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12-06-2015, 06:18 PM   #1
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thinking about upgrading, camera suggestions?

I think I might have made a mistake when I borrowed my friend's D600 the other day. Once I opened the files in Lightroom, they were noticeably better than what I get from my K-30 in terms of noise and overall IQ, even compared to the higher end Pentax lenses I have now or have rented (HD DA20-40mm f2.8-4 Limited, DA*50-135 f2.8, DA*60-250 f4, SMC DA40mm f2.8 Limited, SMC DA21mm f3.2 Limited, SMC DA70mm f2.4 Limited). I took to the controls quickly and like the basic layout of the camera. I've never liked how Canon's feel, but have only really ever handled Rebels.

I'm mostly shooting landscapes (including Auroras) and wildlife, increasingly doing some portrait work. I'm thinking a D750 with the 24-120 f4 VR Nikon D750 DSLR Camera with 24-120mm Lens 1549 B&H Photo Video

plus a super-telezoom like the new Tamron 150-600 plus (eventually) a couple primes would cover just about everything I'd want to do.

Right? Wrong? Should I consider a 6D instead? I'd be selling off my Pentax gear completely. I do know Pentax is supposed to release a full-frame camera in 2016, but I would have to trade out all of my lenses except the DA40mm f2.8 Limited anyway so I'm considering switching systems completely.

12-06-2015, 06:38 PM - 1 Like   #2
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Consider trying out a K3 before switching systems and having to reacquire all your gear. It may represent the jump in capabilities you want. You can always get the full frame down the road after its teething troubles are worked out. I have occasionally thought of upgrading from the K5 to the K3, but have held off until I know exactly what the full frame offers and because I haven't had a chance to play with one.
12-06-2015, 06:41 PM   #3
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Upgrading to a K3ii would represent the path of least resistance for sure, and is always an option. Right now I'm just looking to be sold on a FF system.
12-06-2015, 06:46 PM   #4
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That's your money!!! Good Luck!!!

12-06-2015, 06:50 PM   #5
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Wait till you see what the FF has and live with what you have while you save your pennies and watch others sort out the early hassles. I think those who are trading out because they want a FF camera right now and can't wait are going to regret it in the long run. I could buy any FF I wanted, but if I'm right then Pentax's full frame will be the best, for reasons not necessarily connected with megapixels, frame rates or DxO scores.
12-06-2015, 07:25 PM   #6
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Definitely try out a K3 before switching.
12-06-2015, 07:33 PM   #7
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Rent a K-3 for a month.

12-06-2015, 07:51 PM   #8
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Man, people always think the grass is greener elsewhere, but it is not. I personally would feel limited with a Nikon rig in many ways. I just got the K3II and it is a nice camera. Grab an FA31, an FA77 and away you go, lol. Spend time knowing how to use every feature as well as you can and on refining your technique, and you will not ever feel limited by equipment. K3II has tremendous dynamic range and is certainly not lacking in capability nor features.
good luck!
12-06-2015, 08:43 PM   #9
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advantages are noise and limited dof at the cost of weight and... money. for wildlife/action photography you can probably use a higher iso for higher shutter speeds. i don't know if there is an advantage in portraits. my brother is adamant that he wants to upgrade his d7000 for a d800 series. but when i look at the exifs, there are some weird choices, like iso 3200/6400 outdoors and a shutter speed of 1/4000 for a posed portrait session.

i'm just echoing what others have said. a) it's your money, if you have the means then go for it. especially if you'd have to sell your DA lenses anyways if you're planning on the pentax FF. b) grass might not be greener on the other side. will you see a difference in prints, if you're printing? or just pixel peeping?

there are definitely different progressions of photographers. if you feel this is it, then jump there are definitely stories of people selling their ff gear for smaller kits like m4/3rds or fuji x series and feeling liberated.

happy snapping
12-06-2015, 09:42 PM   #10
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I have a K3II I bought recently that I use with my Sigma 150-500 for mostly birding/wildlife. The detail/definition in the images is superior and the AF is the best I have ever had. I have used it in low, medium, and bright light and it does very well. The GPS/Astrotracer function is another tool it has built in for star/celestial shooting. It is on sale for approximately $729 on Amazon. This unit provides high definition shooting and is a dependable performer if you are looking for excellence. The full frame option will be available soon, and I also have interest in what its specs will be, but the K3II and my K5IIS are satisfying my needs very well at this time.

Also, the Pentax 16-85 is on sale on Amazon for $499.95. It is an HD lens. I have it and it is excellent.

