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07-18-2008, 06:07 PM   #16
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QuoteOriginally posted by falconeye Quote
With firmware release *istD 1.12 (the latest I could find) goes the release PDF saying that:
"memory cards larger than 4GB are now supported".

I think, one may be able to use 8GB cards but maybe not of the newer SDHC type.
lets not get people too confused here, the *istD uses CF cards not SD. They take at least 4 GB cards because I am using a sandisk extrremeII 4 GB presently.

they also take CF type II cards and sd to CF adaptors, but I am not sure these adaptors are compatible with the SDHC cards

07-18-2008, 06:12 PM   #17
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QuoteOriginally posted by Lowell Goudge Quote
lets not get people too confused here, the *istD uses CF cards not SD.
My mistake. Sorry. So, it takes CF cards larger than 4GB. Let's say 8GB.
07-18-2008, 06:22 PM   #18
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Try this...

QuoteOriginally posted by LeoTaylor Quote
Perhaps SLOW is in the eye (or shutter finger?) of the beholder. My wife has one of the first istD cameras, back when they were over $1300. She does flowers, often with a bee or butterfly in the field. She can take 3, 4, even 5 JPEG shots before the insect takes off. She is very happy, her P&S could not shoot that fast. Newer Pentax models will take a few more shots before slowing down. All the Pentax cameras will bog down if you want to take a couple of dozen RAW images in rapid fire. So slow depends on what you want to do.
Take 5 or 6 large pics, either raw or jpeg, push play, then try to go back and take pictures again.

It's slow...

Medium shots, or one or two a second, no problem, its when you click play that the spinning hourglass or boredom kicks in.

In it's defense, it doesn't crash or lockup, it's just s....l...........o.........................................................


Cheers,
Cameron
07-18-2008, 06:32 PM   #19
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QuoteOriginally posted by Cambo Quote
Take 5 or 6 large pics, either raw or jpeg, push play, then try to go back and take pictures again.

It's slow...

Medium shots, or one or two a second, no problem, its when you click play that the spinning hourglass or boredom kicks in.

In it's defense, it doesn't crash or lockup, it's just s....l...........o.........................................................


Cheers,
Cameron
You know, it is really funny, when I first got my *istD in late '03, i never thought it was slow. I could take 10-12 high resolution JPEGs in a row, at 3 FPS, then wait about 2 minutes while the buffer unloaded to review things. I used it quite hapily until december 2006 when I got my K10D, now, when you consider I can fill a 4GB card (roughly 1000 high resolution JPEG in just over 5 minutes, and look at them instantly, yeah it's slow, but so what! it is still a great little camera and as I said earlier, it does some things better than my K10D so I still use it regularly, and take it on all vacations as a second body.

07-18-2008, 07:06 PM   #20
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QuoteOriginally posted by Wheatfield Quote
I think with the latest firmware, the istD would take a 4gb card, but I stand to be corrected on that.
4GB works even on the original 1.00 firmware
07-19-2008, 09:21 AM   #21
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In the words of "The Kids in the Hall"... everyone agree the istD is a great little camera.
07-19-2008, 09:31 AM   #22
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QuoteOriginally posted by JCSullivan Quote
In the words of "The Kids in the Hall"... everyone agree the istD is a great little camera.

That's good, because I just sent the money. Can't wait to get it and start playing with it. I just got to get a memory card and batteries.

I know it uses AA. I've got some here, but I don't like them. Anyone have a good brand they would recommend?

07-19-2008, 08:05 PM   #23
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QuoteOriginally posted by eccs19 Quote
That's good, because I just sent the money. Can't wait to get it and start playing with it. I just got to get a memory card and batteries.

