Amazon.com Product Description

Pentax's *ist D is the world's smallest and lightest digital SLR (as of April 2003), measuring just 5.0 by 3.7 by 2.3 inches and weighing 18 ounces. It features a clarity of 6.1 effective megapixels, a 16-segment metering system, an 11-point AF sensor, and a continuous shooting rate of 2.7 frames per second. It's also compatible with K, KA, KAF, and KAF2 mount lenses and 645/67 lenses with an adapter.

Optics and Resolution
Employing a high-performance CCD with dimensions of 23.5mm by 15.7mm and embracing Pentax's unique image processing technology, the *ist D offers 6.1-megapixel resolution for the recording of precise, superior-quality images.

Storage and Transfer
The *ist D is compatible with CompactFlash Type I/II memory cards, and is also compatible with MicroDrives.

More Features
An optical pentaprism viewfinder was developed especially for the *ist D. This makes viewing easy with an ample 95% field of view and 0.95x magnification. There is also a superimposed display function that assists composition by illuminating the AF points in red.

Other features include:

• New 16-segment metering system achieves more accurate exposure
• New 11-point AF sensor (SAFOX VIII) for enhanced focusing
• Fast 1/4,000 second shutter speed and high-speed flash sync at 1/150 seconds
• Custom function allows functionality to be tuned to satisfy user preferences
• Noise reduction function activates for long exposures
• 1.8-inch, 118,000-pixel LCD monitor
• Choice of JPEG, TIFF, and RAW recording formats
• Convenient playback functions, such as nine-image and 12x magnification display

Power and Size
The camera is powered by 4 AA batteries; rechargeable NiMH batteries are recommended. It measures 5.0 by 3.7 by 2.3 inches and weighs 18 ounces.

The *ist D and the *ist DS Compared

	*ist D	*ist DS
Effective Pixels	6.1 Megapixels	6.1 Megapixels
LCD Monitor	1.8-inch TFT Color LCD	2.0-inch TFT Color LCD
Power Source	4 AA, or 2 CR-V3	4 AA, or 2 CR-V3
Storage Media	Compact Flash (I & II), MicroDrive	SD Memory Card
File Formats	8-bit (JPEG), 8-bit (TIFF), 12-bit (RAW)	8-bit (JPEG), 12-bit (RAW)
Exposure Modes	Auto w/Hyper Program Program AE Shutter-Priority AE Aperture-Priority AE Metered Manual Bulb	Program AE Auto Picture Picture Shutter-Priority AE Aperture-Priority AE Metered Manual Bulb
Interface	USB 1.1	USB 2.0
Flash Sync	1/150 sec	1/180 sec
X-Sync Socket	YES	NO
Continuous Frame Advance	2.6 fps	2.8 fps
Continuous Autofocus	YES	YES (in Action Picture Mode only)
Mirror Lock	YES	YES
Wireless Flash Sync	YES	NO
Optional Vertical Grip	YES	NO
Stainless-Steel Chassis	YES	YES
Remote Assistant from PC	YES	NO
Interchangeable Focusing Screens	YES	YES
PictBridge Compatibility	NO	YES
Weight (w/o Batteries)	19.4 oz	17.8 oz

... Read more

Features

• 6.1 effective megapixels
• Pentax FA J 18-35mm F4-F5.6 AL zoom lens included
• Compatible with K, KA, KAF and KAF2 mount lenses and 645 / 67 lenses with an adapter
• Compatible with CompactFlash Type I/II cards and MicroDrives
• Powered by 4 AA batteries

Reviews (5)

Answers to the two big on-line Criticisms...
OK, if you're here, you probably have read all the online reviews. Here's my answers to some of the major criticisms I've seen about this supurbe camera on the web. (And my opinion is based on a 20 year career as a professional photographer...for what that's worth! :) )

1.)Criticism: Memory card is hard to remove. OK, maybe this could use a little work on Pentax's part. Not really a big deal if you're careful. Just be careful...it's not THAT hard!

2.)Criticism: Batteries are not proprietary and rechargeable!? WHAT? THANK GOD! This is in my opinion not a mistake but a MAJOR PLUS! Only Pentax would have the forsight and understanding to give the user TWO (more if you consider all the AA posibilities...)onboard options for battery power both available almost anywhere for Pete's sake! Batteries are the life blood of digital photography, more options can only be better! For my part I'm running 2300 milliamp hour rechargable AA's and am thrilled with the performance!

