Pentax *ist D Test

[Photo-John]

I picked up the Pentax *ist D digital SLR at this year's PMA tradeshow, in Las Vegas. Pentax marketing manager, Michelle Martin, was kind enough to lend me her personal camera. I was excited to finally get a chance to use it, especially since I was driving home to Nor Cal, through LA. The road trip gave a really good opportunity to get a feel for the camera and use it in a variety of situations.



Everyone asks how to say, "*ist D". Maybe it makes more sense in Japan. I asked the Pentax folks and even they seemed a little unsure. I've been calling it the "star ist dee", and they called it the "ist dee". I think that they don't really care what you call it, as long as you buy one :-)

The bottom line is I thoroughly enjoyed using the Pentax *ist D. The size and ergonomics are great, the features and functionality are excellent, and it's nice to see such a solid initial digital SLR offering from Pentax. I got it with the digital-specific kit lens - the SMCP-FA J 18-35mm F4.0-5.6 AL - which is a good match for the 6 megapixel CCD sensor. It makes a very good, all-around, point-and-shoot lens. I'd like to try the camera with a pro lens, like the SMCP-FA 20-35mm f/4 AL, to see how it improves the overall image quality. But I don't have any complaints about the FA J 18-35mm.

The thing I liked most about the *ist D was the size and feel. It's very small - the smallest digital SLR I've handled - so it's easy to take everywhere. That meant it was easy to take mountain biking and keep in the car. It's actually not much bigger than the Canon G2 I usually take riding. But the *ist D is a much more capable camera than any compact digital, with way better image quality due to the larger CCD and better image processor. It's built very well and feels it, which gave me confidence while shooting, handling it in the field, and taking it out on my bike on rough trails. It doesn't feel like a toy. It feels like exactly what it is - a very small, professional camera.

We shot studio test images with the *ist D at all ISO settings (except the expanded ISO 3200 setting). The links below will take you to corresponding gallery pages where you can view the full-sized JPEG files. Metering was done using the camera's histogram to ensure that there was no highlight clipping. All controls (sharpness, contrast, saturation, etc.) were left at their default settings and the images were shot in the camera's TIFF mode then resaved as high-level JPEGs in Photoshop 7.0.

Pentax *ist D Test Images
	ISO 200 Sample >> ISO 400 Sample >> ISO 800 Sample >> ISO 1600 Sample >> Pentax *ist D Sample Gallery >>
Other Resources: User Reviews >> Post a Review >> Pentax Web Site >> Discuss the Pentax *ist D >>

[Photo-John]

Since the size and feel are such a big part of what makes the Pentax *ist D a nice camera, I thought it would be appropriate to show some photos of it in someone's hands. Thanks to our in-house hand model, wedding photographer, and IT guy, Bobby B!

[Photo-John]

These two photos were taken in the California high desert. The wide end of the 18-35mm kit lens worked well for desert landscapes.

[Photo-John]

Baby skin, that is.

This is little Lucky Lance, my nephew. He's the reason I returned to Northern California via LA.

This was taken in very low light, at ISO 400. This and a bunch of the other photos I took with the Pentax *ist D have been brightened up a fair amount using the levels tool in Photoshop. I found that I tended to expose on the dark side with the Pentax *ist D. That might be because the meter is a little on the dark side, and it might be because the LCD was on the light side. In any case, I should have been more careful about using the camera's histogram tool as it makes for virtually perfect exposure, every time. It's actually been a lesson for me. I've been much more careful about checking my histograms on whatever camera I'm using, since I took these pictures.

[Photo-John]

Ok, this is one of the main reasons I was excited to use this camera. Even though it's a full-featured digital SLR, it's small and light enough that it's not a big penalty to carry it while riding. And while I did feel it in my backpack while riding this stuff, I didn't really mind it. And the proof is in the pudding. These two photos would have been tough with a compact digital camera. In fact, the second one would have been nearly impossible. And while I did notice a touch of shutter-lag, it's nothing compared to what I'm used to dealing with while using compact cameras on the trail. It took a couple tries to get the timing down and then this photo was no problem. It would have taken at least 10 runs and considerable luck to get a photo timed this well with most compact cameras.

Thanks to KHS pro downhill racer, Eric Rasmussen, for helping me with these photos.

[Photo-John]

This was taken way out in the middle of nowhere, on the San Juan Trail, south of LA. The San Juan Trail is 15 miles from top to bottom with a fair amount of climbing, lots of rocks, and some scary exposure. I rode my 45 pound downhill bike with full protective gear, and the Pentax in my backpack. I actually had a business call in the middle of my ride and took this photo to show the other person where I was while we were talking.

Just to clarify, all of these photos have been fairly heavily worked over using Photoshop Adjustment Layers. I don't want you to think that they come out of the camera like this. But I also don't want you to think that they necessarily need a lot of correction. I used the camera the way I'd use any camera. I approach every photo only as raw material to work with. The magic happens in the darkroom - traditional or digital.

Just to demonstrate what I'm starting with, I'm also including a 100% detail from the original file. It's untouched in Photoshop, aside from the border and the logo. But to really evaluate image quality, I strongly recommend viewing the studio samples. These photos are more to show you the potential of the camera and not to prove anything about the image quality.

[Photo-John]

Since the *ist D is so small, comfortable, and the controls are so intuitive, I found it was easy to use for fun, spotaneous photos, like this one.

[Photo-John]

This photo is a perfect example of why you should always have a camera with you. I took it during a drizzly Monday morning commute, on Northern California's beautiful Interstate 280. Since the Pentax *ist D is small and easy to use, I had it with me and was ready when this rainbow appeared. This photo could and probably should have been better. I should have used a tripod and a lower ISO setting. But that's because I'm lazy, not because of any problems with the camera. In any case, without a camera I was willing to keep near me, this photo would not have been possible. Once again, size and convenience are a couple of the standout features with the *ist D.