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Photo Forum / General Photo Topics / Australian Photography / October 2005Any experience here with those proliferating Pentax *ist models?
G'day mates, I guess this is unlikely, but does anyone here have experience with *both* the Pentax *ist DS (and/or DS2) AND the *ist DL? If so, would you care to comment on the comparison, please? Thanks for your time. Cheers, Phred.  SignatureppnerkDELETE@THISyahoo.com.INVALID G'day mate, I have the Ds and have used the D and had a look at the Dl, all of them take great shots, the cameras handle really well, take all the old and new lenses and you can also use most of the older flashes as well, awesome. My preference is for the D, Ds or the newer DS2 because the viewfinder is so much better than the Dl's penta mirror system. Look at www.shuttertalk.com and search under peted for about 100 shots from my Ds. Cheers. > G'day mates, > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Cheers, Phred. Thanks very much for the response, Pete. I was coming to the conclusion that the DS series was better than the DL as the latter was apparently largely designed for a price point. Had a squiz at your images. They look pretty good to me. What lens(es) did you use? [And who knocked off the "me" in "dime"?] I'm still tossing up about going back to Pentax to make use of some of my old gear; or sticking with Olympus and junking all my old OM series lenses and accessories. As far as I can see, Oly has abandoned the past to concentrate on digital-specific gear. I guess that has some theoretical advantages for design/features, but it certainly does rather annoy [read: piss off] their loyal old customers like me. :-( >G'day mate, > [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >> >> Thanks for your time. Cheers, Phred. SignatureppnerkDELETE@THISyahoo.com.INVALID I went with a DS due to the slightly higher system spec. and the better viewfinder. Haven't had much to complain about - it is IMO a better built camera than the 350D. I do find the paucity of Pentax lenses new from local shops to be bad but I'm pretty happy with the Sigma 18-125 and 24-70 f2.8 I got. For the money, the Pentax DS is worth a consideration. T. >I went with a DS due to the slightly higher system spec. and the better > viewfinder. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > T. Agree about the 350D, they handle poorly by comparison and feel just wrong to me. I would wait until the DS2 was available, the 2" Hi Res screen on the Ds is good but the 2 1/2" screen on the DS2 is a bit better. Maaaaaaaaate, Got the dime in some change last trip to Hawaii and it was like that, did not notice it until I took the shot (hand held with the 50mm). Lenses, 18-50mm and 55-200mm kit Sigmas and a Pentax 18-55mm (original kit lens in the US), most shots are from those lenses, also have 50mm F2.0 Pentax, 28mm F2.8 Tamron, and recently got a 28-300mm Sigma. Also have a a Kenko 2x and a Tamron 1.4x converter and a set of auto extension rings. All the above at pretty much bargain prices so I get good value in my photography I think. > Thanks very much for the response, Pete. I was coming to the > conclusion that the DS series was better than the DL as the latter was [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > > Cheers, Phred. The word I got from CRK is that they have significant quantities of the DL so the DS2 won't be around until well into next year. They want to get rid of DL stocks. The DS however is no more with only dribs and drabs left. T. > The word I got from CRK is that they have significant quantities of the > DL so the DS2 won't be around until well into next year. They want to [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > T. Kennedys is run by morons it would seem. >The word I got from CRK is that they have significant quantities of the >DL so the DS2 won't be around until well into next year. They want to >get rid of DL stocks. > >The DS however is no more with only dribs and drabs left. On their site CRK still list something called the "*ist" as well as the "*ist DL". Do you know if the "*ist" really the "*ist DS", or was it an earlier model? Cheers, Phred. SignatureppnerkDELETE@THISyahoo.com.INVALID *ist is the 35mm model! T. >*ist is the 35mm model! Oh, I see... Thanks for the heads up! 8-) Cheers, Phred. SignatureppnerkDELETE@THISyahoo.com.INVALID > Thanks very much for the response, Pete. I was coming to the > conclusion that the DS series was better than the DL as the latter was [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > theoretical advantages for design/features, but it certainly does > rather annoy [read: piss off] their loyal old customers like me. :-( If you are interested in the E300 capabilities there are some shots here I took with one. http://auspics.com The image: http://www.auspics.com/water/redboat is the cover shot for the Bayside Weekly Magazine and this one: http://www.auspics.com/rainforest/A130220_01 is last week cover shot. I had more than a fair share of white balance problems and RAW data conversion issues after being so familiar with Canon workflow. I upgraded the Olympus "Master" software (3 steps would you believe) and then upgraded the firmware. Now the cameras are amazing. On sale still at $940 with a pretty good 17-40 'kit' lens. They are a rare bargain. I recently bought some (expensive) Olympus lenses and can testify that this camera, with a 17-54 f2.8-3.5 lens, takes pictures as good as my 20Ds ever did. I am simply blown away by the flash control these cameras have... Canon take a lesson. I looked at the Pentax cameras myself. I thought the lens cost might sway me towards them but if you already own an Olympus, you know their quality and you can get a lens converter to use all your old OM lenses on them. Stopped down metering but 100% usable anyway. SignatureDouglas... Specifications are good to read but When it comes to judging Digital Cameras... I'm in the "how do the pictures look" category. G'day Douglas, [...] >> I'm still tossing up about going back to Pentax to make use of some of >> my old gear; or sticking with Olympus and junking all my old OM series [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >upgraded the Olympus "Master" software (3 steps would you believe) and >then upgraded the firmware. How