Well that addresses the two biggies I've read about. As for the rest of it, the price is now where it should be and the camera performs fantastically. Now that Pentax has a 14mm coming out, all is wonderful in the digital world. My advice, BUY IT and you won't ever look back! The 13x19 prints are superb, I shoot weddings and fine art landscapes, and this camera gets the job done!!!

A great camera with a one serious flaw
Over the years I have used a variety of systems ranging from Pentax to Nikormat to Canon to Olympus and eventually back to Pentax. Why back to Pentax? Size and ergonomics. All of the major brands are good and some offer truly best in class - at a price - in optics such as Nikon and Canon.

However, for overall good value Pentax holds its own. While I would be happy to use equipment from any of the major brands, I am quite satisfied with Pentax - but I had to wait until last autumn to get my hands on a decent Pentax digital camera. The *istD, weird name and all, is such a camera. Overall I'm a happy camper and I have been taking some of the best photographs in my 30 years experience with this camera.

Other reviews here will tell you the camera's virtues and those features are real and not over stated. This is a professional class camera - though most professionals use Nikons and Canons when it comes to digital work for a number of reasons - usually due to optics and employers' standards. The optics from Pentax are still well respected and 99% of the folks reading this will be more than satisfied.

While battery life with this camera is very, very good, I would recommend considering getting the optional additional battery attachment that screws into the bottom of the camera. It looks like an old fashion motor drive but it provides excellent ergonomics when shooting side-wise (portrait) complete with the thumb and fore finger controls replicated for ease of use. It adds peace of mind by providing redundant power plus if you often shoot protrait framing, you can really hold this camera much better than most other cameras.

So what is the single, significant flaw of this camera? It is undoubtedly the flash card interface that is accessed via a door that doesn't swing completely open, tempting the user to push the card in a slightly wrong angle. Of course there are internal guides within the flash card holder assembly but even with care, over time, it is possible to break one of the tiny pins of the camera's interface to the flash card. I know. I have done it. The cost and speed of repair was minor, but suddenly one day out in the field I had a camera that was suddenly inoperable.

So that is why I give this other wise great camera only 4 stars. If you have a good investment in 35 mm Pentax gear, you really have no choice but this camera. But the good news, particularly if you are shooting in RAW, the output is incredible. Now that PhotoshopCS has upgraded its RAW import program via a free download from Adobe, the results from this camera can be absolutely stellar. But user beware when swapping out those flash cards!

My early impression: Wow!
After nearly 3 years of playing with other digital cameras I finally took the leap back into SLR-land and purchased this great Pentax camera. Though I am just beginning to explore its capabilities, so far I am delighted: there are a lot of advantages to SLR camera use that I missed from the film days.

As with any of the current crop of digital SLR's, you get a ton of flexibility and shooting speed at a price that would have been unthinkable just two years ago. If you are used to using film SLR's, and have been frustrated by certain aspects of using a typical digital camera, you will be happy to be back in the land of no-shutter-lag shooting; the ability to use a ring on the lens barrel for zooming; tons of manual flexibility combined with idiot-proof program modes; and of course the flexibility of many lens choices. What has particularly driven me crazy about the current crop of high-end non-SLR digicams is the use of EVF viewfinders -- by contrast, the viewfinders on digital SLR's are great.

So why this Pentax vs the other competitive models? (The others worth considering in this price range at this time are the Canon EOS 10D; the Canon Digital Rebel; the Nikon D70; the Nikon D100; or even the Sigma models). This Pentax has the same sensor as the Nikon models, and the imaging capabilities of any of these cameras is doubtless well beyond my skills in any case. So to me it came down to ease of use, size and build quality. Size in particular is important to me: if you just look at the specs of this camera on a cubic-inch basis it's 38% smaller than the Nikon D70 and 26% smaller than the Digital Rebel. The Canon 10d is even bigger, and looks like a house sitting next to the Pentax.

After handling all of these cameras, I concluded that the Pentax is the one I would use most often. Too often my film SLR's sat at home when I was using film -- I would grab a point-and-shoot instead. I really wanted something I would use a lot.

On the other hand, some published complaints (and my conclusions) about the Pentax have been:
(1) Images are too "soft" (this is super-easy to adjust if you use something like Adobe Album, Elements or Photoshop, and in return the camera is not "sharpening" the image for you, which can introduce sharpening noise)
(2) Not as many lenses as available as in the Canon or Nikon lines (There seem to be plenty for my purposes, both new and used)
(3) Memory cards are hard to eject (Doesn't seem that hard to me; you need to be careful no matter what camera you use).

Another issue (price) with this camera has been fixed: when it was introduced it was more expensive than the others in its class. But the price has been reduced and now is typically available at a price that slots it in as a bit more expensive than the D70 and less than the 10D.

