My *ist D arrived today. I haven't even had time to go through the manual yet, but I wanted to see what it could do. I realize that for best results I'll need to shoot in RAW and process in software, but I didn't have time to learn how to do that today.
So, I set the sharpness and contrast to +1 (or as least that's what I think I did; the menu didn't seem very clear on which setting was +1 and which was -1), made sure it was set to make the largest JPEGs with the lowest compression, and took a few snaps of my wife and infant son. Here's one of them: http://precisioncalc.com/images/istd.jpg Although I bought the DA 16-45 with it as a kit (Adorama), I used my F50/1.7 for these shots. I looked at them on my very old 20" monitor, and was surprised at how much detail I could see even after zooming in a lot. I emailed them to Mom and and went shopping at Costco, where I have all my film processing done at their in-house service. I ordered 4x6's of those shots, and they weren't busy so they were able to do them right then for me (usually digital prints are overnight). I almost ordered progressively larger enlargements too, but decided to wait until I had some better shots. I'm amazed at how good they look! I would have been impressed even if this had been the best it could do with RAW format. I've been shooting mostly Fuji Reala 100 through sharp primes, and had been wondering how often I would still want to shoot Reala (instead of the *ist D) to get the best quality. Well, these look at least as good as Reala shot through the same lens (F50/1.7), with both printed on Fujicolor Crystal Archive at Costco. But again that's just 4x6; I'll be comparing them up to 12x18. My wife usually isn't very concerned about picture quality, but when I casually showed her these prints, her eyes got big and she said wow, they look great! And to think it will look even better once I've learned to shoot in RAW and process in software! Some other random first impressions: The strap, though beautiful, doesn't have pockets like the one that came with my ZX-L (MZ-6). I keep the hotshoe cover and eyepiece cover in one pocket, and the remote control in the other pocket. It's very convenient to have the remote control there. Maybe I'll get an OpTech film holster for it and keep the remote, eyepiece cover, and hotshoe protector in it in a film canister. The ergonomics aren't quite as good as the ZX-L, though still fine. The battery pack would help, but I'd prefer to adjust to it as is and enjoy the tiny size. Wow, the viewfinder readouts at the bottom of the viewfinder are big! I'm used to very tiny ones on the ZX-L. I have to move my eye to see the readouts to the right, but I won't need them most of the time anyway since I usually use Av mode and exposure compensation. Hyper-program is a cool feature, but I'll probably still use Av most of the time. I was a little worried about losing the ability to control aperature with the lens ring, but since in Av mode it remembers your aperature setting even after turning the camera off, and since the aperature readout in the viewfinder is so big, I'm happy. The CompactFlash problem was easily solved by making a tab on the card with a piece of scotch tape, as suggested on this list I believe. I have a Lexar 40x 1GB, and it had stuck even when ejecting it while facing it downward, as was also suggested. One reviewer I read complained that the viewfinder readouts go dark during DOF preview. But I think it's sensible to remove viewfinder light sources when viewing a dark DOF preview. I think your eye's pupil would get a little bigger, letting you see the dark preview a little better. Am I wrong? Someone on this list noted that the strap still has the little nubs for pushing in the mid-roll rewind button on film cameras. But I think they were left on intentionally for a new purpose - to push the arrow buttons on the 4-way controller! :-) I wasn't sure whether the DA 16-45 would get much use, since I usually prefer sharp primes, and it is big and heavy. And I intend to continue to use my ZX-L for very wide shots anyway (I really like my Sigma KA 18/3.5). But I figured that between the US $200 rebate and Adorama's kit discount, it would cost me about $170 to get a $430 lens, and if I decided I didn't want it I could just wait until after the rebate period and resell it, and probably not come out too badly. And, maybe I'll end up using it a lot after all. I sometimes shoot one-handed with the ZX-L when I get myself into awkward positions and brace myself with the other hand. The ZX-L's light weight and ergonomics make that easier than it had been with my Super Program, and I've been doing it more. But with the *ist D's added weight and not-as-good ergonomics, I think there will be less of that. I wavered between the *ist D and the Canon Rebel for weeks, mainly because of the Canon's instant histogram review with flashing burnouts (and price, of course). But I didn't even look at histograms for the shots I did tonight. And I've had digital P&S cameras for years (currenly an Olympus C-3000, which I'll soon be selling) and never looked at a histogram or even knew what one was. I think I'll be fine with only looking at histograms for more important shots when there's time to do so in review mode. Or just bracketing, when there isn't time to review the histogram but the shot is important. Overall, I'm very pleased and excited, especially with image quality. I feel the opposite of buyer's remorse -- I'm more pleased with the *ist D than I had thought possible. Greg
