Peter K. Burian

The smallest and lightest digital SLR on the market at the time of this writing, the *ist DL is also among the most affordable in the 6-megapixel category. As the entry-level model in the Pentax line, it was designed for simplicity of operation, yet it's surprisingly versatile, with a full slate of semiautomatic and manual features as well as overrides for full control.

The most affordable 6-megapixel digital SLR at the time of this writing, the Nikon D50 sells for about $250 less than the new/improved D70s. In spite of that substantial difference, the entry-level model incorporates much of the same technology and many of the same capabilities. And as a bonus, it's a bit smaller and lighter, more likely to appeal to those switching from a...

Adobe has released an updated beta version (v3.3, 11/10/05) of their Adobe
Camera Raw plug-in for raw file conversion with a few enhancements. (Compatible
only with Photoshop CS 2 as well as Elements 3.0 and 4.0.) Support for additional
cameras has also been added, including the Canon EOS 5D, EOS 1D Mark II N, Pentax
*ist DL and *ist DS2. A minor fix has also been made to the Adobe DNG converter,
"improved decoding for some camera models". Do note that this is a
beta version, although it appeared to work perfectly in my preliminary tests.
When installing the Camera Raw plug-in, be sure to follow the instructions exactly
as described on the Adobe web site. The download for Mac and Windows is available
at http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/new.jsp.

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The smallest digital SLR on the market when it was first released, the Pentax *ist D received accolades for its diminutive size. Surprisingly, the newer *ist Ds is even smaller and lighter yet it boasts a larger 2" (vs. 1.8") LCD monitor. It's also priced at $300 less but, as we'll see, it's not just a stripped-down version of the earlier model. In...