Pre-PMA 2005: Pentax has announced a silver-colored version of its second generation D-SLR, the 6.1 megapixel *istDS, although the majority of the body is still black. It features the same specification as the black-colored version ncluding a 2.0-inch LCD, top shutter speed of 1/4000th sec and RAW image capture. Pricing and availability is to be confirmed.

Press Release:

PENTAX Adds a Silver-Colored Version to Its Popularly Priced Compact Digital SLR Camera

PENTAX Corporation is pleased to announce the addition of a silver-colored version to the popular PENTAX *istDS digital SLR camera. Named the PENTAX *istDS Silver, it offers the same user-friendly features and high-standard specifications as the original black-colored version, except for its body color. With a choice of two attractive colors, the *istDS now extends outstanding maneuverability, simplified operations and an affordable price to a broader range of quality-conscious digital SLR users.

Major Features of the *istDS Silver

1. Attractive silver-colored body
In response to the request from many enthusiastic consumers, PENTAX designed a fashionable silver-colored body for the new *istDS Silver, offering a choice of a body color between silver and black to accommodate individual preferences and assure greater color conformity with lenses.

2. Compact, go-anywhere design
Featuring a super-compact, ultra-lightweight body, the *istDS Silver offers outstanding portability to accompany the user anywhere. The combination of many downsizing technologies, including a high-rigidity stainless-steel chassis, multi-layered electronic circuit boards and high-density packaging technology, resulted in this extremely portable body, measuring only 125mm wide, 92.5mm high and 66mm thick and weighing a mere 505 grams without batteries and SD
memory card.

3. High-definition, maximum-gradation images with 6.1 effective megapixels
Thanks to its large, high-performance CCD image sensor, the *istDS Silver offers 6.1 effective megapixels. Coupled with PENTAX's original image processing technology, it produces high-definition images rich in gradation and saturation.

4. Compatibility with PENTAX interchangeable lenses
The *istDS Silver offers the outstanding benefit of lens interchangeability, allowing the user to take advantage of a wide selection of existing PENTAX interchangeable lenses to deal with diversified subjects and applications.*

*PENTAX K-, KA-, KAF- and KAF2-mount 35mm-format lenses can be used without an adapter
or modification. PENTAX screw-mount 35mm-format lenses and PENTAX 645- and
67-system lenses can be used with an adapter. Some functions may not be available with
certain lenses.

5. Bright, high-magnification pentaprism viewfinder
The *istDS Silver comes equipped with a glass pentaprism viewfinder offering a 95% field of view and a 0.95-times magnification*. It offers a large, bright viewfinder image equal in size, clarity and brightness to viewfinders incorporated in conventional 35mm-format SLRs. It makes confirmation of the subject’s focus much easier, even in manual-focus mode.
* With 50mm F1.4 lens at infinity.

6. Large color LCD monitor
Thanks to a high-precision 2.0-inch color LCD monitor offering approximately 210,000 pixels, the *istDS Silver makes it quick and effortless to review recorded images and read menus.

7. Large LCD data panel
The *istDS Silver features a large, easy-to-read LCD data panel on the top panel to allow easy, at-a-glance confirmation of the camera’s operational status and various settings.

8. User-friendly automatic operations
The *istDS Silver is equipped to make camera operations simple and effortless for the user. Its innovative Auto Picture mode automatically and instantly selects the optimum combination of exposure settings for a given subject or situation, including shutter speed, aperture, white balance, saturation, contrast, and intensity of edges. The built-in auto flash automatically pops up in dimly lit or backlit situations.

9. Simple, accessible operation system
From the multi-function four-way controller to the responsive electronic select dial and the large, easy-to-use mode dial, all switches and dials are efficiently and functionally laid out around the *istDS Silver’s compact body to assure smooth, fingertip control.

10. High-precision 16-segment multi-pattern metering
The *istDS Silver incorporates an advanced 16-segment metering system to assure high-precision light measurement, even under complicated lighting conditions. Center-weighted metering and spot metering are also available to meet specialized applications.

11. High-accuracy 11-point AF sensor
The *istDS Silver features the sophisticated SAFOX VIII AF system incorporating 11 AF sensors (nine of them constituting a cross-type wide-area sensor grid in the middle). It not only offers accurate, pinpoint autofocusing, but also allows the user to select one of the sensors to accommodate a specific image composition.

12. Superimposed AF sensor point indication
The selected AF sensor point is highlighted in red in the viewfinder for easy visual confirmation.

13. 1/4000-second high-speed shutter
The *istDS Silver features a high-speed shutter unit with a top speed of 1/4000 second and a top synchronization speed of 1/180 second to assure greater visual creativity.

14. High-speed consecutive shooting
The *istDS Silver records up to 8 images consecutively at a speed of approximately 2.8 frames per second, allowing the user to capture a series of the subject’s action or movement.

15. SD memory card compatibility
The *istDS Silver uses the widely available SD memory card as its storage media, not only assuring high-speed recording and readout of image data, but also contributing to the downsizing of the camera body.

16. Other features
1) 18 user-programmable custom functions to personalize camera operations to the user’s preferences
2) Noise-reduction system to minimize annoying digital noise during extended exposures
3) Dual power source, with a choice of two CR-V3 lithium batteries or four AA-size batteries
4) Effortless data uploading to a PC using the included USB cable
5) Functional playback functions, including 12X zoom display and nine-image thumbnail display
6) A choice of image format between JPEG (Best, Better or Good) or RAW
7) Interchangeable Natural-Bright-Matte focusing screen (AF Frame Matte screen included as standard; AF Split-Image Matte and AF Scale Matte screens available as optional accessories)
8) PENTAX PHOTO Laboratory 2.0 RAW-data processing software and PENTAX PHOTO Browser 2.0 browser software included
9) PictBridge compatibility

Pentax *istDS silver specifications