This is good news, BUT!! the 550 still doesn't have a hotshoe :-( thats all it's missing to eat up the G3
--- Heiko Hamann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hi, > > I'm just back from my Cebit visit. It was a perfect > day and I presume a > great success for Pentax. The best: I was allowed to > handle a *ist and a > *istD ! Before proceeding please realize: > > - that I'm quite tired and don't guarantee that I > will get all facts > 100% correct > - I was talking to sales people, not to technicians. > - I was so overwhelmed by the fact that I'm > actually holding a *ist-D > that I have forgotten to check certain details, ask > this or that > question and to try each feature > > Here are my observations: > > *ist D > ------- > > The *ist D was an early pre-production modell. I was > told that it was > handmade, costing a small house and that there exist > only three pieces > in the whole world. The one in the USA was killed at > the first day... > The *ist D that I saw was working, but you could see > that many functions > had prototype status. Also the buttons were working > but really handmade. > The printings were very delicate. > > - The *ist-D feels great: good shape, good weight. > - The viewfinder is comparable to that of the MZ-S, > the infos in it a > very good to read > - The DOF-preview works as on the MZ-S > - The mount has all 7 KAF contacts > - I took a SMC-M 50/1.7 with me ;-) and they let me > attach it! > Unfortunately it didn't work because of the early > production stage. But > I was told, that it will work in the final modell. > "Anything else would > be madness..." they said. > - Now the bad news: I forgot to check if there is a > stop-down coupler... > > All in all a great experience. I also tried the > other DLSRs (10D and the > F80 based Nikon/Fuji/Kodak). Those were even for my > large hands bulky > and I was really pleased by the *ist D concerning > size and weight. As a > Pentax rep said - it is the first really useable > DSLR (at least for a > Pentax guy like me...;-)) > > > *ist > ---- > > I could also handle a *ist. It is really small, > smaller than the *ist D > (I think afterwards). But is has a great user > interface. > > - The viewfinder is smaller (iirc) than that of the > *ist D > - The AF is VERY fast! It shows you in the > viewfinder, which sensor has > been chosen. > - The mount has all 7 KAF contacts > - It has no stop-down coupler. > - I put my SMC-M on it and it didn't work - there > was only "Av" blinking > in the display > - I changed the custom function 17 > - now it seemed to try to meter (it showed no > aperture number but the > time), but the metered times were wrong. I was told > that this was > because of the pre-production stage of the camera. > In the final version > it should work in aperture priority. > > > *FAJ (18-35) > ------------ > > - Plastics mount > - there is a stop-down-coupler, but it doesn't seem > to be moveable > > > Optio S > ------- > > - FANTASTIC! > - Super fast (2 seconds from switching on to the > first picture) > - Because of the surface it is very good to hold > (despite its tinyness) > - Perfect toy for the time to the *ist D launch (in > July) > > > Optio 550 > --------- > > - 12 aperture numbers! (I didn't check that myself) > - Makes a really professional impression. A real G3 > killer... > > > That's all for today. I'm really pleased with what I > saw. Thanks, > Pentax! > > > Cheers, Heiko > > > > > > ______________________________________________________________________ Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca
