The  D will do everything you want to do and then some, however it may be
worth waiting for the D replacement later this year. BTW the Ds will prwtty
much do what you want as well including tethered.

JPEG generated in-camera is little soft, but very few advanced users
users need it - most will just use RAW, as with any other semi-pro DSLR
camera. RAW is as sharp as your lens permits - and some Pentax lenses
are very sharp indeed. And obviously noise reduction works much, much
better on RAW image.

B.

Get the *ist D and be happy.  As Pentax use Sony sensors there is a good
chance that they'll adopt the same 10 Mpix sensor that's in the Nikon
D200.  Don't worry about reviews.  You should expect images as sharp as
the following link if you use a lens as good as the lens used for this shot:
(Maxxum 7D at ISO 100, flash, 100 f/2.8 macro lens).
2.5 MB, be sure to view it at 100% zoom.

Cheers,
Alan

OK, I own a 'D', and the reported image softness was one of my original
concerns.

Compared to a Nikon D70, jpg's from the D are not as obviously 'sharp' out
of the camera - which is to say, the D does not apply large amounts of
in-camera processing a la Nikon.

I found that, compared to the D70, the *ist D made a better job of images -
not being hampered by the D70's tendency to introduce artefacts,
particularly in the case of text.  With the D70, every fifth or sixth letter
on a printed page was rendered blue or red due to the aggressive firmware
sharpening.  With the *ist D, text was perfectly clear - and, after modest
use of PP sharpening, was equally as sharp (minus the artefacts)

When it comes to RAW, the *ist D comes into its own - images are excellent.

The D is better built than the subsequent DS & DL models - all of which are
reduced price variants of the original model.  The D was made to a
specification, while the others were made to a price.

Shutter mechanism, AF speed, features, and build quality are all better/much
better on the D. - plus, the D offers a battery grip which transforms the
ergonomics of the camera.

HTH

The *ist D is an excellent camera, especially considering the fact it
is a couple of years old now.  It uses basically the same Sony CCD
sensor as in the Nikon D100, D70, D70s and D50 and Konica Minolta 7D
and 5D and provides better image quality than all except the later
Nikon D70s and D50.

To get the best out of the *ist D you need to shoot RAW rather than
let the camera shoot JPEGs.  You also need to ensure the firmware is
kept up to date.  There were some problems with flash actuation on
some early models but these were mostly sorted under warranty.

The compatibility with Pentax autofocus and manual focus K bayonet
lenses and M42 screw mount Takumars is excellent.  

The later *ist DS, DL, DS2 and DL2 produce slightly better image
quality but the differences are small.  The *ist D is no longer
available new, so if you want a new model you must buy one of these
later variants.  They lack the PC flash socket and the DL models have
a cheaper, slightly dim viewfinder thanks to using a "pentamirror"
rather than a pentaprism.  The later models also have only one control
dial - the twin dials on the *ist D can be very useful, allowing
shutter speed to be adjusted on one dial and lens aperture on the
other.

I would not hesitate to recommend the *ist D, but for the fact that
Pentax have announced that a 10 MP replacement, using the same Sony
sensor as in the Nikon D200, will be available Q4/2006.  If the extra
MP is important to you, I think it would be wise to wait for that
model.  

I have an *ist D as a back up to a Canon EOS 5D outfit and have just
ordered a second 5D body, so I won't be waiting around for the new
model from Pentax.  However, if continuing to use older Pentax lenses
is important to you, the 10MP Pentax would probably be an excellent
buy if you can wait another 8-9 months.

Or, in the meantime, buy a 6 MP *ist D and keep it as a spare body
when you upgrade to 10 MP.

The camera isn't 'soft' at all, especially if you shoot RAW. The kit
lens (18-55) is probably softer than you want it to be, and that's
probably what you're reading about in reviews. If you have your own
lenses that you like, then it won't be an issue.

I shoot RAW on an *ist DS with a variety of old-skool lenses (Pentax and
Tamron), and you can see some of what I've done here:
<http://www.flickr.com/photos/mile23/>.

Also, an article about using older manual-focus and manual-aperture
lenses on Pentax *ist digital cameras: <http://www.mile23.com/node/26>

Yes, the *ist D does shoot a bit on the soft side, but you can sharpen to
your requirements easily in Photoshop. Pentax just announced that it plans
to release a 10-megapixel replacement for the *ist D this coming fall, so
you might consider waiting awhile longer.

for the record, i have a pentax *ist DS , which i think takes great photos
imho

might not have all the whizz bag features, but its was good value and i
could use my exisitng 35mm lenses from my pentax z-70 days with it.

if i win lotto i want a d20 or a d5 tho :-)

I use the DS.
You can get all the technical expertise needed at http://www.pdml.net.
Subscribe there and post your questions.  Lots of experts and pros
available.
Yes, there are pros who use Pentax.
This should be in line with your expectations:
http://www.markcassino.com

Hopefully your lenses are A, F, or FA.  You can you the K & M series
lenses
but, on the D, need to push that little green button to set the
aperture.
Let me know if you have any lenses that you need to part with.  :)

Consider the DS along with the D as options.  It's newer and there have
been
changes, mostly for the better.  imnsho.

Enjoy,

Collin
KC8TKA

For whaterver it's worth my Pentax K lenses work beautifully on my Oly
E-300 with an adapter. Run em' in either the completely automatic or
Aperture Priority modes and focus manually. Beautiful sharp results. I
chose the Oly because I have been very happy with several other of
their digicams.