theVooner.com

Nikon has announced the most affordable full-frame DSLR yet, the D600.  Priced at US$2099.95 for the Body only, this camera brings a smaller, lighter, and definitely more affordable full-frame sensor to the masses.  Very similar in size to the D7000, the D600 offers many of the same features as its bigger brother the recently launched D800.  Although the D800 sports a bigger 36.3MP sensor, the D600 appears to be a very viable alternative for the average photographer.  In addition to being smaller (141x113x82mm vs 146x123x82mm) and lighter (760g vs 900g), the D600 also has a slighter faster continuous shooting rate of 5.5fps (vs D800’s 4fps).

I think the newly announced WiFi adapter, which allows you to not only see the images on a smartphone or tablet, but also control the camera and even take shots with it.  Interesting!

This really is a dilemma for me as I certainly planned on upgrading my own D7000 to the D800.  The question is: Is the D600 good enough at a lower price, that I should just buy it instead of the D800?  I don’t know, but I’m definitely interested in finding out.  From the sample photos that I’ve seen, it looks very good.  I’m officially confused… what do I buy?

theVooner

Nikon D600

Nikon D600 front

Specifications

• Type
  Single-lens reflex digital camera
• Lens Mount
  Nikon F bayonet mount
• Picture Angle
  Nikon FX format
• Effective Pixels
  24.3 million
• Sensor Size
  35.9mm x 24.0mm
• Image Sensor Format
  FX
• Image Sensor Type
  CMOS
• Total Pixels
  24.7 million
• Dust-reduction system
  Image sensor cleaning
• Dust-Off Reference Photo
  Yes
• Image Area (pixels)
  FX-format
  (L) 6,016 x 4,016
  (M) 4,512 x 3,008
  (S) 3,008 x 2,008
  DX-format
  (L) 3,936 x 2,624
  (M) 2,944 x 1,968
  (S) 1,968 x 1,312
• File Format Still Images
  JPEG: JPEG-Baseline Compliant; can be selected from Size Priority and Optimal Quality
  JPEG: JPEG-Baseline Compliant with fine (approx 1:4), Normal (approx 1:8) or Basic (approx 1:16) Compression
  NEF (RAW): Lossless Compressed, Compressed or Uncompressed 12 or 14 bit
  TIFF (RGB)
• Picture Control
  Landscape
  Monochrome
  Neutral
  Portrait
  Standard
  User-customizable Settings
  Vivid
• Storage Media
  SD
  SDHC
  SDXC
• Card Slot
  2 Secure Digital (SD)
• File System
  Compliant with DCF (Design Rule for Camera File System) 2.0
  DPOF (Digital Print Order Format)
  EXIF 2.3 (Exchangeable Image File Format for Digital Still Cameras)
  PictBridge
• Viewfinder
  Eye-level Pentaprism Single-Lens Reflex Viewfinder
• Viewfinder Frame Coverage
  FX (36×24): 100% Horizontal and 100% Vertical Approx.
  DX (24×16): 97% Horizontal and 97% Vertical Approx.
• Viewfinder Magnification
  0.70x Approx.
• Viewfinder Eyepoint
  20.6mm (-1.0m¯¹)
• Viewfinder Diopter Adjustment
  Built-in diopter adjustment (-3 to +1 m¯¹)
• Focusing Screen
  Type B BriteView Clear Matte Mark VIII with AF Area Brackets (grid lines can be displayed)
• Reflex Mirror
  Quick-return type
• Lens Aperture
  Instant-return type
• Depth-of-field Control
  Yes
• Lens Compatibility at a Glance***
  AF-S or AF lenses fully compatible
  Metering with AI lenses
• Compatible Lenses
  AF NIKKOR lenses, including type G and D lenses (some restrictions apply to PC lenses) and DX lenses (using DX 24 × 16 1.5x image area), AI-P NIKKOR lenses, and non-CPU AI lenses (A and M modes only).
  IX NIKKOR lenses, lenses for the F3AF, and non-AI lenses cannot be used.
• Shutter type
  Electronically controlled vertical-travel focal-plane
• Shutter Speed
  1/4000 to 30 sec.
  Bulb
• Fastest Shutter Speed
  1/4000 sec.
• Slowest Shutter Speed
  30 sec.
• Flash Sync Speed
  Up to 1/200 sec.
  Synchronizes with shutter at 1/250s or slower
• Bulb Shutter Setting
  Yes
• Shutter Release Modes
  Continuous low-speed [CL] mode; 1-5 frames per second
  Continuous high-speed [CH] mode; 5.5 frames per second
  Mirror-up [Mup] mode
  Quiet Shutter Release
  Self-timer mode
  Single-frame [S] mode