All of these current digital slr's are great, and it seems to me that if you already owned Canon or Nikon lenses you wouldn't go wrong with one of their models. On the other hand, if you are starting from scratch (or like me, you own brands you can't use on any of these), the Pentax is worthy of serious consideration.

Wonderful Addition to the Pentax Line
The istD is Pentax's first serious entry into the digital market. Pentax are the people who came up with the K-1000, the no-frills manual camera which was so popular among students and artists. When one thinks of a name brand camera, Nikon and Canon are probably the first names to come to mind. Pentax is the underdog in 35mm, now a serious competitor in the digital world.

The CCD (digital film) is identical to that used in the Nikon D100. The istD accepts all manual focus and automatic focus Pentax lenses. Focal lengths are a bit different - so, if you have a 50mm "normal" Pentax lens, now you will have a 75mm lens when connected to this body.

I plugged in a CF card from my E-10 and all the photos I took showed up in the istD. No drivers or special software required for the USB cable - just plug the camera into a Windows OS and a harddrive appears with your photos on it.

If you are familiar with Pentax's Hyper-Program mode, you have it here again. Pentax is wonderful for tweak-ability. In "green" mode, you can set the program line to favor DOF or shutter speed. Hyper-Program mode allows you to tweak either the shutter or aperture. And, a totally manual mode is available.

There are three user-customizable banks of special tweaks, such as taking a picture before the flash full charges (option) or changing the action of a few of the buttons. In addition to a full bank of pre-set WB settings, there are three custom white balance settings which may be set using a greycard or piece of white paper. And, the viewfinder is loaded with indicators and a bar display light meter.

The best feature which made me say "wow" was the autofocus. Not only will the camera autofocus, but it flashes a red dot to show you what it is focusing on. You can manually select the focus point, or just override everything and put the focus dead center. If you don't like the red dot overlay, even that can be tweaked off.

It's fast. I took a few frames in rapid succession and was not left wanting for something faster. Of the most frustrating features of the Olympus E-10 was trying to fire off another frame - so many missed photos. Not the Pentax. When you need that little extra burst of speed, it's pretty quick.

The camera is also surprisingly light and small. The more common settings are off the program dial, such as ISO, image compression, and pixel depth. Other settings, such as sharpness, contrast, and color saturation are quickly accessed though the menu. The camera turns on fast and ready to fire. Matrix metering, center weighted metering, and spot metering all available. PC socket for external flash plus a hot shoe. Manual, automatic, and predictive continuous autofocus.

And, of course, the images are clear and crisp. It accepts up to a 1gig CF card or microdrive. A single connector provides USB and video out. If you want the LCD display on while the video output is used, well - that's a tweakable setting as well.

Back to Pentax .... after many yaers.... :-)
Well for a long time I've been one from the domain of MF 645 and saved many good words for Pentax quality. Well this camera isn't disappointment.
I've been using this camera for two weeks and can say it is cool! The image quality is very good, camera is easy to use, light, handy and steady. The overall impression is very positive. The Pentax optics is cool! I have tried it also with Sigma's 24-70 2.8 zoom that is amazingly and surprisingly quality stuff. ... Read more

Features

• With programmed automatic exposure, auto focus and auto film load, the Pentax IQ Zoom 105 is a great camera that is incredibly easy to use
• It is also perfect for the sportsminded individual or family because of its rugged, water-resistant body
• An integrated 38mm to 105mm powered zoom lens handles a 3x range of perspectives
• Real-image viewfinder with LED indicators
• Built-in flash with automatic modes plus red-eye reduction

Features

• Housed in a nitrogen-filled magnesium-alloy waterproof body (JIS Class 6) and protected with a full-body rubber housing
• Exceptional image quality and close focusing with edge-to-edge sharpness
• High-resolution phase-coated roof prisms
• Scratch-resistant hydrophobic coating on exposed objective and eyepiece lenses
• Multi-coated optical elements

Features

• Combines 800,000 pixel 1/3-inch Progressive CCD and 7x magnification (equivalent to a 280mm lens in 35mm format)
• Achieves fast, precise focus, even when using super telephoto settings
• Includes 16MB integrated flash memory, sufficient for 100 pictures in fine mode
• Choose between traditional binocular style viewing and a 1.6-inch LCD panel
• Shutter speeds from 1/30 to 1/8000 second

Reviews (6)

Best buy for the time being..
I bought my Pentax digibino in Istanbul-Turkey, it is quite nice and user friendly equipment. I rated it with 4 stars,as it needs external memory slot and more powerful lenses to get all five (at least 10x optical zoom). Pentax has the quality as expected,
battery life is a bit short so it is better to use with 1800-2000 mA rechargable Ni-Mh or Li-ion batteries.. It is being sold about 350$ (inc. VAT), but I bought mine for 220$ that is very good buy thanks to sellers favour..It is not a toy as some comments marked it out if you check its prices comperatively with the normal digital cameras with 7x optical zoom..Thanks to PENTAX for not letting me to buy cheaper versions of similar kind of cameras by producing well designed Digibino.

just an expensive toy
The concept of digital binoculars is exciting. Unfortunately, the ones that have been produced so far are nothing more than expensive toys. You might as well tape together the cheapest binoculars and cheapest digital camera you can find. Most of the digital binoculars on the market are clearly toys, but this model has the appearance that it might be different. It's not. Look at the tiny lens in the center. Does it look like it would produce good photos of distant objects?

Terrific for birders!
I bought the DigiBino mainly to use while birdwatching, and it's ideal for that purpose. I'm very pleased with it. The built-in digital camera is a solid middle-of-the-road digicam, with a good memory capacity (100 shots at best quality), and the automatically adjusting shutter speed lets me take pictures more quickly with less fussing. I'm not a photographer, so I like all of the automatic features built into the camera. The zoom is excellent. And with the camera off, the DigiBino works just fine as a medium-end pair of binoculars.

Unlike the other reviewer, I didn't have any difficulty adjusting the width of the eyepieces or the focal settings. The digital menus and settings are clear and easy to use. The DigiBino is USB-enabled, and I installed it on my computer with no trouble or fuss at all. It took about five minutes and it was up and running. It's easy to get the images off the camera onto the hard drive to save and edit them, too.

I think the Digibino is an all-around good value -- I would definitely recommend it for someone who enjoys birdwatching and would like to take pictures of the birds they see, but who is not a serious photography buff and doesn't want the expense and hassle of buying and carrying a separate digital camera. I love mine!

love the digibino DB 100
well having read a couple bad reviews on this camera...i decided to buy it...i trust pentax. turns out that it was exactly what i was looking for...im really impressed with it. only thing i dislike is the soft case...it should be a more durable material to protect the camera. so all you folks...if you have doubts about it....go for it....i love mine!!

This item really "is bad"
Bought this for my wife, an avid bird watcher. She was shocked at the poor quality compared to the high price to say the least! First, .8 mega pixels "is bad". Next 3X is even worse than the low megapixels. And worst. There is no way to adjust the distance between the eye pieces, therefore, if you are more than 10 years old you can't see through the thing. So it is back in the box and will probably never be used again. This item would be 5 stars if it were "a lot less than I paid for it." It is a yard sale item. Best price and best service on Amazon as always. ... Read more

Features

• Available in 8x40, 10x50, 12x50, and 20x60 powers
• Nitrogen-filled waterproof (JIS Class 6) construction allow these binoculars to be used in the most extreme weather conditions and be submerged to 1 meter
• Aluminum-diecast body adds strength and durability
• Long eye-relief for viewing with or without glasses
• Mechanical focus lock feature allows user to lock in at a specific distance for convenient focus-free viewing

Features

• Housed in a nitrogen-filled magnesium-alloy waterproof body (JIS Class 6) and protected with a full-body rubber housing
• Exceptional image quality and close focusing with edge-to-edge sharpness
• High-resolution phase-coated roof prisms
• Scratch-resistant hydrophobic coating on exposed objective and eyepiece lenses
• Multi-coated optical elements

Features

• Large 25-millimeter objective lens for superior brightness
• Roof prism with center focusing and protective rubber body
• Fully multi-coated lens and BaK4 prisms for high-resolution, high-contrast images
• 261-foot field of view at 1,000 yards
• 10x magnification

Amazon.com Product Description

Packing a high level of quality and performance into the world's smallest 35mm SLR (as of February 2003), the Pentax *ist measures just 4.8 by 3.3 by 2.5 inches and weighs a mere 11.8 ounces. It offers a host of advanced features and user-friendly functions for a wide range of photographers--from the most demanding professionals to SLR novices. All controls are functionally positioned on the top and back panels for maximum ease of operation and accessibility.

The newly developed 16-segment multipattern metering system solves even the most complicated lighting conditions to produce beautifully exposed photographs, frame after frame. In addition to all-purpose multipattern mode, the *ist also offers spot and center-weighted modes to meet specialized applications.

