small, less space needed, construction all good, not many stuff to present on surface, some people list this as weakness, I don't think so!. for a small body, what can you do? you cannot get all.
Manu setting are logically good and reasonable. ISO3200 is a good value, have ISO Auto, that looks cool to me.
the handle designed pretty good unless your hand is so wide, otherwise, fit.

I like SD cards and NiMH batteries, easy to get, cheap,. you can use Mini SD as well, interchangable with Mobiles.

shorter Focal lengh, can use M42 lenses + Nikon mount easier to convert - I personally recon Nikon make supereme lenses in Late 1970s - Early 1980s, where with multi coating and no cheating on materials.

Year 2000? they making junks. everything , plastic.

I also like the 11 point continuous AF mode, fast and accurate.

no SR or VR or IS function, neither the lenses nor the body.

I wish ISO100 supplied as an option.

heard story happened to the button at the back, quality not very good.

not using standard USB cable to computer.

Like others complaint, AF slow, oh well, a small body+big lens how much power would you expect the motor supply?

A overall good compact DSLR, good price from second hand

my package include Tokina 75-300 blue collar in New Zealand Dollar 600.00

Customer Service

Not yet, may need later

Similar Products Used:

Nikon D70

Pentax Optio MX4

Great overall camera.

Built in flash.

What can I say I love my camera. It has served me very well. I had a 35mm film camera before this one and had a difficult time changing to digital. I like the point and shoot and that my lenses from my film pentax fit my new Pentax ist DS. The built in camera flash is not great at much distance so I purchased an external flash that works great. There are so many features on this camera that I have not mastered near all of them so I am still learning. I would recommend this camera to anyone.

Customer Service

Pentax in the past has been very good with my film camera. They have very good customer service and have used them on many occations. Haven't had problems with my new camera.

Similar Products Used:

Pentax 35mm film camera

Construction quality is very good.

Relatively cheap price.

Ergonomics are great. It fits my smaller hand very well. I can grip the camera in one hand and do the job. Placement of switches and buttons are quite good.

Use of AA battery is one of the main reasons I invested in these cameras. I think it really gives you the freedom compared to the use of proprietary Lithium battery.

Use of SD card is great. SD is cheap now.

Auto focus works well. May not be the fastest but it is good enough.

Picture quality is quite good, even though some people quibble about it.

Weight. I heard this is one of the lighter DSLRs around but I have not handled any other kinds of DSLRs so I cannot comment. But I have no complants about the weight.

Noise and Vibration - nothing to complain.

Backward compatibility to old Pentax lenses makes this camera very appealing.

Menu system is user friendly.

Ability to download updated Firmware keeps you abreast of bug fixes or new features. Easy to update Firmware.

Hard to use built in flash with K-manual lenses. Extenal flash with auto-thyristor works well with manual lenses.

Does not have mechanism to record Aperture info from K-manual lenses.

View finder screen is not the greatest for manual focus (need split image screen). Pentax does not offer it; there are some aftermarket ones on the net.

No mirror lock feature but I use the 2 second delay feature to achieve the same result.

I have 2 of these bodies with the kit lens and a number of K-manual lenses. I am getting a DL body for my son.

Customer Service

Not needed.

Long company history, great product line, loads of third party accessories, lenses and excellent build quality. Light, responsive, intutive and generally an enjoyment to use anytime.

Once they discontinued the model - its become a bit more difficult to get the accessories to build a complete system. So I may hav e to upgrade to the K10D to get all the extra stuff I like.

BUT -

the only weakness I found so far is - PENTAX software is not really great on MAC - its fiar at best - and the MAC will not see the PENTAX plugged into it.

Easily overcome with card reader, etc - but just a note

ALSO

It would be really nice if EVERY model had weatherseals built into the body!!!!

I've been a "Pentaxian" all my life - I never had to think about it. My dad had his ME SUPER which was passed down to me - I shot and still shoot with the SUPER even now- its a wondrful camera - so when it came time to purchase a digital - I thought - hmmm the lenes will work so - let s stay with PENTAX and I am very glad I did.

