It is a fairly reliable workhorse.

Focus indicator is not accurate on older lenses, slow processor gives incorrect exposures, short battery life.

This camera is very quirky, and although it can give good results, it takes a long time to figure out its various quirks. For example, the processor is relatively slow so when taking pictures in any kind of quick succession, you are sure to get some that are vastly under or overexposed. I think this is because the processor is not done processing the first image and doesn't relay the correct exposure information quick enough for the physical camera to keep up. Older lenses on this camera have a hard time taking sharp photos even though the *ist D's focus indicator tells you the subject is in focus.

For a first generation digital camera, the *ist D simply was not ready for prime time. It does a good job at some things, but other things it doesn't do so well.

Similar Products Used:

Pentax PZ-1P, Pentax ME Super

Easy to hold onto.
Can use four AA batteries. Using Lithium AA batteries last a long time.
Automatic shut off.
Uses a SD Memory card which any one can find on the internet at a low price.

1GB card gives you 332 pictures on JPEG. You only get 342 pictures with a 4GB card. It isn’t worth getting the bigger card with this camera.
Can not use manual setting on the exposure part of the camera.
Does not have an exposure light meter.
Doesn’t have a usable histogram
Pictures come out light or dark.
Need to touch up pictures.
Auto focus doesn’t work or it has a hard time focusing in low light or dark background.
Can make all the changes in the menu the pictures still don’t come out right.
ISO doesn’t go below 200.
You can miss a shot in automatic focus while the camera is trying to focus.
I would not recommend this camera to anyone. I am presently looking for another digital camera. Presently looking at Canon or Nikon which the camera stores cater to which most professional photographer use.

I had a Pentax K1000 which is totally manual set camera. When I started to have problems with the light meter, I decided to go digital. I thought I would stick with Pentax so I could use my zoom lens. The lens I had couldn’t be used with the Pentax *istD. I bought the Pentax *istD as a package with a QUANTARAY 70 - 300 zoom lens. Any lens used on this camera has to be an automatic exposure lens. Tried using the manual setting on the aperture and the camera would not work.


I have not been satisfied with the Pentax *istD camera. I was getting better pictures with the Pentax K1000 Camera. I keep getting frustrated with the Pentax *istD camera because I can not get it to do what I want it to do. I bought a DVD for the Pentax *istD to try to learn more about the camera. The camera version on the DVD was different from the camera I had.

When taking pictures with the Pentax *istD the exposure is off. The picture is either too dark or too light. With the many programs for processing pictures a lot of them are going to Auto Edit instead of letting use make the changes yourself. If you are fussy on how your pictures turn out this is not the camera for you! Taking pictures in continuous the setting change from one picture to the next. One will be light and the next will be dark. When using the flash I ran into the same problem. The metering keeps changing the camera settings. It didn’t matter if I used the camera flash or the Pentax AF-360FGZ flash.

Taking pictures in low lighting is a big problem with this camera. You basically have to go to manual focus. It has a hard time focusing on what you want to take a picture of or taking pictures of fireworks.

Customer Service

Took it back to Ritz Camera and didn’t get anywhere.

Similar Products Used:

No DSLR camera
Used a Canon Manual set Camera and Pentax K1000

Small and compact. Great shooting responsiveness.

Auto focussing in Dim lighting

Just got the camera and having been using my old film lenses on it and it works great. I use the Nikon d70s at work and this is built very similar in fact the body plastic is identical only it is smaller and lighter and easier to carry. It was as if Pentax copied the d70 and made a smaller version of it. I did a lot of research before I bought it and really I found out that it uses the same sensor as the Nikon d100 d70 and d40. The image quality really depends on your lens and your white balance. I have gotten some great collor images with this camear. I have read that there is an issue with softness and really I don't see it. I think it depends on your lens. All my lenses are old and use glass not plastic so that might help. This camera is really the predecessor to the K10d. It has full pofessional features. It is very responsive and I like using it. The only fault I have with it is that auto focus syste4m in dim lighting. Get use to focussing manually. In the day it is fast, faster that the Nikon I would say as fast as a Canon. This cameara is the inbetween of Nikon and Canon.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon d70

Small, light, rigid body. Good controls. Multiple exposure, DOF preview, hyper program AE,. Individual AV and TV dials. Focus Point Switch Lever. Auto Bracketing (exposure). Works with K, M lens ( in manual mode). Powered from AA accumulators. Pentaprism viewfinder.

