| Latest Review Posted | Pentax *ist DS
Pros | Good allrounder, ergonomics, not too pretentious (not Canikon) unbeatable value
Cons | e-dial prone to fail
Rating | 8
Price (U.S. Dollars) | $850-ish
Years Owned | 5
I can recommend this camera: Yes
Value, Features, Performance & Size
Best value on the market when I purchased in 2005. Access to the Pentax stable of lenses, TTL flash, best in lower ISO range, solid in the hand and reasonable weight.
Camera Review
The DS was the first DSLR to break the AU$1000 barrier in Australia; Canikon entry-level and midrange system owners should be ever grateful for the DS release. I had no intention of upgrading from MZ50 to digital until I saw this advertised for AU$999 - many hundreds of dollars lower than I had seen any DSLR advertised.
That said, I love this camera (although the relationship is becoming strained as I see the specs of the K-5). I love the feel in the hands and I love the layout of the controls. I like the TTL flash capability and I like using AA batteries. Cheaper AAs didn't last long but eneloops and Imedions just keep going - I can't tell how many shots, because I always recharge before they even look tired. Certainly hundreds of photos are possible with each charge of quality batteries.
It lacks high ISO performance which is rarely a bother for me and it does hunt for focus on occasions, which may be the lens as much as the camera. The LCD is small by current standards (drool: 3" x 921000pixs) and the e-dial malfun... |
