megapixels

OK, if you're here, you probably have read all the online reviews. Here's my answers to some of the major criticisms I've seen about this supurbe camera on the web. (And my opinion is based on a 20 year career as a professional photographer...for what that's worth! :) )

1.)Criticism: Memory card is hard to remove. OK, maybe this could use a little work on Pentax's part. Not really a big deal if you're careful. Just be careful...it's not THAT hard!

2.)Criticism: Batteries are not proprietary and rechargeable!? WHAT? THANK GOD! This is in my opinion not a mistake but a MAJOR PLUS! Only Pentax would have the forsight and understanding to give the user TWO (more if you consider all the AA posibilities...)onboard options for battery power both available almost anywhere for Pete's sake! Batteries are the life blood of digital photography, more options can only be better! For my part I'm running 2300 milliamp hour rechargable AA's and am thrilled with the performance!

Well that addresses the two biggies I've read about. As for the rest of it, the price is now where it should be and the camera performs fantastically. Now that Pentax has a 14mm coming out, all is wonderful in the digital world. My advice, BUY IT and you won't ever look back! The 13x19 prints are superb, I shoot weddings and fine art landscapes, and this camera gets the job done!!!

Over the years I have used a variety of systems ranging from Pentax to Nikormat to Canon to Olympus and eventually back to Pentax. Why back to Pentax? Size and ergonomics. All of the major brands are good and some offer truly best in class - at a price - in optics such as Nikon and Canon.

However, for overall good value Pentax holds its own. While I would be happy to use equipment from any of the major brands, I am quite satisfied with Pentax - but I had to wait until last autumn to get my hands on a decent Pentax digital camera. The *istD, weird name and all, is such a camera. Overall I'm a happy camper and I have been taking some of the best photographs in my 30 years experience with this camera.

Other reviews here will tell you the camera's virtues and those features are real and not over stated. This is a professional class camera - though most professionals use Nikons and Canons when it comes to digital work for a number of reasons - usually due to optics and employers' standards. The optics from Pentax are still well respected and 99% of the folks reading this will be more than satisfied.

While battery life with this camera is very, very good, I would recommend considering getting the optional additional battery attachment that screws into the bottom of the camera. It looks like an old fashion motor drive but it provides excellent ergonomics when shooting side-wise (portrait) complete with the thumb and fore finger controls replicated for ease of use. It adds peace of mind by providing redundant power plus if you often shoot protrait framing, you can really hold this camera much better than most other cameras.

So what is the single, significant flaw of this camera? It is undoubtedly the flash card interface that is accessed via a door that doesn't swing completely open, tempting the user to push the card in a slightly wrong angle. Of course there are internal guides within the flash card holder assembly but even with care, over time, it is possible to break one of the tiny pins of the camera's interface to the flash card. I know. I have done it. The cost and speed of repair was minor, but suddenly one day out in the field I had a camera that was suddenly inoperable.

So that is why I give this other wise great camera only 4 stars. If you have a good investment in 35 mm Pentax gear, you really have no choice but this camera. But the good news, particularly if you are shooting in RAW, the output is incredible. Now that PhotoshopCS has upgraded its RAW import program via a free download from Adobe, the results from this camera can be absolutely stellar. But user beware when swapping out those flash cards!

After nearly 3 years of playing with other digital cameras I finally took the leap back into SLR-land and purchased this great Pentax camera. Though I am just beginning to explore its capabilities, so far I am delighted: there are a lot of advantages to SLR camera use that I missed from the film days.

As with any of the current crop of digital SLR's, you get a ton of flexibility and shooting speed at a price that would have been unthinkable just two years ago. If you are used to using film SLR's, and have been frustrated by certain aspects of using a typical digital camera, you will be happy to be back in the land of no-shutter-lag shooting; the ability to use a ring on the lens barrel for zooming; tons of manual flexibility combined with idiot-proof program modes; and of course the flexibility of many lens choices. What has particularly driven me crazy about the current crop of high-end non-SLR digicams is the use of EVF viewfinders -- by contrast, the viewfinders on digital SLR's are great.

So why this Pentax vs the other competitive models? (The others worth considering in this price range at this time are the Canon EOS 10D; the Canon Digital Rebel; the Nikon D70; the Nikon D100; or even the Sigma models). This Pentax has the same sensor as the Nikon models, and the imaging capabilities of any of these cameras is doubtless well beyond my skills in any case. So to me it came down to ease of use, size and build quality. Size in particular is important to me: if you just look at the specs of this camera on a cubic-inch basis it's 38% smaller than the Nikon D70 and 26% smaller than the Digital Rebel. The Canon 10d is even bigger, and looks like a house sitting next to the Pentax.

After handling all of these cameras, I concluded that the Pentax is the one I would use most often. Too often my film SLR's sat at home when I was using film -- I would grab a point-and-shoot instead. I really wanted something I would use a lot.

On the other hand, some published complaints (and my conclusions) about the Pentax have been:
(1) Images are too "soft" (this is super-easy to adjust if you use something like Adobe Album, Elements or Photoshop, and in return the camera is not "sharpening" the image for you, which can introduce sharpening noise)
(2) Not as many lenses as available as in the Canon or Nikon lines (There seem to be plenty for my purposes, both new and used)
(3) Memory cards are hard to eject (Doesn't seem that hard to me; you need to be careful no matter what camera you use).

Another issue (price) with this camera has been fixed: when it was introduced it was more expensive than the others in its class. But the price has been reduced and now is typically available at a price that slots it in as a bit more expensive than the D70 and less than the 10D.

All of these current digital slr's are great, and it seems to me that if you already owned Canon or Nikon lenses you wouldn't go wrong with one of their models. On the other hand, if you are starting from scratch (or like me, you own brands you can't use on any of these), the Pentax is worthy of serious consideration.