D600

[arthurking83]

at $1800! .. no hesitation, grey import or not.

I'm tempted to send you some cash to get me one too now!

And stuff this idea of declaration .. it's purchased as a personal import and hence not subject to taxes
(I'm convinced now that there is a government slush fund setup to protect the Harvey Normans of this country, and I'd prefer to contribute as little to it as possible).

[Tommo1965]

yes Arthur Im with you on that statement....

and for $1800..I certainly grab it if your in the market

[raccoon]

Hi Everyone,
i gave the D600 a work out yesteday around the rocks and Harbour bridge
here are 8 NEF files that i have just put in dropbox (total size is 215mb) at various settings.

What an upgrade from the D5000 (a beautiful camera)

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/o8ie2frirnyx7lj/KXaUynMIZU

They are currently still uploading so be patient

Have a good day

[Cage]

What, indeed, may you ask, is an avowed Pentaxian doing lurking in the Nikon forum?

Well I can assure you all I'm not trolling, just looking, and thinking.......... (And yes Lance, I know, you've BTDT)

The pre-release blurb of a FF camera around $1500 caught my eye, so I've been following the threads. OK, that was a furphy, but at $AU2,479 @ DCW with full Oz warranty, it still looks like a fair deal for an entry level FF.

PRIC (Pentax Ricoh Imaging Corporation for the uninitiated) , to say the least, rather underwhelmed me with their offerings at Photokina. No Roadmap for upcoming cameras? An outdated, and variable, lens roadmap? Where are they heading? I know Pentax has changed hands twice in five years, but to not give the 'faithful' any carrots , IMHO, is a big mistake.

So, do I really 'need' a FF camera. Possibly not, but I'd like to think that I can grow into one. With my declining eyesight, a 100% viewfinder (or close) is a big plus.
I still have a plethora of Canon 'A' series cameras, and really enjoyed what I saw in the OVF. Oh, and BTW, Canon lost me when they left all us FD mount users in the lurch.

I've just roughly totted up what I should realistically realise from my Pentax gear, and it certainly gives me a foothold in Nikon land. The D800 is not beyond the realms of possibility (the build quality and WR being comparable to the K5, and a step-up from the D600), although Mongo's, and others, unhappy initial journey makes me a little reticent.

I guess the D600 is still 'early days' so I will wait a bit and see if any inherent problems crop up. Suffice to say, I've got 'itchy feet'.

I'm not about to jump ship, but I am leaning on the rail.

[WhoDo]

You have no idea of the power of the Dark Side, Luke ... errr .. Kev!

[ScottM]

Mmm, I'm very tempted... I have an immediate use for its high ISO capabilities, but do I want to spend the money? If only I could take one for a test drive for a week instead of (relatively) high rental prices!
At least one store in Hobart has it at a good price ($2,350) and as has been said elsewhere, local prices, local warranty, avoiding import taxes and other risks makes this more attractive than previously buying grey at slightly lower prices.

[Cage]

You have no idea of the power of the Dark Side, Luke ... errr .. Kev!

Good onya Waz.

[Lance B]

What, indeed, may you ask, is an avowed Pentaxian doing lurking in the Nikon forum?

Well I can assure you all I'm not trolling, just looking, and thinking.......... (And yes Lance, I know, you've BTDT)

The pre-release blurb of a FF camera around $1500 caught my eye, so I've been following the threads. OK, that was a furphy, but at $AU2,479 @ DCW with full Oz warranty, it still looks like a fair deal for an entry level FF.

PRIC (Pentax Ricoh Imaging Corporation for the uninitiated) , to say the least, rather underwhelmed me with their offerings at Photokina. No Roadmap for upcoming cameras? An outdated, and variable, lens roadmap? Where are they heading? I know Pentax has changed hands twice in five years, but to not give the 'faithful' any carrots , IMHO, is a big mistake.

So, do I really 'need' a FF camera. Possibly not, but I'd like to think that I can grow into one. With my declining eyesight, a 100% viewfinder (or close) is a big plus.
I still have a plethora of Canon 'A' series cameras, and really enjoyed what I saw in the OVF. Oh, and BTW, Canon lost me when they left all us FD mount users in the lurch.

I've just roughly totted up what I should realistically realise from my Pentax gear, and it certainly gives me a foothold in Nikon land. The D800 is not beyond the realms of possibility (the build quality and WR being comparable to the K5, and a step-up from the D600), although Mongo's, and others, unhappy initial journey makes me a little reticent.

I guess the D600 is still 'early days' so I will wait a bit and see if any inherent problems crop up. Suffice to say, I've got 'itchy feet'.

I'm not about to jump ship, but I am leaning on the rail.

