Pentax ist DL2 Review

Name: Pentax ist DL2
Brand: Pentax

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Main Features

6MP - APS-C CCD Sensor

ISO 200 - 3200

" Fixed Type Screen

Optical viewfinder

3.0fps continuous shooting

565g. 125 x 93 x 66 mm

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Pentax ist DL2 Overview

First introduced in January 2006 , Pentax ist DL2 is a 6.0MP Advanced DSLR camera with a APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm ) sized CCD sensor and Pentax KAF lens mount.

Pentax ist DL2 Review - Click for Table of Contents

Overview
Pros and Cons
Lens Mount and Lenses
Sensor and Photography Features
Physical Specs
LCD and Viewfinder
Connectivity, Storage and Battery
Other Features
Photography Type Scores
Alternatives
Popular Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Detailed Specifications

Pentax ist DL2 is a member of Pentax's Advanced DSLR class cameras. Below you can see the latest models in this class and how their main specs have changed with each new model.

Pentax Advanced DSLR Series History

Model	Release Date	Sensor	Max FPS	Dimensions	Weight
Pentax K-3 III Compare	2021	26.0MP - APS-C	12.0 fps	135 x 104 x 74mm	820g
Pentax K-1 II Compare	2018	36.0MP - Full frame	4.4 fps	137 x 110 x 86mm	1010g
Pentax KP Compare	2017	24.0MP - APS-C	7.0 fps	132 x 101 x 76mm	703g
Pentax K-1 Compare	2016	36.0MP - Full frame	4.4 fps	137 x 110 x 86mm	1010g
Pentax K-3 II Compare	2015	24.0MP - APS-C	8.3 fps	131 x 100 x 77mm	800g

Check the link below to compare specs of the latest cameras in this series side-by-side:
Pentax K-3 III vs K-1 Mark II vs KP vs K-1 vs K-3 II

Alternative Model names found for Pentax ist DL2: DL 2 and istDL2.

**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Pentax ist DL2 PROs and CONs Review

Now let's get in to more details of our Pentax ist DL2 review by analysing its specs and features and listing out its pros and cons compared to average competitor cameras in its class.

PROs

Optical Built-in Viewfinder

565g Light Body

Flash Sync Port

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Buy Pentax ist DL2 from AMAZON or B&H PHOTO

CONs

No Wireless Connection

No Sensor shift Image Stabilization

No Articulating Screen

No Full HD Video

No Touch Screen

0.57x magnification - Small Viewfinder

No Face Detection Focusing

Low Resolution Sensor: 6.0MP

Max Sensitivity only ISO 3.200

Only 5 Focus Points

Small LCD Screen ( ")

Low Screen Resolution ( 210kdots )

Slow Continuous Shooting: 3.0fps

No Environmental Sealing

Poor Low Light Performance

No AF Micro Adjustment

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Pentax ist DL2 Physical Specs

Pentax ist DL2 weighs 565 g (1.25 lb / 19.93 oz) and has external dimensions of 125 x 93 x 66 mm (4.92 x 3.66 x 2.6″). Considering that the average weight of DSLR type cameras is 773g, Pentax ist DL2 is a remarkably light camera for its class. With a thickness of 66mm, it has an average thickness for its class.

Weight Comparison

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Thickness Comparison

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In order to give you a better idea about the real life size of Pentax ist DL2, we have added an image of how it looks next to a credit card and an AA type battery.

Physical size of the Pentax ist DL2 Body Compared to a Credit Card and an AA Battery

Below you can find the comparison of the weight and thickness of Pentax ist DL2 with its main competitors:

Pentax ist DL2 Size Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Weight	vs ist DL2	Thickness	vs ist DL2
Pentax K100D S Compare	646g	81g heavier	71mm	5mm thicker
Pentax K-x Compare	580g	15g heavier	68mm	2mm thicker
Pentax K10D Compare	793g	228g heavier	70mm	4mm thicker
Pentax ist DS2 Compare	605g	40g heavier	66mm	equal thickness
Pentax K200D Compare	690g	125g heavier	74mm	8mm thicker
Pentax K-S2 Compare	678g	113g heavier	73mm	7mm thicker
Pentax K-r Compare	598g	33g heavier	68mm	2mm thicker
Pentax K-1 Compare	1010g	445g heavier	86mm	20mm thicker

Weather Sealing

Pentax ist DL2 doesn't have any environmental sealings on its body so you got to be extra careful to protect it against water and dust. If you shoot under these conditions very often, consider checking Top DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing page.

Pentax ist DL2 Lens Mount and Lenses

Pentax ist DL2 has a Pentax KAF lens mount and currently there are 161 native lenses available for this mount. Pentax K mount has backward compatibility for all the K mount lenses produced since 1975 so Pentax users has access to a large selection of manual era native lenses in addition to the modern AF lenses.

Pentax ist DL2 doesn't have a sensor based image stabilization system but 13 of these lenses already comes with Optical Image Stabilization.

