[hps3]

I have a D600 and K5IIs currently and if I had to let one go it would be the D600. The focus area is really small and the D600 hunts in low light. The noise at 3200 in RAW is pretty close. At 6400 the D600 is a little better, but I rarely use that and would print either large. I'm also dealing with the oil spots in the upper left corner which is plaguing the D600. Overall image quality is fantastic on both but I dont find the D600 leaps and bounds above the K5IIs. Oh yeah, Pentax has those nice small ltd primes that make the package real small. The D600 is better at getting thin DOF as expexted.

[Ferdinand]

Thank you HPS3! Very interesting!
How would you compare the d600 and the K-5IIs as low ISO landscape tools?

[hps3]

I think they're pretty close. The K5IIs resolves a lot of detail. The D600 might edge it out a little but I wouldnt be able to tell the difference in a normal print or on the web. I ordered both cameras together and want to pick one and sell the other. I bought the D600 for the ISO ability but was unimpressed when I shot it at 3200 for the first time. Last night I compared the 2 at 3200 and 6400 in LR4. I shoot RAW. They were pretty close up to 6400. I think the K5 holds good detail at high ISOs. I think both cameras are great but I shoot a lot of family candids and I feel the D600 focus area limits me to compositions without recomposing. But you cant recompose with moving kids. If you need more DOF control than by all means buy the D600. Some people say not to worry about it but the sensor oil/dust problem is just driving me crazy. I've wet cleaned it once and its right back on the left corner. Its crazy bad if you shoot in continuous high. It splatters oil/dust.

[lightbulb]

K5iis sets a new standard in Apsc. The da* 16 50 no longer hunt and it is now faster than 18 135. Also the better sr, lcd screen. ... i have high expectation for k3 now.

[SHVLHEAD88]

While I can't speak of the difference between the K-5 and the K-5IIs, having come from a K-20D to the K-5IIs, I have simply been astonished. I can almost shoot in the dark.

[Wheatfield]

So far there is only one small thing that bothers me with the K-5 II: the 1-second delay when you press "Ok" to switch between AF point control and the other functions of the 4-way controller.

IMHO the K-7's way of doing things was less intrusive. It would be nice if we could choose the behaviour with a custom setting (eg. 1: Ok centers AF point, 1s delay to switch mode; 2: Ok to switch mode, 1s delay centers AF point).

The same setting issue exist in K5. I don't like this setting as well !!

When the K7 shipped, the AF function was quite broken, in that most any button push other than the shutter button switched the 4 way controller back to functions, even when the AF switch was set to user decides the AF point. The very first firmware update fixed it.
I have no idea why Pentax broke the function again with the K5, and left it broken. It's a minor annoyance in an otherwise good camera.