One unusual aspect of the *ist DS
interface are the abbreviations used for some of the menu items.
In a few cases, the meaning is less than clear as the abbreviations
forgo all or most vowels, resulting in options such as "Swtch
dst msr pt". Similarly, some abbreviations such as "dsply" instead
of the more readily comprehensible "disp.", can appear
one way in one menu section, and another — just as unusual — elsewhere.
Still, aside from such peculiarities, the interface does become familiar
with a bit of time and with some practice with the camera. Many of the
functions of the *ist DS can be user-customized using the Custom Settings section
of the menu, while the the Set-up section of the menu offers more
common settings, and functions:
Format: serves to format an SD memory card.
Beep: On or Off, controls the beep sound produced
by the *ist DS.
Date Adjust: sets the date and time on the camera
and their format.
World Time: allows setting a secondary time which
can be displayed as well, useful when travelling.
Language: selects the interface language (English,
French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Korean, Japanese,
or Chinese).
Guide Display: On or Off. Turns on or off the mode
description screens which are shown by default when a mode
is being selected, or when the camera is powered on.
Brightness Level : serves to adjust the brightness
of the 2-inch monitor.
Video Out: decides the video output signal, NTSC
or PAL.
Transfer Mode: selects the USB protocol (PC, PC-F,
PictBridge).
Auto Power Off: sets the delay before the camera
automatically shuts down when it is not in use (1, 3, 5,
10, 30 minutes or Off).
File #: decides how image files are numbered, Reset
restarts numbering from 1 every time a new or blank SD card
is used. SerialNo continues numbering files consecutively.
Sensor Cleaning: pops up the mirror and opens the
curtain so that the CCD can be cleaned using a blower.
Reset: returns all settings to their factory defaults
with the exceptions of the time and date, language, video
out and World Time.
Regrettably the printed manual Pentax includes with the camera
has a number of shortcomings, not the least of which is a tendency
to contain cryptic explanations such as this one for one of
the Custom Settings:
"Fl with S lens used: Set to enable focus indicator
when screw mount lens is in use.
Lens is recognized even when lens is not attached to the
camera when enabled."
Thankfully, the Custom Settings section of the menu
features a short explanation that is usually more understandable
than the occasionally indecipherable explanations found in
the manual.
Software
In North America Pentax provides
a single CD-ROM (S-SW28) with the *ist DS, containing Pentax
Photo Browser Version 2.0 and Pentax Photo Laboratory version
2.0.
Pentax Photo Browser is, as its name implies, primarily a photo browsing
tool with its main window divided into 3 panes, one for the folders, one
for the images which are presented as thumbnails, the third to show the
shooting data associated with any currently selected image.
An image can be selected for
a better look by double-clicking it, opening a larger window
called the Main Image View, which can also include the shooting
data for the image in a pane below.
Image editing is limited to rotation in 90° increments and to an Auto
Image Fix function that has 2 choices: Slight and Strong,
and which tweaks brightness and hue only. No other image editing is possible.
This second version of Pentax
Photo Laboratory shows some improvements over the first, but
still falls short in comparison to most other RAW image editing
software.
Photo Laboratory provides tools to adjust white balance, either by overriding
the camera's settings and selecting an alternate setting from a drop list,
or by grey-point setting which allows clicking on a part of the image to
establish its white balance.
In addition, the program can be
used to adjust tone curves and histograms for brightness, red,
green and blue channels; or do an adjustment with the help of
sliders for sensitivity, contrast, saturation and sharpness.
Moreover, the program is able to batch process a number of images sequentially,
storing them using either TIFF or JPEG.
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Interface & Software
