What a Difference Fifteen Years Makes

What a Difference Fifteen Years Makes

In 2004 we made the move from digital bridge cameras to DSLRs. We had been using the Fuji Finepix S602 Pro (3/6 MP) and then the S7000 (6/12 MP). Fuji claimed that the arrangement of pixels on their CCDs meant that a 3MP camera would give the resolution of 6MP and a 6MP would give 12MP. We won't debate that point here, but when the first affordable Pentax DSLR became available, we jumped in. Sue got hers first, then I got mine. It was of course the *istDS, 6MP. At first we were disappointed because the images from the Fuji were better, but after we understood about sharpening it soon became apparent that the DSLR produced the better images. A steady line os opgrades brought the 10MP K10D, the 14.6MP K20D, the 16MP K-5 and the 24MP K-3 (Sue) and K-3 II (Me).

We are talking APS-C "crop sensor" DSLRs, and the equivalent that we use today is the 24MP K-3 II. It gives a much more detailed image, but the *istDS of 15 years ago is no slouch in the image quality department. The main differences are that we now have Shake Reduction, Weather Resistance, a larger monitor screen, faster AF, generally much faster operation and not very much increase in price. The consumer winds all round.

Here's a comparison of the *istDS and the K-3 II







A picture at Worsley from the *istDS, shot 2004



A picture at Arley Hall with the K-3 II, 2019



Things have moved on and I use the "full frame" K-1 mostly, but the K-3 II is in constant use for product shots in particular. Things have moved on, with more choice in both cameras and lenses!