Customer Reviews: Read 1 more reviews...
 I like it! August 18, 2006
I've had my DS2 since April. Prior to that, the only digital cameras I had used were low-end point-and-shoot Olympus models, suitable for quick images for the web but not much else. I used my 35mm film cameras whenever higher quality was needed.
This camera seems like an excellent value, especially now that it is heavily discounted due to the introduction of the K1000D.
It is a very comfortable camera to use. The controls are positioned logically and are easy to use. It is compact and lightweight, but solid. It feels good in your hands, and is comfortable to use and hold. A previous reviewer mentioned he had compared it to the Rebel XT, and I agree with his comments. The Rebel feels flimsy in comparison, and is awkward to hold (a little too small) compared to the Pentax.
I have a few complaints about it. My biggest is that it's somewhat difficult to focus in low light. The autofocus sometimes has to do a lot of work and generates several flashes before it can lock in on the target. Living subjects sometimes move on with their lives while this is taking place. I don't shoot under these conditions often, so it isn't a huge problem for me, but it might be for some people.
In general, it is more difficult to focus manually than the various film cameras I've used. I think there are other focusing screens available for it, but I haven't explored that option yet.
Another complaint is that I see some noise in images shot at any setting higher than ISO 200. If you let the camera determine the ISO setting automatically, you may find some images unacceptably noisy. I keep it at 200, which sometimes requires using a tripod.
Another reviewer mentioned problems with an SD card formatted in the camera (as it should be) not being recognized by his Macs. I don't think that's typical. I've had no trouble with the various SD cards I've used (Sandisk and Kingston). I have a Lexar USB 2 card reader hooked up my Mac (OS X, Panther and Tiger). It occasionally loses contact with the computer, but unplugging its USB cable and reconnecting it solves the problem.
I'd recommend using CRV3 batteries.
I'm using Photoshop CS2 and Bridge. The current Adobe Camera RAW plug-in works fine with the images generated by the DS2.
Aside from the issues described above, I have enjoyed this camera tremendously. I take it with me almost everywhere. However, if I were in the market now, I'd probably get the new Pentax K1000D, which has image stabilization in the camera body and can use all the K-mount lenses.
*istDS2 --- *istDS May 12, 2006
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
I bought a istDS, not the DS2. I bought it because I have had a pile of Pentax lenses. Overall, I am happy with the camera mainly because of the size, picture quality and battery life. Buy the rechargeable AA cells, they last forever. On the flipside, complaints are 1) the auto-focus does not seem as fast or as solid as Canon or Nikon. This is really true in lower lighting situations. 2) I shoot in raw mode because I seem to have to do a lot of tweaking on the images. Hopefully my two complaints have been addressed in the DS2. Adobe Photoshop CS2 does support RAW mode for Pentax, there is a separate download required (at least with the version I have).
If I had to do over I would probably go for one of the semi-pro Canons. If price and size is of utmost concern, go with the Pentax.
 Fantastic Camera February 18, 2006
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
I bought this two months ago and continue to be amazed at the quality of this camera. First and foremost the best thing about this camera is the quality of the view finder and and the LCD screen... which is essential after all in order to take a good photo... you have to see what you are shooting. Other camera makers seem to be oblivious to this fact. Case in point, the new Canon Rebel... I was going to buy that as it is 8 MP versus the Pentax 6 MP but after looking throught the view finder of both cards it was an easy choice to make. By the way don't be too enamored with the bigger mp numbers... remember along with the quality of the higher number comes the space requirement of your hard drive, plus making back ups of your photos takes a lot longer! The camera is a joy to hold, beautiful to look at and takes fantastic pictures especially in low light conditions... you will rarely have to use the flash on this baby. Using standard batteries is also a plus... you buy fast 15 minute charger (make sure the batteries have a high number... 2500) and away you go... the camera uses extremely low power so you are good for several days. I used this camera in Dominican republic and the pictures look amazing!
SO do yourself a favor and buy this one you won't regret it, especially if you have pentax lenses or access to them!
