The
*istD, is Pentax's
first digital SLR, and follows in the footsteps of the Pentax *istfilm SLR.
In English, the suffix -ist has three common meanings: advocate of,
and user of or expert in. The asterisk, if we assume it
to be as in computing, can stand for anything. Still, while that name
may have a meaning that currently escapes us, it is very likely that to
most consumers, the *istD is probably destined to be simply referred
to as the Pentax D-SLR or simply as the ist-D as the use
of an asterisk as part of the name may prove a tad difficult to
pronounce.
Regardless
of its name, the Pentax *istD is one of the smallest digital SLR
bodies to date. Although it is shown here with its optional D-BG1
battery grip, by itself, without batteries, the *istD weighs a
very light 550 grams (19.25 oz). *istD is made of plastic, covering a stainless
steel chassis, and is fitted with a textured leather-like grip area that
is also employed on the battery grip. If the *istD is quite compact
by itself, ergonomically it benefits from the addition of the grip with
its secondary vertical shutter release and dials.
On
the top right side, the Pentax *istD provides a shutter release
with the On/Off switch around it.
The power switch
offers an additional and ingenious system to check depth of field when
the switched is pushed past the ON setting. When activated, the lens closes
down to the aperture selected and the depth of field offered by the aperture
can easily be checked. Moreover, the system also turns on the back light
of the top LCD panel for approximately 10 seconds.
Three
buttons are aligned on the right side of the top LCD display:
The
Green button serves to establish the correct exposure parameters
when the camera is in Manual mode, and displays them in the viewfinder
and on the LCD display. In the Program mode, the camera returns
to Hyper Program when the button is pressed.
Drive:
cycles through Single frame shooting;
Consecutive shooting
(the camera takes 5 shots, then slows down as it transfers the images
to the memory card); Self Timer
(12 second or 2 second delay); or Remote Control (optional);
each time the button is pressed.
Flash
Modes: cycles through Auto Flash; Auto Flash with Red-eye Reduction;
Wireless Mode (allows the built-in Flash to communicate with a Pentax
AF360FGZ flash unit and fire it without the flash being on the camera;
Wireless High-Speed Synch Mode (allows a flash synch higher than
1/150 sec with a remote unit); Flash On (forced on); Flash On with
Red-eye Reduction.
Whether
it is the modes offered by these three buttons, or others, the display
panel provides a lot of information about the status of the camera, and
serves to change a number of critical settings using the Tv and
Av Dials.
One dial, the
Tv Dial, is embedded in the upper part of the grip, the other,
the Av Dial, is at the upper back of the camera.
Not only do these dials control shutter speeds and apertures, they are
also used to make selections on the top display.
White
Balance, Image Size and Quality, and ISO are all set
using the dials in combination with the Mode Dial. Selections are
made by checking the LCD display, making it critical that it be backlit.
On the
top left of the *istD's body, the Mode Dial is primarily
used to select the Program Modes:
6 programs are available with the *istD:
Green
Program AE mode, a fully automatic shooting mode.
Program
Mode, with program shift (called Hyper program) and a selectable
Program Line(see the Characteristics section for an explanation
of the Program Line).
Shutter
Priority: apertures are selected by the camera while shutter
speeds are adjusted using the Tv Dial (at the top of the
grip).
Aperture
Priority: shutter speeds are selected by the camera while the
aperture is chosen using the Av Dial (on the upper back).
Manual
Mode: apertures and shutter speeds are selected using the Av
and Tv Dials respectively. The small green button next to
the LCD panel on top can be used to set the starting parameters.
Bulb
Mode: allows selecting apertures with the Av Dial. The
Bulb mode is unlimited for the length of the exposure. Noise Reduction
is available, and the optional Cable Switch CS-205 should
be used to avoid camera shake.
As mentioned above, the Mode Dial also serves to set:
White
Balance: which offers an Auto setting, or Sun. Shade, Cloud,
Fluorescent (Daylight, Neutral, Warm), Incandescent, Flash, and
3 Custom settings, each accessed by turning the Av Dial.
Resolution
and Image Quality settings: image size (resolution) is set using
the Av Dial, Image Format is set using the Tv Dial.
