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| Date Reviewed: 04/09/2006 |
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Strengths: Light weight, Easy to use, Good quality picture
Weaknesses: 2.8 pictures/sec motor drive is a little slow.
Summary: I'm using *ist DL mainly for taking photos of birds. *ist DL is giving very clear and crisp pictures, and I am happy with the quality of the pictures. Also, *ist DL is very light, and it is very easy to carry around.
I've tested Pentax 80-320mm F4-F5.6 lens, Sigma 300mm F4 and 170-500mm F5.6-6.4 lenses, and Kenko 1.5X tele converter and had no problem.
It's motor drive is slightly slow, but not too slow.
Overall, I'm very happy with *ist DL.
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| Date Reviewed: 09/11/2006 |
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Strengths: Affordable, easy to use
Weaknesses: Pictures not as sharp as the Canon Rebel XT
Summary: I really like this camera. It is far easier for me to grip as compared to the Canon Rebel XT I owned for a short time. The pictures aren't as sharp but with the lower MP sensor and much lower price I'm not really complaining. The fact you can buy many older lenses (read - cheap) and you get a winning combination for the person that wants to step up to a D-SLR camera from a point & shoot (like me)
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| Date Reviewed: 04/24/2006 |
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Strengths: Spot meter, ISO up to 3200 natively, Big, bright, colorfully LCD, strong flash, nice camera body, good solid overall design.
Weaknesses: LCD is easy to smudge. Slow w/ the flash sometimes. Nothing else so far.
Summary: This is a very good camera for people who are inspiring to be artist. I'm using this camera primarily for photographs that I manipulate. I will also use this for creating 3d bit maps.
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| Date Reviewed: 09/28/2006 |
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 Pretty good SLR camera Strengths: good value, easy to use for beginners, good presets, nice software
Weaknesses: weak focusing
Summary: A good SLR camera for beginners, it is easy to use and produces good quality pictures. However, the focusing is weak no matter what focusing scheme you choose and there is no 'quick button' for changing focus and meter settings.
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| Date Reviewed: 08/16/2006 |
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Strengths: Light, Fits well in the hand, Support old Pentax legacy lenses, can use AA batteries.
Weaknesses: Raw image size is not compressed, no direct picture on LCD screen while shooting
Summary: Good dSLR camera for entry step into this market. As I said it is light and fits in the hands quite nicely. Support of old Pentax lenses is quite good and it can use AA batteries. You need to make sure that you know about settings enough (RTFM) and check some forums for useful tips and tricks with this camera. So far I like it.
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| Date Reviewed: 08/14/2006 |
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Strengths: Cheap! easy for newbies to get used to, many lens available.
Weaknesses: NA
Summary: This is a great camera, especially with a low price around 400 after rebate. The picture quality is much better than those point and shoot cameras. Especially when shoot under dim light.
There are many lens available. do some research and you are bound to shoot some professional pictures.
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| Date Reviewed: 07/19/2006 |
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Strengths: Price, Quality, Easy to handle
Weaknesses: Image shapeness, ISO
Summary: I have thought about getting into Digital SLR for quite a while. I used to be a point and shoot user and get hooked on Nikon for their outstanding design and vivid pictures. Starting from Nikon 3100, 4600, eventually a 8700, I have tried to shoot in various circumstances and tried to convince myself that a PS camera is good enough. However, I never felt satisfied.
Before actually purchase the *1st, I have also kept an eye on Nikon D70s, Canon Rebel XT, and even D50. Tried all the models in Circuitcity and BestBuy but didn't feel they were the types I was looking for. I felt strongly against Canon since their covers and rubs felt cheap and the silver color always remind me of the point and shoot cameras.
I eventually decided to purchase the *1st when Pentax offered a $[...] rebate on the camera body. The operatons of the camera is extremely identical to a film SLR camera, and the camera takes in most AF and K mount lens, which actually save a leg while upgrading the system. I purchased a old lens (28-200mm) from ebay for less than $[...]and it worked with the *1st without any problems.
Another good thing is the AA batteries used on the camera. You can purchase 4 AA rechargable Energizer batteries on Amazon for less than $[...]. The camera fits my hand very well and the original 18-55mm lens came with the camera also meet general photograph needs.
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| Date Reviewed: 04/21/2006 |
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Strengths: Metal body, large LCD, compact size, SD memory, easy to use.
