Hey Wally,
Regarding this issue I have tested the Sigma lens I tested with the
MZ-60 that I found this problem with, and I can't replicate it with
the DS, don't mean to be rude but has anyone replicated this
problem with the new DS and any of the DC or DG lenses from Sigma.
I have 4 sigma lenses and have tried and tried but can't replicate
this problem on the DS, only on the MZ-60 with one of the four
lenses......
I don't know if anyone has tested for the Sigma problem with a Ds
Auto focusing issues with Sigma lenses seem to be accross all DSLR brands so the safest thing is to buy the same brand lens and body, with Pentax that is near impossible.
A few days ago you posted on this forum that you couldn't buy Panasonic parts so you got rid of the FZ20 to buy a Pentax.
I posted that it would be worse, you posted that there are lots of places in Australia selling Pentax gear and provided links, yet I note that you purchased a Sigma EX 50mm lens because you there is no Pentax 50mm in stock.
Ok your girlfriend has Pentax lenses you can use, that is great, but it doesn't help me.
The sigma Auto Focus issues, you have to know what to look for, on some lenses it is not a big a deal on others it is a disaster, I took me 13000 pics over 6 moths before I discovered what the real problem was, it reared its ugly head when I spent over $3000 on some supposedly good EX f2.8 lenses, the lenses are great when focused manually but they do not auto focus correctly on my *istD or anyone else's *istd.
I purchased the Sigma lenses because I could not buy Pentax lenses without ordering paying up front sight unseen and waiting and waiting.
Nothing has changed, and it isn't only happening in Australia if you search the Pentax forum you will see, the DA 16-45 was released months ago, try buying one in Australia.
I regret the day I purchased my Pentax *istD, problems form day one and 8 moths later still sorting them out with no end in sight, I would hate to see anyone else go through all that when it can be avoided..
I have thought of junking the entire lot or taking legal action against CRK if the matter is not resolved soon, I would not even contemplate selling it to someone else when I know does NOT work properly, I do have ethics.
I will soon be visiting the Sydney office of CRK [Australian pentax and sigma importers] and test the Ds amongst other things.
The problems with the *istD and Sigma lenses was easily replicated by CRK with their own stock [3 different new lenses and different *istD bodies] 4 months ago and by lots of others on teh pentax forum, yet CRK continue to sell sigma lenses bundled with pentax cameras fully aware that there is a problem and they do NOT have any answers.
The most frustrating thing with Pentax is that you cannot buy anything without having to treat the entire excercise as a very precise patient [lots of patience required] excercise, in the end you either buy third party like Sigma [you did that too because they had no stock, am I right?] or buy it sight unseen and hope for the best, that is what most people do.
You cannot walk into a camera store or even the importers wharehouse and see and handle the Pentax gear BEFORE YOU ORDER!
The size thing on a DSLR, is not important in the scheme of things, it may seem like it at first, I thought so too, I was wrong, it is a "gimmick" no more no less.
Obsessing about the size of a DSLR then attaching a battery grip and a 10lb lens, come on!
When I struck problems with the *istD and decided to look further afield I got the D70, yes it is a bit bigger, my better half prefered the D70 size and the way she could get her fingers around the grip very comfortably, the weight of the body is no big deal differences in lens weight will make a bigger difference, the D70 feels better in my hands.
I had no problems whatsoever with my D70 for the short 3 weeks I owned it before it was stolen, even thieves prefer the D70
)
Funny thing is people go wow about the size of the *istD then buy a grip to bring the size up to something that is usable, doesn't make sense to me, with the Ds you don't have that option [no Ds battery grip] so you are stuck with that small size which looks great initially but is impractical long term, a sales gimmick.
Speed of operation auto focus, shot to shot, preview and burst, file sizes, 13 megabyte raw files when everyone else has 5 megabyte raw files! those are far more important.
That is what I really like about the D70 and my FZ20 SPEED!! they are very similar imho.
My Pentax *istD is slow, no I am not into sports photography, but just like when you use a slow PC it doesn't matter what you are doing it is slow, when you have previously used a faster PC it is disturbingly slow.
