot AF frame

LCD monitor • 2.0 " TFT LCD
• 210,000 pixels
Custom function • Default
• Custom (18 functions)
Record review • Off
• 1 sec
• 3 sec
• 5 sec
Flash • Built-in P-TTL pop-up flash
• Guide number 15.6 (ISO 200/m)
• Angle of coverage 28 mm (35 mm equiv.)
• Flash sync 1/180 sec
• Electronic pop-up
Flash modes • Auto
• Flash on
• Auto & Red-eye reduction
• Flash on & Red-eye reduction
External flash • Hot-shoe
• High speed sync
• Wireless sync
• P-TTL sync
Drive modes • Single shot
• Continuous (2.8 fps, up to 8 frames)
Self-timer • 12 sec
• 2 sec
Remote release • InfraRed remote
• Wired (optional)
• Instant or with 3 sec delay
Playback mode • One frame
• Zooming in/out (up to 12x)
• Nine-image
• Slideshow
• Image rotation
• Delete: One-frame-delete, All-frames-delete, Card-format, Protect
Menu languages • English
• French
• German
• Spanish
• Italian
• Russian
• Korean
• Chinese
• Japanese
Connectivity • USB 2.0 Hi-Speed
• Video out
• DC-IN
• Remote terminal
Video out Selectable NTSC or PAL
Storage SD card
Power • 4 x AA batteries (NiMH rechargeable recommended)
or • 2 x CR-V3
• Optional AC adapter
Firmware User updatable
Dimensions 125 x 93 x 66 mm (4.9 x 3.6 x 2.6 in)
Weight (no batt/lens) 505 g (1.1 lb)
Weight (no lens) 605 g (1.3 lb) (reduced by approx. 20 g if using CR-V3 batteries)

The *ist DS doesn't look that dissimilar to the *ist D, noticeable differences are more to do with the sculpting of the hand grip (front) and thumb grip (rear) and the modified control layout. Indeed the majority of changes are an improvement over the *ist D (which is to be expected given the additional development time but still a little annoying for *ist D owners). The *ist DS also has a larger 2.0" LCD monitor which occupies more of the rear of the camera. Overall is a clean, unfussy and easy to understand layout. Build quality is good, it's no pro camera but the materials used feel better than the EOS 300D (Digital Rebel).

In your hand
The small, lightweight *ist DS feels perfectly at home even in large hands, the sensibly shaped hand grip (soft rubber coating) and sculpted thumb grip (rear) provide plenty of support, the camera's low mass means it's never taxing even for long shoots.

Side by side
The *ist DS re-establishes Pentax as having the lightest digital SLR on the market, the *ist DS really does look very small sandwiched between the other two 'affordable' digital SLR's, Canon's EOS 300D (Digital Rebel) and Nikon's D70. With four AA's the *ist DS is the lightest by 44 g, switch to two CR-V3's and it's lightest by 64 g. My first thought when I saw the *ist D (and now reconfirmed by the *ist DS) is that this is what Olympus's Four-Thirds System should have been all about, compact and lightweight digital SLR bodies (and lenses!).

Left to right: Canon EOS 300D (Digital Rebel), Pentax *ist DS, Nikon D70

Further review here:
http://www.dpreview.com/articles/pentaxistds/page4.asp

Joined: 17 Nov 2004 Posts: 50 Location: uk - shropshire

ok, this is going to show me up as a COMPLETE novice, but ive never heard of pentax, are they a decent make? are there any brands that are best to avoid, due to shere quality? i mean, im after a camera at the mo, and i havnt got the fogiest of clues!

need a little help here.

Ollie

Posted: Thu Nov 25, 2004 7:51 pm

Pentax are a superb make, in fact they were the first to introduce a Pentaprism viewfinder on an SLR camera way way back in the mists of time. I think the Spotmatic may have been the first with TTL metering as well though I'm not sure about that.

If you want a high quality camera system but don't want to break your back lugging it around, Pentax has always been the way forward.

it does annoy me that they persist in using the crippled version of the KAF2 mount on the *ist line, I like my older K mount lenses and they don't work well on the *ist, *istD and *istDS (stop down metering only grrrr).

Not that its a major worry, no chance of my affording one of these babys any time soon. my trusty MZ series bodys will keep me going for a good few years yet.

Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Posts: 3

the pentax *ist DS is a great camera and i love mine. I am really excited about the new pentax medium format digital camera that is coming out soon.
G.