complicated/risky is that process? I've never tried to upgrade firmware on anything I've owned so far, so I'd be a bloody true "beginner" if ever there was one! 8-) I wonder if the new Oly E500 would overcome the problems you mention anyway? One presumes it has (though, of course, that's not to say it hasn't introduced a few of its very own -- like availability, and price if it was :). >Now the cameras are amazing. On sale still at $940 with a pretty good >17-40 'kit' lens. They are a rare bargain. I recently bought some [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >quality and you can get a lens converter to use all your old OM lenses >on them. Stopped down metering but 100% usable anyway. This is the one thing that I keep getting contradictory advice on. In the Oly specs/reviews I've seen, there's no mention of backward compatibility with earlier lens series -- perhaps this is *entirely* a third party issue, unsupported by Olympus? Pentax, on the other hand, does mention compatibility back to the screwmounts (via adapters) in its own specs that I've seen. However, they apparently rather seriously gild the lily here as the sales people I've spoken to say you get *no* system functions at all with the old lenses -- you're even obliged to use a hand-held exposure meter if you go that track. I'm starting to wonder if I really want a DSLR! Given the flexibility of even a half decent "ordinary" digital camera (in terms of zoom through macro capability) maybe that's all I really need for most purposes -- especially given the ability to fall back to my old film gear for anything the dig can't handle (and assuming some bastard will still be making and processing film for a few years yet anyway :). Cheers, Phred. SignatureppnerkDELETE@THISyahoo.com.INVALID Phred Wrote: > Pentax, on the other hand, does mention compatibility back to the > screwmounts (via adapters) in its own specs that I've seen. However, [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > -- Manual lenses meter via the AE-L button on the Pentax dslrs. Just frame the shot, press AE-L once so the camera can meter the scene and then click. I don't have any Pentax manual lenses but I do use the Zenitar fisheye which requires stop down metering. This is another case of the salesman knowing less about their products , (and digital photgraphy), than they should. cheers, bazz. Signaturesir_bazz G'day Bazz (er... Sir :), Thanks for clarifying this issue. Maybe I will still opt for the ist_DS, given the opportunity. >Phred Wrote: >> [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >salesman knowing less about their products , (and digital photgraphy), >than they should. Cheers, Phred. SignatureppnerkDELETE@THISyahoo.com.INVALID Not too many Ds's available but the DS2 should be available in the new year but you may have to wait til April I think. > G'day Bazz (er... Sir :), > [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > Cheers, Phred. Pete D Wrote: > Not too many Ds's available but the DS2 should be available in the new > year > but you may have to wait til April I think. Depends where you live. There are more and more people hearing that the Australian distributors of Pentax will not be bring the DS2 to market here. Their reason being that a new Pentax mid range body will be available early next year. bazz. Signaturesir_bazz > Pete D Wrote: >> Not too many Ds's available but the DS2 should be available in the new [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > bazz. That would be a pity but it does not really bother me too much, my DS is still going strong and I certainly will not be looking to get rid of it for quite a while yet. You can get the DS for the same price as the DL if you look around. There is not too much wrong with the DS for me to wait for the DS2... T. > G'day Douglas, > [quoted text clipped - 60 lines] > > Cheers, Phred. Olympus America are a lot closer to the ball than Oly in Oz. They at one time offered the converter for free and at another, for $250 US. As for the firmware upgrade? Yeah... It's one step at a time. First you put the CD in the PC. Then you install the program and register with Olympus. *THEN* and only then, do you hit the "upgrade" button and you get the new Olympus master software. When you start it up again, you get told another upgrade is waiting... And another! Then you just plug the camera into a USB port and click the "update camera and lens" button. Simple instructions and follow them... No problemo. You get a totally different menu system with different options. Basically it's a different camera you end up with. The reason they are cheap is old stock needing to be cleared before the new E500 is distributed... It's been on sale in the US for nearly a month now and the reviewers are starting to compare it with a 20D for image quality. Some of the personal reviews say it blows a 20D out of the water... Personally, having owned a couple of 20Ds and shot over 10,000 images with 'em, I find that very hard to believe... And I'm no Canon worshiper! If they start to compare it with a D2X or 1D, I'll sit up and take notice. I only bought these cameras to do some medium quality work I would have used Panasonic FZ20s for, had I still been able to get them. I don't intend to use them for much else except maybe a baby show or two. Despite all the who-ha. These are a metal bodied camera and don't seem at all flimsy. One of ours dropped the other day and still keeps working. Destroyed a new flash but the camera and lens still functions. SignatureDouglas... Specifications are good to read but When it comes to judging Digital Cameras... I'm in the "how do the pictures look" category. > Thanks very much for the response, Pete. I was coming to the > conclusion that the DS series was better than the DL as the latter was [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > theoretical advantages for design/features, but it certainly does > rather annoy [read: piss off] their loyal old customers like me. :-( [snip] My last flatmate was an Olympophile, the amount of Zuiko glass he had was incredible. He ended up getting a Canon 10D and an EOS to Zuiko converter. I don't know how many variations these converters come in, ie Pentax to Zuiko or whatever. cheers rb |
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