• Continuous Shooting Options
  FX-format
  CH: Up to 5.5 frames per second
  CL: Up to 1-5 frames per second
• Top Continuous Shooting Speed at full resolution
  5.5 frames per second
• Self-timer
  2, 5, 10, 20 sec. Timer duration electronically controlled
• Exposure Metering System
  TTL exposure metering using 2,016-pixel RGB sensor
• Metering Method
  Center-weighted: Weight of 75% given to 8mm circle in center of frame
  Matrix: 3D color matrix metering II (type G and D lenses); color matrix metering II (other CPU lenses)
  Spot: Meters 4mm circle (about 1.5% of frame) centered on selected focus point
• Metering Range
  0 to 20 EV (3D color matrix or center-weighted metering)
  0 to 20 EV (spot metering)
• Exposure Meter Coupling
  CPU
  AI
• Exposure Modes
  Aperture-Priority (A)
  Manual (M)
  Programmed auto with flexible program (P)
  Shutter-Priority (S)
• Exposure Compensation
  ±5 EV in increments of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV
• Exposure Bracketing
  2 or 3 frames in steps of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 1 or 2 EV
• Exposure Lock
  Yes
• Mirror Lock Up
  Yes
• ISO Sensitivity
  ISO 100 – 6400
  Lo-1 (ISO 50)
  Hi-1 (ISO 12,800)
  Hi-2 (ISO 25,600)
• Lowest Standard ISO Sensitivity
  100
• Highest Standard ISO Sensitivity
  6400
• Lowest Expanded ISO Sensitivity
  Lo-1 (ISO 50 equivalent)
• Highest Expanded ISO Sensitivity
  HI-2 (ISO 25,600 equivalent)
• Expanded ISO Sensitivity Options
  Hi-1 (ISO-12,800 equivalent) in 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV
  Hi-2, (ISO-25,600 equivalent) 1 EV
• Long Exposure Noise Reduction
  Yes
• High ISO Noise Reduction
  Low
  Normal
  High
  Off
• Active D-Lighting
  Auto
  Extra High
  High
  Normal
  Low
  Off
• D-Lighting Bracketing
  2 frames using selected value for one frame
  3–5 frames using preset values for all frames
• Single-point AF Mode
  Yes
• Dynamic AF Mode
  Number of AF points: 9, 21, 39 and 39 (3D-tracking)
• Auto-area AF Mode
  Yes
• Autofocus System
  Nikon Multi-CAM 4800 autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection
• Detection Range
  -1 to 19 EV (ISO 100, 68°F/20°C)
• Lens Servo
  Autofocus (AF): Single-servo AF (AF-S); Continuous-servo AF (AF-C); auto AF-S/AF-C selection (AF-A); predictive focus tracking activated automatically according to subject status
  Manual focus (MF): Electronic rangefinder can be used
• AF-area mode
  9, 21 or 39 point Dynamic-area AF
  Auto-area AF
  Single-point AF
  3D-tracking (39 points)
• Focus Lock
  Focus can be locked by pressing AE-L/AF-L button
  Focus can be locked by pressing shutter-release button halfway (single-servo AF)
• Focus Modes
  Auto AF-S/AF-C selection (AF-A)
  Continuous-servo (AF-C)
  Face-Priority AF available in Live View only and D-Movie only
  Manual (M) with electronic rangefinder
  Normal area
  Single-servo AF (AF-S)
  Wide area
• Maximum Autofocus Areas/Points
  39
• Autofocus Sensitivity
  -1 to +19 EV (ISO 100, 20°C/68°F)
• Autofocus Fine Tune
  Yes
• Built-in Flash
  Yes
• Flash Bracketing
  2 to 3 frames in steps of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 1 or 2 EV
• Built-in Flash Distance
  39 ft. (ISO 100)
• X-Sync Speed
  1/200
• Top FP High Speed Sync
  Up to 1/4000
• Flash Control
  TTL: i-TTL flash control using 2,016-pixel RGB sensor are available with built-in flash and SB-910, SB-900, SB-700, or SB-400; i-TTL balanced fill-flash for digital SLR is used with matrix and center-weighting metering, standard i-TTL flash for digital SLR with spot metering
• Flash Sync Modes
  Front-curtain sync (normal)
  Rear-curtain sync
  Red-Eye reduction
  Red-Eye reduction with slow sync
  Slow sync
• Flash Compensation
  -3 to +1 EV in increments of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV
• Flash-ready indicator
  Lights when built-in flash or optional flash unit such as SB-910, SB-900, SB-400, SB-80DX, SB-28DX or SB-50DX is fully charged
• Accessory Shoe
  Yes
• Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS)
  CLS Supported
• White Balance
  Auto
  Choose color temperature (2500K–10000K)
  Cloudy
  Direct Sunlight
  Flash
  Fluorescent (7 types)
  Incandescent
  Preset manual (up to 4 values can be stored)
  Shade
• White Balance Bracketing
  2 or 3 exposures
• Live View Shooting
  Photography Live View Mode
  Movie Live View Mode
• Live View Lens servo
  Autofocus (AF): Single-servo AF (AF-S); full-time-servo AF (AF-F)
  Manual focus (MF)
• Live View AF-area mode
  Face-priority AF
  Wide-area AF
  Normal-area AF
  Subject-tracking AF
• Live View Autofocus
  Contrast-detect AF anywhere in frame (camera selects focus point automatically when face-priority AF or subject-tracking AF is selected)
• Live View Scene Auto Selector
  Auto mode
  Auto (flash off) mode
• Movie Metering
  TTL exposure metering using main image sensor
• Movie Maximum recording time
  20 minutes at highest quality
  29 minutes 59 seconds at normal quality
• Movie File Format
  MOV
• Movie Video Compression
  H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding
• Movie Audio recording format
  Linear PCM
• Movie
  HD 1,920×1,080 / 30 fps
  HD 1,920×1,080 / 25 fps
  HD 1,920×1,080 / 24 fps
  HD 1,280×720 / 60 fps
  HD 1,280×720 / 50 fps
  HD 1,280×720 / 30 fps
  HD 1,280×720 / 25 fps
• Movie Audio
  Built-in microphone, monaural
  External stereo microphone (optional)
• Monitor Size
  3.2 in. diagonal
• Monitor Resolution
  921,000 Dots
• Monitor Type
  Wide Viewing Angle TFT-LCD
• Monitor Angle of View
  170-degree wide-viewing angle
• Monitor Adjustments
  Brightness, 5 levels
  Brightness control using ambient brightness sensor
• Virtual Horizon Camera Indicator
  Yes
• Playback Functions
  Auto Image Rotation
  Full-Frame and Thumbnail (4, 9, or 72 images or calendar)
  Highlights
  Histogram Display
  Image Comment
  Movie Playback
  Movie Slideshow
  Playback with Zoom
  Slideshow
• In-Camera Image Editing
  Color Balance
  Color Outline
  Color Sketch
  D-Lighting
  Distortion Control
  Edit Movie
  Filter Effects
  Fisheye
  Image Overlay
  Miniature Effect
  Monochrome
  NEF (RAW) Processing
  Perspective Control
  Quick Retouch
  Red-Eye Correction
  Resize
  Selective Color
  Side-by-Side Comparison
  Straighten
  Trim
• Image Comment
  Yes
• Interface
  Accessory Terminal: Remote Cord: MC-DC2 (available separately); GPS unit: GP-1 (available separately)
  HDMI output: Type C mini-pin HDMI connector
  Headphone Connector
  Hi-speed USB
  Stereo Microphone Input
• Wi-Fi Functionality
  Eye-Fi Compatible
  WU-1b Wireless Mobile Adapter
• GPS
  GP-1 GPS unit
  GP-1A GPS unit
• Save/Load Camera settings
  Yes
• Total custom Settings
  50
• My Menu
  Yes with customization
• Recent Settings
  Yes
• Supported Languages
  Arabic
  Brazilian Portuguese
  Chinese (Simplified and Traditional)
  Czech
  Danish
  Dutch
  English
  Finnish
  French
  German
  Greek
  Hindi
  Hungarian
  Indonesian
  Italian
  Japanese
  Korean
  Norweigan
  Polish
  Portuguese
  Romanian
  Russian
  Spanish
  Swedish
  Thai
  Turkish
  Ukrainian
• Date, Time and Daylight Savings Time Settings
  Yes
• World Time Setting
  Yes
• Battery / Batteries
  EN-EL15 Lithium-ion Battery
• Battery Life (shots per charge)
  900 shots per charge (Battery Life) (CIPA)
• AC Adapter
  EH-5b AC Adapter
  Requires EP-5B Power Supply Connector
• Battery Charger
  MH-25 Quick Charger
• Tripod Socket
  1/4 in.
• Approx. Dimensions
  Width: 5.6 in. (141mm)
  Height: 4.4 in. (113mm)
  Depth: 3.2 in. (82mm)
• Approx. Weight
  26.8 oz. (760g)

  camera body only
• Operating Environment
  0–40 °C (+32–104 °F)
• Supplied Accessories
  • EN-EL15 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery
  • MH-25 Quick Charger
  • EG-D2 Audio Video Cable
  • UC-E15 USB Cable
  • BM-14 LCD Monitor Cover
  • DK-21 Rubber Eyecup
  • AN-DC8 Strap
  • DK-5 Eyepiece Cap
  • BF-1B Body Cap
  • BS-1 Accessory Shoe Cap
  • NikonView NX2 CD