It's a big step, Kevin!

My reasons for jumping to Nikon were that I had a few issues with my Pentax K7 and a few of the newer lenses, I saw that Pentax were going nowhere soon, no FF on the horizon, I wanted the bigger VF for easier composition and Pentax at the time were at best prosumer grade, not professional grade. This was one critical point, I was very demanding on the results, the build quality, accuracy and having a camera and lenses built to prosumer levels only meant that there was no where to go upwards to the next level with Pentax. At the time, and in a way even now, Pentax just seem to be marking time. So, in May 2010, I deliberated for about a month tossing up the pro's and con's and finally, decided to jump ship. For me, it was the best thing I ever did.

I purchased the D700, 24-70 f2.8, 70-200 f2.8 VRII, 16-35 f4 VR, 1.4x TCII and 105 f2.8 Micro. The thing that struck me most was that everything just worked and worked as it should have, the build quality was exemplary and the results were excellent. In the latter days of Pentax ownership I had lost interest in photography to a degree but after the switch, my passion for photography was re-invigorated and it has stayed that way ever since the switch. The only drawback, other than the hefty price tag, was the fact that FF meant that my lenses were "shorter" by 1.5 times and to get decent "reach" meant big $$$ and big lenses. At the time of the switch, I was not into birds and only dabbled in wildlife at the zoo, so long lenses were not a priority. However, to be honest, I was probably less interested in birds whilst at Pentax possibly because they didn't have the lenses and the AF capable of capturing birds easily and when I switched to Nikon a whole new world of possibilities came into being and so I went down that path.

I dare say that if Pentax had "proper" professional grade equipment, I would have stayed with them. Unfortunately, they didn't and I wasn't going to wait around until they did as I am not getting any younger. I still have a very large "soft spot" for Pentax as they do make some excellent lenses with excellent IQ and their cameras are very well designed, small and solid, and are possibly the best for ergonomics.

Whether my story is similar to what you want from your photography is something that you need to decide. It's not an easy thing to do as it is a costly exercise and if you want long lenses it is going to be very costly. A 300mm f2.8 VRII lens is about $7,000 and that is only the equivalent of a 200mm lens on the Pentax K5 as far as "reach" is concerned. However, if you go the route of a D800, you can crop it back to the same as the K5 and have the same Mp and therefore "reach", so you won't really "lose" in that department. You've also got to be prepared to lug it around and it is about 3kg compared to the DA*300 which is only 1100gms. My day to day "kit" is the D800, 16-35 f4 VR (or 14-24 f2.8), 24-70 f2.8, 70-200 f2.8 VRII and the 300 f2.8 VRII, 1.4x TCII and 2x TCIII. This weighs in at about 8kg and when added to the backpack all adds up to near 10kg on my back! Sometimes, I add my 500 f4 to the mix for an additional 5kg! Of course, if I am just going birding, then I will only take the telephotos and TC's which makes it a little more palatable, but if I am going on a day trip somewhere, I may have a variety of subject matter and want to have all the necessary lenses to suit.

If you stick to a D800, 24-70 f2.8, 70-200 f2.8 VRII and the TC's it is a very manageable kit and even the TC's on the 70-200 f2.8 give excellent results. My "holiday" kit is usually the D800, 16-35 f4 VR, 24-70 f2.8, 70-200 f2.8 and the TC's. The 2x TCIII for the 70-200 really works very well and I can get excellent results using that combo. Using the 1.4x TCII on the 70-200 is almost indistinguishable from the lens bare.

[Cage]

Thanks for your input Mate.

Your thoughts on Pentax pretty much mirror my own.

I guess my dilemma at the moment is whether to get the D800, or wait a bit and see how the D600 pans out.

My early thoughts on kit seem pretty much the same as yours, a 24-70 f2.8, a 70-200 f2.8 and something in the 300mm+ range, and I mainly shoot off a tripod, so I can live without VR.

Many thanks for your well thought out reply Lance.

I am probably going to switch, just a matter of to what, and when.

[WhoDo]

I am probably going to switch, just a matter of to what, and when.

Join the Force, Luke ... err... Kev!

[zollo]

Well, just thought I'd check in with a quick update on the d600's weather sealing. I took a week off work and headed down south west, where it turns out there have been near cyclonic winds and foul weather for the last two days solid. So the 600 has been through 100+ km/h winds, downpours of epic proportions ( when the quickly turning weather caught me out) sandstorms ( on the beach - with aforementioned winds) plenty of sea spray ( 6 - 8 meter swells !! ) and to top it off, I got caught out in hail today. So far it's doing well, better than cold miserable me lol

[Lance B]

Thanks for your input Mate.