Sensitivity from 200 ISO. Difficult access to CF card. Cumbersome four-way controller. LCD monitor too small. Lack of image stabilization. RAW files too large (about 13 MB).

Very good camera, especially for analog Pentax cameras users with K,M lens. For beginners not recommended, rather for intermediates.

Customer Service

Not used yet.

Similar Products Used:

Canon EOS 350D (Rebel XT), Canon EOS 400D (Rebel XTi).

Well placed controls, easy to get used to and work quickly with. Uses all thosd old really classis lenses that some of us have collected over the yers. Very solid feel, I was worried that Pentax had given up on pro gear, but this goes a long way to redressing that issue. I anxiously await the new 10 megapixel DSLR with shake reduction.
I have a lot of hope for Pentax ressurecting their pro customers, we may be old but we have a lot of experience that transends the analog/digtial devide!

When the camera first came out, they left out the ability to use the old K and M lenses. Well, the howl of outrage was heard from Tokyo to London, and they quickly backpedalled with a firmware upgrade. Good job, Pentax, you listen to your customers!
They left out the cam to allow you to use ancient manual lenses in apeture priority mode, so we use them in manual (after all, they ARE manual lenses). Hopefully the 10 megapixel pro model will include the cam. I'm old and getting lazy. Even though I mostly use it in the studio with a flash meter, so it stays in Manual most of the time anyway. But for personal goofing around, I'd like the cam back in the mount, no more "crippled" KAF mount, please!

I'm glad i held out for a Pentax DSLR. I almost jumped ship to the copier-company cameras, I;'ve used some of their cameras in the past. But I started in the 1960's, when it was Pentax and Zeiss if you wanted the best lenses, so I had a collection of really excellent glass.
The thing that sold me is that all my K mount (or even M42) lenses will work and meter on this camera. Of course, a manual lens is still manual, but Pentax is to be praised for letting us old codgers use our favorite old glass on the new sooper-dooper electronic cameras. Of course, I had to get the 12-24 super-wide because of the crop factor, but, hey, it's business expense!
I actually like the fact that Pentax has held back on the in-camera sharpening. I'll do my own #%^&$ sharpening in Photoshop, thank you very much!! The copier-company cameras seem to sharpen jpegs or tiffs so you get artifacts, so I like a camera thart lets me do my own sharpening.
I've been shooting RAW, which bypasses the whole in-camera processing nonsense. If you're shooting for a living you really need to go with RAW. Maybe I'm prejiduced, I'm one of those darkroom freaks with Dektol stains on m fingers! RAW puts me back in the driver's seat with my images, and it sure doesn't smell as bad as the chemical darkroom!
I congratulate Pentax on their commitment to backwards compatability. They have the most complete usability from old classics like my 45-125 K lens, totally manual. It works just like it does on my old MX cameras. Plus it has all the electro-techno connections for the new lenses that thind they're smarter than the photographer. I'm pleaed as punch with this camera, and it's the first Pentax professional grade camera that's not medium format in a long time. (Remenber the LX?)
It uses Lexars WA technology, so I can shoot a long string of RAW files without running into the dreaded buffer problem. The viewfinder is bright and clear, it makes C and N look like dark tunnels!! Imortant for an old codger like me whose eyes are not what they used to be!
This is not a camera for beginners, Pentax have the K100D and other simpler machines for the hobbyist market. But a serious photographer can't go wrong with this unit!

Customer Service

No direct experience, but their reaction to the outrage over the "crippled" KAF2 mounnt was swift and took care of the problem, so I suspect they actually listen to the customers.

Similar Products Used:

Nkon F, Canon T70 and other fancy Canon and Nikon film cameras, Olympus digital SLR's (the sensor is just too tiny), all sorts of lenses from old classic manuals to modern electronic marvels. Pentax MX cameras, and even a K1000 just for the sake of having one (no DOF preview, so the MX cameras with DOF preview got the most workout).

