Is it worth waiting?

I have Super A, 50mm f1.7 A, 28mm M, and 100mm M f4 macro.

I love this set-up.

Until recently I was adamant that being a student I could produce high quality shots with these primes and film without too much cost (the 28mm was £30 bought from dealer not even ebay 2 yrs ago-considering the number of good shots I've got this is a bargain).

However, I've recently got the macro, and I would really love to be able to preview my shots. I'm seeing lots of people with digital cameras and finally getting seduced. However, I want to wait and get an SLR not a high spec digicam as I know I can use my great pentax lenses.

I've also saved quite a bit recently despite being a student, and being in the final year of my PhD need something to cheer me up. So, I want to buy an *ist. One of Jessops second hand recently went, ebay prices are silly, and I'm thinking digital SLR might be better new (I always buy second hand but when prices are similar to new, and people can stuff up the sensor and no warranty...).

Park cameras has *ist DL £450. I have no digital compact, and therefore need memory and perhaps PS elements.

I can wait e.g. until after xmas or pentax brings out new model, but how long do you reckon this will be. (Waiting 3 months fine-I'm going to be busy with work anyway, waiting 12months bad, will spend too much time on Dpreview instead of doing my PhD!) Do you think prices will decrease much soon. Another £100 would make such a difference as I could buy a wideangle e.g. 17mm tokina or the kit lens.

Wild speculations please!

Hi,
No matter what you decide, you will always be wiser after the event and wished you thought differently

If you wait, it may be cheaper but what of the fun you've missed. Perhaps it is a bit like computers, the entry level price doesn't go down so much as the spec going up.

Kim

All high-tech gear gets cheaper every year. That won't change. So, buy now. If you wait 'til tomorrow, you'll wait for ever. Tomorrow never comes.

G

I wrote to Pentax today to see if they might have a firm date on shipping the *istds2.

Willoubhy's in the USA has a great price on the *istds w/ lens.

I assume you get VAT slapped on a customs.

Is the warranty valid. I'm thinking a warranty would be a good idea, as knowing my luck I'll get one of the few crazy ones.

Is VAT like duty? I dont know - I would contact Willoughbys and ask them.

VAT is in addition to customs duty, and is calculated on the cost of the item, plus the duty, plus the shipping cost.
G

If you really must have digital for some things like macro photography, then why not go for a cheap(ish) compact digital zoom cameara, and continue waiting for the right digital SLR. That's what I'm doing. I'm quite happy with my film SLRs, and have just bought an Optio 750z for about £200. Admittedly I've had to get an SD memory card, but that's going to be needed for the digital SLR.

We've been stuck at this level of sophistication on the digital SLRs for a while now, there has got to be something better, faster, cheaper coming soon, hasn't there?? Especially with the new tie up with Samsung, although usually technology exchanges take a while to come to fruition.

Just ordered a mint condition Pentax *ist DS body for £360!

Very excited.