I find the DS a very versital camera, great build quality, quality optics, long company history, reputation and products and accessories. It was an easy choice for me.

I carry the A30 and my DS with me everywhere. And I am saving my pennies for the PENTAX K10D as the top of the line replacement for my DS.

- ENJOY and KEEP CLICKING!

Customer Service

STILL WORKING WITH THEM NOT THRILLED SO FAR - BUT GIVING THEM A CHANCES TO MAKE GOOD

Similar Products Used:

I also use the PENTAX A30, ME SUPER 35mm

-Lens selection, spanning decades
-Viewfinder (for an APS-C sensor)
-11-point metering
-Small size but good handling, especially with smaller lenses
-Construction feels solid

-Relies too much on menus - would prefer dial adjustment for ISO, white balance, metering mode
-Auto focus is a little slow
-Hard to find, replaced by DS2? Samsung GX-1S?

I wanted my chosen DSLR to match the traits of my Olympus OM film system, namely small size, great viewfinder, and great selection of lenses. I could eliminate the D70/D50, Rebel XT, and Olympus cameras with a simple look through the viewfinders - way too tiny - but the Nikon D200 was tempting.

I put the ~$1400 I saved over the D200 towards lenses. The kit lens is OK but I'm mainly using FA 35/2, A 50/1.7, FA 77/1.8, and M 135/3.5 - exceptional lenses all. Any K-mount lens will work with this camera - with some metering limitations on pre-auto focus lenses - and m42 screw-mounts, 645, and 67 lenses will work with an adapter. That's a wonderful feature as it opens up the options to some classic Pentax glass from decades gone by. I spend way too much time on ebay these days.

Construction feels very solid, plastic over a metal frame. The viewfinder, while nowhere near as nice as an OM or other film SLR, is adequate and about the best you can get for an APS-C-sized sensor (similar to the Nikon D200). I'd prefer more infor in the viewfinder, such as metering mode and ISO speed.

It's a tiny SLR but feels good in your hand thanks to a nicely shaped rubber-covered grip. I am able to get the camera plus my 5 lenses into a mid-sized holster camera bag - great for hiking! I wouldn't have minded a bit larger camera if it had allowed for an extra control dial. That is my main shortcoming with the camera, that to change ISO, white balance, or metering type requires a trip to the menus which means taking your eye away from the viewfinder.

Image quality has been very good, great for 8x10 prints. Noise levels are decent but a step behind Canon at higher ISO. The image tone defaults to "Bright" which is oversaturated. "Natural" is a better choice and should be the default. Or shoot raw and don't worry about in-camera processing. Note that if you shoot JPEGs and don't want to do post-processing you should bump up the sharpening levels.

Overall I'd say it's a great beginner/intermediate camera. It has the standard beginner picture modes that I never use (portrait, sport, nightshot, etc.). It also includes some more pro features, such as spot metering, mirror lock-up via the 2-second timer, and auto-ISO levels with adjustable range. A simple, straightfoward, fun camera! Very close to 5 stars, say, 4.4...

Customer Service

None needed
Pentax needs to quickly clear up the future of the DS2 vs. the Samsung GX-1S, at least in the US. Right now it's next to impossible to find the DS, DS2, or GX-1S.

Similar Products Used:

Olympus OM-1 OM-2S (film)
Pentax 645 (film)
Nikon 4500 (swivel body)

Excellent image quality, without overly processing the images as some other manufacturers do. The camera is very compact.Excellent usability, not overloaded with controls, still everything important is quickly accessible. The camera uses standard AA rechargables, rather than expensive proprietary ones. The energy consumption is amazingly low; I have done >1200 shots with a single battery charge. Backward compatibility allows you to use all those old Pentax gems, like the 85mm F1.4 or the 50mm F1.2. Many of these lenses are available for relatively little money on EBay. On the other hand Sigma serves all your needs for "modern" zoom lenses, and there are no Pentax-generated problems with compatability, other than, e.g., with Canon. Fast USB-2 interface. Large display. Pentax provides firmware updates, e.g., the recent one gives you all the functionality of the DS2 except for the slightly larger display. Other manufacturers force you to buy a new camera for that...

