PENTAX *ist DL Review

[KRIS]

Hi,

I have been using a Pentax istdl for the 9 months and have had some excellent experiences using this camera.
Where it shines:

White balance in Auto mode is excellent and this Cam really understands the ambient color temperature and performs well. I tried manual as well as Auto white balance and found almost similar results in almost all conditions.

Saturation and sharpness controls in the menu adds a real oomph, to the pictures taken.

Digital filters, B&W and Soft ( with three settings of softness) provide an instant pro appeal to the pics.

Metering in natural day light and also when using the built in flash are spot on.

Does not feel heavy compared to the Z1P and is kind on the neck.

Where it fails:

Auto focus in low light conditions.

Continuos shooting mode in low light is very cumbersome.

Accessories from Pentax corp., not available in UAE. Very few choices of after market lenses and accessories.

Shooting in Auto mode in many cases is biased towards a slight over exposure.

Auto focus sluggish when used with zoom lenses.

I am a novice and have just given some of the practical plusses and minuses experienced by me.

Thanks,
Kris

[KRIS]

Sorry, I missed something which makes this cam very dear to me. It accepts AA batteries, which is very cool.
Thanks,
Kris

[googlit]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/120/cameras/63_model_large_a2673ea2b5.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/cameras/pentax/ist_dl/)

Check out the usage stats of this camera on flickr (http://www.flickr.com/cameras/pentax/ist_dl/).

[phouse]

This is the camera that I use as well. I really like it. I also have a horrible time trying to shoot in low light. I have problems taking pictures indoors as well.

[mattdm]

This is the camera that I use as well. I really like it. I also have a horrible time trying to shoot in low light. I have problems taking pictures indoors as well.

What lens are you using?