Pentax *istds or *istds2?

Hi Folks. I am new here but certainly not new to Pentax. I currently own a ZX-L and have owned many manual PK bodies in the past.

My dilemma is that I am wondering if I should wait for the Pentax *istds2 or get a *istds right now because the price is perfect. Willoubhy's out of NYC is selling the DS with lens for $624 w/ free ship (usa only).

I am not sure when the ds2 is arriving....Pentax USA does not seem to know either. One CS Rep said "early 2006" which is hard to believe. Why would they want to miss Christmas?

My other dilemma is that I am comparing Pentax to Olympus...particularly the e-500. I like both....Pentax is edging out the OLY right now because I have a couple of AF and Manual Pentax lenses. I also like the 11 point AF that the DS2 has vs. 3 points in the Oly.

Is 11 points really that much better?

This is like buying a car!

If you like Pentax cameras and already have Pentax lenses, I would suggest that is a powerful incentive to buy the Pentax.

The Olympus has its enthusiasts, but I'm not personally convinced that the 4/3 system with its very tiny sensor is the sensible way to go. Smaller sensors inevitably mean more noise for any given level of technology.

*istDS or wait for *istDS2? It looks like the difference is subtle, so unfortunately only you can decide if you can wait! Good luck!

'subtle' indeed, the only difference that I'm aware of is the DS2 has the slightly better LCD monitor, as introduced on the DL.

When multi-point AF was first introduced for 35mm, everyone made a big song and dance about it and how wonderful it was that you no longer needed to point the lens directly at the subject - it could be off-centre but the camera would still know which part was the most important and focus the lens accordingly. The more points you have and the smarter the programing, the better it works but it's really a gimmick for the point and shoot brigade.
Most serious photographers prefer to set the point of focus themselves and the easiest and most foolproof way is to switch to single-point - just like the first AF cameras used to have!
Multi-point AF generally works very well but quite often you'll need to override the camera's decision and to be honest, when it comes to 'point and shoot' ie. a fleeting moment that you need to capture in an instant, you tend to point the camera directly at the subject anyway - it's natural instinct and the subject ends up in the center and you don't have time to worry about composition.
Multi AF can undoubtedly help when you are taking consecutive shots of a moving subject but if you're at a sporting event for example, it's often better to switch to manual, pre-focus and determine the depth of field by selecting the appropriate aperture.

I personally value multi-pattern metering more highly than multi-point AF.
Modern metering systems are virtually foolproof and we don't always have time to take the considered approach needed to use average 'centre-weighted' metering. Average metering maybe more predictable but most of us take shots under varying conditions and multi-pattern metering is considered to be around 98% accurate (much more than multi-AF).
It is quite astounding when you think that a camera can accurately assess an image in a fraction of a second. The algorithm used by the micro-processor is based on literally thousands of 'correctly' exposed images and the camera finds the closest match to the image it is confronted with and depending on it's level of sophistication, also takes into account other factors such as the characteristics of the lens being used.

So to sum up, multi-AF is nice to have but you'll probably end up switching it off

Thank you for answers to my question. The more I think about it...the more it becomes clear that Pentax is perhaps the safest choice for me. I am very used to Pentax bodies and lenses.

I do own quite a few OM bodies and lenses, however with the Oly DSlr I feel like its still uncharted territory.

The person who last replied to my original post mentioned only a difference in LCD. I wrote to Pentax to ask them the question regarding differences between the DS and DS2. Most certainly what stands out is the larger LCD, however the person also mentioned "P-TTL" and "RTF" flash capability. I am not sure if that is a significant difference.

That's very interesting, a number of people have recently posted queries regarding flash issues and it sounds as though Pentax may have addressed some of them.

Perhaps we can find more details?

I will keep you posted by emailing Pentax USA and getting exact details on the upgraded flash.

Here is what PENTAXIMAGING.COM shows as spex for the *istds2:

Built In Flash Rtf: Type: Built-in retractable P-TTL auto pop-up flash Guide number: 15.6 (Standard Output Sensitivity 200/m) Angle of view coverage: 28mm wide-angle (equivalent to 35mm)


Synchronization: With RTF and via hot shoe Sync speed: 1/180 sec. set automatically with RTF or PENTAX dedicated flash unit at recharge completion


*istds:

built-in retractable P-TTL auto flash

not much for the DS.