Absolute gem of a camera

This model in the D-series camera range (D, DS, DS2, DL, DL2) is a truly capable and competent performer. I've had mine for close on 18 months now, so this is not a review based on the first rush of excitement. The very first impression is one of quality, with a solid, well-engineered body that has well laid-out ergonomics and easy-to-use controls.

Materials used in the construction seem to be of a high quality, with no detectable wear on mine, even though I literally have it with me every day (in a LowePro camera bag). The size fits my smallish hands perfectly, but I also know that people with larger hands find it comfortable, so Pentax got this right for sure. Compared to the K110/100 models, which have a larger grip, which I was expecting to be more comfortable, I actually prefer this shape.

Some people have spoken about the loud-sounding mirror slap, but it's never bothered me - sound is a subjective experience, of course.

Picture quality is great, and I've sometimes wondered whether I'll ever really need to go to a higher pixel count, although the industry and the "more is better" mentality of most consumers will inevitable take us there. I shoot only in RAW, and with the range of post-processing options that is available, great photos are easy to deliver. The "softness" of the jpg output from the DS has been criticized, and I mistakenly used that setting once during a day trip to Blue Mountain, but the photos look fine to me, even full-sized. It depends on how much pixel-peeping you do, but in the real world, this is not an issue, I think. I leave sharpness and brightness settings at their default, and images have a beautiful, warm tone, especially with Pentax SMC-coated lenses.

Speaking of lenses, one of the main advantages of using a Pentax SLR is that so many truly excellent lenses are available from the historical Pentax product catalogue, including some 25 and 30-year old M42 (screw-mount) lenses. The venerable K-mount ensures backward-compatibility with all Pentax K, M. KA, F and FA lenses, as well as older models from other manufacturers like Tokina, Sigma, Tamron etc. Prices on these older lenses are not high, so an excellent lens collection can be built fairly easily. My current favourite is an SMC 50mm f1.4 Takumar, which, if built today, would probably cost not much less than the outstanding Limited range of Pentax lenses.

I bought my wife a used DS on eBay a few months ago, and she really likes it, even though she initially wanted a point and shoot. Buy one, new or used (just watch out for the number of images already taken), you won't be sorry.