Nikon D610 Review

November 12, 2013 | Mark Goldstein | Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Half rating star

Introduction

The Nikon D610 is a full-frame digital SLR camera featuring a 24.3-megapixel FX format sensor, 39-point AF system, 14-bit analogue-to-digital conversion and a glass prism optical viewfinder with 100% frame coverage. The new D610 is identical to the previous D600 model apart from three new features. It can now shoot a burst sequence at 6fps, up from the D600's 5.5fps rate, and it offers a Quiet Release Burst mode which reduces the sound of the camera’s mirror return mechanism whilst shooting at 3fps. Nikon have also taken the opportunitty to improve the auto white balance system, which now produces more accurate colour in artificial lighting and more realistic skin tones. Weighing in at 760 grams without a battery, the Nikon D610 is the lightest FX format DSLR camera Nikon has ever produced. Other highlights include a shutter unit designed for 150,000 actuations, an ISO range of 100-6400, extendible up to 25,600 and down to 50; dual SD card slots with SDXC and UHS-I support; a dual-axis virtual horizon; in camera HDR exposure blending; and Full HD video capture at a variety of frame rates, with the ability to output an uncompressed live video stream to external recorders. The Nikon D610 is available now for £1799.99 / €2199.00 / $1999.95 for the body only. It is also sold in a kit with the AF-S Nikkor 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR lens for £2299.99 / €2799.00 / $2599.95.

Ease of Use

In your hand, the Nikon D610 feels very solid, very well made - and significantly smaller/lighter than the D800, not to mention the D3X or D4. The lower weight has mainly to do with the body material - the Nikon D610 has a body shell whose rear and top plates are made of metal but the front plate is plastic. That doesn't make it any less sturdy - in fact, the D610 boasts the exact same level of weatherproofing as the D800. The right-hand grip is smaller but still quite comfortable, even if using the camera for an extended period of time.

As far as its control layout is concerned, the Nikon D610 takes its cues from the D7000 and D800 - but doesn't quite duplicate either of them. Most Nikon users will feel right at home with the D610, but make no mistake - for all the similarities with the other models, its control arrangement is still unique; more like a blend of the D7000's and the D800's than a duplicate of either. Given that many prospective owners will use it either as a step-up or a back-up body, it would have been logical for Nikon to take the user interface of an existing model and replicate it on the D610 as closely as possible, but this is not quite the case.

Now this is fine as long as you are simply upgrading from the D7000 - once you get past the initial frustration caused (mainly) by the swapping of the Zoom-in (+) and Zoom-out (-) buttons, you'll be OK. But if you plan on using the two cameras alongside each other, that's a different story. The same goes for using the D610 as a back-up to a D800 - the interface differences make it difficult to seamlessly switch back and forth between the two cameras. We suspect Nikon did this for a reason - namely, to make D800 owners who need a second body buy another D800 rather than the cheaper D610.

Like the D7000 but unlike the D800, the Nikon D610 features a mode dial, located on the left shoulder of the camera body when viewed from behind. A centred locking pin prevents users from inadvertently changing the shooting mode - a welcome improvement over the D7000's design (and one that's easy to get used to, too). The dial also offers the same choices - P, A, S, M, U1, U2, Scene, Auto and Auto with Flash Off. The U1 and U2 positions allow easy retrieval of complete sets of camera settings, a much better solution than the D800's separate Shooting Menu Banks and Custom Settings Banks. The only gripe we have about this is that there are only two of them - as far as we're concerned the green Auto and Auto with Flash-Off options could have been omitted to make room for additional and much more useful U3 and U4 positions.

