When comparing Filco Majestouch-2 vs Ducky Shine 5, the Slant community recommends Filco Majestouch-2 for most people. In the question“What are the best mechanical keyboards?” Filco Majestouch-2 is ranked 2nd while Ducky Shine 5 is ranked 6th. The most important reason people chose Filco Majestouch-2 is:
Filco keyboards are renowned for their fantastic build quality. The keyboard weighs nearly 3 pounds and is built like a tank with virtually no flex in the backplate.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Great build quality
Filco keyboards are renowned for their fantastic build quality. The keyboard weighs nearly 3 pounds and is built like a tank with virtually no flex in the backplate.
Pro Compact and simple design
The overall aesthetics of this keyboard are very clean and simple. The finish is not prone to fingerprints and the printing of the key labels on the side of the keycaps (on the ninja version) makes the keyboard look minimalistic while still being easy to see which keys are where.
Pro Uses Costar stabilizers
Filcos use Costar stabilizers, which are generally preferable for people who prefer a "snappy" feel to their keyboards.
Pro Key labels don't fade out
The ninja version has the key labels printed on the front of the keys to avoid them fading out over time.
Pro Highly moddable
There are a lot of mods available for this keyboard, including rounded keycaps or colored cases.
Pro Quality mechanical switches
The Ducky Shine 5 comes with Cherry MX mechanical switches. You can choose between the Brown, Red or Black varieties, according to your preferences.
Pro No software needed
The Shine 5 has all the backlighting effects built into it. To alter the RGB lighting, there are keyboard combinations that can be used to quickly switch between modes.
Pro Lots of lighting modes
There are 14 pre-programmed lighting modes available, as well as 2 customizable modes (which you can blend together). To access the first 7 pre-programmed modes, press Fn+F9 - these are the more basic patterns with fewer colors (Solid, Single Color Breathing, Solid Color Change, Red/Green Waves, Snake, Single Color and Single Key Reactive, Radiant Reactive, and Linear Reactive). Pressing Fn+F10 toggles through Solid Color Change, Colorful Waterfall, Color Changing Snake, Color Raindrop, Colorful Single Key Reactive, Colorful Radiant Reactive, and Colorful Linear Reactive. The 2 custom modes can be activated through Fn+F11/F12. On these modes, you can set per-key colors and brightness, and pressing the same button combination will make those keys breathe.
Pro Great build quality
The Ducky Shine 5 has a dual layer PCB, plate mounted switches, laser printed and UV Coated keycaps.
Pro USB cable is detachable and replaceable
You can easily replace the cable with one of a different color or different length.
Pro Wide choice of keycaps
Given the popularity of Cherry MX switches, there are many customized keycap options to choose from.
Pro ABS Double-shot keycap
There are two layers of plastic in the Shine 5's keys - the print is part of the underlayer of the keycap, which means it won't wear out and allows light to shine through the printed area.
Pro Unique symbol on the spacebar, to celebrate Chinese year
The default spacebar logo is a simple one, however a replacement spacebar is included, with a symbol that corresponds to the current Chinese year. This adds an optional design flare to an otherwise simple and professional looking keyboard.
Pro On board memory for profile/settings storage
The Ducky will remember all your backlighting customization settings snd other profile settings, even if you turn it off or use it on another computer.
Cons
Con Not backlit
The Filco does not come with key backlighting. This makes it harder to use in the dark (especially when hunting for special characters) and also isn't as flashy as RGB models.
Con ABS keycaps aren't as durable as other materials
Some alternative keyboards have keycaps made from PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) which are more durable, have a nicer texture and generally are of better quality. Many Filco keyboard users switch out the default ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) keycaps for PBT caps, but this is going to cost you an extra ~$60.
Con Has no number pad
Some users require a number pad as it makes number crunching in spreadsheets much quicker, easier, as well as more accurate.
Con No calculator button
Unlike some other keyboards, the Majestouch-2 doesn't have a calculator shortcut button.
Con No software available
Setting up custom lighting can be a real hassle because there is no software available to assist you. You'll need to manually set the RGB value (from 0-7) to pick the right color/brightness, then tap each key you wish to set that color for. Then switch the color, and tap more keys. Repeat until you are satisfied. In addition, further future tweaking of the layout is another pain, as there is no easy way to copy the color already on the keyboard. You will need to go through a trial and error process to match the color you want.
Con Many features are missing
The Ducky Shine 5 is a great, high-quality keyboard, but it misses some nice features, like USB passthrough, a wrist wrest, cable management features, or media control keys.