Thanks to the advanced SAFOX VIII phase-matching autofocus (AF) system, the *ist assures sharp, crisp focus on the subject, even under poor lighting conditions. Its newly developed 11-point AF sensor constantly monitors 11 different points in the image field and covers a wide area, both vertically and horizontally, to assure optimum focus.

The multi-data LCD panel offers a full range of information, with large icons and numbers to supplement the camera's user-friendly operation system. With its natural-bright-matte focusing screen, the *ist offers a sharp, clear viewfinder image even under unfavorable lighting conditions. The LCD viewfinder indicator at the bottom provides a full range of information, including the selected picture mode and exposure compensation factors.

Covering a view angle as wide as 28mm, the auto flash automatically pops up and discharges when the camera detects low-light and/or backlight situations. It also retracts to the storage position automatically when the camera's power is turned off. Its red-eye reduction function effectively reduces the annoying red-eye effect in subjects' eyes.

Other features include:

• The high-speed motor drive winds the film at a speed of 2.5 frames per second
• Automatically record the date, or day and time, of picture-taking on the photograph for quick, easy reference of captured images
• Depth-of-field preview function is electronically operated for easy confirmation of the in-focus area in the image field before actually taking a picture
• 17 custom functions enable you to customize some basic camera functions to suit individual preferences

Features

• World's smallest 35mm autofocus SLR camera (March 2003)
• Multi-mode exposure system; 16-segment multi-pattern metering system
• 11-point autofocus system; 1/4000-second high-speed shutter
• Large LCD panel with multi-data LCD viewfinder indicator
• Retractable auto pop-up flash

Reviews (2)

What a delight
I have had my *ist D for about a month. What a delight to own and use. I like almost everything about it. I am a long time Pentax owner with a collection of lenses so have never considered any other brand as I patiently waited for Pentax to come out with a digital camera. I am so not disappointed. As a camera, not considering the digital part, it is the best of all the ones I have (LX, ZX-M, ZX-5n, ME, ME Supper, Spotmatic, etc). It is well balanced and small. I love the controls and the features. You may read reviews that say the memory card is difficult to remove. With my ScanDisk flash this is not a problem. Just tilt the camera slightly, press the release with your thumb and the card magically moves to your hand. It is really very easy, the trick is you don't try and grab it, you let it come to you. The first time I used it I took over 200 high-resolution JPEG shots of my daughters ballet performance. I used my old 85mm f2 lens and it was wonderful in the dim light. I also have the two new zooms (18-55 and 75-300) and recommend both as they are very reasonable in cost. The only thing I don't like is that using the old manual lenses requires either full aperture (OK for my use so far) or a manual setting of the exposure as you cannot do stop down metering as far as I have been able to find. Other than that, I like everything. The only point to consider is that I have no knowledge of any of the competitive digital cameras, have never even held one. But when you are in love with the one you have, who cares about the others.

very good new camera
This is an excellent new camera. Pentax has definitely innovated in the design and manufacture of the *ist. The form factor and light weight, yet well constructed, make it seem like a next generation camera compared to the Canon Rebel Ti and the Nikon N75 (both very good cameras also). The advanced features are all easy to access and use on the *ist, or you can use the pre-programmed mode wheel (sports, macro, landscape, portrait, etc.) to let the *ist make the decisions. So far, the pre-programmed modes have produced excellent photos in a variety of conditions.

One recommendation, upgrade to the Pentax SMCP-FA 50mm f/1.7 Lens that Amazon sells for $149.99. It is highly rated and produces excellent photos. The Pentax SMC 50mm/1.7 probably offers the best price/performance ratio of any Pentax lens made and will allow you to tap the full potential of the *ist. (Pentax, Canon, and Nikon tend to sell their consumer SLRs with mediocre zoom lenses to keep the overall cost down, and the quality of the photos produced is average as a result and often disappointing to new SLR owners.) The Pentax SMCP-FA 28-105mm f/4.0-5.6 (IF) Zoom Lens is also a very good lens. ... Read more

Features

• Objective lens: 25mm
• General purpose binocular ideal for wildlife, sports, and theater
• High-refraction Bak4 glass prisms and multi-coated lens
• 219-foot field of view at 1000 yards
• Magnification: 12x

Features

• Finely constructed porro-prism design
• Full-body rubber housing effectively protects the internal mechanisms and optical elements
• Super-Multi-Coating eliminates harmful ultraviolet rays and improves light transmission
• Diopter adjustment allows near- and far-sighted viewers to easily and quickly adjust the image to match their eyesight
• Eyepiece rings can be easily folded back to make image viewing easier for eyeglass wearers