My pleasure, always glad to help out where I can.

Your thoughts on Pentax pretty much mirror my own.

I guess my dilemma at the moment is whether to get the D800, or wait a bit and see how the D600 pans out.

My early thoughts on kit seem pretty much the same as yours, a 24-70 f2.8, a 70-200 f2.8 and something in the 300mm+ range, and I mainly shoot off a tripod, so I can live without VR.

Many thanks for your well thought out reply Lance.

I am probably going to switch, just a matter of to what, and when.

I think the D600 should be a great camera, it has similar build to the D7000, which I had and thought it a great camera also.

[Tommo1965]

Id be in the same boat as Lance..I started my DSLR experiance with Pentax..a brand Id known for a long time, but for me there where too many issues with the K5..too many AF problems in low light with particular lenses etc..also the choice of quality Zoom lenses were just not there so I moved brands...

intstead of making the mistake of looking at bodies only when I decided to leave Pentax ..I also looked the the lenses line up....Id read of the nikon 70-200VrII and after testing it I thought Nikon was the brand I wanted to invest in .

I bought a very lighty used D300s and a brand new 70-200...since then Ive purchased more gear ..but look to the used market as my budget is certainly not unlimited ...I also went to a D700..and for now that does everything I need..I dont need long glass as birds/wildlife are not one of my intrests...so really expensive lenses are not a issue for me.

I feel pentax has great LTD primes..and with the k5II they may actully work in low light ...and if so it would be a great light kit for street and walkabout......looking at lances walkabout Kit...id be crawling by the end of the day


Kev I see your lens list has the 300MM DA* ....Nikon also do a 300mm F4 and its cheaper than the pentax..and better bulit..so all thats Nikon isnt more expensive than Pentax

if the budget allows Id buy a D800 along with the Nikon 300F4...also a 24-70 and the 24-200

but if your after a bargain..try a Used D700 they are still one hell of a camera going for around $1500 now

[Cage]

Kev I see your lens list has the 300MM DA* ....Nikon also do a 300mm F4 and its cheaper than the pentax..and better bulit..so all thats Nikon isnt more expensive than Pentax

if the budget allows Id buy a D800 along with the Nikon 300F4...also a 24-70 and the 24-200

but if your after a bargain..try a Used D700 they are still one hell of a camera going for around $1500 now

Thanks for the input Thommo. There seems to be a steady trickle from Pentax to Nikon on this forum, Lance, WhoDo, yourself and myself and probably quite a few others too.

It was the images posted from the D700 on this forum that first made me sit up and take notice of Nikon. I'd see a sharp, well exposed image posted and say to myself, that's a D700, and I was mostly right. There was a stand-out quality about them.

I've decided if I do make the leap it will be to one of the new models with a 24-70 f2.8 and a 70-200 F2.8 (I have this in a Sigma and it is comparable with any of my Pentax glass) and I've been looking at the Nikon 300mm f4 + T/C as well. If I need UWA I guess the Sigma 10-20mm would get me started.

@ Zollo.................. Geez buddy, you sure gave it a baptism of fire (err... water) didn't you.

Ah, decisions, decisions..........................

[arthurking83]

Having already handled a D800 before today, the camera felt nice in my hands .. good size and comfy grip.

One of the aspects of the D7K that I didn't like to begin with was the 'petite' size .. mainly in the grip. Made for a harder camera to hold freely(as someone that doesn't use straps and other paraphenalia), so the ability to hold the camera all day is important to me.

For all intents and purposes the D600 doesn't feel different enough to the D300/700/800 series cameras as the D7K does to warrant that as a factor.
And it certainly doesn't' make for a better travel camera compared to a D800/700 sized camera ... the difference between D600 and D800 sized camera bodies is too insignificant in real world usage to make claims like that!

If it weren't for the limitations that the D600 imposes on the owner, I'd be charging the batteries on mine as we sit here and banter about.
Needless to say, I'm just waiting for the D800 and lens to be in stock and I'll have my new gear very soon.

In saying that tho, the D600 makes for a compelling purchase if your not as particular about connections and storage needs as I am(no CF slot is a PITB).
So for me to have got one would also mean a few hundred dollars spent on the accessories I need for it as well, which subsequently brings it even closer to the D800 in terms of pricing ..... ie. it's not just a simple camera purchase.

The viewfinder looks very nice, although in maintaining my pedantic stance, the round eye piece(D700/800) is nicer than the square types of the D300/7000/600.
The more concentrated focus points also looked to be worrisome coming from a D300, where they almost cover the entire frame. I'm willing to concede a bit of focus point spread as you get going from a D300 to a D700/800, but having to endure even less spread is another negative.

