Originally posted by MadMathMind Yeah, man, those FA limited lenses really break the back. That FA31 at its whopping 345g is quite a burden.
But in all seriousness, Pentax is one brand that totally crushes the weight argument against FF cameras. For one, the flagship APS-C cameras are much closer in weight to the Canikon FF offerings than those brands consumer APS-C models
I think the weight is more of an issue based on the lenses used. Sure, a prime isn't much weight, but FF zoom lenses - as a general rule - are going to be quite a bit heavier than APS-C offerings. My Hasselblad HV (A99) with 2 x SDHC cards, battery, battery grip (+2 batteries) and Sony Zeiss 24-70 f/2.8 lens is a *lot* heavier than my K-3 with 2 x SDHC cards, battery, battery grip (+1 battery) and Sigma 17-50 f/2.8... 2.422kg versus 1.77kg, a difference of 652g - of which 430g is down to the Zeiss FF lens over the Sigma APS-C model. In addition to the weight difference, the FF camera and lens are quite bulky by comparison - at least, it feels that way to me. I can easily shoot the K-3 one-handed and hold my off-camera flash with the other hand, without any concerns of fatigue. Not so with the HV.
If I was going out for a long shoot, I'd take my K3 every time, no question.
I don't know how the K-1 + battery grip will measure up when paired with certain FF lenses... but I suspect the weight and bulk will be considerably greater than for the equivalent K-3 setup... That said, it wouldn't put me off the K-1!