Product Description

The 8x36 DCF HS and 10x36 DCF HSEach high performance binocular features a simplified body design and a lightweight, fiberglass reinforced polycarbonate body encased in a full body rubber housing to protect the optics and inner mechanisms from external shock and assure a firm, comfortable hold.The combination of multi-coated optical elements and high-refraction BaK4-glass roofprisms treated with phase coating and a new super-reflection coating ensures a high resolution, high contrast image over the entire image field.A protective glass is incorporated in front of the objective focusing elements to prevent the intrusion of dust into the inner body.These DCF HS series binoculars offer JIS Class 4 weather resistant capability for use around the water and in rain. Both the rubber housing and the protective glass also serve to upgrade the binoculars' weather resistance.Other noteworthy features include a long eye relief (16mm for the 8x36 and 17.5mm for the 10x36), helicoid type extendible eyepiece rings, a click-stop diopter adjuster, and rain-shielding eyepiece caps. These binoculars also acceptan optional tripod adapter (TP-3) for quick tripod mounting and removal.Combining top optical performance, compact design and durable, weather resistantbody construction, these new DCF HS series binoculars are designed to benefit the user in every viewing opportunity especially in targeted applications. ... Read more

Features

• Large 36-millimeter objective lens for superior brightness
• Roof prism with center focusing and protective rubber body
• Multi-coated lens and BaK4 prisms
• 342-foot field of view at 1,000 yards
• 8x magnification

Features

• This 80-160mm lens is specially designed for use with the Pentax 645N SLR large-format camera body
• Features include -minimum aperture -32
• Lens Construction -11 elements / 10 groups
• Angle of View -47 - 24.5 degrees
• Diaphragm -Fully Automatic

Amazon.com Product Description

The Pentax IQZoom 928M features wide-angle to telephoto coverage and 3.2x zoom in a compact body that fits into a shirt pocket or small purse. Its zoom macro capability captures well-defined close-up pictures at any focal length with a maximum magnification of 0.22x at the 90mm telephoto setting. The five-point passive autofocus system produces images that are sharp and clear.

If the camera's metering system detects a low light or backlight situation, the built-in flash automatically provides fill-in illumination. It also offers a red-eye reduction feature. Other flash modes include flash on/off, slow shutter synch, bulb synch, and bulb.

When the IQZoom 928M is left unused for three minutes, it automatically retracts the zoom lens to storage position and shuts off to save battery power. The date feature on this camera allows you to imprint the date or time onto pictures to keep track of memorable events.

... Read more

Features

• Autofocus camera allows for focusing from 1.65 feet to infinity
• Zoom from 28mm to 90mm
• Built-in flash with red-eye reduction mode
• Multi-metering exposure control with auto backlight compensation and manual compensation override
• Midroll switchable panorama format

Reviews (6)

Great little camera
This little camera has loads of features and takes great pictures. I'm a big fan of wide-angle shots and 35mm cameras with a 28mm lens area rarity so this one worked out perfectly for me. My only complaint is what another reviewer had complained about... the on/off switch. The on/off switch has a hair trigger. If you even brush the camera against anything it turns on or off. This is more of a nuisance than anything, but it's a big nuisance. Never-the-less this camera has replaced my beloved Olympus SLR as my 35mm camera of choice.

From A Seasoned Traveler
My husband and I took this camera on a two year, around the world trip. We shot over 200 rolls of film and never had any troubles. Its a great camera...excellent zoom, easy to use, nice features and terrific photos. We highly recommend it.

Fantastic but have had problems
I have really enjoyed having the 28 wide angle lensse but I have had two of these cameras and have had problems with the on / off switch in both! I am lothed to part with the wide angle but I am likewise lothed to buy another on of these cameras. I have taken many fantastic photos before the cameras (both of them clapped out!) I dont know am I the only one to have seen this!

A Neat Camera
I,ve had for a while now, it is beautifully made and feels great when it is used or just static, zoom controls excellent, everything is easy to use, very well placed, excellent ergonomics, the 28mm end is great to have and 90 mm is just fine, the problem I find with this camera is, while the lens is quite good, it is not really excellent or on par with this focal range of other manufacturers, this is not normal for pentax, as this really is a first rate camera with an ordinary lens, the quality of the photos I,ve received is just ordinary, have tried different films and developers, always the same situation, just ordinary shots that are not representative of what a Pentax can be expected to do.

