*istD compatibility & FAQ

Since many of the same questions have been asked, I thought I would post a general compatibility and FAQ thread.

Lenses
First of all, the 18-35mm FAJ lens is a real 18mm. If you put it onto the film version *ist you will get 18mm
The focal length of digital and film is the same. The difference is that digital has a smaller sensor area than the 35mm film. Imagine taking a central crop of a 35mm frame and that's the result. Of course, you don't see this when you look through the viewfinder of the *istD - it appears full (ie no black edges), but the angle of view is reduced. This is what the "effective focal length of 1.5x" is all about. When you put an 18mm lense on the *istD you will get the same angle of view as a 27mm lens (18x1.5) put on a 35mm film camera.
Additionally, the FAJ lens has no aperture ring - so you can't use it on older cameras. The Z1, Z1p, MZ-S, *ist, and *istD will handle it well (anything that has the aperture selection available on the camera).

Flash
As with most things Pentax (excepting the FAJ type lens mount), backward compatibility rules the day The *istD manual specifies that the AF360FGZ, AF500FTZ, AF330FTZ, AT400FTZ, and AF240T all function. In addition, the Pentax Japan website says that the AF400T and AF280T can also be used with the *istD.
You may not have noticed, but the *istD has a PC connector on the left front side of the pentaprism - so you can use it immediately with studio lighting
Obviously, the features you get with each flash varies (see the manual page 93 for the table - now downloadable from Pentax USA).
To briefly outline the details:

• * Redeye reduction on 360, 500, 330
  * P-TTL flash (preflash for accurate exposure) only AF360FGZ
  * Contrast Control on 360, 500, 330
  * Slave flash on 360, 500, 330
  * Multiple flash only AF500FTZ/AF330FTZ
  * High speed wireless flash only AF360FGZ
  * Wireless flash on AF360FGZ and AF500FTZ
  

The *istD with the AF360FGZ is a fantastic pair - the P-TTL mode is almost unbreakable - close shots, macro, wireless, bounce, diffused all work brilliantly.

Image quality
Image quality is superb. It is digital, so you will not get the fine-detail resolution you get out of film, or medium-format. Still, the "grain" of the *istD at ISO200 is far less than Fuji Provia. Even ISO3200 is usable (when compared with Fuji 1600ASA negative). If you have NeatImage, then that will slice away almost all of the image noise (profiles I produced are available on the NeatImage site).
If you print out at home or place on the web then the quality is truly stunning. Even 35mm film with the Nikon Coolscan IV has a job to keep up
As for large format prints... I'll have to keep you posted on that, but if anyone wants to try with one of my images I'm sure we can arrange something
Being a bit of a nit-picker with image quality, I am well pleased with the *istD.

Fun factor
Huge, huge amount of fun. Just being able to rattle through two dozen images to get an idea right is fantastic. In addition, the auto senstivity option allows the camera to clock up or down the ISO rating to minimise camera shake.
Focussing is fast and precise, and the camera seems to be always ready to take another shot (It might be as fast as you'd like for sports or high speed activity - that's not my field)

I'll add to this post if any more general questions arise...
Keep taking those "precious moments"!

Matt

I have tested the *istD with a few old accessories from my LX system.

The 28mm shift lens works well with Av mode stop down metering. There is light falloff with maximum shift but no colour shift as experienced on some full frame CMOS chips.

The Sunpak DX-12r with PT-2D interface module works well.

The Metz 32 MZ-3 with SCA 372 basic TTL has been used but all modes not tested yet.

15mm SMCP gives sharp results stopped down. Looks better with a little unsharp masking to boost the contrast.

The SMCP 100mm macro works well with the popup flash giving very even illumination in 1:2 macro.

Pentax microscope adaptor. Use with 2sec self timer setting to activate mirror lockup. The shutter has very low vibration.

Overall it has given a collection of old but useful accessories a new lease of life.

Cheers from Australia
Pierre

I can add the AF280T and 400 flashes to your list. Camera in full auto mode, flash in TTL, I tried a variety of direct and difficult bounce shots, all perfectly OK. I noted that the ist D always chose either 1/30 or 1/45 second. That wouldn't have happened on the LX.

Here's another compatability test that went moderately well...

An old SMC M 50mm f1.7 was mounted on an Auto Bellows M Set and clamped with the supplied K adapter ring to the *ist D. That's the bit that's less than perfect. The underside of the Bellows Set gets very close to fouling on the protuberant base of the *ist D, but it fits if you are careful, if not you could end up with the bellows misaligned with the 'film' plane.

Unfortunately the magnetic measuring scales won't fit because the *ist D pop up flash gets in the way, though if you were desperate you could get a sliver of metal machined off of the scales.

With all that bolted together I added AF080C ring flash, set it to TTL and the camera to the Green full auto mode. I manually stopped the lens down to f22 (the Bellows Set provides for this) and pressed the shutter release. This (620KB)

http://www.hvweb.co.uk/mknight/pentax/fivepence.jpg

is what I got with the very first shot. So it looks like all the old TTL flashes work just fine and metering with the Auto Bellows is simple too. Only minor problem is that the old two ended cable release supplied with the Bellows doesn't fit the ist D.

While anxiously awaiting the arrival of an *ist D I was commiserating with myself that the 18-35mm FA J lense would not be of use other than on the * ist D - lack of aperture ring on the lense!!

This afternoon I got a call from my friendly dealer and, at the speed of sound, I presented myself at his shop-counter. A quick exchange of words, and a few Euro, and it was back home and much rustling of boxes etc. After a while I decided to see what would happen if I put the 18-35mm FA J onto my MZ-3 and lo and behold, unless I am mistaken, the viewfinder information would seem to suggest that I can, indeed, use this lense in Program and Shutter Priority mode. I have not yet put any film through it but will do so in the next day or two - if I manage to leave the *ist D out of my hands for long enough.

Would anybody like to confirm, or shoot down, my understanding?

I've fallen in love with the "istee" already. Everything seems so "natural". It has so far passed the hurdles encountered by various other suscribers i.e. has recognised the CF card, has retained the time when the main batteries were removed, and appears to have passed the "hot/dead" pixel test.

As far as I understand it, the FAJ lenses are permanently set in what would have been the A aperture position on the older Pentax FA/F/A lenses. Canon & Nikon have been doing this for a number of years.

All that you have lost is the ability to manually set the aperture on an aperture ring. This must now be set on the camera body itself.

Thus, they should be fully compatible with any Pentax body that is set in Program or Shutter Priority (TV) mode.

Enjoy!
Treve

Hello Treve,

Yes everything worked perfectly.

I ran off a few test shots yesterday using both Program and Shutter Priority modes and they were grand. The angle of view from the 18mm end is amazing - ye have to make sure ye've washed behind your ears using this one !!

Regards

Sorry Treve,

Missed the username from that last post

All the best