Pentax *1st DL

Staff writers | Aug 29, 2008 8:22 AM

Pentax | http://www.pentax.com.au

RRP: $999 (time of review)

Pros Well designed. Delightful 2.5-inch LCD on the back. Cheap but good.

Cons A bit small for the clumsy fingered. Plastic body and menu functions may be offputting to purists.

Overall Rating:

User Rating: No user ratings.

So why is this so different from the outgoing Pentax *ist DS? The fact is that it’s just as good and yet also cheaper. Joy.

Pentax’s *ist D series is very well designed. The cameras are small but still pretty good to get hold of.

Despite the price – cheap always sets alarm bells ringing - you get all the photographic controls of a semi-pro camera. The difference is that this camera has a plastic body and relies on menus to function – rather than on-body controls – but with that extra few quid basking in your pocket, you can live with that.

In addition, the 2.5-inch LCD on the back is a fine surprise, as are the sharp, saturated and punchy pictures the camera produces.

As with other D-SLRs, make sure you buy the body with the ‘kit’ lens because they’ll cost you more separately. You have to supply your own batteries (four AAs), and you don’t get a memory card – however, that’s all pretty standard with D-SLRs.

This number is just as good as the outgoing Pentax *ist DS, only cheaper. Nice.