Almost perfect
I've been looking for the perfect travel camera for years, and I'm satisfied that this is close enough. The camera was recommended to me by a saleswoman in a camera shop, who told me it had the best flash of any compact automatic camera. What appealed to me most, however, was that its power zoom is much smoother and quieter than any I've tried before. I also liked the clear, bright viewfinder. I immediately took it to Jamaica for a three week research trip and shot 10 36-exposure rolls of Fuji 400 slide film. The pictures were consistently outstanding, better than I've had from my Nikon and Olympus and better than my travel partner's Leica. And the saleswoman was right about the flash, too; my flash shots were if anything better than my non-flash shots! The camera was easy to carry, being light and compact. Comfortable to hold. Sturdy, too. Simple to use, but with some useful over-ride features such as an infinity lock for shooting through glass, a spot focus lock, and six flash modes. All these compact automatics look alike, butI think this one has a bigger brain. I was learning towards a 38-105 zoom but the saleswoman talked me into the 28-90, and I'm glad she did; I used the 28 mm setting a lot. I got 10 rolls of 36 and at least 2 rolls of 24 from my first battery, which seemed fine, but it went dead without warning, so carry a spare. I have only two small complaints about this camera. First, the automatic fill flash comes on often (and unnecessarily?) in bright sunlight, which is annoying. And second, the delay in the red-eye reduction is too long, so subjects think the picture has been taken and move before the shutter goes off. In spite of these quibbles, this has become my number one camera, and I expect to use it for many years. I gave my Nikon slr and my Olympus clamshell to my daughters, because this Pentax has the best of both of them. It is simple enough for a novice and good enough for some professional use, so I can recommend it to anyone. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The 38-120mm, 3.2x power zoom lens of the Pentax IQZoom 120Mi Date camera gives you a high-performance optical design and an aspherical lens element that delivers top-quality images. The zoom macro lets you shoot close-ups at any focal length from as close as 2.1 feet from your subject, while the adjustable diopter allows you to match the viewfinder image to your eyesight. This optical versatility, coupled with the lightweight, durable aluminum body, makes this camera easy to take with you everywhere.

The "actual image" viewfinder shows the image size in relation to the zoom ratio, so you'll have an accurate preview of your finished photo. An LCD panel, located on top of the camera, provides you with a wide range of data on camera operations, including: exposure counter, battery exhaustion warning, infinity-landscape, spot AF, red-eye reduction, flash-on/flash-off, slow-speed shutter, bulb, self-timer, and remote control. It comes equipped with an electro-luminescence (EL) illuminator, which is automatically turned on in the dark for easy confirmation of the displayed data. This lets you confirm the settings at a quick glance whether it's day or night.

Even under complicated lighting conditions, the six-segment multipattern metering system consistently gives you perfectly exposed images. When the camera's metering system detects a low light or backlight situation, the built-in flash automatically provides fill-in illumination. The 120Mi lets you chose from a variety of flash functions, including: flash-on/flash-off (museum mode), slow shutter sync (sunset mode), bulb-sync (fireworks mode) and bulb mode (evening mode). It also offers a red-eye reduction feature that helps eliminate most of the red-eye effect that can appear in a subject's eyes. When combined with the metering system, the passive five-point autofocus system ensures crisp, high-quality focusing, even when shooting a subject at a distance or through a glass window. If you want to focus on just a single element of the scene, you can switch to the IQZoom's Spot Autofocus mode.

With a single flick of a switch, you can select panorama mode at any frame of the film. This feature lets you take a standard shot, then a sweeping landscape, and back to a standard shot--all on the same roll of film. When the IQZoom 120Mi is left unused for three minutes (or five minutes in the self-timer mode) with the power on, it automatically retracts the zoom lens to the storage position to protect it from damage and turns the power off to conserve batteries.

The date feature lets you imprint the date or day and time on your photographs, ensuring that you will never forget when you took that roll of film. You can choose from one of five different settings: year-month-day, month-day-year, day-month-year, day-hour-minute, and blank. ... Read more

Features

• 35mm compact metal point-and-shoot
• 38-120mm 3.2x zoom lens with autofocus
• Multi-mode flash features red-eye reduction
• Automatic film loading, advance, and rewind
• Features date imprinting and self-timer

Reviews (24)

Great little camera!
What impresses me the most about this camera is that it takes really nice pictures. I purchased it recently and took a test roll (Kodak 200 speed film) without reading the manual. I took some in the bright sunny outdoors, some in dimly lit restaurants, some at night in my apartment with poor lighting, and some in the near dark. And all the pictures came out with the subject(s) in beautiful focus, and crystal clear. The only small problem was some of my apartment pictures had a little bit of red-eye, but this camera does have red-eye reduction, and I will be sure to read the manual about how to use it.

