I've not had much computer time since my wife's temporary wheelchair requirement, which has curtailed much of our social life for the last few weeks, and in that time I've mainly used the K-3.
My observations based on a relatively short usage time with the K-1, such as they are: I almost bought a D700 some years ago, but decided to wait for Pentax to produce a FF camera. That wait worked out well! Some years later I ended borrowing and eventually acquiring a D800. I wondered what value I would get from the K-1, but as it turns out, they are very different cameras, something I wouldn't have fully understood without using both together. With 36MP I always knew that great care would have to be used handheld to keep images free of any unwanted movement. I'd used the D800 primarily for landscape and certain indoor photography of small items, where it was used with a tripod. With a very limited range of lenses for the D800 I could borrow, I'd been reluctant to use it for general photography, particularly late night handheld and I was often disappointed in the results. The K-1 by comparison is superb. The in-body stabilisation is a real deal breaker, and I'm far more confident of getting sharp images in almost any light handheld. The high ISO usability is great on the K-1, as someone who uses flash as a last resort. The K-1 is too small for the weight, and I much prefer the size of the D800. I know that a smaller size body seems to be the aim for manufacturers, but especially with heavy lenses, a larger body would be ideal (for me). A larger body would allow the extra control wheel, plus a full size top LCD screen, which I miss. I very much like the screen which can be moved, which seems far more solid than that of the D750, which I also considered at one point. I hope this screen makes its way into the next version of the K-3II. I like the controls and menus of both equally. In summary for me, the D800 is ideal on a tripod for landscape and studio work, with the K-1 feeling good to go for anything. I think I'll be parting with the D800 shortly; the in-body stabilisation is so important to me. I'd like the K-1II D800 size, with a full size LCD top panel please, assuming that given the recent bizarre UK vote that electronic products from overseas remain affordable. Malcolm -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