Posted: Wed Feb 22, 2006 3:58 pm

ocos234 wrote:

ok, this is going to show me up as a COMPLETE novice, but ive never heard of pentax, are they a decent make? are there any brands that are best to avoid, due to shere quality? i mean, im after a camera at the mo, and i havnt got the fogiest of clues!

need a little help here.

Ollie

Ollie

As noted, Pentax are an established make but there are a few things to consider

1 Are you buying new or s/hand?

2 Are you aiming to go digital or are you likely to prefer film?

3 What are you aiming to use the camera for?

4 What's your budget (this is the hardest one, as everything's too tempting)?

The new Pentax digitals (istD, ist DS, ist DL) get mixed reviews but are a good compact size with a good size screen and some backwards compatibility with older lenses, as noted by Mongoose. I believe there are some issues with their build quality on the base model though. In addition, in the UK, they have I believe stopped direct distribution themselves and also i read that they have got together with Samsung and Samsung are releasing their 1st digital SLR, which looks uncannily like an ist digital and has a Schneider lens (18-55) and those last 2 facts may indicate Pentax's future in the camera market

As a note, if you're looking at Pentax for older film cameras, then check out the MX (I've had one since 82 still going strong), the LX which was one of their former pro spec models. Both have mechanicakl shutters, so can still keep going if the battery dies

Olympus have been in business for years as well and currently have 3 models in their 4/3rds range (the E1, E300 (not so popular) and the newer E500 (much better reviews and an 8 mill pixel count.) the main thing on Olympus side seems to be their dust removal system, which effectively shakes off the dust each time you switch on the camera, though this does mean a very slight difference on the start up time apparently. Also a number of reviewers are unsure as to the future of the 4/3rds system, particularly when they look at Nikon and Canon's developments and sales figures. (for reference their older (film) models were generally prefixed OM (i.e. OM1, OM2, OM10 etc etc)

The 2 main front runners have always (arguably) been Canon and Nikon (probably largely due to the pro market combined with the overall quality of their kit) and this is where it really comes down to use / personal preference / handling / price

The base models (Canon 350d (aka Rebel XT) and the Nikon D50) have 8 and 6 mill pixels respectively but having read all sorts of reviews, that doesn't seem to be too much of an issue. In the UK the 350d is about £100 more expensive in std kit than the Nikon and most reviewers seem to find the Canon a bit small in the hand and aren't that impressed with the screen but it does have a huge fan base and flies off the shelves. the Nikon is preferred for handling (it's larger size seems to make it more comfortable to hold) but that's a very individual thing

Moving up the range both Nikon and Canon have competing models at varying price points but the Canon currently has the highest pixel count (albeit at over £4,500 (UK)) in a standard (i.e. not Medium format) camera.

It has been noted on another forum that Canon's R & D has a bigger budget and therefore can keep ahead of Nikon, but Nikon is well established is backwards compatible and I think there is a lot to be said for both their handling and metering systems

Best bet, identify your budget, look at what you want to use your camera for and then check out some of the reviews in places like DP review (web reviews), then get yourself down to the local dealer and get a hold of your favourites to compare handling, build quality, kit lens etc

Good luck

PRB

Posted: Thu Mar 02, 2006 7:37 am

PeterRoweBlackman wrote:

ocos234 wrote:

ok, this is going to show me up as a COMPLETE novice, but ive never heard of pentax, are they a decent make? are there any brands that are best to avoid, due to shere quality? i mean, im after a camera at the mo, and i havnt got the fogiest of clues!

As noted, Pentax are an established make but there are a few things to consider

1 Are you buying new or s/hand?

2 Are you aiming to go digital or are you likely to prefer film?

3 What are you aiming to use the camera for?

4 What's your budget (this is the hardest one, as everything's too tempting)?

The new Pentax digitals (istD, ist DS, ist DL) get mixed reviews but are a good compact size with a good size screen and some backwards compatibility with older lenses, as noted by Mongoose. I believe there are some issues with their build quality on the base model though. In addition, in the UK, they have I believe stopped direct distribution themselves and also i read that they have got together with Samsung and Samsung are releasing their 1st digital SLR, which looks uncannily like an ist digital and has a Schneider lens (18-55) and those last 2 facts may indicate Pentax's future in the camera market

Pentax was the company that invented most technologies for the SLR cameras and were the market leader with their Spotmatic range in the 60s and 70s. They only lost their leading position to Canon when Canon introduced the AE-1.

