out of the loop

[jlemire]

Hey all -

 

I have been away from photo.net for a while and generally out of

"photography mode" while settling into a new home and job. I just

took a look over at B&H and saw that the DS2 has been discontinued.

THey are currently offering just various kits of the D and the DL.

 

A few questions:

1) what happened to the DS2?

2) what about the DS?

3) can someone suggest a good source for comparing the D and the DL?

 

Basically, I am again interested in acquiring my first digital SLR. I

had thought (months ago) that I would get the DS2. That now seems

moot and I must begin anew my research into what is best for me. Any

suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks!

[james_lai]

I thought the D was discontinued some time ago. That might be old stock at B&H.

 

If the DS2 is not available, you might have to buy it as a Samsung GX-1S.

[james_lai]

The dpreview site has a "side-by-side" feature. Click <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=pentax_istd%2Cpentax_istds2%2Csamsung_gx1s&show=all" target=_blank>here</a> for a comparison of the D and DS2, with the GX-1S thrown in for good measure.

[james_lai]

Sorry, I forgot it was the DL you wanted to compare. <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sidebyside.asp" target=_blank>Here</a> is a link to the side-by-side page on dpreview where you can run your own comparisons.

[14mm 2.8l]

DS2 are no longer produced. Hard to say what if any Pentax branded items will continue to be built. Pentax discontinued alot of their pricey and pro glass a few months back too.

 

All OK by me since the Samsung GX-1S I ordered a few months ago arrived in my local shop with a Schneider K 18mm-55mm zoom with macro and it was bundled with an additional 3 year samsung factory warantee on top of the one year. I paid full retail: $799.95. Today I bought 2 sandisk 1 gb sd cards at walmart for $51 a pop. In raw I expect about 80 pix per gig. No cards or battery charger is included. 2 gb cards will kill the camera, so I was told. Thats not in the manual.

 

Lindy

[jlemire]

So should I now be looking to Samsung for all my future "Pentax" cameras? I have plenty of Pentax glass and do not really want to switch to anything else.

 

Is this just a marketing change or are there real research and development issues as well?

[14mm 2.8l]

Jim, We've got few pentax lenses and assessories that I picked up for my wife. I started with a mint(back~then) 15mm f3.5 for a "great" price locally and that began the aquistition of the pentax system for us. I shoot the old abandoned~by~Canon FD System made in the 1970's & 1980's, which my better half (always) finds "too heavy" to use.

 

I've really wanted a Pentax DS2 for her glass. I've read the best Samsung is indeed a DS2. I found it incredibly hard to locate one from a seller I wanted to do internet biz with or any seller with it in actually in stock.

 

I placed a DS2 order 9+ months ago from my favorite local shop. They've been so great to me over the years so I decided to buy the DS2 from them. Over time nothing happened and later Pentax cancelled all prepaid preorders for DS2 and then, suddenly, my rebadged DS2 Samsung arrived just last Friday for pickup.

 

I briefly saw a couple DS2 out of Canada on ebay that had 2 year warantees. USA was 1 year. I live in US and the Canada deal was good for Canadian addresses only so I passed, thinking Pentax would eventually fullfill preordered product shipments. But that never happened.

 

I am very happy that this Samsung DS2 had the 3 year extention included.

 

Bottomline: You should get one too. My wife loves hers.

 

I think the Pentax~Division has gotten purchased, whether it was hostile or friendly, I have no clue. Now Pentax is a part of "Samsung", a far bigger imaging company including wide flat screen televisions.

 

It's all good in my eyes! This long over due product is here just in time for our annual trek to Yellowstone and the Tetons. It'll be different trip for us this time. Being able to upload *quality* pix to the laptop each night from our vacation will open new educational experiences for us. Since there's no TV in that park, we can drink our red wines and reflect on each and every day's photography. We'll still use film for 14mm canon and 15mm rectilinear pentax view so some mysteries will await us for our return home, after developing and printing. I typically shoot 40 rolls of film per week on vacation. I am curious how much the digital 1.5x crop Samsung branded pentax mount body will reduce that number.

 

Lindy

[gib]

Samsung recently went ahead of Sony as the number one electronics firm...it should be interesting to see how this pentax legacy to lenses and new DSLRs will play out.

 

I am hoping to buy the next generation of Samsung DSLR and use my Pentax FA lenses, an M 50mm f1.4, and some M42 Takumar lenses as well - Hope I will be able to.

[dg1]

Lindy,

Just how will the 2gig cards "kill" a DS2? I have a DS and a 2gig card. I haven't shot much with the new card yet, but what is the worry? So far it all seems ok.. Are you referring to actual damage to the camera?

[14mm 2.8l]

Dean,

 

I called the samsung customer support toll free number to ask why the manual said "1gb guaranteed". They said above 1 gb voids the warantee.

 

Good to know it works fine for you.

 

I returned my 2 gb cf card priced at just $64.13.

 

Lindy

 

Lindy