Pentax *ist DL

Model Design / Appearance (7.0)
The Pentax *ist DL is an attractive camera. Its lines are smooth and curving, but punctuated by some well placed edges. The camera is small and manageable. The styling is consistent throughout – lines flow nicely from front to back and top to bottom. The color accents – red, green, and silver on the front, silver and blue on the back – are deft and subtle.

Size / Portability (7.5)
At 4.9 x 3.7 x 2.6 inches and less than 20 ounces, the *ist DL is remarkably small among DSLRs. The Canon Rebel XT is comparably small at 5 x 3.7 x 2.5 inches, and the other sub-$1000 cameras aren't much bigger. Photographers jumping from 35mm SLRs to digital SLRs (are there any of those photographers left?) will probably be surprised by how small and light the *ist DL is. The camera will be comfortable to carry on a shoulder strap for a day of sightseeing or other events.

Unlike compact models, more advanced cameras do not slip unobtrusively into pockets or backpacks. The *ist DL's shape is the typical one for a DSLR, with a bulge on the top and a lens poking forward. Though the battery and media card doors latch securely, the cable door does not, making it vulnerable to snags on fabric or loose items in a bag. The practical way to transport the *ist DL is in its own bag, perhaps one that can hold an extra lens and a couple sets of batteries.

Handling Ability (6.5)
I find the *ist DL uncomfortable to hold. One ridge on the handgrip and another along the back right edge of the camera hit my hand in uncomfortable spots. The ridge along the back edge forces my thumb vertical, rather than angled in a bit. The camera ends up higher in my palm than I would like, and my grip isn't as secure as I want it to be. The lens however makes a nice gripping plane for the user's left hand.

A number of DSLRs have two jog dials to control exposure, offering flexibility that the *ist DL lacks. In manual mode, for instance, the *ist DL's control wheel controls the shutter speed, but a combination of controls is required to change the aperture – you have to hold down the EV compensation button while turning the wheel. It's a bit awkward, and it takes the user's finger off of the shutter release.

Though the viewfinder display shows a wide range of shooting settings, exposure compensation and manual exposure settings are the only ones that are practical to change with your eye at the viewfinder. Switching exposure modes shuts off the viewfinder display and activates the color LCD.

Changing focusing mode, white balance, ISO, flash mode, and continuous shooting mode all require looking at the back LCD. They're straightforward, easy controls to operate, but it's much slower to take the camera away from your eye and look at the back of it than it would be to make the changes while looking through the viewfinder.

To access controls in Playback mode, it's likely that most users will hold the camera with their left hand, by the lens, and operate the controls with their right hand. The controls for Playback are easy to see and use that way.

Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size (6.5)
If you've used one of the smaller compact digital cameras lately, you'll appreciate the size and layout of the *ist DL's controls. They're big enough to be easy to use, and they're far enough apart to prevent accidental presses of two buttons at once. The delete button, identified with a trash can, has a small nub on its face, providing a tactile warning that you're pressing it. The AE lock button however is too close to the right edge of the *ist DL's back, again forcing my thumb afoul of the ridge on the right side of the camera.

The control dial turns easily, with positive clicks that provide good feedback while setting exposure, or less critically, while enlarging images in playback mode. It's a small dial. Though it's superior to the rocker switches that compact cameras would use for the same jobs, many SLRs have bigger, easier-to-use dials. The mode dial is much stiffer, perhaps to prevent accidental switches. It's entirely usable, but it's so tight you might think it's broken.

The power switch is a bright spot on the *ist DL: a ring around the shutter release, it's a positive control that's unlikely to be activated accidentally. Its particularly cool distinction is that it doubles as a depth-of-field preview control. That's a good placement for a significant feature.

Menu (7.0)
The menus on the *ist DL provide access to a wide range of controls, and they are subdivided in tabbed headings. Icons indicate what the tabs include, which makes it relatively easy to find the various controls.