Autofocus system is probably weaker than the competition. I found that the autofocus hunts more often than other DSLRs do. Maybe, this has always been a weak point of Pentax cameras, but this is of less importance for me as I often use manual lenses, too. I do not understand Pentax marketing, seems to be done by a bunch of chimpanzees. They phase out many of their great lenses, give weirdo names to cameras (what is *ist DS going to mean anyway?), give away free updates to their firmware, and do not advertise the strengths of their products strongly enough. Pentax has long built lenses that do not have to hide behind Canon L-glass, however, they never created a myth like that L-glass. Similarly, they now have a camera that is more than a decent match for the competing entry-level DSLRs, but this is virtually unnoticed. Ultimately, they might get lost with that strategy.

After years of experience with a Pentax ME and about 2 years of experience with an Olympus C-4040Z, I decided that there is still something missing in digital photography, and maybe a digital SLR would be the way to combine virtues of both worlds. As I had a couple of Pentax lenses available, the introduction of the Pentax ist DS triggered my choice, also as Pentax is probably the company with the best backward compatability. So anything works, manual lenses, and even back to M42, so you can use those optical old-day gems for digital photography without problems (and they do shine, I can assure you). Of course, they will not autofocus and you will have to use the camera in all-manual mode. I found it very easy to use the Pentax ist Ds, being used to SLRs and having hade some experience with digital cameras. The menu is well-organized. The most commonly changed settings are easily accessible and quickly changed. Some other less used features are buried deeper below, but that is OK. The picture quality is amazing, even comparing to slide film, which used to be my gold standard. I have used the camera several times in very difficult situations, phographing laser beams in a lab. The Olympus failed big time in that situation, but the Pentax did what it should, similar to the best possible outcome on slide film, but with an instant review that allowed for immediate reaction rather than going through three films. This is what really convinced me. Several of these shots became published in scientific journals. I have also used this camera in more normal situations, and found that I have been able to make excellent shots, ranging from portraits to landscape, provided you use the appropriate lenses. Compared to other manufacturers, it seems that Pentax uses less aggressive sharpening and contrast enhancement, but all these are things that can easily be changed in Photoshop whereas their reversal is often more problematic.

Similar Products Used:

None really extensively. Used an SLR before, but not a digital one. Also used a digital camera before, but not a SLR type either. It seems that the Pentax combines the virtues of both worlds very well.

* Compact and ergonomic body * Good build quality * Easy to use menues and controls * God set of features * Excellent images * Backwards compatible with older lenses and flashes * Very good value for money * Long battery life!

* Metering method buried in a menu, would have preffered a more direct access. * Poor internal flash

I've had Pentax SLR's since the late 80's and the DS was a natural choice for me. It gives excellent images (I prefer it at Natural Tone image mode), it's fast and easy to operate. Autofocus is fast and reliable outdoor ("thinks" more in low light situations, internal flash is used as AF assist light). Exposure system is reliable, it is adjusted to preserve highlights in extreme situations and this is a wise decision. It offers the choice of 3 metering methods, but it would have been good if they could be more directly accessed than through the main menu. I would have preferred the metering modes in the Fn button menu instead of the flash modes. Internal flash is poor, it's of no use. Use this cam with an external flash! I like this camera and recommends it to anyone - beginners and professionals.

The viewfinder is not as big and bright as the Pentax ME (my film backup and lens partner to the ist DS), but then again this might be true of digital SLRs in general.

When the Canon EOS digital SLR came out for under $1000 it peaked my interest but when I saw it I wasn't very impressed. I'm glad I waited for the Pentax ist DS. The six things I like about it most are 1)It takes SMC-A and... yes, SMC-M lenses 2)The 2" LCD is big and easy to read 3)It is light and compact 4)It isn't ugly or flimsy looking 5)It takes great pictures 6)It cost well under $1000

Customer Service

Hope I don't need it!

