>From Matt >Don't forget the user interface - this is one clear strike against the >*ist, having only one dial to control shutter, aperture and exposure >compensation. Now, I haven't used a single dial camera for the >requisite 6 months, but I have used my brother's Rebel 2000 a fair >amount, and the single dial drove me nuts. Without being able to use >the aperture ring, that single dial is all you have on the *ist. >
Yes a single dail is not so good also the Z-20 had it. But you can choose with it between Av, Tv and also M-mode. The orginal message was Some people on the list always state, that the *ist/*istD is a entry level camera because the Pentax marketing has said that. They also said the MZ-S it a pro camera. So let us use our own heads and look at the Pentax line up and also at other companies where the *ist fit in. There are five levels of cameras. Level 1, (beginner, entry level) Z-10, Z-70, MZ-M, MZ-50, MZ-30, MZ-60 (200 Euro) (Nikon F55, EOS300, Dynax 3) Level 2, (amateur, low midclass) Z-50p, MZ-7, MZ-6 (300 Euro) (Nikon F75, EOS 300v, Dynax 4) Level 3, (advanced amateur, upper midclass) Z-20, MZ-5, MZ-5n, MZ-3 (400 Euro) (Nikon F80, EOS 30, Dynax 5) Level 4, (semipro, lower high class) Z-1, Z-1p, MZ-S (900 Euro), (Nikon F100, Dynax 7, EOS 3) Level 5, (pro) Pentax none (Nikon F5, Dynax 9, EOS 1) Now look at the features of the *ist and in which level the fit in the Pentax body line (in brackets other manufactures) Build quatility (metal mount): 2 (2) Mount compatiblity to manual lenses 1 (Nikon 4, others none) Viewfinder 2 (2) Shutter time, sync speed 3 (2-3) FPS 3-4 (2-3) Auto picture mode 2 (picture mode 2) AF system (cross sensor, on screen display) 4 (2-3) AF modes (Single, continous) 4 (2-3) Grip (vertical release) 4 (3) DOF 3 (3) MLU 2-3, (Nikon 5, 3) Flash system 2 (2-3) Special Funktions (film leader out, PF) 3 If you see the features, you see that only the mount compatibilty is entry level, all others are mid class and some are on the level of the MZ-S. IF you are saying the *ist is entry level, then your are taking only the lens mount in account. Will a beginner will use MLU or DOF or exposer bracketing? The *ist is a very good featured camera for the money, better than the compititors in that price range. We have to face it, Pentax do not support K-mount in the midclass anymore. Nobody else does it. And that is also right for the *istD, which is level 3+ (compare it to D100 (from F80), D60 (from EOS30) , Sigma D9 ), that is also a midclass camera to semi pro camera. There are no entry level or low midclass cameras as D-SLR cameras.