Nikon D610 Nikon D610
Front Rear

Underneath the shooting mode dial is the so-called Release Mode Dial, which has also been carried over from the Nikon D7000. The release mode options include Single-frame, Continuous Low, Continuous High (now 6 frames per second, which is 0.5fps faster than the D600), Quiet (delays mirror return until the user lets go of the shutter release), the new Quiet Continuous (3fps) mode, Self-timer, Remote control and Mirror lock-up. The last of these is really only useful if you purchase the optional MC-DC2 cable release - while you can use the shutter release button in Mirror lock-up mode, the very act of pressing it can cause more vibration than the mirror itself, defeating the point. (Do note however that the Remote control mode also has a “Remote mirror up” option, which you can activate via the shooting menu if you have the ML-L3 infrared remote control but not the MC-DC2 cable release. If neither is to hand, the Nikon D610 offers a user configurable Exposure Delay Mode, in which the mirror is raised when you press the shutter release, and the actual exposure takes place automatically with a one-, two- or three-second delay depending on what you've set in Custom Function d10.) As you would expect, this dial also has a locking pin.

With 0.7x magnification (using a 50mm lens focussed at infinity), the Nikon D610's viewfinder image isn't the biggest in the market - however, those stepping up from an APS-C model will still find it positively huge. The 100% frame coverage is a bonus, and a clear sign that Nikon has intended the D610 to be a serious proposition to serious photographers. The viewfinder eyepiece differs from that of the D800 so it cannot take the same accessories. The camera comes with a 39-point AF module - thankfully, the focus points aren't permanently marked on the focussing screen, so viewfinder clutter isn't a problem. The arrangement of the 39 focus points is similar to the D7000 but on the D610, they are grouped even more tightly in the centre of the frame, offering less coverage for the off-centre areas.

On a related note the AF point indicators are smaller than on any other mid-range or top-end Nikon dSLR I can think of, meaning the active focus point is harder to see - even if AF point illumination is turned on via Custom Function a4. With a lower limit of -1EV, the Nikon D610's AF system is less sensitive than that of the D800, which remains operational down to -2EV - and in our experience this does make a difference when shooting in very low light. There's also fewer cross-hatched sensors (9 in the D610 versus 15 in the D800), and they are all located in the very middle of the frame. This is again similar to the D7000 - but the FX version of the Multi-CAM4800 module still represents a step up in that 7 out of the 39 focus points support lens+teleconverter combinations as slow as f/8.

Similarly to both the D7000 and the D800, the Nikon D610 has a two-position (AF-M) focus mode selector with a small button at its hub.  With the selector switch in the 'AF' position, you can toggle between AF-S and AF-C modes by holding down this button and turning the rear control wheel. To cycle through the available AF Area modes - single and auto area in AF-S, single, 9-, 21- and 51-point dynamic, 3D tracking and auto area in AF-C - you need to use the sub command dial instead. The settings are displayed in the viewfinder and the top-mounted status LCD. Unless you've set the AF Area mode to 'auto area,' you can change the active AF point via the eight-way controller, which is unfortunately very small compared to the D7000 or even the D800. Given the amount of real estate available on the camera's rear plate it's a mystery why Nikon has chosen to make this important control so tiny.

Nikon D610 Nikon D610
Front Top

To the left of the rear screen, the Nikon D610 has five buttons arranged in a vertical row. These include Menu, Picture Control, White Balance, Quality and ISO, the last four of which double as Retouch, Help / Lock, Zoom-in (+) and Zoom-out (-) buttons respectively when the camera is in Playback mode. As noted earlier, the Zoom-in and Zoom-out - and thus Quality and ISO - buttons have been swapped versus the D7000. Although the new arrangement - (+) at the top, (-) at the bottom - is arguably more logical than the old one, it's bound to be a source of frustration to any D7000 user trading up, not to mention those who would like to carry on shooting their old camera alongside the new one. The Picture Control / Retouch button is entirely new. It's also worth noting that while the Nikon D800 also has five buttons in this vertical row, they aren't exactly the same - which is again bound to translate into confusion and frustration if someone wants to use a D610 as a back-up to a D800.

