Pentax *ist D S dslr

Hi, welcome to the forum!!
I have an *istDL, which I presume is pretty similar in most aspects. I think you can use any K mount lens, including the older ones, ( I have two old manual lenses which work fine ).

I got a cable remote off ebay for a few pounds. As for flashesd...not sure, but I'm sure someone will be along who knows far more than I do

Unlike the newer dSLRs, the *ist-DS can support regular (older) TTL flashguns as well as the newer P-TTL
So you can use pretty well any dedicated flash on the *ist-D and *ist-DS

Lenses - nearly any manual focus or autofocus lens.
Manual focus lenses that have an "A" setting on the aperture ring are easiest to use.
Only the SDM-only lenses (like the Pentax DA17-70 will not autofocus on the older cameras.

Other than that - same CS-205 remote control, same adapters, etc. A very fine camera indeed!

(And as for batteries, get some Eneloop or Hybrio batteries rather than regular NiMH cells. The Eneloop and Hybrios hold their charge much longer - up to 12 months)

HTH!
Matt

I still have my DS, the first DSLR I bought, and apart from the SDM issues I would say it is a super little camera. I agree with the reviews which say it is best used shooting raw.

When my K10 was in for repair I gave it an outing with the DA* 300. This is one picture which shows what it is capable of.:

Welcome, if you need a manual you can down load from here.

That should tell you which lenses and flash unit s are compatible.

Welcome aboard.

The DS's sensor is a real beauty. My first Pentax DSLR was the Pentax *ist D which uses the same sensor as the DS and I still think it can deliver some of the best IQ of any camera, period.

Pretty much all previous Pentax lenses fit the DS, but I would suggest sticking with the A, A*, F, FA, FA*, DA, DA* and DFA lens series as they work best, especially the DA/DA*/DFA/DA Limited lenses, see below. The A/A* lenses are fully metal construction manual focus lenses and are generally beautifully made. Most have exceptional IQ, with the A85 f1.4 and A135 f1.8 arguably considered among the finest Pentax have ever made.

The F series of lenses are Pentax's first foray into auto focus. There are many excellent examples still to be had.

The FA/FA*/FA Limited lenses are the second generation auto focus lenses with many of them also considered amongst Pentax's finest. The FA*85 f1.4, FA*28-70 f2.8, FA*80-200 f2.8, the FA*200 f2.8, FA*300 f4.5, FA31 Limited, FA43 Limited, FA77 Limited all considered fantastic examples of Pentax's lens maker's art. Many of them are legendary.

The DA/DA*/DFA/DA Limited are the lenses designed for the digital cameras, the DFA's will also work on FF cameras. Many of these are also gaining the reputation for being superb lenses. I would suggest starting with some of these lenses as they are designed to work best on your DS.

You may have noted that some of these lenses have the "*" next to their models. This stands for Pentax's premium lenses in this series. The "Limited" lenses in either the FA or DA series are sort of considered semi retro lenses made in "limited" numbers. By retro, I mean that they are designed to look and feel like the old manual focus lenses, ie full metal construction with good manual focus feel, but still auto focus. They are considered some of the finest lenses ever made as afar as IQ and build is concerned. See this article:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/columns/sm-02-05-02.shtml

I think I have covered all the relevent lens series. I hope this has been of some help in your quest to find lenses.

My recommendation would be to start with a camera and one or two zoom lenses (the two "kit" lenses DA18-55 and DA50-200 are quite respectable performers and good value) and then see what you like / don't like doing before splashing the rest of your budget on accessories. You'll undoubtably buy more stuff eventually but what suits one person won't neccessarily suit you - don't be in too much of a hurry right away.