[bilybianca]

Looking back through digital archives on my computer, Inoticed that the pictures taken with my original ist Ds were, well, pretty darn good. I still have the body, and it's 100% functional, and I still use it as awork shop camera to document builds, procedures, etc.

I've been on quite the equipment ride since my first digital camera (starting with an Olympus E10, which had a great lens and made very goodpics, but good lord was its CPU SLOOOOOWWWWW).

The Pentax ist Ds was my first DSLR, and it was so cool tome, I instantly bought into the hype as the new models came out. I just HAD to upgrade to get that next little perceived edge of improvement. So, then I gotthe K10D, the K20D, then the K7, and now my K5. I only kept the original ist Ds out of all those in between, and my current K5, and I'll tell you why I keptthe Ds. I still love that little camera, and the others, in my humble opinion,have yet to best it by very much.


Don't rattle off statistics or features, I know on paper, in this feature driven world, the old Ds should be a door stop. Just take a good picture with it and look at it. Maybe, like me, you'll wonder how far have we really come? Do I really need the next latest greatest to take good pictures?

Finally, after a couple years I've spent with the K5, I think Pentax came back to the Ds type of image, and surpassed it obviously. The K5 beats it in WB, speed, size, about every category really. I'm not sure I can explain how I feel, but it just seems like the K5 finally feels like the next real upgrade from the Ds, and the other models in-between were somehow less than worthy. I felt it (disappointment) immediately soon after each purchase.Not so with the K5... at least not until much later when the lens release button fell off and I had to send it in for repair, heh heh.

At this point in my life, I’ve sat out on the new stuff awhile, keeping my K5 even with the temptation of the new model K5II and IIS,and am re-evaluating where I want to take my photographic journey next. I'll admit I've got the itch for full frame... If Pentax released one very soon, it might get my attention, if the QC reports are good, and independent tests say the autofocus is on par with the competition... I’d pull the trigger on one, but I just don’t see anything coming soon.


Eric

Eric, I have walked the same road as you have. I have kept and from time to time use my beloved little DS besides the K5. Only that I skipped the K10D and the K7. I have decided to skip the K3 as well. Seemingly the first in a series of cameras, like the ist*D, K10D, K7 are beta versions, the second release has a lot of bugs fixed. And like you I have some FF itch, nearly all my lenses are K, A, F or FA.
Like you, when I look back a lot of my best images were taken with the DS, not to talk of the film era ones I took with my Program A in the 80:s as an enthusiastic, creative, curious beginner. It'll be hard for me to beat those pictures in the future, in spite of my doubtlessly improved technical skills.

Kjell

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Last edited by bilybianca; 01-14-2014 at 01:23 PM.

[Brew1brew]

Like, why the AF-L button has some functions that predate the green button. (Because the *ist Ds didn't have a green button.)
.

The Ds didn't have the green button, but the original *ist D does have it, The default function today is the same as it was on the *ist D, that is in Program line to return to Program line after you had manually adjusted one of the control dials, And it also stops down and meters when using manual lenses in M mode.

[condor27596]

When engaged in conversation with a Nikonian or a Canonista I always work in the following sentence:
Yeah, it is an older model that I got used, but it has the CCD chip not a CMOS chip. This camera is as close
to the look of 35mm film as you can get. Since I'm old I kinda like the old school look and feel of 35mm film.

I say it really casually, and like I searched the world over for the best thing to look like 35mm, when in fact it was
a random buy based on a price (used) of under $200 lol. I actually didn't know it was a nice camera when I bought it.

I've yet to hear a good comeback lol

[pleo]

Hi Eric
(and you all good Pentaxians)
I share your opinions and your way.
Started with Olympus E-20 (instead of your E-10). Too slow and if you used AA-batteries instead of the expensive Lithium-cells you had to teke care to take spare batteries with you: It used so much energy. Yes, the CPU very slow, time delay for focussing and taking the shot after pushing the button was simply too long. But quality-wise it's been absolutely great: Build quality as well as picture quality.

The 1st Pentax dslr *istD didn't fit my hands (no handgrip) so I started with the Ds.
Always loved handling it.
AF always correctly and manual focussing a joy.
But AF was slowly and high ISO not as good as I wanted it to be.

After that the K100 came with the first SR-system. Great! The jpg-engine has ben improved as well. much crisper results than with the Ds. But it had no pentaprism but pentamirror so manual focus lenses always stayed on the Ds. High ISO and AF wasn't better than the Ds so I went to K10, then K20 where they promised to have improved the AF-system. Maybe but not as much as I expected and wanted it. I always had an old film slr Canon EOS with an AF-system that was much faster! The K-20 had the CMOS-sensor which showed different effects on high ISO (1600 and above for indoor sports and theatre) which I really disliked!

