The Latest

Forum

Cameras

Lenses

Pentax Camera Reviews » Pentax Digital Cameras » Pentax K-mount DSLRs

**Pentax *ist DL**

Ergonomics	8.1
Build Quality	8.6
User Interface	7.6
Autofocus	6.9
Features	7.6
Value	8.9
Image Quality	8.1
Noise	7.3

Reviews	Views	Date of last review
20	58,122	Mon October 30, 2023

Recommended By	Average Price	Average User Rating
95% of reviewers	$315.20	8.27

supersize	supersize	supersize

Description:

The Pentax * istDL resembles the *istDS2 but was offered at a lower price point made possible by replacing the pentaprism with a pentamirror and removing some features, hereunder TTL flash support and display of the active AF point in the viewfinder. It has 3 autofocus points where the DS2 has 11.

Camera Manuals:

*Pentax ist DL** © www.pentaxforums.com, sharable with attribution
Year Introduced 2005	In Production No (Discontinued 2006)	Current US Price N/A	In-Depth Review N/A
Sensor
Sensor Format APS-C	Sensor Type CCD	Megapixels 6.1	Resolution 2008 x 3008 pixels
AA Filter Yes	Super Resolution No	Bit Depth 12
Minimum ISO 200	Maximum ISO 3200	ISO Range 200 - 3200
Imaging
Exposure Modes Auto Picture, P, Av, Tv, M, B	Program Modes Normal, Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Action, Night-scene Portrait, Flash Off	Maximum FPS 2.8	Continuous Shooting 2.8 fps up to 5 frames
Shutter Speeds (Auto) 30s - 1/4000s (stepless)	Shutter Speeds (Manual) B, 30s - 1/4000s	Shutter Life	Exposure compensation +/-2 EV
Auto bracketing Exposure (3 frames)	Expanded dynamic range No	Exposure lock Yes	Self timer 2 s with mirror lock-up, 12 s
Metering Sensor 16-Segment	Meter range 1 to 21.5 EV	Meter pattern Multi-Segment,Center Weighted,Spot	Mirror lock-up Yes
Interval shooting No	HDR mode No	Multiple exposures No	Pixel mapping No
Scene Modes None		Restrictions Exposure modes with M and K lenses are restricted to Av (with aperture always wide open) and M (with stop-down metering)
Lens Mount
Mount KAF (no aperture coupler)	Composition Adjustment No	Stabilization No	Power zoom Not supported
Supported Lenses All Pentax K-mount lenses except for lenses with the KAF4 mount variant and RE (retractable) lenses. Manual focus only with K-, M-, and A-series lenses and with KAF3 mount lenses. Stop down metering only with K- and M-series lenses. M42, Pentax 645 and Pentax 6x7 lenses with the appropriate adapters (stop down metering and manual focus only).		Lens correction None
Focusing
Autofocus (viewfinder) Yes (SAFOX VIII, 3 focus points)		AF Points 3	Autofocus sensitivity -1 EV
Front/back focus correction No		Autofocus with SDM No	Autofocus assist No
Viewfinder/LCD
Viewfinder 0.85x, 95%	Viewfinder type Pentamirror	Diopter adjustment -2.5 to +1.5	AF Points in viewfinder No
Exchangeable screen No	Depth of field preview Yes	Digital preview No	Live View No
Top LCD Yes	Focus Peaking N/A	Back LCD 2.5 in. 210,000 pix
Body
Weather resistant No	Control wheels 1	Battery grip No	Card slots 1
Dust removal No		Dust alert No	Memory card type SD (SDHC with firmware upgrade)
Size (W x H x D) 125 x 92.5 x 67 mm		Weight 470 g	File format PEF (RAW),JPG
Battery life AA lithium: 750 images (650 images with 50% flash usage)		Battery 4 x AA
Flash
Built-in flash Yes, GN 15.6 (ISO 200/m)		Sync speed 1/180s	P-TTL flash Yes
Flash functions Auto discharge, On (leading curtain sync), Redeye reduction, Slow-speed sync, Trailing curtain sync, High-speed sync, Manual, Wireless, Contrast control* * Available when combined with external flash		TTL flash No	Flash exposure comp -2 to 1 EV
Video
Resolution / Framerates No		Exposure Modes	Movie mode restrictions N/A
Resolution / Framerates No		AF During Recording No	Sound in Movie mode N/A
Interfacing
GPS Not Supported	Tethering None	Connectivity USB 2.0/Video out, DC in, cable release	Latest Firmware Version 1.03
Notes
User reviews

Manual:

http://www.ricoh-imaging.co.jp/english/support/man-pdf/istdl.pdf

Price History:

Page 2 of 2

⟵

Author:

Sort Reviews by: Date | Author | Rating | Recommendation | Likes (Descending) Showing Reviews 16-20 of 20

seacapt

Veteran Member

Registered: November, 2008

Location: North Carolina , USA

Posts: 2,271

Review Date: May 7, 2010

Recommended | Price: None indicated | Rating: N/A

Pros:	wieght/size, simplicity , price
Cons:	8

Cons	6 mpx , tough on batteries
Pros	wieght/size, simplicity , price
Rating	8
Price	$200.00
Years Owned	1.5

I can recommend this camera: Yes

Value, Features, Performance & Size
I carried and used this camera every day and at it's price didn't feel I had to baby it! Uses AA batteries.