Similar Products Used:

Pentax ME

- Size - Weight - Easy to navigate menu system - Ergonomic controls to preview photos....only use the right thumb. - You can't get a better "Auto Picture" mode than this camera. - Excellent photo quality. I do alot of long exposure night shots and have had no problem with the image quality or noise. - Battery consumption is excellent. One of the best, if not the best, in the market. View-finder displays are informative and have most of the data you'll need to do your shots. - Photoshop CS now has a Camera RAW plugin vesion 2.4 that allows RAW files from *ist DS to be loaded in Photoshop CS.

I found that when I used the built-in flash with my Sigma 18-125mm lense (with the petal-hood), there would be a dark spot at the bottom of the photo caused by the petal-hood blocking out the flash. To rectify that, I just didn't use the petal-hood during low-lights. Plus I use an external flash now. Other than that.....I can't find anything that this camera won't allow me to do.

I researched for a DSLR for months (plus I had to slowly convince the Mrs. about it). Eventually I got it for Christmas. No doubt about it, the *ist DS was the choice for me. Alot of people make a big deal about the size of the thing and that's it's a selling feature....well you know what....they're all right!!! What salespeople hardly cover though are things such as the ergonomics of the camera. It's by far the best I've seen. You can easily view your shots, zoom into them, and view the thumbnails of 9-shots per screen....and I figured that out the first time I took a shot at the store without even reading the manual. It's that easy to use. I tried out alot of other DSLR's and I had to ask the salesperson how to view the shots, or zoom into them....and most of the time, you had to use your right thumb and right index....waste of time and way too much effort if you're the type of photographer who takes a shot and wants to quickly review the photo to decide if you should quickly take another. People might think that the harder the controls are to setup or use in a camera, the better and "more professional". The menu....well what can I say?? It's easy as A-B-C. Go to a store and try it out....you'll know what I mean. I disabled the "Auto" flash so the built-in flash doesn't pop-up when I don't want it to. Luckily there's a manual button to pop-up the flash....unlike other DSLR's out there. People say the move to SD card was agressive and bold.....and alot of other DSLR makers say that CF is here to stay. I'll be honest, I've got a Canon Ixus 400 which uses a CF card. I initially wanted the *ist D because it uses the CF, but having researched on the direction of memory cards, SD is alot faster and more reliable. I surely didn't want to go on holidays overseas only to find out when I got home that all the photos I took are corrupt. The remote control is just great!!!! I never knew just how much useful it was until I started taking portrait shots, night photography and lightning shots. Other than a lense filter, the remote control is highly recommended....and it's cheap too. The operation is very smooth. No clunking noise from the movement of the mirror. You can go to a wedding and take endless shots without disturbing anyone. Photo quality, just great!!! Battery consumption, wow!!! I took over 800 shots on a Panasonic CRV3 (and that included atleast 100 shots where each shot was about 20 seconds for lightning photography). Using 4 rechargeable NiMH at 2300 mAh....I do around 500 shots with say about 60-90 on night shots. It doesn't use up much power at all....and that's using the LCD to review the photos too.

Customer Service

I've never had to deal with them, and hopefully won't ever have to.

Similar Products Used:

Canon Ixus 400 Pentax MZ-50 Pentax MZ-60

- size - backward compatibility with optics and flashes - price - feature set for the price - noise level - mirror lock-up

- controls (I'd prefere to use the menu less) - built-in flash works only in P-TTL - AF in hard-to-focus contditions

Bought it three weeks ago. It's my first DSLR. Im sattisfied with it's size, ergonomics and especialy the image quality. When choosing I paid most attention to price, feature set and compatibility with old lenses. The ease of using those features was less important. Main alternative was 300D.

Customer Service

No

Similar Products Used:

Canon EOS Rebel XS