PENTAX *ist:The little*ist SLR!

"Is that a piece of jewelry around your neck or a real SLR?" someone asked one day when we were shooting field tests on the street with the Pentax *ist. It was said in jest, but the *ist may be as close as we ever get to an SLR that falls into both camps. And though it's a cute handful, is it a good camera?

Having wrung out a production unit for a few months, here's the answer: In terms of operating convenience, the *ist is pretty sensational.

Sensational convenience? With how many other SLRs can you operate nearly every control without removing your fingers from the camera? Except for the AF/manual-focus switch and exposure mode dial, almost all essential controls are on the camera back. There are no black-on-black buttons or switches to cause confusion. All are black-on-chrome, and clearly identified. The large LCD is on the back, so you don't need to view the top plate to check settings. By removing the LCD from the usual top-of-camera position, Pentax engineers have been able to shorten the camera body. They've also reversed film travel, placing the film chamber on the right side and running the film right to left. This creates a roomy film compartment in which the film need only be dropped and held by top spring tension-one of the simplest loading SLRs ever. The short film travel means 25 instead of 24 exposures, or 37 instead of 36 per roll (usually).

Is the *ist too small to be held comfortably? Both large- and small-handed testers on our team found it enjoyably holdable for both horizontal and vertical shots.

Most of our technical interest in the *ist centered on its unique 11-sensor autofocus system. Pentax SLRs previously lagged behind others in this area, lacking any cross sensors at all. But the *ist has an amply filled field of nine with two additional linear sensors at far right and left.