PENTAX IST DS PROBLEM WITH INTERNAL FLASH

Sounds like the circuit is trying to deliver the charge to the flash tube but the flash tube no longer works. Probably needs to be replaced.

Try using another lens, if this solves the problem you have a lens problem. If not the camera is the problem.

Being an SLR camera, you should try another lens. It may be a servo fault in the lens. If the lens is okay, then it can be anything in the lens sensing, lens control drive circuits, and or lens to camera interface area. This would have to be properly diagnosed and serviced.

Jerry G.

You need a Pentax USB cable I-USB17.
You can get it online from B&H photo or Adorama camera.
I would go with B&H photo personally.

No DIY fix for this. It will have to go back to Pentax or their agent. The likely cost of doing this could be well on the way to the price of a new camera.

Try in custom menu I think. Switch shutter release whilst charging firmware switch whilst flash charging a couple of times. Had sinilar thing with ist DS after firmware update.

Check the battery contacts in the camera. Perhaps they are dirty and need a clean. Make sure you're not using Alkaline battereis and if you use rechargeables they are fully recharged and not getting too old to hold a full charge. Apart from that, without further information I can't help any more. BMW

I've used Sandisk Ultra II 512M cards, a PQI 1G and a Transcend 1G card (all high speed rated) in the *istDS. I've done about 1500 exposures now, many RAW, and have done several rounds of upload to my computer. No problems at all. These same cards work flawlessly in a Panasonic FZ10 as well. Either you have had a bit of bad luck, two defective SD cards in a row, or have a *istDS with a stuck or bad memory card controller. Try using the Reset command in the Set Up Menu, see if that helps. BTW, always format SD cards with the camera once before you start using them.

Looks like its true... Another major disadvantage. Removing TTL means removing one more hardware piece - TTL sensor. Pentax removed almost every nice feature, which needs some aditional or more expensive hardware: no TTL flash, less AF points, pentamirror... Seems like I bought Ds right in time.

According to the manual (page 153), the DL DOES support P-TTL flash, with the built-in or external flash, but only supports high-speed flash with an external flash. What I'm wondering is, what is high-speed sync flash useful for? The only thing I can think of is fill-flash outdoors.