I know it uses AA. I've got some here, but I don't like them. Anyone have a good brand they would recommend?
I use the Energizer 2500mah batteries in my Pentax *istD and Canon S3 IS with excellent results in both.
07-19-2008, 09:21 PM   #24
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Worthless to Consider

QuoteOriginally posted by eccs19 Quote
So I'm looking at getting one of these used. I've got a couple of questions. With this being an older camera, are there any limitations on what memory size this camera can use? Also I noticed that this only goes down to ISO 200. Is this correct, or will they go down to 100? Will 200 still be good without being to grainy? Any other tips / suggestions with this camera I should know about?
My humble advice is that this camera is just too old to consider for whatever reasons. It does support a 4GB CF card (which I had been used for a long time) if you upgraded the firmware. ISO 200 is not noisy and fine. But the problems with this camera are numerous: super soft and crappy jpegs, occasionally strange colours and very weak Auto WB, very inaccurate metering (the worst for any Pentax DSLRs), ridiculous slow card read and write times, shooting RAW is the only variable way to go with this camera (but with the super slow write/read times, you have to waaaaait for doing *anything*).

Anyway, this camera has a very lovely thing, though, but it may not be useful to you. It is its traditional Pentax TTL auto flash support, on which the exposure is very accurate and so as the WB too when the flash is used. It produces better results than the *ist DS in this regard. (And after the DS, there is no more TTL support in any Pentax DSLRs then)
07-20-2008, 04:57 AM   #25
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QuoteOriginally posted by eccs19 Quote
That's good, because I just sent the money. Can't wait to get it and start playing with it. I just got to get a memory card and batteries.

I know it uses AA. I've got some here, but I don't like them. Anyone have a good brand they would recommend?
Eneloop by Sanyo are the in-thing in way of batteries but the istD is excellent on batteries especially if you don't use the monitor.

Have fun.
07-20-2008, 02:38 PM   #26
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Just thought the OP should know it's main weaknesses...

QuoteOriginally posted by Lowell Goudge Quote
You know, it is really funny, when I first got my *istD in late '03, i never thought it was slow. I could take 10-12 high resolution JPEGs in a row, at 3 FPS, then wait about 2 minutes while the buffer unloaded to review things. I used it quite hapily until december 2006 when I got my K10D, now, when you consider I can fill a 4GB card (roughly 1000 high resolution JPEG in just over 5 minutes, and look at them instantly, yeah it's slow, but so what! it is still a great little camera and as I said earlier, it does some things better than my K10D so I still use it regularly, and take it on all vacations as a second body.
and I agree, it is a great little camera. And I have never got more that 5 or 6 large jpega out of it before it seriously bogs down, and if you push play, you might as well go for coffee, take the dog for a walk, do the dishes, etc. And yes the jpegs are a little soft in this age of the f=256 school of photography, but they can easily be sharpened a little - gives you more leeway to play around with them.

Glad you bought it - hope its a good deal and reliable for you. Did you get the grip with it?

Cheers,
Cameron
07-20-2008, 06:15 PM   #27
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QuoteOriginally posted by Cambo Quote
and I agree, it is a great little camera. And I have never got more that 5 or 6 large jpega out of it before it seriously bogs down, and if you push play, you might as well go for coffee, take the dog for a walk, do the dishes, etc. And yes the jpegs are a little soft in this age of the f=256 school of photography, but they can easily be sharpened a little - gives you more leeway to play around with them.

Glad you bought it - hope its a good deal and reliable for you. Did you get the grip with it?

Cheers,
Cameron
Yup, got the grip with it. Really looking forward to playing with an SLR once again.
07-20-2008, 06:30 PM   #28
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I've got an *istDS.

For batteries, I sourced on eBay a pair of RCR-V3 's and a charger. They are Lithium Ion rechargeable and I used the same pair for a good 10,000 shots without hassle. They were still going strong when I got my K20D but are now gathering a bit of dust.
07-20-2008, 06:40 PM   #29
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I agree with JC Sullivan and use Sanyo Eneloops. They last and last. Yeah sure this camera is slow but I use it all the time for weddings and when i review the total number of images shot at an event, the *istD took more than 60% of my shots. The real beauty of this camera is that it's configured the same as the K10D. So switching back and forth between the 2 bodies is a breeze.

As mentioned above the TTL flash support is great as well.
07-20-2008, 06:43 PM   #30
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A number of people have commented on this camera being slow (I'm not concerned with that), but would having the faster memory card help, or is the technology not in that camera to help out in that respect?
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