Pentax *ist DL2
Announced January 24, 2006
PixelMeter The PixelMeter is our 1–100 aggregate of reviewer scores from trusted publications and creators. Weighted by source tier — not a raw average, and not PetaPixel’s own review.
Reviewer Consensus
Good
The Pentax *ist DL2 provides a compact, budget-friendly entry into DSLR photography with excellent handling and image quality. Although it offers broad lens compatibility and useful advanced features, the camera struggles with action shooting and inconsistent performance in automatic modes.
Weighted from 3 reviewer scores
Early scores
Pros
- Compact and lightweight design
- Excellent handling and ease of use
- Wide compatibility with Pentax lenses
- Superb image quality
- Fast startup and responsive performance
Cons
- Missing advanced features and live preview
- Unreliable automatic settings and metering
- Poor performance for action photography
- Fiddly menu system and high power consumption
- Slow raw file conversion
- Launch price $649 with 18-55mm
- Sensor 6.1MP CCD
What the Reviewers Say
All 3 expert reviews, weighted into the PixelMeter score.
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The Pentax *ist DL2 is bargain-priced entry-level DSLR that combines the ease of use of a compact with the performance and picture quality of an SLR. It may lack some features, but it has all the important ones and even has one or two surprises.
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Frankly, the ist DL would not be my choice for frequent action photography.
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If you’re looking for a good mid-range digital SLR then maybe you should think about something from the big two - Nikon and Canon - as their models are dropping in price and have better pedigrees, and in my mind are easier to handle despite their comparatively bigger sizes.