Just like the D4 and D800 - but unlike the D7000 - the Nikon D610 has a Live View button encircled by a two-way Live View mode selector. This lever can be set to either “live view photography” or “movie live view”, each of which is denoted by a little, self-explanatory icon. As with other Live View enabled Nikon dSLRs, there is a red rectangle that you can position anywhere within the frame, so you can focus precisely on the part of your subject that you want to appear sharpest in the resulting photo. On the Nikon D610, Live View auto focus is actually quite fast for a traditional dSLR camera and certainly faster than any other Nikon - apparently the new sensor has better read-out speeds which always helps with contrast-detect auto focus. That isn't to say it's fast in absolute terms - the latest generation of compact system cameras still run circles around it - but at least it doesn't feel sluggish. (When you aren't using Live View, focus speeds are naturally much faster.) As far as manual focus is concerned, the Nikon D610 has no focus peaking feature but you can at least magnify into the live view feed for accurate focussing. Another important thing to note is that you cannot change the lens' aperture setting while in Live View - this is similar to the D7000 but a major point of difference versus the D800.

With respect to the separate “movie live view,” you may be wondering why one needs it in the first place. The reason is simple; it enables you to accurately preview framing for videos, which have an aspect ratio of 16:9 rather than 3:2. The Nikon D800 offers Full HD movie capture at three different frame rates (24/25/30fps) and two quality levels. Additionally, 720p is also available at 25, 30, 50 and 60fps; and again at two quality settings, High and Normal. The maximum length of a clip is generally 29 minutes and 59 seconds for Normal and 20 minutes for High quality videos, unless you're using an external recorder hooked up to the camera by way of an optional HDMI cable. (For those that plan on doing just that, Nikon has issued a notice saying “the output image may be smaller than the value set with the 'image size/frame rate' menu.” No such warning has been issued to D800 owners so this issue must be specific to the Nikon D610.)

The Nikon D610 features a built-in microphone but for professional-grade audio recording you'll definitely want to use an external one. In order to monitor the audio during movie capture, you can also connect a pair of headphones to the camera. As is now the norm for virtually every digital camera, from compacts to CSCs to DSLRs, there's a dedicated red movie-record button on the D610, located right next to the shutter release (much like the D800, D4, D3200 and D5100). I personally found this button a bit too small for my tastes - your mileage may of course vary. If Index marking is selected for Custom Function g1 or g3, you can press the button during recording to add indices that can be used to locate specific frames during editing and playback.

Nikon D610 Nikon D610
Shooting Mode Dial Pop-up Flash

At the heart of the Nikon D610's live view and movie live view experience is a 3.2” LCD screen. This is the same 921,000-dot affair found on the Nikon D800, which incorporates a gel resin between the cover glass and the screen itself to combat the fogging that may result from sudden changes of temperature, and also makes use of an ambient light sensor to allow for automatic adjustment of the screen's brightness, contrast, gamma and colour saturation. In use we have found the screen to have excellent viewing angles but only so-so visibility in direct sunlight (this is with the bundled BM-14 monitor cover removed - with that attached, outdoors visibility is noticeably worse).

Like every other Nikon digital SLR camera except the professional series (D1 through D4), the Nikon D610 features a pop-up flash, which can also act as a master controlling up to two groups of wirelessly slaved system flashes. This built-in speedlight has a guide number of 12 in metres at ISO100/21°. In addition, the D610 has a standard Nikon hot-shoe for external flashguns - but no Prontor-Compur flash sync terminal. The camera has come in for a lot of criticism for its X-sync speed of 1/200th second - on one hand it is indeed a step back from the 1/250th second sync speed of the D7000 and D800; on the other, it's exactly the same as that of the much more expensive Canon EOS 5D Mark III. In FP mode, most Nikon Speedlights can be used at any shutter speed up to the camera's top speed of 1/4000th of a second but that of course entails a loss of flash power and range.

The Nikon D610 inherits a few interesting features from the D800. Among these is the ability to automatically create Full HD time-lapse movies based on an interval and shooting time selected by the photographer. The maximum shooting time is 7 hours and 59 minutes. whilst the maximum length for movies recorded using time-lapse photography is 20 minutes. Another D800 feature that has trickled down to the D610 is intelligent auto ISO control. With auto ISO enabled, you can have the camera determine the minimum shutter speed based on the focal length of the lens in use. This means that the camera may raise the ISO sensitivity if the shutter speed drops below 1/200 second when using a 200mm lens but leave it unchanged down to 1/50 second if a 50mm lens is attached (this can be fine-tuned by the user).

