Pentax *ist DS

Pentax claims that the *ist
DS is the smallest and
lightest digital SLR on
the market at moment. This isn’t
just some hollow boast based
on a few millimetres shaved here
and there, but a difference that’s
obvious the moment you see it
and pick it up. It makes the Canon
EOS 300D seem bulbous, and
the Nikon D70 look like a great
battleship of a thing.
Size isn’t everything, of course,
and many a good camera has been
ruined by being too small to hold
comfortably. The *ist DS manages
to steer clear of this trap, and
although its lack of height in the
body means that your little fi nger
overhangs the base of the camera,
it still offers a comfortable and
secure one-handed grip.

Competitive pricing

This isn’t the fi rst Pentax digital
SLR – the original *ist D came out
well over a year ago (reviewed in
DCM November 2003, it scored
94%). Although the *ist D is
undoubtedly an excellent camera
in its own right, it’s fairly expensive
compared with its rivals. Selling at
a street price of around £740 with
lens, the *ist DS is a pared-down
version of its older brother. And, at
this price, it now compares much
more favourably with the latest
discount prices on the ageing
Canon EOS 300D, and it undercuts
the D70, even with Nikon’s latest
price realignments.

Reduced features?

These reductions in size and cost
lead us to ask: has Pentax taken
away too many features of the
original *ist D and left us with a
camera that’s not up to the job?
And does the low price point mean
compromises in build quality too?
The *ist DS is designed for all
levels of photographer, including
fi rst-time digital SLR users. It
has a simplifi ed feature set and
control layout, and externally
it’s remarkably free of knobs
and buttons (the downside of
this means that many common
functions are less accessible).
On the back of the camera a Fn
button displays a four-way menu
system on aN LCD. You press up
on the navipad to change the drive
mode, right to alter the ISO, down
to change the fl ash mode and left
to alter the white balance.
There’s also a choice of three
different metering patterns
(multi-pattern, centre-weighted
and spot), but you have to trawl
through the menus to get to them.
Although you can get by using fi ll
fl ash and a little experimentation,
you may be disappointed to note
that the fl ash modes don’t include
any slow sync options.
Overall, however, the *ist
DS does in fact do pretty well
everything you need in a budget
digital SLR.

Built to last

Despite being a budget camera,
the *ist DS is built around a rigid
stainless steel chassis, and there’s
a feeling of solidity and precision
about it. Its only weakness is the
lightweight feel to the navipad and
central OK button, but otherwise
this camera comfortably beats the
300D for ‘feel’.
Power comes from four AA cells
or two lithium-ion rechargeable
batteries. If you use AAs, you’re
likely to stick to rechargeable
NiMH cells. These aren’t as reliable
in use or storage as lithium-ion
cells, but in the *ist DS they offer a
capacity of up to 440 shots (more
if you don’t use fl ash), which isn’t
bad at all. Disposable CR-V3 cells
are expensive, but they’re an even
better option because they can last
up to 850 shots.
This suggests that the camera
has a pretty modest power
consumption and hence less risk
of unexpected power loss. It’s also
remarkable that Pentax is able to
manufacture the world’s smallest
digital SLR, yet still fi nd space
inside for four AAs rather than the
much slimmer lithium-ion cells that
are used by other manufacturers.

Lens improvements

In one respect at least, the *ist
DS is superior to the original *ist
D. The only ‘kit’ lens option with
the older camera is a fl imsy and
lacklustre 18-35mm zoom. In
contrast, the *ist DS can be bought
with a digital lens that has a better
build and wider focal range. The
18-55mm zoom is an exact match
for the 18-55mm lens supplied
with the Canon EOS 300D, though
neither can match the focal range
of the Nikon D70’s 18-70mm.
Like the Canon lens, the Pentax
zoom has an aperture range of
f3.5-5.6. It’s in the handling,
however, that the two lenses
differ. First, the Pentax lens has a
smoother and fi rmer zoom action.
Second, the focusing ring at the
front of the lens has a far better
feel to it, and there’s a distance
scale too. In addition, the front
element of the lens doesn’t rotate
during focusing, which means that
you can attach polarising fi lters
and graduates and not have to
reposition them every time the
camera chooses a new focus point.
The *ist DS has another, less
obvious, advantage over Canon’s
EOS 300D: the viewfi nder.
According to Pentax, it’s equal in
size, clarity and brightness to fi lm
camera viewfi nders. You might not
notice the difference at fi rst, but
if you have the opportunity to put
the Pentax to your eye, then the
Canon and fi nally the Nikon, you’ll
fi nd that the viewfi nders in the
Canon and Nikon do indeed seem
rather cramped.
The larger viewfi nder image
isn’t just cosmetic, either – it
enables more precise focusing with
wide-angle zoom settings.
And, amazingly in an amateur
camera, the focusing screens
are interchangeable, so you can
substitute a split image or ‘scale
matte’ screen.
There are a couple of other
surprises. One is a sensitivity
range that goes from ISO 200
up to ISO 1600. The other is
the camera’s compatibility with
a huge number of older Pentax
lenses, right back to the 1960s and
screw-mount Takumar optics that
can still be used on this camera,
via an adaptor. There are some
operational restrictions (metering
and exposure modes), depending
on the type of lens, but the fact
that you can use them at all will
be a welcome surprise for longstanding
Pentax owners.
Although the *ist DS uses
SD memory cards rather than
CompactFlash, it isn’t the problem
that it might have been because
these days SD cards are readily
available in high capacities and at
comparable prices.

Is it a good buy?

The Pentax’s image quality is
every bit as good as its rivals.
Colours and contrast are
exceptionally strong, there’s little
colour fringing and the lens shows
low levels of barrel distortion.
So, if you’re looking for a
compact and satisfying build,
plus image quality as good as a
6-megapixel sensor can provide,
then the *ist DS is surely the new
budget standard. You certainly
won’t be disappointed…