Originally posted by rlg118 Why the @#$! did you bother buying the Pentax?
A good question - what were your expectations in buying a DSLR over the PS in the first place?
In my opinion both shots show a lack of understanding of basic principles of photography PS or not.
Both cameras could have done better than they did.
There is no conflict between them. They are different tools for different purposes.
I have both a Canon S95, about 1/3 the size of your Nikon, and a K5. Without one or the other I would consider my kit incomplete.
They are no more comparable than trying to compare a tractor to a family sedan.
Your results from both cameras is totally predictable. A low light shot under multiple dissimilar light sources is about as difficult as it gets.
With more experience you would have known up front that such a shot would require extensive post processing to make it right.
A camera is just a light machine and like any machine, or photographer for that matter, it has it's limits.
The Pentax will out perform the Nikon in many ways but it's greatest limitation, unlike a PS, is what the photographer brings to it.
A DSLR, unlike a PS, is not an appliance like a toaster but a tool that requires at least a modicum of skill to get much out of it.
Good Luck