The strength of the Pentax cameras was always and is til today the ease of use. Even the istD range of DSLRs handles very much like a film camera. Also, as you and Mongoose noted, you can use virtually all Pentax lenses ever built with the istD range. Older A-series lenses even with all metering and program modes, except AF of course. These can be found cheaply second-hand. Many of the older K-mount lenses are famous for their sharpness.
Also many accessories of the Pentax system from the last ten or even twenty years can be used easily with the istD range, like the flash guns. This is another strength of the Pentax system.

PeterRoweBlackman wrote:

As a note, if you're looking at Pentax for older film cameras, then check out the MX (I've had one since 82 still going strong), the LX which was one of their former pro spec models. Both have mechanicakl shutters, so can still keep going if the battery dies

I second. The only problem with used LXs is, that people only sell them, if they are really spent. I have seen, especially in the UK mere ruins, which sold for hefty money (and servicing is VERY expensive, due to their waterprotection sealing). If you buy one, look for a private sale in a local or regional newspaper, these tend to be the best offers. MXs in a good working condition are very rare these days, they are really old now - but will be serviced at reasonable prices by Pentax (at least here in Germany).

PeterRoweBlackman wrote:

Olympus have been in business for years as well and currently have 3 models in their 4/3rds range (the E1, E300 (not so popular) and the newer E500 (much better reviews and an 8 mill pixel count.) the main thing on Olympus side seems to be their dust removal system, which effectively shakes off the dust each time you switch on the camera, though this does mean a very slight difference on the start up time apparently. Also a number of reviewers are unsure as to the future of the 4/3rds system, particularly when they look at Nikon and Canon's developments and sales figures. (for reference their older (film) models were generally prefixed OM (i.e. OM1, OM2, OM10 etc etc)

The old Olampus OM cameras and lenses are quite famous and can be bought cheaply today. Unfortunately the OM lenses are not inherently compatible with the 4/3 DSLRs. An adaptor by Oly is available at way too much money.

PeterRoweBlackman wrote:

The 2 main front runners have always (arguably) been Canon and Nikon (probably largely due to the pro market combined with the overall quality of their kit) and this is where it really comes down to use / personal preference / handling / price

That's right, Nikon's standing in the pro market was emphasized through their pro-equipment hiring and servicing mobiles at many major events (spotrs, fashion shows etc.), which was later emulated by Canon. Both systems are highly respected, not the least because Nikon, after some time lagging behind Canon in terms of innovation, is now again pretty much on par with their system.

Both systems offer faster and more reliable AF systems than Pentax, which is an advantage if you need AF for phtoographing sports, fashion etc.

PeterRoweBlackman wrote:

The base models (Canon 350d (aka Rebel XT) and the Nikon D50) have 8 and 6 mill pixels respectively but having read all sorts of reviews, that doesn't seem to be too much of an issue. In the UK the 350d is about £100 more expensive in std kit than the Nikon and most reviewers seem to find the Canon a bit small in the hand and aren't that impressed with the screen but it does have a huge fan base and flies off the shelves. the Nikon is preferred for handling (it's larger size seems to make it more comfortable to hold) but that's a very individual thing

It has been noted on another forum that Canon's R & D has a bigger budget and therefore can keep ahead of Nikon, but Nikon is well established is backwards compatible and I think there is a lot to be said for both their handling and metering systems

Best bet, identify your budget, look at what you want to use your camera for and then check out some of the reviews in places like DP review (web reviews), then get yourself down to the local dealer and get a hold of your favourites to compare handling, build quality, kit lens etc

This advice is absolutely right. many people just read reviews and then buy, whatever the reviewer seemed to like best. But as we all know, reviews are sometimes biased to do good to their advertising customers (mainly Canon and Nikon nowadays). So I read some lens reviews in German magazines, which always put Canon lenses in their commentary on top. But the published measurements showed clearly, that Pentax lenses performed at least as good and sometimes even better. So, read any review with mistrust and analyse any published measurements careully before trusting the commentary.

Also, I personally find handling issues much more important, than the average reviewer. Of course this a very personal way of finding a decision and everybody will have his or her own preferences, and that exactly is the reason why it is so important to use and try a camera. For example the viewfinders in the Pentax DSLR range are much(!) better than Canon's and Nikon's, bigger, bright and more comfortable to use. But I have rarely read a review that even mentions this.

Cameras are very much personal items and should simply match my own expectations and way of using them.

regards,
René

Joined: 30 Sep 2006 Posts: 12

very well said sir rene...