Originally posted by Wired I don't think thats going to be as big a deal in practice.
pixel count is such a trivial thing. I would have been more than happy with my D600 if it weren't for the god awful ergonomics. Aside from a Canon 7D, that had to be the worst laid out camera I've ever used. Granted, 10 years of Pentax use has spoiled the living crap out of me. The D800 is close enough to Pentax ergonomics that I traded "up". But I really hate the super hi-resolution as there is no need for 36mp files! I think 24mp is the sweet spot. IMHO.
I think for transitioning the crop feature is going to be helpful, but it's only there for transitioning from ASPC to FF.
As @ChristianRock stated, the size/weight advantage of a 35mm camera goes away as soon as you mount up a modern 35mm lens! So the K3 will still have a huge advantage.
I was shooting Western Canadian Fashion Week earlier this month. 3 hours holding up my D800 w/grip and 70-200 f2.8. I was in so much pain by day 3. but my K3 was out for CLA. Wish I had my 50-135 and K3. I couldn't see the Pentax FF and the 70-200 giving me much reprieve.
So it depends on your "upgrade path". If you plan on selling your previous K-mount camera to finance the new one, then yes. the crop mode will be important. But if your like me, who will keep their previous APS-C camera and use it alongside the new FF, then the crop mode means nothing.
This is one reason why I don't think the Sony A7 makes much sense if Sony originally designed it to be a full system mirorless setup using their own lenses. The camera can be the size of a Q, but the minute you throw a 35mm lens with all the new coatings and internal motors...then you just gave all that size advantage up. I would rather have a more balanced system with a slightly heavier/bulkier body .
That's my point, I don't want to transition. I see the FF as the ADD ON. And the K-3/APS-c as my primary system.
I agree 24mp's is more than enough for a FF, but not if I get a 10mp crop with my PRIMARY APS-C lenses.
It will be really easy for me to just not buy a FF Pentax. (I recently sold off a D810 kit, realizing that the IQ of the K-3 was good enough and that the compromises for the unneeded resolution were not worth it.)