DIWA Press Release

Pentax *istDS has a lot to offer any Pentax enthusiast considering to go digital. The compact body with distinct Pentax design and ergonomics should make the conversion smooth and straightforward. 6.1 Megapixel resolution, 11 superimposed focusing points in a bright pentaprism viewfinder, 16-segment metering, ISO speeds up to 3200, 2” LCD screen and USB 2.0 High-Speed interface are features that outperform many of its rivals.

Amsterdam, 2. September, 2005: DIWA (Digital Imaging Websites Association), a world-wide organisation of collaborating websites, today announces that Pentax has received their first DIWA Award for a D-SLR camera. Their *istDS model is honoured with a Silver medal for outstanding test results.

Pentax has a long and glorious history from camera manufacturing, at times the most successful of any SLR manufacturer. Thanks to this legacy, the *istDS has a very compact body with excellent handling comfort, an excellent SLR pentaprism viewfinder, outstanding metering and exposure performance, as well as a wide range of high quality Pentax lenses. The *istDS passed the rigorous DIWA testing procedure with excellent results, also many of its digital qualities were highly praised by the DIWA reviewing experts.

Kai Thon, DIWA’s test manager, says: “Despite their late arrival on the digital SLR arena, it’s a pleasure to see that Pentax come well prepared. The *istDS is a most successful evolution of the original *istD, with most of the features intact, at a highly competitive price. Optical performance, ergonomic handling, compact design and an ingenious exposure system are established Pentax goodies, conveniently integrated in the *istDS. An added bonus is the highly competitive price tag”.

The *istDS will not only appeal to former Pentax users, but also to newcomers in the exciting D-SLR world. Many of the camera’s features are unique in design and performance, far exceeding many of its more popular competitors. The camera body has excellent handling comfort with a bright and user-friendly pentaprism viewfinder, its high resolution 2” LCD screen with 210.000 pixels simplifies image review and menu control, whilst the 11-point AF system provides fast and precise focusing with superimposed finder display and manual selection. Outstanding image quality is provided by the fine Pentax quality lenses and a high-sensitive 6.1 megapixel CCD, with an option of RAW format image storing on SD memory cards. The *istDS can shoot eight continuous frames at a speed of 2.8 fps.

Based on the final results from DIWA experts in Europe and USA, the overall averaged score for the Pentax *istDS was excellent, consequently honoured with a Silver medal for high performance, comfortable handling and supreme image quality, all at a reasonable price.

About DIWA
A fast growing independent, authoritative, industry organization
The Digital Imaging Websites Association (DIWA) is a fast growing group of independent Web-based specialist publications dedicated to digital imaging. DIWA harnesses the collective talent and expertise of its members, resulting in industry awards that command unparalleled confidence and value, both for consumers and the industry, alike. DIWA awards come in the form of bronze, silver and gold medals for various product categories.

Unique bullet-proof test scoring procedure
DIWA product test awards are exclusively decided through the analysis of multiple test scores from different DIWA testers, testing different samples of the same product. A very detailed and comprehensive standardized scoring procedure is employed, tailored carefully for each category of product. Multiple testing eliminates the chance of an isolated, unrepresentative product sample or test error, or even hidden bias, from affecting the trustworthiness of the overall result.

Awards throughout the year
DIWA is also unique in its policy in issuing awards for deserving products throughout the year, culminating in an annual best of the year Platinum medal awards in all product categories.

DIWA Awards members:
- Czech Republic:  www.fotoaparat.cz
- Denmark:  www.digitalmagasinet.dk
- Germany:  www.digitalkamera.de
- Netherlands:  www.letsgodigital.org
- Norway:  www.digit.no
- Poland:  www.fotopolis.pl
- Slovenia:  www.e-fotografija.com
- Spain:  www.nuevafotografia.com
- Turkey:  www.diginorm.com.tr
- United Kingdom:  www.photographyblog.com
- United States:  www.steves-digicams.com

The DIWA multi-lingual Web site
At the heart of the DIWA organisation is its multi-lingual Web site, www.diwa-awards.com, where you can find links to the latest reviews published by DIWA member publications. The site also archives DIWA awards and is designed to aid consumers in their choice of imaging products.

For further information about DIWA please visit our Web site - http://www.diwa-awards.com - or email us at [email protected].