*ist DS

M R Padmaraju wrote:

Just got an *ist DS with 50 mm A F.2.0 . Took a few shots and was quite impressed with it . All were @ f.2.0 MF . Your views please . ( ` have not reset the time and date .)

Regards ,

mrp .

A new post focusing on the *istDS after all these years: neat!

I still have mine around somewhere.  I have a soft spot for it, it was my first digital SLR, and my introduction to Pentax.  Despite only several newer Pentax dSLRs that improve various things, some of my all time favorite shots came from the *istDS!  And I miss the tiny body!

The first two shots are excellent, and I love the focus/DOF on the first one.  The third one, though, to my eye, seems underexposed.  Metering put too much stock in the background light, and underexposed the main subject, by maybe 1/3-1/2 stop.  You might want to try spot metering for that one since there's nothing in the background to worry about.  Alternately, fill flash could help significantly.

Ahhh. Nostalgia.

The *istDS was my first DSLR too - a silver one - although I had plenty of Pentax SLRs before it.  It's still sitting on a shelf above my computer and I still fire it up from time to time.  A couple of years ago the shutter release failed and, although it didn't make sense economically (I'd pretty much retired it by then), I got it repaired. Couldn't bare to see it languish in a cupboard  ;-)>

Mark mentioned slow AF.  Perhaps, but at the time (2005-2009) I had nothing quicker to compare it with. Seemed OK then.

I like the first two shots - the third doesn't do much for me though.

Have fun with it!

Cheers

Brian

I see you're off to a great start with your "new" *ist-DS -- don't be afraid to experiment with exposure by chimping and exposure bracketing as much as needed (electrons are cheap).  

I have a fond spot for my own *ist-DS, which was my first DSLR, and my first AF cam, too.  I have since moved on to a K20D and a K-3, but my wife still has the *ist-DS.

So, keep on shootin'...

Classic camera. I do regret selling mine.

a

Mark mentioned slow AF. Perhaps, but at the time (2005-2009) I had nothing quicker to compare it with. Seemed OK then.

I like the first two shots - the third doesn't do much for me though.

Have fun with it!

Cheers

Brian

No, it was slow then, too compared to the competition.  Noticeably slow.   But it was well ahead in actual IQ, handling, and VF, so the slow AF always seemed worth the wait! The fact that we can look at new pics from it today and they still hold up next to the "new" stuff shows just how worth the wait it was!

Tundera wrote:

a

Mark mentioned slow AF. Perhaps, but at the time (2005-2009) I had nothing quicker to compare it with. Seemed OK then.

I like the first two shots - the third doesn't do much for me though.

Have fun with it!

Cheers

Brian

No, it was slow then, too compared to the competition. Noticeably slow. But it was well ahead in actual IQ, handling, and VF, so the slow AF always seemed worth the wait! The fact that we can look at new pics from it today and they still hold up next to the "new" stuff shows just how worth the wait it was!

With rechargeable Li batteries instead of 1,2 V AA batteries AF became already a lot faster. I still have a DS and a Samsung version of it, kept them for use with K-lenses and TTL flash. But with a K5 I use flash very rarely, the new bought P-TTL flash has been used maybe a dozen times since 2011. With a M50/1,4; a FA35/2 and a DA70/2,4 ISO 6400 or 12800 does normally the job at low light.