Last edited by C_Jones; 12-06-2015 at 10:05 PM.
12-06-2015, 10:25 PM   #11
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I am surprised by the statement that the D600 file is that much better.
I have the A7 (and later a modded one w/ thin filter and no AA filter) as well as the K30.
Its only after the AA-filter removal that I can say that the o/p is sharper than the K30.
As for DR, they have not been so day and night either, past a point (eg. pulling highlights by 80% in LR or raising exposure by 1.5 stop), neither camera o/p satisfies me and I'd go for exposure blending anyway.
ISO, they all look more mush vs ISO 100, 200 when at ISO1600 and higher, so moot point to me too.
I either shoot the low ISO for the best IQ or I shoot whatever ISO that captures the shot (and hell to ISO noise since any camera won't give me ISO100 quality at >ISO1600 )


YMMV of course, but I've had/tried Canikon too.
Had a 5D and regularly get to handle a D7000 and D90, D200.
I got to the Canon interface real fast, but never the Nikon ones.


From your choice of the D750 and lens, I'd say you won't be getting much.
The lens you mentioned isn't going to give you much in subject isolation over the aps-c setup you already have.
Neither are they long enough for wildlife.
I'd be surprised that its a better lens than say the DA*50-135.


Perhaps your mind is already made up?

Put it this way, you get the new Pentax FF, all your lenses are usable in crop mode.
Some are usable as a FF lens. (DA*60-250; DA40ltd; DA70ltd)
All you need to do is add a lens or two to make up what you lack immediately.

With the other brand FF, you need to sell and try.
Not to mention that Canikon is biggish (though the 6D is a reasonable size imo)
12-06-2015, 10:40 PM   #12
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My mind is far from made up.

The ISO comparisons were not apples to apples, I was looking some of my aurora work from my K-30 at ISO 800 and 1600 vs the d600 files that were natural light indoor portraits that pushed iso5000. To be honest I've never been 100% pleased with my aurora photos with the k-30, not sure how much is user vs equipment.

FWIW I only currently own the da40, 20-40, and 50-135. If I stay with a k- mount apsc camera I'm getting an ultrawide (10mm or 14mm f2.8 Samyang or a used sigma 8-16) and a super tele (DA* 300 & 1.4x).

Size of the camera system isn't much of a concern, I only bring my Dslr out for serious work, and I do print upwards of 20x30. snapshotting is for my phone and film cameras
12-07-2015, 04:49 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by skierd Quote
snapshotting is for my phone and film cameras
Which film cameras do you have?
12-07-2015, 12:10 PM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by skierd Quote
Once I opened the files in Lightroom, they were noticeably better than what I get from my K-30 in terms of noise and overall IQ, even compared to the higher end Pentax lenses I have now or have rented
"Noticeably better" is a little vague. I see a lot of medium to large sized prints from FF cameras. I'm only seeing differences in some of the larger prints, and even then, it's not always blindingly obvious. For landscape photography, the main advantage of FF over APS-C is FF has a built-in resolution advantage due to the larger sensor. However, that resolution advantage is not as large as some people think. It tends to only be noticeable in larger prints and/or bigger crops, and even then it may take a sharp eye to really appreciate it.

If you're going to move from APS-C to FF, it seems to me you need to decide what you're trying to gain from it and then make choices that will maximize that gain. If you're looking to gain resolution, a high MP FF camera like the D810 might be a better choice. If it's high ISO performance you're after, then you'll need to get lenses that are at least as fast as what you have for APS-C, because if you give up a stop with the FF lenses, you'll be throwing away the lion's share of the FF high ISO advantage.

As for wildlife shooting, I still think APS-C tends to have an advantage here, at least in terms of price. Sure, a lens like the Nikkor 200-400 f4, shot on an FF camera, will "out perform" (but only in terms of resolution) the DA* 60-250; but that Nikkor lens is nearly six times as expensive and three times as heavy as the 60-250. As for the Tamron 150-600, while that's a nice enough consumer grade super tele zoom, especially when shot on FF, at equivalent focal lengths, I would expect you would get better results (if not in terms of resolution, certainly in terms of contrast, color and overall rendering) with the DA* 60-250, the DA* 300 or the DA 150-450 shot on a Pentax APS-C camera.
12-07-2015, 02:38 PM   #15
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Currently in the FF market the D750 is the best value in terms of performance vs price. The D750 is not a pro Nikon but it has some pro features like the AF. The D750 is nice and light and has the best grip of any current Nikon and is a pleasure to hold. Nikon has some pretty good deals on the D750 now too. The only drawback to the Nikon system is the cost of the pro Nikon lenses and accessories. Only time will tell if the Pentax FF will match it.

BTW, a K-3 can be had now for a third of the cost of a D750.

Just my $0.02.
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