Originally posted by Bestzoom It is not as complicated as you think.
If you have serious OCD, like me, then get the FF. That will save you from wanting a FF after you have bought into Pentax APSc.
After having owned a Nikon FF myself and now a K5 owner and lenses, a few facts you may need to consider -
1) FF is big, heavy and expensive. For me, the size and weight is the reason i ditch FF and come to Pentax. Nikon FF on the other hand is easy to resell on the market. If i need a FF myself now, i will get a Sony RX1 but that is just me.
2) Size of print you have mentioned is not really a big deal. I have huge prints from my Leica M8 (10Mpx) and K5 (16Mpx) on the wall. How many large prints can you make and store?
If you intend to print a photo of poster size (A0 or larger), i doubt you will ever do it yourself at home unless you are a pro. Otherwise, it is cheaper to print a poster (heavier and more durable than a photo print of that size) and easier to frame than a photo.
Looking through you post, i suspect you have serious OCD just like me. If that is the case, you should go FF.
All the best, whatever is your decision.
I'm selling prints up to 19 inches from my current camera. I think I can print them up to 24 inches and probably be happy with the results. I print from 35mm and 6x9 MF as well. I haven't tried to reduce things to hard numbers, but I think I have a sense of how much resolution can do what. I'm currently working on displaying and trying to sell more of my work. Even though beyond 19 inches I don't suspect I will sell too many photographs, there is more to it. Displaying my work in a gallery at larger sizes makes an impression, and even if
those prints don't sell, it leads to sales of smaller sized prints. Of course, those larger prints had better actually be good.
If just looking at the here and now, the K5 wins hands down. It's just great for what I do. The Nikon can be used to do the same work, however, and the lenses and kit additions are "forward proof", if you will. This is the real point where I struggle. The K5 is just so, so right for what I do, and meets my everyday needs now for less initial outlay, it is hard to pass up. But, for a little more, I can start confidently building a kit that won't hit a brick wall.
Hmm . . . Though it may not sound like it, I'm actually moving forward in my quest here, and with just a bit more research will probably reach a decision soon. I sincerely appreciate everyone's input.
Pentax! If you're listening! You'd better announce real soon if you're on the verge of putting out a FF!