[kenyee]

I'm actually surprised Nikon dropped their max sync speed down to 1/200 for the D600...strobists like higher sync speeds and PC sync ports which they also dropped.

But their $2100 price is definitely going to draw FF users into the Nikon camp. The Canon low-end DSLR is a measly 20MP and will be more expensive. Sony is on drugs w/ their A99 and RX1 at $2800.
And the D600 (aka FF in D7000 body) is fairly competitive w/ the K-5II...faster AF even if it's not the D800's super AF, dual SD cards, enough weathersealing, etc.
Very odd that Nikon seems to be the company pushing the bleeding edge more lately, but competition is good :-)

[mecrox]

I'm actually surprised Nikon dropped their max sync speed down to 1/200 for the D600...strobists like higher sync speeds and PC sync ports which they also dropped.

But their $2100 price is definitely going to draw FF users into the Nikon camp. The Canon low-end DSLR is a measly 20MP and will be more expensive. Sony is on drugs w/ their A99 and RX1 at $2800.
And the D600 (aka FF in D7000 body) is fairly competitive w/ the K-5II...faster AF even if it's not the D800's super AF, dual SD cards, enough weathersealing, etc.
Very odd that Nikon seems to be the company pushing the bleeding edge more lately, but competition is good :-)

Despite the furore I'm somewhat mystified by the D600. Where I live, it is within 15 per cent of the price of the D800. Someone who is willing to spring the thick end of three large on a camera (taking into account lenses and accessories) is unlikely to hesitate over spending an extra few hundred bucks to get what is very clearly the better camera, maybe even a thousand more for a better lens or two as well. To do otherwise is a real false economy if your budget is sufficient. There seems a rather grey area here where the extra money for FF doesn't get you a solid professional camera of the D800 class, it just gets you a slightly better, and only in some ways, consumer camera. Hmmn. Don't get sucked into the hype, perhaps. If you really really want full frame, spring for the real deal.

[TomTextura]

Despite the furore I'm somewhat mystified by the D600. Where I live, it is within 15 per cent of the price of the D800. Someone who is willing to spring the thick end of three large on a camera (taking into account lenses and accessories) is unlikely to hesitate over spending an extra few hundred bucks to get what is very clearly the better camera, maybe even a thousand more for a better lens or two as well. To do otherwise is a real false economy if your budget is sufficient. There seems a rather grey area here where the extra money for FF doesn't get you a solid professional camera of the D800 class, it just gets you a slightly better, and only in some ways, consumer camera. Hmmn. Don't get sucked into the hype, perhaps. If you really really want full frame, spring for the real deal.

While I mostly agree, and admit that I'm not tempted by the D600, I think that where the D600 could get a decent number of sales from will be with FF shooters who need a less expensive backup camera. Of course, I expect it will sell well to those who just want the FF novelty and bragging rights. I hope those buyers have the FX lenses to go with it. The D600 and D800 might be subject to different downward price movement as well. From everything I've seen so far, a used D700 is more attractive to me than a new D600.

[hangman43]

While I mostly agree, and admit that I'm not tempted by the D600, I think that where the D600 could get a decent number of sales from will be with FF shooters who need a less expensive backup camera. Of course, I expect it will sell well to those who just want the FF novelty and bragging rights. I hope those buyers have the FX lenses to go with it. The D600 and D800 might be subject to different downward price movement as well. From everything I've seen so far, a used D700 is more attractive to me than a new D600.

There are already some of the people on another forum I am on that had a D7000 as a back up for the D800 talking about replacing it with the D600.

[TomTextura]

There are already some of the people on another forum I am on that had a D7000 as a back up for the D800 talking about replacing it with the D600.

The D800, D600, and D7000 all use the same battery. That is a nice little feature to have running across three bodies for those who want to run with either backups or both FX and DX formats. What it seems like Nikon needs now though is a replacement to the D300s, also with the same battery, for the sports and wildlife pros/enthusiasts.

[drakkar]

What made me buy a Pentax in the first place, was the relative compactness of the system and the right features (for me) included.
My friend owns a Nikon D700, still a marvelous camera, but when you place it next to the K-5 - or take it with you on a trip, it is amazing how much bulkier and heavier it is.
So, when Pentax introduces a FX camera, I hope it will be with just those features the brand knows so well - compact robustness and and a sound palette of features. I already got plenty of lenses for it, perhaps a new lens wider than my 31mm/1.8 and then we're ready to go!