Top contender in under $1,000 DSLR class; great retro-compatibility February 7, 2006
21 out of 22 found this review helpful
Little doubt that the Canon EOS-30D [close to $2000 if you add a decent lens and memory card] is king of the prosumer DSLR hill. If you want to spend less than half that, the Pentax DS or DS2 are right up there. Already owning a Canon Powershot, I looked at the Rebel XT. Yes, it sells with lens for under $1000, but what a sorry compromise; the body is a cheap-looking flimsy plastic, and not all that comfortable in the hand. Whereas the nice-in-hand Nikon D70 makes the price point by substituting a penta-mirror for the penta-prism. The Pentax, conversely, has a neat small yet comfortable stainless steel body and lens mount. DO spend just a bit more to get the DS (see later) or DS2 with the original one-piece solid glass pentaprism [the cheaper L-model uses penta-mirrors, which causes some light loss and thus a dimmer view; moreover, precise alignment of the mirrors might be susceptible to vibration].
Don't be fooled by the megapixel race; it's the sensor-size that counts. The Pentax, like its competitors, uses an APS-sized (24x16 mm) sensor -- rather than squeezing more but smaller pixels into the same area, the Pentax uses fewer (6 MP) but larger pixels, giving it a very wide dynamic range that captures more of a darker image, and with less electonic 'noise', than the 8 MP models. The tradeoff is a slightly lower (though not noticeable) line resolution on lab testing. It's the difference between packing trailers on a large lot, or building fewer but larger on-site family homes.
One of the great things about the Pentax is that it retains full compatibility with its film predecessors; so that you can use older lenses (try eBay) and retain their auto focusing and exposure features. Because of the smaller APS sensor, there is a 1.5X focal length multiplier which is great for tele lenses, but might require a more expensive wide angle lens. A pleasant surprise too is the excellent factory software support. You can download a firmware upgrade for the DS, for instance, to turn it into a fully functional DS2 equivalent (except for smaller LCD monitor). To make that even sweeter, you can download the DS2 manual so that the instructions follow the script. On that topic, my biggest quibble is with the literal (at times even inscrutable) Japlish translation - particularly irksome when trying to figure out some murky menu abbreviation.
The software - upgradable by a simple download - is superb and even includes a PhotoShop plugin for the RAW format (not needed if you keep your PhotoShop plugins updated from the Adobe website). As I shoot a lot of RAW ('digital negative') pictures I particularly prize Pentax' PhotoLab which, in version 2.1, actually provides more accessible image control (including batch processing) than does PhotoShop. Well worth considering too are the batteries: rather than a proprietary monolith, you can use either AA or CR-V3 batteries, and in either one-use or rechargeable form.
All told, I am delighted with my purchase: solid body, high compatibility with older film components (lenses, flash, remotes, macro extenders) and georgeously rich images.
Mechanics and optics are great, the software currently a bit limited December 27, 2005
10 out of 11 found this review helpful
I chose this camera because I've got a lot of money invested in Pentax-mount lenses, and it works just fine with them (though obviously autofocus and other features don't work with the older lenses). The camera feels solid in your hands, the LCD screen is bright and sharp (note that it only works for reviewing images, not composing them), the automated features seem reasonably well thought out, and there's a manual override for pretty much everything if you prefer not to let the camera make the decisions. And I'm very pleased with the pictures so far.
One disappointment was that the RAW image files this camera produces don't seem to be compatible with iPhoto, Photoshop Elements, or Photoshop (at least not the versions I have), and I've read on forums of other users experiencing this problem. I imagine this will be resolved by a software update from Pentax or some public-spirited soul, and the workaround is to set it to generate JPEG files, but in the meantime it's a limitation for me.
The second disappointment is that the SD card I bought (none is supplied if you buy only the camera body) stopped speaking to my computers (all Macs) after I formatted it in the camera; it still speaks to my PDA--go figure. I'm not sure this is the fault of the camera, but I mention it here for the record in case it turns out that others experience similar problems.
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