The dual-axis virtual horizon of the D800 has found its way to the D610 too, which is very good new for architectural and product photographers. Also worth mentioning is the fact that just like the D800, D7000 and other mid-range models, the Nikon D610 can auto focus with pretty much any AF lens you can mount on it, including those that do not have a built-in Silent Wave Motor, and can provide matrix metering with any AI lens including those that do not feature a CPU. Do note however that F-mount lenses dating back to the 1959-1977 period ought not to be attached to the camera unless they have been professionally AI converted.

Nikon D610 Nikon D610
Memory Card Slot Battery Compartment

The dual SD memory card slots have been carried over from the Nikon D7000. The implementation of the two-card system is exemplary: you can tell the camera to record every image simultaneously on both cards for instant backup, designate one card to store raw files and the other JPEGs, use the secondary card for overflow - you name it. It probably goes without saying but this camera is no friend of slow cards. Having used the Nikon D610 with both a new UHS-I compliant Class 10 SDHC memory card and an older Class 4 card (both 8GB models from Panasonic), we can say that you'll definitely want to use the former. With the slower memory card, we experienced almost freeze-up-like slowdowns when reviewing images just taken - but had no such issues with the faster model.

On the left hand flank, if viewing the camera from the back, we find three commendably firm, hinged rubber doors that are well-behaved enough to stay open until you close them. Sheltered behind these doors is an array of connection ports including microphone and headphone jacks, a mini HDMI connector, a USB 2.0 port - no USB 3.0 on the D610, unlike the D800 - and an accessory terminal for the optional MC-DC2 cable release and GP-1 GPS unit. The camera is also compatible with the WU-1b Wireless Mobile Adapter. Power is supplied by the venerable EN-EL15 battery that also powers the Nikon 1 V1, D7000 and D800 cameras.

In use we have found the Nikon D610 to be a great, responsive and versatile tool. The 39-point auto focus system has proven to be fast and generally accurate, with the fastest speeds achieved using the AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G lens. We did feel that the AF module's frame coverage could have been greater and as mentioned above, we've had some issues seeing the active focus point because of the unusually small size of the in-finder AF point indicators - but that aside, we've found the focus system to work well in most conditions except for really low light.

That the D610 is lighter than any other Nikon FX digital SLR camera is a real boon to anyone planning to use it for extended periods of time, though be prepared that it's still quite a handful and noticeably heavier than the cheapest auto focus SLRs of the film era (then again, it's a much higher specified model than any of those). The Nikon D610's mirror is surprisingly quiet for a full-frame SLR camera and in normal use - with fast shutter speeds of course - it produces only minimal viewfinder blackout. We also loved the wide viewing angles of the LCD screen but were less impressed with its visibility in direct sunlight. The only major gripe we have with the camera is that you cannot change the aperture in Live View or during movie capture, unless you use an old lens with a manual aperture ring, of course.

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 24 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 12Mb.

Noise

The base sensitivity of the Nikon D610 is ISO 100 but you can go down to ISO 50 (L1.0) if you wish. At the other end of the scale, the highest native sensitivity of the Nikon D800 is ISO 6400 but two boosted settings, ISO 12,800 and ISO 25,600, are also available.

JPEG RAW

LO 1EV (ISO 50) (100% Crop)

LO 1EV (ISO 50) (100% Crop)

iso50.jpg iso50raw.jpg
   

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

iso100.jpg iso100raw.jpg
   

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

iso200.jpg iso200raw.jpg
   

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

iso400.jpg iso400raw.jpg
   

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

iso800.jpg iso800raw.jpg
   

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

iso1600.jpg iso1600raw.jpg
   

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

iso3200.jpg iso3200raw.jpg
   

ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

iso6400.jpg iso6400raw.jpg
   

HI 1EV (ISO 12800) (100% Crop)

HI 1EV (ISO 12800) (100% Crop)

iso12800.jpg iso12800raw.jpg
   

HI 2EV (ISO 25600) (100% Crop)

HI 2EV (ISO 25600) (100% Crop)

iso25600.jpg iso25600raw.jpg

Sharpening

The out-of-camera JPEGs often benefit from some sharpening in a program like Adobe Photoshop. Alternatively you can change the in-camera sharpening level to suit your tastes. Here are two pairs of 100% crops - the right-hand images have had some extra sharpening applied.

