
There are several accessories for the Pentax *ist DL. The *ist DL now holds the honor of being the first digital SLR available for less than $600 (with a lens!). The previous price barrier for digital SLR cameras was $1000, and that was broken by the Canon Digital Rebel back in 2003. In February of 2006, Pentax announced a $200 price drop on the *ist DL, making it the most affordable digital SLR on the market. You can see the complete gallery with 33 Pentax *ist DL photo samples here. This takes the price of the lens from $455.00 down to $215.00.

Good price news: you can get this lens right now for 42% off the retail price with an additional $50 mail-in rebate. When this tiny lightweight lens is paired with the equivalently tiny and lightweight *ist DL, you've got a digital SLR camera that is ready to travel. This makes the 40mm pancake lens an ideal travel companion. A standard Canon 50mm lens is 2.9 inches long and weighs 10.2 ounces. 59 inches long and only weighs 3.17 ounces. This lets in a ton of light if you like to take photos indoors. It has a fixed focal length of 40mm, but a wide maximum aperture of f/2.8. The Pentax 40mm pancake lens is exactly that: flatter than any lens I have ever seen. I can never talk about the Pentax cameras without mentioning this amazing lens. The Pentax uses simple icons and standard words to describe each one of the camera's settings, making it easy for even the novice photographer to make all the right adjustments. The good news is that the menus of the *ist DL are clearly designed for those who want to take photos instead of read technical manuals. They have dozens of custom functions and features that you can fiddle with.Īll of this can be ignored if you just want to take a simple snapshot, but it can be overwhelming when you just want to show a photo to a friend. When the lens opening is narrow, the viewfinder is so dark and grainy that it's hard to see your photographic subject. This is especially true when you use the camera's depth of field preview function which narrows the opening of the lens. The problem with the pentamirror is that it dims the image in the viewfinder, and makes the viewfinder image look grainy. The Pentax *ist DL doesn't use a pentaprism, it uses a pentamirror: the concept is the same, but instead of one piece of glass it reflects light with angled mirrors. This is due to a solid block of reflective glass called a pentaprism, which bends light at a 90 degree angle. When you look through the viewfinder of a digital SLR, you see what the lens sees. The Pentax *ist DL doesn't have focus points, which provides less feedback to you about where the camera is focusing. Many other digital SLRs have adopted a focusing mechanism that consists of individual focus points. Slight delays when the shutter is pressed mean that this camera is not ideal for action photographers.įocusing is slow in low-light conditions, and sometimes cannot focus at all. This camera is not quite as responsive as the Minolta 5D, Canon 350D or the Nikon D50. When you can hold the camera with just one hand, you can take photos at odd angles that would otherwise not be possible. The grip on the *ist DL is very comfortable, and the camera is exceptionally easy to hold with one hand. I found the 350D too small for my hand, which made the grip uncomfortable. Here's the key difference: the *ist DL is much easier to hold. I would say that this is almost true - the Canon EOS 350D is also small and light. Pentax claims that the entire line of *ist cameras (the D, DL, DL2, DS and DS2) are the smallest and lightest digital SLRs on the market. If you're unclear about the different price ranges, read our article on digital SLR camera prices. In this section of the guide, I'll compare the Pentax *ist DL to other cameras in a similar price range. Not sure what type of photographer you are? Figure that out first to help you find the best digital SLR camera. Menus on the *ist DL are easy to read and navigate, making it accessible even for the techno-phobic.

It is also a good camera for a digital SLR beginner. As of March 2006, this is the most inexpensive digital SLR camera you can buy.

It uses standard AA batteries, which you can find no matter where you are.The small size and light weight make it easy to carry around.The Pentax *ist DL is best suited for travellers on a budget.

#PENTAX DIGITAL CAMERA UTILITY 5 SPEED UP PORTABLE#
The *ist DL solves problem, and is a portable solution for anyone who wants the advantage of an SLR without the size and weight. If you don't have your camera with you, how can you take spontanous photos? Since most people's idea of a good time doesn't involve hauling around a 5-pound weight, digital SLR cameras get left at home a lot. Digital SLRs are significantly larger than their compact cousins. One of the problems of owning a digital SLR camera is bulk.