Record Menu Item	Operation
Image Tone	Choose between "Bright" and "Natural" tone curves
Recorded Pixels	Choose resolution of image in pixels
Quality Level	RAW or level of JPEG compression
Saturation	Adjust saturation of colors
Sharpness	Controls sharpening
Contrast	Adjusts image contrast
Instant Review	Adjusts timing for image review on LCD
Auto Bracket	Sets the steps and order of shooting for exposure bracketing
AE Metering	Sets the metering pattern
Focusing Area	Choose between spot focus area and the somewhat wider area between the viewfinder brackets
AF Mode	Choose single or continuous autofocus
Flash Exp. Comp.	Bias the flash exposure up or down

Playback Menu Item	Operation
Plybk dsply mthd	Controls the information displayed with images in Playback
Bright Portion	Makes blown-out areas blink
Digital Filter	Adds picture effects
Slideshow	Control slide shows
Set-up Menu Items	Operation
Format	Camera formats SD cards
Beep	Controls the beep
Date Adjust	Sets the Date
World Time	Shows local time while traveling
Language	Choosees the language for displays
Guide Display	Controls LCD info display for mode changes
Brightness Level	Controls brightness of LCD display
Video Out	Choose between PAL and NTSC format video output
Transfer Mode	Set the USB connection for either PC or compatible printer
Auto Power Off	Sets interval before camera shuts itself off
File #	Sets the file numbering system
Sensor Cleaning	Locks up the mirror to allow cleaning of the image sensor
Reset	Returns all settings default, except Date/Time, Language, Video Out, and World Time

Custom Menu Items	Operation
Setting	Turns all custom settings on or off
Noise Reduction	Controls noise reduction for long exposures
Expsr Setting Steps	Choose 1/2 or 1/3-stop steps for aperture and shutter speed controls
ISO Corction in Auto	Sets upper limit for auto ISO adjustment
ISO Snstvty Wrn Dspl	Sets camera to warn user when ISO exceeds a given rating in Auto mode
Link AF Point and AE	Sets the camera to measure exposure from the same spot that is in focus
Meter Operating Time	Sets the amount of time the meter stays active
AE-L with AF locked	Locks exposure whenever focus is locked
Recordable Image No.	Shows the number of images that will fit on the memory card, or, when the shutter is half-pressed, the number of images that will fit in the buffer in continuous shooting mode
OK btn when shooting	Controls function of OK button while shooting – it can be used to control autofocus options
AE-L bttn on M expsr	The AE-L button can be used to set the exposure automatically when the camera is in manual mode.
AF in remote control	Sets whether the camera will autofocus when remote control is used
FI with S lens used	Activates focus confirmation with screw-mount lenses and other non-autofocus setups
Using Aperture Ring	Disables shutter release if lens's aperture ring is not set to "A"
Release when Chrging	Enables shutter release even when built-in flash is recharging
Instant Review Dsply	Shows histogram during instant review
Mag to Strt Zm Plybk	Sets the initial magnification when zoom is activated in playback
Man. WB Measurement	Sets either spot or whole-screen measurement for custom white balance measurement
Color Space	Sets Adobe RGB or sRBG color space for saved images
Reset Custom Fnction	Returns custom settings to default

Ease of Use (7.0)
The *ist DL is not a hard camera to use or control – there's a logic to its layout, and there are good options for customizing its automated features. However, it should be easier to adjust the aperture in manual modes; pressing a button while turning the control wheel with the same hand is unnecessarily awkward. The ridges on the grip and back right side of the camera limit the comfortable positions for holding the *ist DL, and that seems unnecessary too.

The menus are organized well, with a few exceptions, and the odd abbreviations amount to a minor flaw. The autofocus mechanism is decidedly low-end, with only three sensors and mediocre low light performance. Those are drawbacks users will have to wrestle with.

As limited as it is, the camera software is very clearly laid out, though I had a bit of trouble figuring out how to save TIFFs from Laboratory, the RAW converter. Odd fact: the option is not in the Save dialog.