Pentax *ist D

50% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.

performance, usability, software, portability, shutter

91% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

The Pentax *ist D is a solid though not stellar product. For the money, you can probably do better unless you're already heavily invested in Pentax lenses.

Good tonal balance, average resolution, low in-camera sharpening Good metering, very little need for exposure compensation No sharpening artifacts, virtually no moiré artifacts Low noise up to ISO 800, slightly higher than the competition after that...

Soft appearance to images, converted RAW images are sharper Continuous shooting not as fast as competition, image buffer also smaller No histogram on record review (immediately after shot) Image parameters don't offer enough latitude of adjustment...

Pentax has clearly left their earlier digital SLR false start behind them, the *ist D is a capable digital SLR which can stand shoulder to shoulder with the longer established names in the digital SLR's world without compromise. The camera's compact...

While it is a first generation D-SLR camera for Pentax, the *ist D doesn't take a back seat to anyone in terms of advanced technology. It incorporates a full series of high-tech features, including the entirely new (11-point) SAFOX VIII autofocus...

By all means consider this. It should be much better than any non-SLR like the Nikon 8700, and competes directly against Canon and Nikon DSLRs. Since Pentax is not as popular that can spell a discount for you! If you already own Pentax lenses then you...

Excellent image quality, though very soft ; Low noise all the way to ISO 1600 ; Robust performance ; All the benefits of a D-SLR: lenses, flashes, and full manual controls ; Uses AA (or CR-V3) batteries ; RAW and TIFF modes with no performance penalty...

Images are too soft, even at "high" sharpness ; Four-way controller feels awkward ; Burst mode slower than competitive cameras ; Clumsy memory card slot ; Would've preferred to see ISO/quality/white balance somewhere other than mode dial ; Not a fan of...

Whether the *ist D is right for you depends on a couple of factors. If you've got an investment in Pentax lenses, then buying this camera is a no-brainer. If you've got a lot of Canon or Nikon lenses, you probably won't want to throw them away, as both...