[sb in ak]

I currently own a K5 Classic and D600.

I'd go for the K5 if compactness and weather sealing are paramount. The K5 body is really in a different league than the D600 as far as build & materials go. But on the flip side, the D600 is pretty light as far as FFs go. The D600 IQ is definitely a bit better than the K5, though I don't have a K5 IIs. I prefer the button placement on the K5.....for example, the D600 ISO button is on the bottom left. Dumb. I can operate the D600 with heavy gloves...not as easy with the D600 despite being bigger.

Live view on the D600 also REALLY sucks, so if you're using that a lot, you might want to look at another camera. The exposure simulation just doesn't work as well as Pentax and Canon cameras, and you can't change the aperture while in Live View and see the result change on your screen.

I hear the 24-85 kit is decent but not spectacular. Personally, I wouldn't pair the D600--which has a killer sensor--with that lens..you will likely be disappointed. I'd sell it and get some good primes or buy a 24-120 or 24-70. At least you don't have to worry about SDM. Though I haven't been terribly impressed with Nikon's QC either. My recent 16-35 had red streaking when using it for long exposures at night. Still waiting for the replacement (though that has nothing to do with Nikon).

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Last edited by sb in ak; 12-23-2012 at 06:22 PM.

[bobmaxja]

I was at costco today and they have the D600 with 2 lwnses for around $2400, iI have not look more at it as I was interested

[BlackRockBacon]

After holding a D600 and messing around with the buttons/menus I'd have to say to say K-5 is easily better ergonomically (The grip is amazing, and button placement is just right). Although the idea of getting that big VF along with all the other benefits of Nikon/FF is rather appealing. I'm gonna have to say go with the D600 and try it for a few months. Selling it shouldn't be that hard if you decide you don't like it.

Reiterating some things but there's my 2 cents.

[Kenn100D]

Don't go to the dark side..... my friend. Stay with Pentax. =)

Well as for me i would first go to a store a try d600 and fiddle with it (How it fits your hand and ergonomis and stuff). Once you tried it, go home and take down notes on the positives with the K-5 and the positive with the D600 (include the negatives also). Compare the difference then decide.

All in all it will be your decision.

Good luck.

[newmikey]

If you fancy trying FF for a while, why not now that you can do so without the initial financial penalty? Sounds interesting enough and you can always sell and get Pentax again. Pain in FF will be in the lenses, not the body. Longer, more glass surface, need for builtin SR all add up to equivalent glass costing 3 times as much as on APS-C. But again, it sounds like fun to be abale to experiment for a while.

I'd say go for it! It is a camera brand people, not some matter of international security!

[RonHendriks1966]

Ask that question in a brand-specific forum & what did you expect to get in response? Let me just pipe in with a few things. The build quality and sealing of the K-5/II series is much more robust than the D600. I would trust the K-5 II in wet conditions, whereas I would not even subject my D600 to the same conditions. I own zilch in terms of Pentax gear, but everything I've read from owners since the release of the K-5 has swayed me into believing it, along with the K-5 II, is as robust as the Oly E-3 or E-5, the former of which I used since it was first released. I'm kind of in the opposite position as yourself because I own a D600 and am looking at getting the K-5 II for the weathersealing.

Well I spend 45 minutes in the poring rain last saturday with K-5 II and DA*300mm and that is all fine...

[tuco]

Digital cameras are ephemeral. Not many enthusiasts are going to have one more than 5 years. So build quality becomes less significant. I've only cleaned my D600 sensor once so far ( when new) and I'm still waiting to clean it again. It is no big deal (my copy anyway).

The bottom line is even if the K5II can deliver similar IQ the performance of the Nikon leaves the K5II behind. If Pentax cameras had that performance the Pentax brand thumpers here would be all over it in praise to no end. And I've shot my D600 in the rain just like that picture above and it's still going.

[klkitchens]

You do know though that Nikon lenses screw on backwards... just saying (LOL)

[causey]

Digital cameras are ephemeral. Not many enthusiasts are going to have one more than 5 years. So build quality becomes less significant. I've only cleaned my D600 sensor once so far ( when new) and I'm still waiting to clean it again. It is no big deal (my copy anyway).

The bottom line is even if the K5II can deliver similar IQ the performance of the Nikon leaves the K5II behind. If Pentax cameras had that performance the Pentax brand thumpers here would be all over it in praise to no end. And I've shot my D600 in the rain just like that picture above and it's still going.

May I ask you, how did you clean it? Wet method?
I might get the d600 next year if Pentax does not release either a light 24MP (NEX 7 sensor) camera or a FF camera. Weight is important for me, and the d600 is as light as a K-5(iis)...

[Sol Invictus]

P

You do know though that Nikon lenses screw on backwards... just saying (LOL)

You laugh but trust me it's really irritating!

[tuco]

For the OP, two critical things of the D600 more significant than the lightweight build construction and sensor thing is the crippled 1/4000 max shutter speed and narrow focus points used to support DX lenses. Both of those you many find more limiting than all the other things noted here. So you should weight and factor those in, IMHO.

[Pheo]

Biggest question for me is can you afford decent glass? That's what makes the shot for me, not the body (generally)

[normhead]

I just went through this problem thing a while ago. The D600 with the kit lens tested out at 2600 LW/ph. The K-5 tested out at 2100, but, with a Sigma 85 1.4 on it the Pentax will test out at 2900. My conclusion would be, it's not worth getting the D600 unless you're going for the Nikon pro glass. For me , you can't get started without the 12-24 and 70-200 and a 28-70. You're probably looking at 4 to 6 k worth of glass. Obviously a D600 with good glass will outperform a K-5 with good glass, but I'm not sure you want to pay for that glass.

To my way of thinking, you need to make very large prints for that extra resolution to be worthwhile. And the D600 in no way approaches the threshold a D800 does in terms of reach. Your K-5 with a DA*60-250 F4 or DA * 300 F4 will be comparable to a Nikon D600 with a $7000 400mm F4 lens in terms of reach. If you plan to shoot at a distance, you might just want to stay with APS-c.

Having looked into it very carefully, I decided D800 or nothing. I guess others may see it differently, but, that 20% increased resolution only clicks on after you've maxed out the K-5's 4900 pixel width. If you don't need more than 4900 pixels across, the D600 really has not that much to offer. There's a thread here with a cmparison of a D600 and K-5. You might want to check it out. It'll give you a pretty good idea of what you're getting with a D600 compared to a K-5. All the real world comparisons I've seen say it's not that much. In the studio, for some comparisons, the K-5s superior depth of field makes it better.

[ihasa]

I think you might always wonder 'what if' if you don't take this opportunity to try out the D600.

[Sol Invictus]

May I ask you, how did you clean it? Wet method?
I might get the d600 next year if Pentax does not release either a light 24MP (NEX 7 sensor) camera or a FF camera. Weight is important for me, and the d600 is as light as a K-5(iis)...

I think the dust issue will be resolved with the later shipment batches. I can't see Nikon letting it continue (although they haven't commented on any problems).

My suggestion is to wait a few months and ensure any D600 you pickup is from one of the latest shipments. Leave it to us early adopters to take the pain for you guys. Also by then the new firmware should be released which is rumoured to address a number of issues including adjusting aperture in video.