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Pentax *ist-D Pentax's first d-SLR is a winner, with good color, low noise, and excellent "hand feel," all in a compact body. Select a topic Reference: Datasheet ISTD Photo Gallery! ISTD Sample Images --------------------------------- 1. Intro and Highlights 2. Executive Overview 3. Design 4. Viewfinder 5. Optics 6. Exposure & Flash 7. Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests 8. Operation & User Interface 9. Camera Modes & Menus 10. Image Storage & Interface 11. Video, Power, Software 12. Test Results & Conclusion --------------------------------- Print-Friendly Review Version Additional Resources and Other Links Reader Comments on ISTD Review --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Design :(Previous) | (Next): Optics>> Page 4:Viewfinder Review First Posted: 03/30/2004

Viewfinder
The *ist D is equipped with an optical viewfinder that works through the lens (the LCD monitor is for image playback and accessing the menu system). A diopter adjustment slider adjusts the view for eyeglass wearers, and a soft, rubbery eyecup provides a little cushioning. Pentax states that the optical viewfinder provides about 95 percent frame coverage, which agrees very well with my own measurements, which showed an actual coverage of 96 percent on my evaluation sample. An illuminated display inside the viewfinder provides an information readout that includes focus indicators, shutter speed, aperture, flash mode, an exposure bar graph, the number of recordable images, and the AE lock indicator.

While the LCD panel on the *ist D isn't usable as a viewfinder, it does provide a great deal of information about your pictures after you've shot them. You can select from views that include no overlaid information, a histogram display, or an overlay with unusually extensive exposure and related image information. The histogram display option graphs the number of pixels there are in the image at each brightness level. The brightness is the horizontal axis, running from black at the left to white at the right. The height of the graph shows the relative number of pixels having each brightness level. This sort of display is very handy for determining under- or overexposure. Ideally, the histogram would stretch across the entire width of the display, using the full range of brightness values available. An underexposed image will have a histogram with all the data lumped on the left-hand side, with nothing reaching all the way to the right. Likewise, an overexposed image will have all the data lumped on the righthand side. A second display reports the various exposure settings, so you can quickly double-check whether or not you had the right saturation or ISO setting, for example.

In Playback mode, the *ist D also offers both a 9-image index view of images on the memory card, as well as a zoomed view, with as much as 12x digital enlargement on captured images, controlled by the Av dial on the rear panel. Once an image has been enlarged, you can then use the Four-Way Arrow Rocker button to pan around within the image. The Av dial also accesses a nine-image index display mode, through which images are navigable via the Four-Way Arrow Rocker button.