I could transfer ALL my old lenses and habits from the Z-1 to the D. Thus the usage is highly intuitive. I've loved the Hyper mode for over a decade. Pictures are great. (Quality lenses helps a lot.) I do most of my composition and cropping in the viewfinder so I don't have lengthy post processing sessions. All Pentax lenses work the way they did on the cameras I bought them for. This means that Pentax has a lot of lenses to choose from. (Caveat - with the increasing popularity of Pentax DSLRs, quality used lenses are fetching higher prices.) The battery grip both extends the time between battery changes and balances the camera with any of the larger, heavier lenses. The steel frame makes for a sturdy camera. even when mounting long lenses. "It just feels right."

I don't like the 1.5 magnificaiton factor. It force-crops the lens. It doesn't change the perspective. This is sort of OK until you need wide angle shots. This has made me go from 28mm as my widest lens in use, to 17mm or 20mm as my widest perspective. There aren't as many of these out there and Pentax often charges a lot for accessories. This means that finding used ones (to save money) can require extensive searches or modifying other items to meet the need. The buffer is of limited size, so the amount of burst picture taking is limited. This is not my style of photography, so it has never been an issue. There is no anti-shake facility. Isn't that what tripods and monopods eliminate?

When I moved from a Pentax Z-1 to a DSLR, I looked for one that felt right, would let me use my Pentax lenses and produced excellent product. After I compared the D and DS, there was no question - the D felt right and worked like my Z-1. I have had NO disappointments. The D has proven a reliable tool that always challenges me to do better. If the results don't come up to my standards, it's always my fault - never the camera's. With use, anything that was an annoyance has corrected itself (the difficulty of removing the CF card), become something that I became more capable of using (the fiddly 4-way controller) or I've bought equipment to overcome (the 1.5 muliplication factor). Am I happy with my choice? You betcha!

Customer Service

I have never needed anything for this product. Previously, I had damaged a lens. Pentax repaired it quickly and economically. Years later, it give no problems.

Similar Products Used:

Canon and Nikon DSLRs

None.

I have used my 1st* D for over one year now,l and must say it is the best camera yet.! I have always found Pentax to make excellent cameras, but this tiime they have outdone themselfves. The exposures are right on the button each time. It is a pleasure to handle it. All the controls fall into place easily.

Customer Service

Not applicable as yet.

Similar Products Used:

No Dslr, but film Slrs for years. In addition, I have three other Digital cameras.

Lightweight, sturdy and solid (important when coming from metal bodies), fast on the shoot. All important controls at thumb and forefinger. Plus, I smile every time I use the extra trigger and dial set that are on the optional battery grip.

Big complaint number one... ISO starts at 200... what's up with that? Image quality is skin tone, plant tone perfect... so why no 100 for us studio photogs? Big compaint number two... uhh... er... wait a sec.... I can't think of anything else.

I finally broke down and bought Digital... Waited a long time for the 1st Pentax DSLR, but tried a few others while waiting.... Boy am I glad I waited to buy the ist D. This Camera feels just like the other Pentax SLRS in your hands, light and very solid. Compact design and grips are perfect for my hands (Some have complained about size but they must be lumberjacks or something) ;).. Focus and shoot are fast and very responsive. No lag in shooting when images queing.

Customer Service

Never needed to call in 20+ years of using pentax equipment... how's that for reliable.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon D70, Canon EOS-20D

Many have mentioned the apparent softness of images. With a decent lense this thing is as sharp as anything I have seen. WB is very good, the camera feels good and rewards you with images that look good, what more can you ask for?

None.

Awesome camera.

Similar Products Used:

Olympus

light compatibility with A, F & FA lens bright viewfinder solid feel good finish

filmsy battery cover

Bought it for two weeks. It is very good camera. Light and solid feel. Reasonable fast and accurate AF. Lots of functions. Pictures a little bit soft in factory settings, but can be adjusted. Film feel images. Recommend to buy also the D-BG grip. More stable in holding with FA* lens.

Customer Service

not needed yet

Similar Products Used:

no past experience on DSLR