Camera Review
Saw one of these used for $200 with a lens and thought it would make a good "throw in the truck" carry around camera. After a while I got so used to the feel of this camera I preferred it in some ways to my K20D. The down side is it's only 6 megapixels and I do like large prints. I gave this camera to a friend who is still using it today and bought a K200D for my carry camera as a happy compromise.
If you are starting out in digital photography or are looking for a simple , inexpensive camera body as a backup or carry around, I would say this is a great bang for the buck.

albrechtnamatdurer

Forum Member

Registered: January, 2009

Location: AUSTRALIA

Posts: 69

Review Date: October 26, 2009

Recommended | Price: None indicated | Rating: N/A

Pros:
Cons:

A great workhorse, bought mine as soon as they became available in Oz. Done SO much work and always reliable. The big negative is the fact that there is no additional battery unit. Carrying a few extra kg of batteries is a real fag, especially when in a theatre venue , shooting a whole show. Apart from that irritation, can't fault it as a great entry level unit.
Works great with all my "legacy" M42 lenses. And just loves those old prime lenses.

rayhosler

New Member

Registered: October, 2009

Location: Santa Clara, CA

Posts: 14

Review Date: October 10, 2009

Recommended | Price: None indicated | Rating: N/A

Pros:
Cons:

I bought the *istDL in March 2006 as my first digital SLR. As a long-time user of Pentax, I did not consider other brands. I was not disappointed in this Pentax. It's reliable, easy to use, and older lenses are compatible.

I have used the camera at work as a photojournalist. Because there are so few controls and options I had no trouble learning how to use it to its fullest. The most frequent change I made was to the ISO setting for low-light settings.

I added a Sigma external flash and from then on I could shoot in any light and get good pics.

Using the veteran Pentax-M 150mm lens I got great portraits with nice brokeh.

I typically only use RAW for photos taken outside of work. While the camera industry has moved on -- since this now a digital world -- *istDL was a solid entry at the time.

dcgibson55

New Member

Registered: February, 2009

Posts: 15

Review Date: May 25, 2009

Recommended | Price: None indicated | Rating: N/A

Pros:
Cons:

I've had mine since the spring of 2006. As many reviews pointed out mine was a bit soft out of the box so I went in and cranked up the sharpness a bit. This is my first AF camera and I would rate the AF as not bad but it could definitely be better.

My first serious shoot was my niece's high school graduation. I shot it from quite a distance with a Tamron 75-300mm. The AF hunted a bit but overall I got some great images with both it and the kit lens. I think the kit lens is quite good. Later on I got an FA 28-90mm and have been disappointed with it. Substantial stopping down is necessary for decent images. I haven't tried it on a film camera.

I have a lot of film lenses but have only used my few "A" series lenses with it. Some day I need to sit down and figure out how to use my M-series primes. I've got some good ones.

I took it to Alaska later in 2006 and I was very pleased with the images I got. My wife had some enlargements made of the best Alaska images and they are excellent until you're about to bump your nose into them.

All in all I'm happy with it.

c0y0te

New Member

Registered: January, 2008

Posts: 2

Review Date: May 25, 2009

Recommended | Price: None indicated | Rating: N/A

Pros:
Cons:

I own this mean little machine since November 2007, shooting with it more than 30k photos in 2.5 years. It's a pretty basic camera, owning nothing of the fancy mambo-jambo that spoil the modern DSLR user. No SR, no FD and a very basic AF system with only 3 points (frankly, only the center point is usable and it struggles in low light), very loud mirror slap. It's also quite slow, especially when shooting RAW. The viewfinder is big enough (but not that bright), making manual focusing easier, and the focusing screen is interchangeable, making the use of manual lenses a real joy. The construction is sturdy, it feels like you could drop it and it wouldn't break at all.
In 2009 I would recommend this to anyone who shoots Pentax and needs a small backup body.

Price paid in 2007: 400$
Shots fired: ~ 30 000
Used for: macro, portraits, landscapes
Problems experienced: N/A

Page 2 of 2

⟵