Pentax *istDL 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera with DA 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 AL Digital SLR Lens

I made the decision a few months ago that the time was right to buy a digital SLR. I considered a number of models. What sold me on this one was that I am able to use my very old, but very good, lenses.

I had 4 Pentax ME Super bodies from the 1980's. My lenses also date from that time.

The manual was not very helpful in figuring this out. It does require a setting change and one can shoot in only manual focus mode with aperture priority. It's very much like shooting with the old ME's but with a 6.3 megapixel digital image as the result.

From the menu, go to "Custom Setting," scroll down to "Using aperture ring," set to "Permitted."

I first tried out this camera at a local camera store, and was impressed with its heft, its handling, and its surprisingly simple and intuitive LCD menu. I decided to take the plunge, and haven't looked back!

The pictures are unfailingly good, and the camera performs just as capably as my old Canon (film) SLR. Better still, since it's digital, I can experiment, see the results immediately, and quickly delete my mistakes, and try again until I get it right.

I can't help but think this will be a great tool for learning more about photography, and sharpening my skills. And at this price, it can't be beat! It's easily the most affordable dSLR on the market -a terrific value for anyone, and an excellent piece of equipment for both beginners and advanced snapshooters eager to broaden their horizons.

Buy Pentax *istDL 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera with DA 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 AL Digital SLR Lens Now

After reading the "Wired" magazine buyer's guide for digital cameras, wherein they rated the Pentax *ist-DL with 5 (out of 5) bars, the Canon Digital Rebel XT with 4.5 bars, the Nikon D50 with 4.0 bars and the Olympus e-volt E-300 with 3.5 bars, and awarded the Pentax the "Editor's Pick" award as the best of the bunch, I decided to give one a try. What an amazing little imaging machine. It is small, fast, and, although I have tried to fool the meter with strong backlights and partial frame lighting, I have been unsuccesful. For all those who have been fooled into thinking that Canon makes the best digital SLRs (they certainly spend the most on advertising), you should do your own research. Mine lead me to this Pentax.

Read Best Reviews of Pentax *istDL 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera with DA 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 AL Digital SLR Lens Here

I decided that I needed to get on-board the digital wave beyond my Kycocera EVF digital camera, meaning I needed an SLR. I chose Pentax as several newer film cameras, lenses and flash units I own are all Pentax. The flash units, and lenses for Pentax autofocus, autoexposure (KAF mount) 35mm cameras are interchangeable on the *ist DL, a huge plus! I love knowing I can use AA batteries, CRV3 batteries or an AC adapter (on order).

The DL is a joy to hold, the weight is less than my ZX-Ls and the ergonomics are even better. A couple of competitors' cameras that I have handled afterwards actually felt clunky to me. The LCD viewfinder is great (please let it be known, to save battery life it will time out much sooner than many folks are accustomed to with digi pocket cameras). The multifunction dial for auto shooting, or manual settings is pretty muchthe same as other models I have, cutting down the time I needed to read the manual. The "slim" filter feature is a unique feature to Pentax units I believe.

The kit lens is sharp and clear, and the equivalent to a 28-80mm lens in 35mm format, which suits most of my needs. The DA lens does not have an aperture ring, so those of us so accustomed to having one must learn to use the electronic settings (or use an earlier lens, on aperture priority). A few drawbacks I have read about the DL is that for sports/action use the autofocus may not be fast enough for some guys, and the AF360FGZ flash (I have one)does not swivel. I can get around those items; to me a big plus is that's been reported that Pentax digitals have less noise than many competitors at higher ASA/ISO settings, enabling you to use it in low light situations with less noise (I still want to call it "grain") in your images. As soon as the weather improves, I am going to really see what this baby can do beyond the test pics I have taken indoors.

A great camera to learn digital SLR photography with, just as the old K1000 was for 35mm.

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I had researched this camera for about two weeks, and decided to buy one. It is my first SLR digital camera. I am very pleased with the size of the camera, the lcd screen, and menu (Very easy to use). It takes amazing pictures when printed on my Sony DPP-FP30 photo printer, I would recommend this camera to anyone thats on a budget and wants good quality.