# Pentax *ist DS ~  2025 Review ~ Photos ~ Impressions

*April 28, 2025 — Kasper Bergholt*

The Pentax *istD series marked a significant milestone for Japanese brand Pentax when it was introduced in the early 2000s. The series was the brand’s first venture into digital SLR cameras.
The series built upon Pentax’s reputation for solid build quality, compact design, and advanced technology at an affordable price.
The first camera in the series, the Pentax *istD, was launched in 2003 and targeted both professionals and amateurs, though primarily the latter. It seems that professionals have traditionally leaned towards brands like Hasselblad, Nikon, or Canon.
Bottom of a mint Pentax *ist DS DSLR camera mounted with a Carl Zeiss 35mm f2 lens.
6.1 megapixels
he *istD, which was equipped with a 6.1 megapixel sensor, was known for its light weight and ergonomically successful designmaking it one of the smallest and most portable DSLRs on the market at the time.
Also see: The Nikon D3 in 2026 ~ Review, Photos, Thoughts
Lens compatibility
The series supported Pentax’s extensive and backwards-compatible range of K mount lenses.
The Pentax *istD series paved the way for a new era of digital cameras for Pentax, which continues to this day – the latest examples are the Pentax K1 mark II and different versions, including a monochrome version, of the Pentax K3.
K10D, K20D, K1 & *istDS
My first Pentax was a K20D, followed by a Pentax K10D, then K 5, and now, in late 2024, an *istD S, in addition to a K1 paired with a Carl Zeiss 35mm f/2 distagon & a ‘native’ Pentax SMC-A 50mm f/1.2.
You could say it’s been quite a winding path — one that now looks backward in time as my interest in older, even vintage, gear has grown.
You might also be interested in my write-up on the *istD’s successor, the Pentax K10D.

Photos taken with the Pentax *ist DS
Sunbuck Kondo Audio Note KSL-M7 preamplifier – 1 x 5U3C rectifier tube and two ECC811 tubes. Carls Zeiss 35mm f/2 lens.
Pentax *istdS & Pentax 35mm f/2.8 macro photo of ‘Flora Excursoria Hafniensis’ from 1838 on top of vintage hemp cloth.