So then I turned over to Olympus E-3: Phantastic camera! With the 2.8-4/12-60mm lens really fast and precise AF-system. But a bit bulky - esp. compared with the DS which was the only Pentax that still stayed with me. And when shooting long sessions the noise level became even higher than with the old Ds.

Then Pentax presented the K-7. AF nearly as good as the E-3, nearly as fast, nearly as good in low light (indoor) - all things only 'nearly' but I changed back to Pentax as my dslr-system. High ISO noise was nothing better than with the Ds because it was a more 'colourfull' noise. So ISO 800 the pics from the Ds were simply better! For web-publishing or 10x15/13x18 cm cm prints you dont need the 14 MP, the 6 MP will do well enough!
Then the K-5 was tested to have very much improved high-ISO quality - that's why I changed to it. Yes - here I have a visible improvement in noise and an AF that is obviously better than the Ds.
The Ds stays nonetheless for it's easys and joyful handling wih compact lenses - esp. manual focus primes.
And Picture quality?
Good enough if you don't want to crop too much.

[condor27596]

I hope my *ist DS is good enough to go the distance and take nice pics. I don't do casual upgrades on anything. Just usually make the best of what I have.

[KSmith]

Well not an *ist, but I'm using a K100DS as my infrared camera ( with external filter ) and love it. I especially like that it only has 6MP, because I stitch all my IR shots. Now I can get great detail while avoiding massive file sizes.


Ken

[lancer233]

I really enjoyed reading this thread. I, too, have been unable to part with my DS. I love the way it handles, and it gives me all I need in my pictures. I swap between the DS and a K20, depending on my mood and never feel underserved by the DS. I will keep it and use it till it quits.

[magkelly]

I'm not really a person who shoots a lot at high iso's. Therefore the fact that my new cameras do a better job with that just isn't all that important to me. If I am shooting higher than 800 iso that's really unusual for me. I'd much rather add more light to a situation than just bump the iso. My *ist DL was an excellent camera except for the issue with the batteries, and the on board flash dying. If it had not given up the ghost on me though I would have not gotten my K-x so I don't really regret it's demise. The K-x is an excellent camera and I did a lot of work with mine that astounded the pros that I met. They could not believe I was using one professionally at all. I still miss it sometimes. I think it was a very special little camera. I think one of the reasons that I like my K-30's so much is that they are a lot like using a fancier K-x, albeit one with a lot more options.

I thought very hard for a long time about going with a K-7 or a K-5/K-5II. I liked the K-7 a lot and they were cheap by then less than a K-30, but in the end I chose the K-30 because I thought it would be a lot like using a K-x and therefore fairly comfortable for me. I like what I have seen of the K5II and someday I just might splurge yet and get a used one but the K-30 is my go to camera I think, and I can honestly say I'll likely be using one for as long as mine last and/or for as long as I can get my hands on another one in like new condition. Do I miss the *ist DL? Sometimes, yes, mainly because for all it's headaches it was an easier camera to use. I can't really say though that I think it took better pics than my K-30's do, or my K-x either for that matter.

Bottom line use what's comfortable. If you really like your *ist then buy a couple more and use them. They're cheap enough at this point that you could likely afford backups and if you really LOVE it then I say go for it. Use the camera you like best, even if it's not the most advanced one in your bag. I love my K-30's with all their bells and whistles but there is something I also like about shooting with my film cameras too, and they are about as "old" as it gets. It's not always about how technically perfect a camera is, how advanced. Sometimes it's just about the joy of using a camera you love, even if it's older than you are!

[Astronomersmith]

Wow, thank you for the "Pep talk"! I needed this!

I am a very satisfied DS owner, for about 8 years, and have never regretted that purchase. I can also say that it was my first, and so far 'only' DSLR. I use it frequently, but not a lot by any means. I have received very good comments and opinions about the pictures I've made with this little old camera that could.

Of course, I would "like" to have a newer, higher spec'd camera, and came really close to getting one for a gift this Christmas. Only my wife deciding that we needed new furniture, and a bigger TV, kept me from doing so! I had to sit on my "wants" and go with "needs" this year. I am considering getting another lens for my DS, and will probably do that, since one of the best things about Pentax is that I'll be able to use whatever lens I get now, on a newer camera later!

Even after 8 years or so, I haven't fully utilized and learned all the abilities of my old camera, and thanks to this forum, and the answers I've gotten to some of my dumb questions, my enthusiasm is renewed! I also joined a small, local photography club, and while my little DS gets some raised eyebrows and long, down-the-nose looks, it can do most of what their "better" cameras can do. Plus, it is always nice when every now and then, I win a very small in-club photo competition with my dinosaur!

I've wanted a new one, but through fate, luck, divine intervention, or whatever...I decided to use what I've got instead. I like and am very familiar and comfortable with my DS - kind of like a favorite pair of old jeans or sneakers or T-shirt! It just feels good.

Scott