Weather-sealed Lenses for Pentax ist DL2

There are 27 lenses with weather sealing for Pentax ist DL2 but bear in mind that ist DL2 body doesn't have weather sealings.

Here are some of the most popular Pentax ist DL2 Lenses on Camera Decision:

Popular Pentax KAF Mount Lenses for Pentax ist DL2

Model	Focal Length equiv.	Coverage	Weight	Focusing	Street Price
Pentax D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6 ED DC AW	225-675mm	35mm FF	2000gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Sigma 150-500mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM	225-750mm	35mm FF	1780gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
HD Pentax DA 55-300mm F4.0-5.8 ED WR	82.5-450mm	APS-C / DX	466gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Pentax DA 16-50mm F2.8 ED PLM AW	24-75mm	APS-C / DX	712gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Pentax smc DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED WR	75-300mm	APS-C / DX	285gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Pentax DA 18-50mm F4.5-5.6 DC WR RE	27-75mm	APS-C / DX	158gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
HD PENTAX-DA 55-300mm F4.5-6.3 ED PLM WR RE	82.5-450mm	APS-C / DX	471gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo
Pentax smc DA 18-270mm F3.5-6.3 ED SDM	27-405mm	APS-C / DX	453gr	AF	Amazon B&H Photo

Here you can find the lenses that are compatible with ist DL2 classified by suitability to certain photography types:

Check our Pentax ist DL2 Lenses page for more detailed lens search.

Pentax ist DL2 Sensor and Photography Features

Pentax ist DL2 has a 6.0MP APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm ) sized CCD sensor . You can shoot at maximum resolution of 3008 x 2008 pixels with aspect ratios of and 3:2. ist DL2 has a native ISO range of 200 - 3200 and it can save files in RAW format which gives you a wider room for post processing.

Pentax ist DL2 is not the highest resolution APS-C camera. Fujifilm X-T5 with its 40.2MP sensor is leading in this class. Check the comparison of Pentax ist DL2 vs Fujifilm X-T5 or take a look at Highest resolution DSLR cameras list.

Pentax ist DL2 DxOMark Sensor Scores

DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. Pentax ist DL2 sensor has been tested by DxO Mark and got an overall score of 65 for its image quality. You can find the details of their analysis of Pentax ist DL2 here.

Let's look at how the size of the Pentax ist DL2's APS-C sensor compares with other standard sensor sizes.

Comparison image of Pentax ist DL2 Sensor Size with other standard sensors

Pentax ist DL2 LCD and Viewfinder

Pentax ist DL2 has a Fixed Type -inch LCD screen with a resolution of 210k dots. At only ", the screen is on the smaller side and 210kdot resolution is lower than most of the recent models in this class.

Unfortunately Pentax ist DL2 doesn't have a Selfie friendly screen. If this feature is important for your shooting style, check here the list of Best DSLR Cameras with Selfie Friendly LCD screen.

ist DL2 has a built-in Optical viewfinder, making it easier to shoot in direct sunlight and in other situations where it might be difficult to view the LCD monitor. The viewfinder has a coverage of 95% and a magnification ratio of 0.57x. 95% coverage means that what you see in your viewfinder while shooting will slightly be different from the actual image.

Pentax ist DL2 Connectivity, Storage and Battery

Pentax ist DL2 has a USB 1.0 (1.5 Mbit/sec) port to connect your camera to other devices.

Pentax ist DL2 Features Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Max Video	Battery Life	Wi-fi	Bluetooth	NFC
Pentax K100D S Compare	None	shots	No	No	No
Pentax K-x Compare	1280 x 720	1900shots	No	No	No
Pentax K10D Compare	None	shots	No	No	No
Pentax ist DS2 Compare		shots	No	No	No
Pentax K200D Compare	None	shots	No	No	No
Pentax K-S2 Compare	1920 x 1080	410shots	Yes	No	Yes
Pentax K-r Compare	1280 x 720	470shots	No	No	No
Pentax K-1 Compare	1920 x 1080	760shots	Yes	No	No

Pentax ist DL2 Other Features

Max Shutter speed

Pentax ist DL2 can shoot continuously at max speed of 3 fps and has max shutter speed of 1/4000 sec.

Flash

ist DL2 has a built-in flash, and it also has a flash shoe to mount your external flashes too.

Focusing

Pentax ist DL2 features a Phase Detection autofocusing system. The AF system has 5 points to choose from.

What type of Photography is Pentax ist DL2 Good for?

In this section, we review and score Pentax ist DL2 in 5 different photography areas.

Pentax ist DL2 for Portrait Photography

Pentax ist DL2 has a score of 42 for Portrait Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Portrait is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top DSLR Cameras for Portrait Photography list.

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder

Good Ergonomics&Handling

Read the details of how we scored Pentax ist DL2 for Portrait Photography

Pentax ist DL2 for Street Photography

Pentax ist DL2 has a score of 44 for Street Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Street is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top DSLR Cameras for Street Photography list.

Optical Built-in Viewfinder

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor

Read the details of how we scored Pentax ist DL2 for Street Photography

Pentax ist DL2 for Sports Photography

Pentax ist DL2 has a score of 70 for Sports Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Sports Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 DSLR Cameras for Sports Photography list.

Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
Good Ergonomics&Handling

Optical Built-in Viewfinder

Read the details of how we scored Pentax ist DL2 for Sports Photography

Pentax ist DL2 for Daily Photography

Pentax ist DL2 has a score of 48 for Daily Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Daily is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top DSLR Cameras for Daily Photography list.

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor

Read the details of how we scored Pentax ist DL2 for Daily Photography

Pentax ist DL2 for Landscape Photography

Pentax ist DL2 has a score of 29 for Landscape Photography which makes it a POOR candidate for this type of photography. If Landscape We strongly recommend you to check our Top DSLR Cameras for Landscape Photography list and consider these alternatives over theist DL2.

Large APS-C (23.5 x 15.7 mm) sensor

Read the details of how we scored Pentax ist DL2 for Landscape Photography

Pentax ist DL2 Alternatives

In this section, we analyse how Pentax ist DL2 compares with other DSLR cameras within a similar price range.

Read a more detailed analysis of Pentax ist DL2 alternatives.

Popular Comparisons of Pentax ist DL2

Here are the eight most popular comparisons of the Pentax ist DL2 amongst Camera Decision readers.

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Pentax ist DL2 Alternatives in Mirrorless Cameras

It would also be interesting to compare Pentax ist DL2 with Mirrorless Cameras. Below we have listed 4 highest ranked Mirrorless cameras in Pentax ist DL2's price range.

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Pentax ist DL2 Conclusion and Scores

Currently, Pentax ist DL2 has an Overall Score of 40/100 which is based on our evaluation of 69 different technical parameters. Our scores are dynamically updated whenever a new camera is added to our database or when we change our ranking algorithm and the maximum score is always 100. Pentax ist DL2 is ranked #183 out of 209 in DSLR cameras (Top 20 DSLR), and ranked #701 out of 1259 in all Cameras (Top 20 Overall).

#701 out of 1259 in Top Ranking Cameras
#183 out of 209 in Top Ranking DSLR Cameras
#79 out of 93 in Top Ranking Advanced DSLR Cameras
#243 out of 270 in Top Ranking APS-C Sensor Cameras
#28 out of 34 in Top Ranking Pentax KAF Lens Mount Cameras
#274 out of 379 in Largest Viewfinder Magnification Cameras (0.57x)
#48 out of 143 in Lightest DSLR Cameras with APS-C sensor(565g)
#398 out of 918 in Top Ranking Cameras with Fixed Type Screen
Geek Score: 0

Main Scores

Imaging

Features

Value for Money

Portability

Overall Score

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Frequently Asked Questions about Pentax ist DL2

Does the Pentax ist DL2 have Image Stabilization?
Does the Pentax ist DL2 have RAW support?
Does the Pentax ist DL2 have Weather Sealing?
Does the Pentax ist DL2 have built-in GPS?
What is the Max ISO of Pentax ist DL2?
What is the Sensor Size of Pentax ist DL2?
is the Pentax ist DL2 a Full Frame (FF) camera?
Does the Pentax ist DL2 have Touch Screen?
Does the Pentax ist DL2 have built-in Wireless?
What is the Max Continuous Shooting Speed (fps) of Pentax ist DL2?
What is the Weight of Pentax ist DL2?
What are the Dimensions of Pentax ist DL2?

Pentax ist DL2 Detailed Specifications

General
Brand	Pentax
Model	Pentax ist DL2
Announced	2006-01-27
Body Type	Mid-size SLR
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Pentax KAF
Number of Lenses	161
Focal Length Multiplier	1.5×
Macro Focus Range	n/a
Screen
Screen Type	Fixed Type
Screen Size	"
Screen Resolution	210k dots
Live View
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical
Viewfinder Resolution	no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage	95%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.57x
Photography Features
Min Shutter Speed	30s
Max Mechanical Shutter Speed	1/4000s
Max Continuous Shooting	3.0 fps
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Exposure Compensation	Yes
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	n/a
Flash Modes	Auto, On, Off, Red-eye reduction
External Flash
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Exposure Modes
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	65
DxO Color Depth	22.9
DxO Dynamic Range	11.1
DxO Low Light ISO	639
	Report a correction

Sensor
Sensor Type	CCD
Sensor Size	APS-C
Sensor Dimensions	23.5 x 15.7 mm
Sensor Area	368.95mm²
Sensor Resolution	6 megapixels
Max Image Resolution	3008 x 2008
Max Native ISO	3,200
Min Native ISO	200
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	5
Number of Cross Focus Points	Unknown
Video Features
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	No
HDMI
USB	USB 1.0 (1.5 Mbit/sec)
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Water Proof
Dust Proof
Shock Proof
Crush Proof
Freeze Proof
Weight	565g
Physical Dimensions	125 x 93 x 66mm
Battery Model	4 x AA
Other Features
Self Timer	Yes (2 or 12 sec)
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None
Storage Type	SD/MMC card
Storage Slots	1