Pentax *ist DSLR

i have a 1stD, 10D, kx and a k-5..I always loved the feeling and build of the 1stD!....I agree if you can get a k-x for around 100-150 go for it. The k-x was one of the best buys for your dollar ever!

BUT i still, to this day, use the istD..It is a solidly built camera that feels very professional. and you can get very good results from it

Gerry Winterbourne wrote:

As the others have said, $100 without a lens is too much.

I just recently paid £99 for a *istD body to replace my original one after I dropped it and broke the flash shoe . That was from one of the well known UK Pentax dealers and was a good price , especially since it included delivery and warranty . The camera came boxed with instructions and accessories .

I went for another *istD because I like the compact size , solid build quality and that it uses AA batteries . Since I shoot RAW at all times and mainly use my SMC-M lenses , image quality is excellent , standing up well to later , bulkier and heavier cameras ; I have resisted the urge to 'upgrade' for many years , despite trying most of the later models .

Using it in manual mode , with the SMC-M lenses comes about as close to using a manual film SLR , like the classic K 1000 or Km , which became the 'industry standard' student cameras , so I would say on that basis that it is an excellent choice as a starter DSLR , especially since manual K mount lenses are abundant and cheap .

Shot in 2005 with a *ist DS, reprocessed in Lightroom 4 the other day.

*ist DS, Pentax SMC K50 1.4

I agree with what has been said.

I bought a 6 Mpx K100D Super last year (slightly better than istD in many respect), yet I'm feeling that it's slowly becoming inadequate for what I shoot, and I'm already looking around to see what I can find.

Mind you, it's an excellent camera, but 6 Mpx are a little too few to give you some cropping space if need be (and believe me, sometimes you can't do that while you shoot: too much people, crowd barriers, fast-happening event, "wrong" lens on camera and no time to change, or a simple afterthought...)

Given that you can find a K-x (complete with lens) on eBay for less than 300E (and there are many of them), I wouldn't think twice about it.

- for about a hundred bucks. Do these cameras tend to last a while and would this be a good starter DSLR?

Direct answer to your questions: yes, these cameras tend to last a while and, yes, it would be a good starter DSLR. That does not exclude that there are better starter DSLR's, e.g later models like the K100DS have shake reduction, can be bought including a lens for a similar same prize, and do not challenge a friendship. Canon recently launched 'worlds smallest DSLR' and made quite some noise about that; the *ist is about as small.