Well - some items are on the way, others will be ordered or picked up shortly.
I've decided on a D600
Gambling a bit on lens choices, but I'm doing the "work with them and see what I use or feel I need" approach:
Nikon 50mm F1.8G AF-S
Nikon 85mm F1.8G AF-S
Tokina AT-X 16-28mm F2.8 Pro FX
I'll have to break out my Tamron 70-300 (old AF style) and see how the images compare. I hadn't decided what other zoom range should get my focus. I think between having 28, 50, and 85mm available, I should be able to cover things alright.
I don't know if I want a new lens around the 28-80 range, or a new telephoto zoom.
Sometimes I simply love the compression of DOF at the longer telephoto ranges - sometimes I want to capture detail that I can't get any closer too. More importantly, I do like to have the ability to capture wildlife or anything where distance is impossible to close. Local and younger sports teams sometimes want photographers, and I may give that a shot this year. Obviously higher level sports will demand the massive telescope-type telephoto lenses, with the astronomical prices to match.
The Tokina, as mentioned here, seems to be getting great reviews. Some distortion and CA, and reviews seemed to waver on how much compared to other notable lenses, but I haven't heard anything other than "easily correctable" with software so I have hope on that front. While paying for even the top-end doesn't change this fact, but the inability to use a filter worries me a little. I'll give it some hands on time indoors and out, see if I can't get around it - but there are scenes I can picture using a ND or graduated ND filter, and being disappointed without them. Perhaps one more prime could alleviate this, such as a 20mm? (looking at landscapes in particular for this point). But as I said, even the $2000 Nikon can't use them. That's one thing I'm also going to pay close attention to: is 16mm enough? Do I feel I need 14mm? Nikon has a cheaper 16-35mm (compared to the 14mm offering), and I almost sprang for it, but some reviews suggest the Tokina hangs or outmatches it, and it was another $500 or thereabouts. Ken Rockwell says the 16mm is the sharpest of them all, but also has significant barrel distortion at 16mm. :\ Correctable, but that's an optical issue I'd rather not get more of after having paid more.
I am looking forward to apertures wider than F3.5 - I've never had anything faster than that.
Part of the reason I chose those primes. Looking at various photos shot with them, they seem quite versatile, and having the two of them I shouldn't need to physically move myself all THAT much to get a shot lined up... but a fast standard zoom would be quite handy, and that's what I'm really focusing on next: do I need that standard zoom range more, or can I get away with the UWA zoom, the primes, and a good telephoto zoom for the settings that aren't all about buildings and landscapes?