In addition, it's a great travel camera -- it's very compact, and fairly sturdy. I packed it in a full back pack (without a case) and also took it to an amusement park on a recent trip and found that it was light enough in my purse to carry around all day, and did not mind being jolted.

All in all, I'm extremely happy with this purchase both quality and price-wise. I would offer one tip I've learned -- the timer function does not turn itself off after a picture, so be careful when you snap the next one -- you might still be on the timer!

Great Camera!
I recently purchased this camera and I am extremely pleased with it. I did alot of comparison shopping before I decided on the Pentax 120Mi QD. This camera has more features than you would expect with such a compact design. The real-size viewfinder makes cropping pictures a breeze, while the auto-backlight feature is a welcome addition that makes a HUGE difference and cannot be found on many models in this price range or even a little higher. The features are so simple to use that even a novice will get the hang of it in no time. The camera and zoom lens feels solid and sturdy and the aluminum body makes this camera both durable and attractive. I've compared the photos from this camera and similar point and shoot cameras (like the olympus stylus zoom) and high dollar SLR's and found that the Pentax 120Mi QD produces the same, if not better quality and detail. If you are in the market for a reliable, feature-packed compact point and shoot camera, get this camera...you won't be disappointed!!

Powerful camera, works wonderfully.
Strengths: Almost as small as a canon Elph2, looks attractive, easy to use, LCD panel light up for night shooting, panorama switch, light in weight.

Weaknesses: Haven't found any yet.

Overall: The main reason I bought this camera is because it look attractive. It's design is small and the silver color makes it look durable and it is. It's like buying a car, you first like the looks then the specs comes second. Also, it's easy to use, my wife learned it in couple minutes and she know nothing about cameras. Couple people mention about the zoom being a little slow, but I find it just perfect, at less for normal everyday consumer use. I mean, if your looking for fast zoom you should be looking for SLR (some great ones on Amazon too) and not point & shoot. The picture quality are clear and good. But then again, keep in mind that you must know how to use the camera or any camera correctly and your film developer must do a good processing job to get good prints. Overall, I recommend this camera to anyone. It worth the money. Great camera; you won;t be disappointed.

Buying As Gift - I Love The One I Own!
I researched many, many, many Point-And-Shoot cameras in early 2003 mainly for hiking. I selected this one for size, quality, and many recommendations from other websites and in-store camera personnel. This is my 3rd P&S camera and by far the best one I have had yet.

I had an Advantix film camera (which I do not recommend to anyone) last summer and took some of the same photos again with my new Pentax this summer. Side by side the difference was NIGHT & DAY. This camera takes amazing photos, especially outdoors.

I'm coming back to buy another one for my mother for Christmas because she was so impressed with the print quality of my camera. She has a professional Cannon SLR ($$$) camera and said she could hardly tell the difference between my photos and hers.

As for the additional remote issue mentioned in other reviews, I bought it too. But I've since realized with the timer function I really just don't even use the remote - I just set the timer and always have time to scurry into the photo.

I highly recommend this camera for yourself or as a gift, you will not be disapointed!!

Great Camera but...
I received this camera as a Christmas gift and was surprised since I have a great Ricoh camera which is very similar (not quite as much zoom as this one has). The Pentax works good for landscape and still photos but its awfully slow for action shots. I love taking photos of our dogs, but once I get their attention and have a great photo op in front of me, the camera takes too long to shoot the picture and I've lost the shot -- not so with my Ricoh. ... Read more

Features

• This 45mm lens is specially designed for use with the Pentax 645N SLR large-format camera body
• Features include -minimum aperture -22
• Lens Construction -9 elements / 8 groups
• Angle of View -76 degrees
• Diaphragm -Fully Automatic

Features

• Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass elements for optimum optical resolution
• Large 100mm objective lenses
• Extra wide focusing knob is incorporated for effortless focusing
• Durable rubber housing to protect against shock and damage.
• Housed in an exceptionally lightweight magnesium-alloy body

Features

• Magnification: 8x
• Objective lens: 25 millimeters
• Ideal for sports viewing, theater, concerts, travel, and hiking
• Short 9.8 foot minimum focusing distance
• Rubber eyepiece rings and detachable hand strap

Features

• PictBridge compatible for direct printing without a computer
• Stores images on SD memory cards; powered by on Lithium battery or two AA-size batteries (two AA-size batteries included)
• 5.0-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 13 x 17-inch prints
• 2.5-inch LCD; 3x optical zoom
• 6 still-image shooting modes; three autofocus modes