[Medium FormatPro]

Sony is on drugs w/ their A99 and RX1 at $2800

With the RX1 I agree. It's almost like the second most recent Sigma body (before the Merrill), when a non full frame camera went for about $7500

[grun2000]

History Repeats?
"Asahi Optical's countermove came at the end of 1971 with the Spotmatic II. Expectations of an innovative model were dashed by this camera. The SP II differed from the previous model only in minor details. The pentaprism was changed in appearance and, for the first time on an Asahi Pentax, included a shoe for the flash. The sensitivity scale was extended and there were a few cosmetic changes. A series of very interesting lenses were brought out at the same time as the SP II. The elements of these lenses were treated with an exclusive multi-layer, anti-reflective coating. They were designed for metering at any exposure aperture and the name was changed from Super Takumar to Super Multi Coated Takumar."
From the book "Asahi Pentax and Pentax SLR 35mm Cameras 1951-1989" by Danilo Cecchi.
Fortunately, back then, the best was still to come from Pentax. Let's hope that history does indeed repeat itself.

[FullertonImages]

The D800, D600, and D7000 all use the same battery. That is a nice little feature to have running across three bodies for those who want to run with either backups or both FX and DX formats. What it seems like Nikon needs now though is a replacement to the D300s, also with the same battery, for the sports and wildlife pros/enthusiasts.

Yeah, that is definitely a nice feature. It's always annoying when you have to bring different batteries for each camera, if you're shooting two different bodies.

[gri]

I'm going to purchase a new DSLR camera and I have a dilema - K30 or to wait for K-5II, Some important thing for me is the AF system!

- What is the difference in AF between K-30 and K-5II
- Is there in K-5II focus peeking!

[Adam]

- What is the difference in AF between K-30 and K-5II - Is there in K-5II focus peeking!

The K-5 II's PDAF is going to be more accurate, but for most users it'll seem the same.

The K-5 II has the old live view AF, and no focus peaking, so for that and for video, the K-30 is better.

[ElJamoquio]

It's very confusing to me that Pentax didn't include focus peaking. I've been holding back on that discussion because I figured it was a misprint or omission or something - why wouldn't Pentax include it? Focus peaking is great.

It'd be way easier for me to justify a K-II or K-IIs if it had both better AF and focus peaking. As is I think I might sit this round out.

[photoephemere]

I'll wait for first tests on those new k5 II & IIs bodys to comment ;-) ... remember when k5 appears ... some functionality like x cards, gps ... where missing then a firmware update was done ... in some site we can read "Last technologie sensor" for the k5 II ... Who knows today if the sensor perf are not better than k5 ? ... all we know for sure is that there's a better af ... wait october and see ... perhaps it will not be the only advance ... not ? and perhaps a firmware update will add feathures not included in the previous models ...

[Docrwm]

It's very confusing to me that Pentax didn't include focus peaking. I've been holding back on that discussion because I figured it was a misprint or omission or something - why wouldn't Pentax include it? Focus peaking is great.

It'd be way easier for me to justify a K-II or K-IIs if it had both better AF and focus peaking. As is I think I might sit this round out.

Apparently the module that includes Focus Peaking is tuned for 12-bit and not 14-bit which makes it tough to integrate into the K-5.

[FullertonImages]

What made me buy a Pentax in the first place, was the relative compactness of the system and the right features (for me) included.
My friend owns a Nikon D700, still a marvelous camera, but when you place it next to the K-5 - or take it with you on a trip, it is amazing how much bulkier and heavier it is.
So, when Pentax introduces a FX camera, I hope it will be with just those features the brand knows so well - compact robustness and and a sound palette of features. I already got plenty of lenses for it, perhaps a new lens wider than my 31mm/1.8 and then we're ready to go!

I agree completely. While I love the image quality on the Pentax system, at the end of the day, it's the small size, tough build and weathersealing that keep me here above anything else. I hope if/when they get into FF, that they will stay true to this heritage, and release an FF body that makes the rest of them feel like clunkers.