Sensitivity:
provides for 200, 400, 800 and 1600 ISO, and the selection is made
with the Tv Dial. If enabled in the camera menu, the ISO range can
be extended to 3200 ISO.
Metering mode selection is made with another dial positioned under the
Mode Dial, and turned with a small lever on the left edge of the dial.
Three settings are possible:
16
Segment Multi-Metering
Centre-Weighted
Metering
Spot
Metering
More external controls are positioned along the upper back, starting with
a button on the left side:
Auto
Bracketing, Multiple Exposure: Auto Bracketing is possible
over 3 frames in 1/2 or 1/3 EV steps. In addition, the bracketing
sequence can be selected.
Multiple Exposures are also possible. Up to 9 frames can be overlapped
to create a multiple exposure.
Auto
Exposure Lock: locks the exposure and allows re-framing the
shot. When AE-L is active, an asterisk is displayed on the lower
right of the viewfinder's info display.
Protect:
in Playback, the AE-L button serves to protect images against an
accidental erasure.
Exposure
Compensation: Exposures can be compensated over ±2EV,
in 1/3 EV increments while the button is held down and the Tv
Dial is rotated.
In
Playback, the Av Dial has additional uses. It can display an index
screen (9 photos per screen) when rotated to the left, or magnify an image
when rotated to the right (up to 12X).
The other external controls of the *istD are aligned to the left
and right of the
1.8 inch LCD monitor. The four buttons on the left of the screen are for:
Calls
up the Main Menu of the *istD, which in turn provides
access to the Custom Settings(see the Characteristics
section of the review for these functions).
Delete: allows deleting one image at a time, or all images.
In
the shooting modes, Info displays a synopsis of current camera
settings on the LCD monitor. In Playback, Info displays first a
histogram for the current image, and all the shooting data if pressed
a second time.
Starts
the Playback mode.
Three
other controls are clustered on the right side of the LCD monitor:
Using
the Single AF mode, the AF button activates the auto focus
without having to press the shutter release halfway. If the button
is held down when the camera is in Continuous AF mode, the camera
will continuously adjust focus.
The
round control below is more complex. As with most other digital cameras,
it provides navigation for the menu, and confirmation of a selection with
the OK button at its centre. Moreover, it can also be used to control
the focus point if the dial around it is set to the SEL position.
Then, the focus point can be set to any one of 11 points in the frame.
Alternatively, the dial can be set to AUTO, allowing the camera
to pick the focus point, or to
which forces the auto focus to the centre of the frame.
With
the *istD, Pentax uses a newly developed pentaprism that, while
more compact, still yields a very bright image for the TTL viewfinder.
In the viewfinder, information is displayed in 2 areas, on the right side,
where an exposure scale is shown, and which indicates compensation or
the number of recordable images below the scale; and below the image where
flash, focus system in use, focus confirmation, shutter speed, aperture
and AE Lock are shown. The focus point selected briefly flashes red, and
the centre point is bigger than the others (see the Characteristics
section for an overview of the focusing systems available on the Pentax
istD).
The
optional battery grip is well designed, and connects to the *istD
body using the tripod mount while spring loaded contact pins, otherwise
covered by a small sliding door, allow the grip's controls to communicate
with the *istD.
The grip adds a vertical shutter release with duplicate Tv and
Av Dials in addition to providing a secondary AE-Lock and
of course a secondary tripod mount. The On/Off switch around the Grips
shutter only controls the grip, not the camera.
The pop-up flash of the *istD is released by a button on the left
side of the pentaprism. The flash provides a good basic illumination of
up to 15.6 m (51 ft) at 200 ISO, and synchronization speeds up to 1/150
sec. Moreover, the *istD is equipped with a flash shoe that is
compatible with Pentax flash units AF360FGZ, AF500FTZ, AF300FTZ, AF400FTZ,
and AF240FT. The most options and greatest compatibility are available
when the *istD is used with the AF360FGZ flash. Last but not least,
an external X-Synch terminal is provided.
As
with most SLR cameras, the Pentax *istD provides an excellent in-hand
feel. The body is well-designed and all the controls and dials are very
well placed. One control though proved to be a bit less friendly than
all the others: the four-way controller. The control itself is a touch
small, making it somewhat more difficult to use than it should be.
which forces the auto focus to the centre of the frame.