For most folks, going from a D7000, D300 or even a D700! .. it'd be a great upgrade path for 90% of photography needs, as long as the accessories requirements aren't a bother.

Coming from a fresh path, where you have no pre determined needs or wants, the D600 looks to be slightly better value at the moment than the D800 .. and I'm sure that will get better as time goes by and D600 pricing drops even lower, and history dictates that D600 pricing has a lot more headroom for falling than does the D800.

With DPR's preview of the D600 up and running too now, there's more confirmation that at elevated ISO levels the D600 appears to be slightly less noisy than the D800, although the difference is to small to make that a decisive factor between either a D600 or D800.

[Lance B]

Thanks for the input Thommo. There seems to be a steady trickle from Pentax to Nikon on this forum, Lance, WhoDo, yourself and myself and probably quite a few others too.

It was the images posted from the D700 on this forum that first made me sit up and take notice of Nikon. I'd see a sharp, well exposed image posted and say to myself, that's a D700, and I was mostly right. There was a stand-out quality about them.

I've decided if I do make the leap it will be to one of the new models with a 24-70 f2.8 and a 70-200 F2.8 (I have this in a Sigma and it is comparable with any of my Pentax glass) and I've been looking at the Nikon 300mm f4 + T/C as well. If I need UWA I guess the Sigma 10-20mm would get me started.

@ Zollo.................. Geez buddy, you sure gave it a baptism of fire (err... water) didn't you.

Ah, decisions, decisions..........................

Just remember that the Sigma 10-20 is a DX lens, not an FX lens and will therefore vignet on a FF D800/600. However, you can crop the FX and you should get an equivalent of about a 15-16mm on FX, or just use it from about 16-20mm on the lens.

However, there are:

Sigma 12-24mm f4.5-5.6 DG HSM II
Sigma 15-30mm f/3.5-4.5 EX DG ASP
Tokina AT-X 116 PRO DX 11-16mm f/2.8
Tokina AT-X 16-28mm f2.8 PRO FX
Tokina AT-X 17-35mm f/4 SD (IF) PRO FX Lens

I know nothing of the IQ of the above lenses other than the Tokina 16-28 f2.8 which has received some good press from owners and from tests such as that from Photozone.

[deef]

Just remember that the Sigma 10-20 is a DX lens, not an FX lens and will therefore vignet on a FF D800/600. However, you can crop the FX and you should get an equivalent of about a 15-16mm on FX, or just use it from about 16-20mm on the lens.

I have tried out my Sigma 10-20 on the D600 and it works well. Just need to crop out the vinetting to taste.

Full frame

[ricktas]

Lance above mentions a few lenses. I have the Sigma 12-24 and used it with my D800 to get these : http://www.ausphotography.net.au/for...liam-Seascapes whilst it might not be a 2.8 lens it certainly holds its own for wide angle landscape work.

[Cage]

Thanks for the link Rick. As you may have noticed above, and as Waz succinctly puts it, I'm contemplating a move to 'the dark side', AKA Nikon Land.

I've already picked up on your fondness for your Sigma 24-70 f2.8, and was impressed by your doggie shot, that doesn't really read right, your pic of your dog sounds better. Very sharp, I love 'sharp'.

At the moment, and this is plan 'H' or 'K' or something, I'm leaning towards the D600, the Sigma 24-70, a 70-200, probably also Sigma as I am super impressed with the original one I have for my K5, and it is waaay cheaper than the Nikon, and, and ..................., Oh, this is gonna hurt, flogging my beloved Suzuki 1200 Bandit, which I never ride, and admitting that I really am now officially an 'OLD FART', and investing the proceeds in the Sigma 500mm f4.5.

If I pick up a 1.4 or a 1.7 T/C for the 70-200, I figure I have pretty much covered my requirements, and if I feel the need to go UWA you have demonstrated that the Sigma 12-24 is a very useful tool, and not a credit card cruncher. (thought I'd throw in a bit of alliteration to finish).

Cheers

Kevin

[arthurking83]

...... Oh, this is gonna hurt, flogging my beloved Suzuki 1200 Bandit, which I never ride, and admitting that I really am now officially an 'OLD FART', and investing the proceeds in the Sigma 500mm f4.5.

......

OH! ..... the iPhonery iRony of it all .. and here I am thinking I'm an old fart contemplating getting an R1 (or an old '86-'88 model GSXR1100) .. well, maybe even a Paris-Dakar (for those times where I feel a need to get to more interesting places) .....

well I reckon at least one of us is wrong ..... and it ain't gunna be me this time!!


And if those eedjuts at Vanbar don't get their act into gear properly very soon they'll miss out, and my dollars will go directly towards one of those three aforementioned bikes instead!