[mourya]

I have been using KX for almost 2 years... and now i want to upgrade myself. I am selling of my gear and will be left with 85mm 14 Now, i am not sure whether to go for K5 II or 6D. The reasons i want to go for 6D are 1) FF 2) availability of lens (INDIA).

Apart from that, i like my KX very much and really want to stick with K5 II and it is lot cheaper.. like i said.. cant decide..

I shoot mainly people, birds, horses, and planning for macro.

Also, the price is dropping for K5 II by the day, should i wait till thanksgiving so that i dont need to spend much on the upgrade

[Adam]

It would be a deal-breaker for me if support & stores weren't available in my country. TBH I'd go for the Canon, though both cameras will feel like a big upgrade over your K-x.

[mourya]

Yes.. I realize it is big upgrade (learning curve and money).. but, is that a bad move ?.. i mean, i can't upgrade from time to time. Especially, when it comes to pentax, i can only buy it when someone comes from US.

[NitroDC]

I shoot mainly people, birds, horses

Photographers must sound insane to non-photographers.

Anyways, the 6D sounds like the better choice since you're looking for full frame and upgradability. And Canon's selection of new full frame glass is pretty huge compared to Pentax.

[scratchpaddy]

Photographers must sound insane to non-photographers.

Indeed. I get a little worried when one says "I shoot babies."

[mourya]

haha.. hope prism wont mistake us as a threat

[Ferdinand]

And what is your interest in full frame? Do you need to print wall size posters? Do you need to shoot frequently in extremely low light?
I think that for taking great pics of people, horses etc. both systems can be perfectly suitable, one does not really need fullframe for that. (In fact I shot some of my best portraits with a micro 4/3 camera, the OMD).

I have never understood the arguments about lens selection. How many lenses a hobby photographer (or even a pro) need. I have been victim of LBA and bought a number of lenses, but honestly 1 good walk around lens (for me a Tamron 17-50) does 90% of the job, and 2-3 lenses (something wide, something long) can be enough for most people. Pentax, (especially with the third party offerings) has more than enough choice.

I would personally go for the K-5 IIs (as I did) unless you have a strong reason for getting full frame. To be honest sometimes I also play with the full frame idea (e.g. I would love to have a huge viewfinder), but at least for me I doubt that the benefits would justify the costs.

Btw. India must be a fantastic place for photography!

[Clicker]

mourya fyi, when I meet up with the Toronto group many of them use non-Pentax lenses i.e Sigmas and Tamrons also Rokinon although not AF, make some fine lenses for Pentax.

That said, I am currently a Canon shooter and their lens selection although vast can be very costly, this you may want to take into consideration unless budgeting for gear is not an issue for you?

[mourya]

Thanks guys you made some interesting points.

So my interest in full frame is for better DOF (can i compensate that with a better lens with APS-C ??) and low light photography. Regarding pentax in india.. it is very very difficult to find the lenses (including third party), even if you manage to find one.. it will cost you double the actual price.

Coming to the low light photography probably around 1600 - 2400 ISO is fine for me. Do you think k-5 can get the job done ? In that case i will opt for k-5 with a 18-135... going for 6D means $$$ + new lens ($$$)

[wullemaha]

Coming to the low light photography probably around 1600 - 2400 ISO is fine for me. Do you think k-5 can get the job done?

I cannot give much insight on the FF vs. K5 debate since I never really wanted to spend the money for a full frame camera (or carry it around).
But ISO 1600 or 2400 should be laughably easy for the K5. I often use 6400 on my K-30, especially when shooting fast stuff in low light (metal concerts in some basement - yeah, I am that underground ), and it has never been a problem!

One thing I would take into consideration besides the lenses: usability.
For a lot of my friends, Pentax would never work because the don't like the interface - for me it is the other way around! I cannot get comfortable on a Canon, it just feels weird and no button is where I want it to be...

I hope you find the right item that works for YOU

[geomez]

2) availability of lens (INDIA).

Forgive my naivete, but are there not many online retailers that ship to India?
I live in Las Vegas and can find nowhere that sells Pentax lenses locally. I've purchased all of my bodies, lenses, and accessories online.

[NitroDC]

I have never understood the arguments about lens selection. How many lenses a hobby photographer (or even a pro) need. I have been victim of LBA and bought a number of lenses, but honestly 1 good walk around lens (for me a Tamron 17-50) does 90% of the job, and 2-3 lenses (something wide, something long) can be enough for most people. Pentax, (especially with the third party offerings) has more than enough choice.

The reason I brought up lens selection is because he seems to be looking for full frame lenses. Can you think of ANY full frame Pentax zoom lenses that will match a Canon 24-70 or the like? Primes? Yes, Pentax has a lot of nice FF primes but when you're talking about a walkaround lens, Pentax is really, really short.

Now, in APS-C terms (which I am totally content with, btw), Pentax has a good selection of lenses for a lower price than what Canon will offer. The 18-135 seems like a very good walkaround lens, as does the 16-50, but it is more expensive.

For low light, the K5-ii will handle up to ISO 3200 beautifully. I have no hesitation to shoot in 3200 if necessary. 6400 is slightly pushing it but it's a massive improvement over my K20D, which I wouldn't dare take above 1600.

[hps3]

I shot with a D600 in December before selling it because of all the sensor dust/oil issues. Now I shoot with a K-5II and love it. The ergonomics are just plain awesome. The feel of the K-5II is perfect for me and the menu was easy to learn. I don't hesitate to use 3200 when it's needed. The D600 being full frame wasn't that much better in low light. At 3200, the noise is present even in FF. I also just love the fact that Pentax has their small primes.

[yusuf]

6D is an excellent camera and not really big for the full frame. I was pleasantly surprised how comfortable to hold 6D is and really liked the look and feel of it.

AF is way better than k-x and you will definitely feel upgrade. However, I earlier tried 7D and due to whatever reason, I had more keepers with 7D than 6D. This could be due the lens or may be AF system itself. I used 100mm USM with 7D and this time 40mm pancake with 6D. Even though, AF keeper ratio was better than k-x, I was a bit disappointed in AF department (expected better from Canon AF).

When it comes to IQ, k-x doesn't disappoint. Let me share a few similar shot from both the cameras. Those are random shots and nothing to compare since aperture, focal length varies widely, but see if those are useful. Left side is k-x with Sigma 30mm @f1.4 and Right side is 6D 40mm @f.28

So my interest in full frame is for better DOF (can i compensate that with a better lens with APS-C ??) and low light photography.

Look at 2nd picture. 30/f1.4 is pretty awesome on APS-C.

Regarding pentax in india.. it is very very difficult to find the lenses (including third party)

I agree. Btw, have you looked at this thread - https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/photographic-equipment-sale/228278-sale-t...o-1-1-m42.html

[mamethot]

Wow maybe this will change your mind...K-5 II with grip for 959$...