Pentax *ist DL Digital SLRs
Pentax *ist DL Digital SLRs
USER REVIEWS
[Dec 06, 2009]
Sheila Kaifesh
Intermediate
Strength:
Light, uses AA batteries which is affordable
Weakness:
The camera flash does not go up unless I press lightly on the flash to one side while pressing the flash button. Now just recently the battery is showing battery depleted when there are new batteries in the camera. At the begining I would pull the batteries out and move them around a bit when putting them back in the camera (I thought I was just not putting them in correctly) Now I may get 1 - 2 pictures out of this camera before it reads batteries depleted. I am not starting to look on line and notice that there are many people with this same problem. I would think that there should be a recall on this camera. Or a payout for a chance to upgrade. I have never in all the years that I have been taking pictures had this problem. Next time I will think twice about purchasing a Pentax. I bought this camera because I wanted to make the move from SLR to a Digital SLR and have pretty much always owned a Pentax, so when I was looking it made sense to me to go for a camera name that I trusted. I find now that that was a mistake. |
[Oct 25, 2006]
mikel54
Intermediate
Strength:
Works with most any lens in the Pentax mount family. Uses AA batteries very convenient and less expensive to replace. Well placed controls. Top panel readout always on easy to check settings. Focus is fast and accurate. A good sturdy camera for the price.
Weakness:
Viewfinder readouts hard to see in bright light.
Customer Service Not applicable Similar Products Used: Have a Canon S1 IS closest in the digital realm. I have owned a film Pentax SLR (don't recall model). Other SLRs Yashica and Sears many years ago! |
[Jul 24, 2006]
J Cabrera
Intermediate
Strength:
lightweight
Weakness:
can't really see any. no more bracketing options?wish I could use canon and nikon lenses This camera is excellent! For whoever said there are not enough accesories, This camera is fully compatible with any lens that pentax has made!!! I use a vivitar series 1 zoom from the 70s and a 50mm f1.7 pentax-A lens, as well as one of their zooms for the AF-35mm cameras, and the kit AF lens built for digital specifically. all take great pictures. quality IS just as good as film, ADMIT IT!! over 6mp is impossible with that CCD...
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[Jul 07, 2006]
Cord Lange
Intermediate
Strength:
- Lightweight
Weakness:
- no ISO 100
I wanted a light, wellbuild D-SLR with normal MIGNON NiMH accus and Spot-Metering.
Customer Service Never needed Similar Products Used: NIKON D50
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[May 19, 2006]
colsen
Intermediate
Strength:
Other family members can pick it up in auto mode and take wonderful point and shoot pictures. Someone with a bit more experience will be able to push it to its limits, and those limits look to be out there a ways.
Weakness:
As of yet, I have not found any weaknesses with the camera. Great little entry level DSLR that will keep surprising you as you grow with it.
Customer Service Have not needed to contact Customer Service as of yet. Similar Products Used: Have played with numerous digital point and shoot, EVF digital slr, and years of service from my Konica FT-1 film SLR. |
[Apr 10, 2006]
cyberlord
Intermediate
Strength:
Light and decently built. I like the feel much better than some of the earlier Canon XT/Rebel plastic models. Nice big decent resolution LCD for viewing pictures. I have big hands and this fits better than the Canon digital Rebel. Shutter release placement falls right under my finger. Had to force my finger forward on the Canon. Price, you just can not beat the price. Period! Has continuous focus setting (automatic in sports mode) and also continuous shutter mode. 2.8fps up to 5 frames then it slows to about 1/5fps (1 frame per 5 seconds), but it will keep shooting continuously!
Weakness:
Built in flash. You will want an external flash and a flash frame. Short lens has shadow at wide angle with lens hood left on. Just remove it (lens manual makes mention of it). Flash seems to wash out at close range (camera manual makes mention of it) but there is a flash EV reduction mode that helps with that problem so it's not too much of a problem if you remember to tame the flash down a bit. Nose prints on LCD screen. Can't be helped for me as I have a big head and nose. Buy some LCD protection sheets. The camera body could be just a tad taller for my big hands(3 1/2 fingers), but it is taller then the Canon digital (3 fingers). I don't feel however that it wants to fall out of my hands like some smaller P&S or cell phones do. A great little camera with loaded big features. Use it as a point & shoot or use any of the builtin settings, Av/Tv priority, or fully manual mode. Kit has a decent lens but it has it limitations. Not bad for a beginner lens, quite capable. USB download is very fast. I was impressed compared to some other P&S digitals we have. Print up to 8X10 @ 300dpi or up to 16X20 @ 150dpi. The strengths outweight the weaknesses by a long shot! This is my first digital SLR and it was worth the wait. I give it 5 *s for value rating and 4 *s for overall. If you want a firewall 5 * camera you will have to pay for it. Customer Service I have not needed it yet! Similar Products Used: Fuji Finepix 3001 (digital P&S)
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[Jan 08, 2006]
FLYBYU
Beginner
Strength:
Great picture quality for a beginner, I'm very please with it. Also as I learn the different settings and controls it becomes easier to take photo's then before. I love the zoom lens it is exactly what I was looking for, you get the wide angle and a bit of telephoto all in one small lens, I love it. The details and colors in the photos ar amazing, when blown up I can see little specks of dirt on snow and things like that, stuff that would have been just a blur with my old camera.
Weakness:
Auto focus is slow sometimes, I prefer manual focus most times anyway. Some of the controls are buried in menus and hard to find, also it is very confusing compared to a film camera, but I'm a beginner at this too. I bought this camera to replace my 2mb HP camera which is almost 5 years old now. I bought a SLR style because I've been dabbling with my Mom's film SLR and I really liked the photo quality and ease of use compared to a point and shoot camera. My camera came as a kit with the Pentax 18-55mm Zoom lens, I didn't know that it was zoom until after I bought it. Also the camera I bought was the last one they had and the flash doesn't work at all, so they are replacing it as soon as they get a new one in. Customer Service Very good so far. Similar Products Used: Fujica SLR film camera |
[Dec 27, 2005]
MichaelSalvatore
Expert
Strength:
Very light weight! Easy to use functions and one very large screen. Beautiful build quality, Pentax did this camera right. Uses the small and easy to find SD chips.
Weakness:
Picture quality is still not as good as film. (8+ megapixels ties or beats quality 35mm film. This isnt Pentax's fault, all 6 mpx SLRs are at fault here) HUGE lack of accessories! (such as: extra lenses, filters, battery packs to replace the AA batteries, remotes etc etc) I think that the lack of accessories will be compensated for in time. This camera is perfect for most people who are looking for an entry level digital SLR with easy to use features. One thing I have found that is troublsome is the lack of accessories. Pentax is trying to fill that massive void (when compared to the other digital SLRs on the market) however, they are not doing it fast enough for my taste. One other interesting feature that this camera has is the use of AA batteries. It does not use standard battery packs like other cameras. This is an advantage and a disadvantage at the same time. You can get batteries at nearly every gas station, supermarket or news paper stand on the planet. Good luck finding a Nikon D70 battery pack at those same locations. The downfall to this battery situation is that they dont last as long as the battery packs do. The answer? Rechargable batteries fix that issue (the quantaray battery charger has both home and car charger cables, power on the go) Customer Service I have not had to deal with their customer service lines at all. I doubt that I will have to any time soon. Ritz Camera is where I grabbed the camera and if I have troubles I will be taking it back there. |