[Skodadriver]

What a pity - should've got him and the squirrel in the same room; hours of fun, I'm sure.

Not sure what a dog as fast as Bugner and weighing 100 lbs plus would have done to a room if he chased a squirrel....bull in a china shop comes to mind.

[Dan James]

Paul, thanks for starting this, what a fantastic idea.

I have very recently bought a Samsung GX-1S which I believe is essentially the Pentax *ist DS2 with different badges. It's like a smaller, lighter, simpler K10D, but so far the images have been just as good, especially with Takumar lenses.

Samsung GX-1S with Asahi Super-Takumar 28mm f/3.5 M42 lens plus 10mm extension tube. Direct export from RAW to JPEG in LightRoom, no processing.


Samsung GX-1S with Asahi Super-Takumar 55mm f/1.8 M42 lens. Direct export from RAW to JPEG in LightRoom, no processing.


I haven't used the Samsung on JPEG mode, but shooting RAW at its native ISO200 then simply exporting to JPEG in LightRoom is giving me results I'm very happy with. I really don't like post processing, so cameras like the K10D and GX-1S where you can shoot RAW then just export as JPEG with no faffing about make them even more appealing to me. And like so many say, those CCD sensors do have a special magic. Especially with a Takumar!

[Pentax Syntax]

Still shoot with my *ist DS coupled to the 10-17 Fisheye zoom. It's a match made in heaven. The CCD really works with the fisheye. No need for image stabilization either. The *ist DS renders the sky better than any of the newer bodies. Will dig up some examples. If you want to defish, the small files work really well.

[E-man]

I was in the 6mp club from day one. My very first Pentax was an *istDL that acquired in 2012 to celebrate landing a full time job after several years of under-employment. Unfortunately, I killed it in a botched firmware upgrade, so I replaced it with a Samsung GX-1L. My girlfriend at the time was really getting into using my cameras (I also got a K2000 shortly after the Samsung) so I decided to give her one for Christmas. I got a good deal on a K100D for her but ultimately decided to keep it and give her the Samsung instead. She was thrilled and still uses it. I enjoyed the K100D for several years but I sold it earlier this year, having gone on a pretty serious camera gear binge last fall and winter, so something had to give. The K100D, along with a couple of other cameras and lenses, became eBay fodder. It was an especially hard decision to part with the K100D, but it was the right call. I was only using it to shoot items for eBay listings and any of my other cameras could easily cover that function. I've still got a CCD sensor in the K10D and at a higher resolution and more sophisticated features, so I regard it as a good upgrade, especially considering I sold the K100D for more than I paid for the K10D.

[zippythezip]

Now you have made me go upstairs and find my istD, now to find some batteries. Just sold my K100 and my istDS died of "battery depleted" even with nice new eneloops. Same as my K200 died the same way. Vowed to never buy a camera that only takes AA batteries. Fire up my old K10 now and then but I love and will never part with my istD.

[ChristianRock]

I have been looking at 6MP cameras and this thread isn't helping... Here comes CBA!

[HarisF1]

Still shoot with my *ist DS coupled to the 10-17 Fisheye zoom. It's a match made in heaven. The CCD really works with the fisheye. No need for image stabilization either. The *ist DS renders the sky better than any of the newer bodies. Will dig up some examples. If you want to defish, the small files work really well.

I'd say that the rendering is due to the amazing fisheye lens rather than the CCD ;p

[paulh]

Wow, what a great response to this thread! I also started out as a 6 megpickler back in 2010 when I got my first *ist D (which was also my first DSLR). That particular body is a fulltime m42 shooter now. My other one is used with mostly manual primes and a few old zooms.
A couple of snaps taken last month with *ist D #2, and an F35-80 zoom.

[Desperado]

Another 6mp K100d with A50mm f1.7

[Skodadriver]

Just had to get the 100D Super out after reading these posts. Found some AA batteries, reset the date, cleaned the contacts as just like the last time the camera was showing batteries depleted, decided on the Tamron 52BB and went out into the garden. A few ker-lunks later, fond memories of what seemed like a pretty good camera at the time came back. Sure it has some deficiencies compared to the K-5, chief of which is the number of pixels when you need to crop but what a starting camera for those people getting in to digital SLRs from P&S. It provides all that is necessary and will point one towards what needs or wants from the next DSLR purchase. Just over 2100 actuations in nearly 10 years, I have used it sparingly, habit from film days. Shame I have not learned much about how to take good images.

[niceshot]

My K100D Super hit 100 actuations on this shot of Bugner in 2008, he was the biggest Boxer I have seen and the pride and joy of my friends in Cape Town, South Africa. Sadly he passed away a few years ago.




I still have the camera.

Nice looking DOG,you must miss him.

[Skodadriver]

Nice looking DOG,you must miss him.

He loved pushing my legs apart, plonking his football size head (soccer ball to some) on my lap and being stroked around the head and ears. Unfortunately he did seem to dribble an awful lot making for a very wet and unsightly lap. When playing with him outside I noticed he was as quick as a Whippet chasing balls, strong as an Ox when tugging on his pull toy and of course he was BIG.... but very gentle around people. He was also a target for dog fighting thieves due to his size so my friends trained him very well and he did not stray and treated strangers with suspicion.

[stihlmania]

Right now I own a 1stD, 1st DS and a 1st DL, the DS and DL purchased new. My wife is using a K3 so I have the opportunity to use a very modern Pentax dslr but I still like the older cameras, 1stD and 1st DS, for TTL with the AF400T. Consistently great exposures with the flash set to TTL and super long flash battery life. The 1stD photo is my normal setup for this body, heavy to move but a joy once set up.

[Desperado]

K100d with 70mm limited

[steve-rsa]

I must re-visit my GX-1L as I was never happy with the in camera jpg compression. And back then had no idea about raw files and the advantages associated with them.