Pentax *ist DL

Viewfinder (6.0)
I noticed a bit of darkening in the corners of the *ist DL's viewfinder, even without my glasses. This seems to be a problem with the eyepiece, rather than the focusing screen or lens, because I could see each corner fully illuminated as I shifted my eye – I just couldn't see them bright all at once.

The viewfinder includes a healthy dose of information, so you can keep the *ist DL in shooting position more of the time, and perhaps catch shots you might otherwise miss. The data shown are: the autofocus area, the spot metering area, the flash mode, the white balance mode, the focusing mode, the scene mode (Pentax calls it the Picture Mode), a focus confirmation indicator, shutter speed, aperture, EV compensation, the number of frames left on the SD card, an exposure lock indicator, and an ISO warning indicator, which signals if the automatic ISO feature sets the camera above a preset sensitivity.

LCD Screen (8.0)
Color LCD Panel--The *ist DL's 2.5-inch, 210,000 pixel LCD is relatively large and high-resolution for an inexpensive DSLR. Konica Minolta's Maxxum 5D hits 2.5 inches, but with only 115,000 pixels, and the rest of the sub-$1000 pack – Canon's Rebels, Nikon's D70s and D50, and Olympus's E-300 and E-1 – have either 2-inch or 1.8-inch LCDs with resolutions between 110,000 and 135,000.

A 2.5-inch display has twice the area of a 2-inch display, so there's an obvious difference between reviewing images on the *ist DL and on its competitors. The LCD isn't just big, it also has very good color reproduction and dynamic range. Off-axis performance is the only weak point of the LCD – it posterizes the onscreen image as you look at it from even a slight angle.

Top LCD Panel-- The monochrome LCD panel on top of the *ist DL shows current camera shooting settings. They are: shutter speed, aperture, flash mode, drive mode (including single shot, continuous, self-timer and remote), focusing area, battery status, metering area, exposure compensation, shots left, and, when the USB jack is plugged in, whether the camera is set to communicate with a printer or a computer. The type and logos are readable and laid out well, so it's an easy display to read.

Flash (7,5)
The *ist DL's built-in flash has a guide number of 15.6 (metric) at ISO 200. That means that a subject at 2 meters is well exposed at about f/8. That's enough power for casual use and fill flash. The flash flips up above the lens, just the right spot to limit unsightly shadows. Since it's in line with the lens, it casts shadows directly behind the subjects, which hide them.

The flash output can be adjusted from one stop overexposure to two stops underexposure in either half- or third-stop increments. The flash exposure apparently remains automated – you can't set the flash to uniformly pop off at full power or half power. Instead, the camera bases output on a meter reading of a pre-flash, and you can bias the output based on that reading.

The flash itself is very small, which means that it casts harsh, unpleasant light that will accentuate skin blemishes and oily skin. Users who plan to rely on a flash should consider getting an accessory flash that can bounce light or shoot through a diffuser. The Pentax AF360FGZ allows a much broader range of control than the built-in flash unit.

It stands to reason that the AF360FGZ would offer more controls than the built-in unit, such as bounce and high-speed sync. Oddly though, the external flash offers rear-curtain sync, but the built-in flash does not. Rear-curtain sync times the flash to fire at the end of the shutter's exposure – it's a function of the camera, not the flash, so it's odd that you need to buy an extra flash to make it work.

Lens (6.5)
The kit lens for the *ist DL is a Pentax 18-55mm zoom with a maximum aperture of f/3.5 at 18mm and f/5.6 at 55mm. The lens's angle of view is comparable to a 28-90mm lens on a 35mm camera, which is a useful range for landscapes, group pictures, and portraits.

The lens is very similar to the ones included with comparable DSLRs, although not quite as sharp. Like most other DSLR kit lenses, the lens tends to distort at the wide angle end. F/5.6 is awfully slow for a short zoom, and really not suitable for indoor available-light photography.

The lens mount is metal, which is more sturdy than the plastic mounts on the Nikon and Canon entries. Pentax offers a line of lenses for wider angles, greater magnification, or brighter maximum apertures.