Pentax 6.1 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera Body Only

Good Riddance, 35mm!

Strengths: Huge choice in lenses. Good ergonomics. Great viewfinder.

Weakness: Flash a bit weak.

I had been waiting to purchase a replacement for my 35mm equipment (sold a number of years ago when I bought a point & shoot digital camera). The digital SLRs I had tried were either prohibitively expensive, way too heavy, poorly designed (from the standpoint of how well my hands fit the controls), or cut costs in the wrong area (pentamirror instead of pentaprism). The Pentax *istDS (hereafter...

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Pentax 6.1 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera Body Only

Strengths: Bright viewfinder, flexible auto options, quick sutter release, legacy Pentax support, good ergonomics (for small hands)

Weakness: RAW conversion utility lacking, a few functions hidden deep in menu, poor ergonomics (for larger hands)

Manual controls fall readily to hand but the grip and dials are small and some controls are close to body radii. This isn’t a problem for small hands, but anyone wearing a medium or larger glove should take a 'test grip' before buying. The autofocus map displays exactly where the camera is focusing before taking a shot and can be quickly set to one of 13 locations. Autofocusing is quick and...

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Non bulky Pro level

Strengths: Smaller size for smaller hands. Easy clear bright sight and consistency with the other Pentax models & 35mm AF lenses.

Weakness: The microdrive is a bit difficult to remove without gravity because the strap lug is in the way and it's set deep in the compartment.

First of all the one thing I love most about this camera that others criticize is the fact that it is small. Being one of the fewer female pro photographers out there with small hands, this is a perfect fit in size and weight, but it's no small potatoes. Secondly, the price range is within reach of the pro photographer trying to compete on a small budget. Many other well known pro digitals in...

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Good product

This is a great camera, light-weight while solid build. It uses 4 AAs, so backup power is easy and cheap. Pictures are great. The camera is prosumer level, since it has many pro-level knobs and controls. There are a few minor weaknesses. First, the LCD is only 1.8". Second, the CF door needs to be carefully managed. Finally, the hand grip is a bit shallow. Most of these are fixed in the later...

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After 30 days of use on Pentax istD

Strengths: Low price. Beautiful color on Pentax lens.

Weakness: Slow focusing. too less focusing mode. RAW file formate can only be opened by Pentax Photo Lab.

As a DSLR beginner, this camera fits all my use and give me a lot of fun. I bought this camera with 18-55 kit lens. Both the lens and the camera produce beautiful color. Another good thing about this camera is the size and its weight. It is relative small and light when compared with other DSLR. However, when I compare to the Nikon D70, the focusing speed of the Pentax istD is significaly slower...

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