Weaknesses: LCD can be damaged easily, Autofocus not very fast, 3-area Af may be little bit of restriction for advanced photographers. LCD screen canbot be used during shooting, only for viewing
Summary: 2006-06-03 10:09:10 This is my first DSLR camera. I've tried few of them but couldn't find one with balance of quality, look and feel and price. This one built sturdy and looks like bulletproof,
and at the same time it's compact, light and fits perfect to my hands. Picture quality - amazing.
AA batteries, RAW image format, compatibility with older Pentax lenses just few more pluses of this "baby".
You can get quality pictures with another brands, but you couldn't beat how it feels in hands! Bravo Pentax!
Edit:
having it for a while now, one thing I miss from point and shoot - use LCD when shooting. In some case I could've get better shot with camera on streched out hands...but that's rare need.
Overall, no regrets!!
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| Date Reviewed: 12/31/2005 |
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Strengths: Easy to create beautiful pictures. All controls are right where they belong, the menus are easy to navigate. Full range of functionality, I don't think they skipped any important features.
Weaknesses: I can find nothing to criticize with this camera.
Summary: I've been a Pentax user since my first K-1000 when I was 16. The ist DL was my first jump into digital SLR (after having a Nikon CoolPix and an older Sanyo point and shoot digital). This is my third Pentax, and I have found them to be excellent cameras for the novice photography buff.
An excellent value for the price.
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| Date Reviewed: 08/04/2006 |
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Strengths: Well built, compact, very good pictures
Weaknesses: None
Summary: Got the camera with $100 Pentax rebate. I visited local store. DL is smaller and better built than Canon, and less expensive than Canon. The pictures taken using even auto are much better than PS camera. No delay between pushing the button and shutter like most PS camera. Highly recommended especially at such a low price.
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| Date Reviewed: 07/27/2006 |
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Strengths: Super value for a entry level DSLR,Easy to use,Great picture quality,
Weaknesses: It has some limitations, especially when trying to focus in low light or sporting siutuations. Theautofocus is too slow for these types of events.
Summary: This camera is superb for an entry level camera. It has features that allow beginners to pros to produce rich sharp pictures in just about every situation. I would recommend getting another lens and some Lithium batteries. The 18-55mm kit lens is good, but very limited. I use a 28-210mm lens that covers everything I will need it for. The great thing is that the camera can use AA batteries, but regular alkaline batteries drain fast. Get CRV3 or Lithium batteries.
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| Date Reviewed: 07/27/2006 |
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Strengths: Surprisingly simple and intuitive LCD menu,Great feel of handling,Super value for a entry level DSLR.Old Pentax lenses can be used with this camera.
Weaknesses: None.....
Summary: The Pentax *ist DL delivers everything that the Nikon D50/D70 and other cameras in its class do, and for hundreds of dollars less. The camera's functions are intelligently laid out so that you can begin shooting great photos right away, and the manual is well-written and organized, making it easy to learn when you're ready to explore everything the camera can do. The kit lens is better than what ships with some competitors, and the camera is compatible with most older Pentax lenses, making it possible to save hundreds by buying used lenses rather than having to sink money into new digital lenses. Another great feature is that the camera runs on AA batteries, unlike some cameras which use proprietary batteries.
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| Date Reviewed: 07/25/2006 |
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Strengths: compact, light weight, great design, down compatibility to older lens, good automatic operations
Weaknesses: simpler functions as compared to other DSLR cameras, only good for beginning photographer. Color appears to be soft, not as sharp as pictures taken by nikon.
Summary: Overall this is a great DSLR camera for beginning photographers with user-friendly manuals and automatic operations. It's cheap and small, with the comparable price and size with those point and shoot cameras. It uses 4 AA batteries, not those proprietary ones. Its downward compatibility makes those older manual lens usable on this model. All those above makes it great value for money, and a good choice for those who are interested in photography.
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| Date Reviewed: 07/21/2006 |
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Strengths: Very good camera. Best price/performance rate.
Weaknesses: Use AA batteries
Summary: This is a very nice camera for a starter. Price is the lowest comparing to the similar products in the market. It has a big LCD screen. It uses SD card where other SLR camera usually uses CF cards. SD cards are cheaper and smaller. Very very good picture quality. Highly recommend!
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| Date Reviewed: 07/20/2006 |
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Strengths: Light weight,Metal body, colorful,large LCD, compact size, Spot meter, wide ISO range, easy to use, cheap price
Weaknesses: autofocus is not so good if the light is not strong enough
Summary: This is my first DSLR camera. the price is good, pictures are nice, light , easy to handle although i am a newbie. I strongly recommend this for the newbie in DSLR. But if you have money, maybe you can chose a better one.
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