Original (100% Crop)

Sharpened (100% Crop)

sharpen1.jpg sharpen1a.jpg
   
sharpen2.jpg sharpen2a.jpg

File Quality

The file quality settings available on the Nikon D610 include Basic, Normal and Fine for JPEGs, and the camera can also shoot 12- or 14-bit NEFs (Nikon's proprietary raw file format).

Fine (100% Crop)

Normal (100% Crop)

quality_fine.jpg quality_normal.jpg
   
Basic (100% Crop)

Raw (100% Crop)

quality_basic.jpg quality_raw.jpg

Flash

Like every other Nikon digital SLR camera except the professional series (D1 through D4), the Nikon D610 features a pop-up flash, which can also act as a trigger for up to two groups of wirelessly slaved system flashes, alleviating the need to buy an SU-800 commander unit or use a more expensive flashgun as the master. This built-in speedlight has a guide number of 12 in metres at ISO100/21° and a number of functions including front- and rear-curtain sync, red-eye reduction, i-TTL, Manual and Repeating Flash. As the shots below demonstrate, red-eye isn't a common problem with the built-in flash even if you don't use red-eye reduction.

Flash On

Flash On (100% Crop)
flash_on.jpg flash_on1.jpg
   

Flash - Red-Eye Reduction

Flash - Red-Eye Reduction (100% Crop)
flash_redeye.jpg flash_redeye1.jpg

Night

The Nikon D610 lets you dial in shutter speeds of up to 30 seconds and has a Bulb mode as well for exposure times of practically any length, which is very good news if you are seriously interested in night photography. There is an optional long-exposure noise reduction function that can be activated to filter out any hot pixels that may appear when extremely slow shutter speeds are used, though I found no need for this when taking the photograph below at a shutter speed of 30 seconds, aperture of f/8 at ISO 100. We’ve included a 100% crop for you to see what the quality is like.

Night

Night (100% Crop)
night.jpg night1.jpg

Active D-lighting (ADL)

D-lighting is Nikon's dynamic range optimisation tool that attempts to squeeze  the full dynamic range of the sensor into JPEGs. Active D-lighting works “on the fly”, before the in-camera processing engine converts the raw image data into JPEGs. The available settings are Off, Low, Normal, High and Extra High.

Off

Low
dlighting_off.jpg dlighting_low.jpg
   

Normal

High
dlighting_normal.jpg dlighting_high.jpg
   

Extra High

 
dlighting_extrahigh.jpg  

HDR

Like most new-generation Nikon digital SLR cameras, the D610 can shoot two differently exposed images in rapid succession, which are then blended in-camera to form a single, high-dynamic-range image. The exposure differential can be 1, 2 or 3EV, and you can choose from three different levels of smoothing (low, normal and high; with normal and high producing  more realistic results than the low setting). Note that this feature is only available when shooting JPEG.

Off

Low
hdr_off.jpg hdr_low_smoothing.jpg
   

Normal

High
hdr_normal_smoothing.jpg hdr_high_smoothing.jpg

Highlight Headroom

Of course it's not always possible to create multiple-exposure HDR images - this is especially true if there are moving elements in the frame. In this case it's advisable to take a single shot in NEF or NEF+JPEG format and try to make the most of it. The shot below depicts a very contrasty scene - the outside world, seen through the windows of the market hall, was bathing in strong sunlight but the aisle and the ground-floor shops received barely any natural illumination and were thus considerably darker. We were curious to find out how much highlight clipping we would see in a shot of this scene if we exposed for the shadows, just as you would with negative film. The JPEG image did turn out to have some blown highlights, though much less than we'd expected.

highlight_headroom_full_frame.jpg

We then opened the raw file in Nikon View NX 2.5.1 - the only raw converter, apart from RawTherapee, that was able to handle it at the time of writing - and tried to recover some of the seemingly lost highlight detail. As you can see in the 100% crops below, our efforts were more or less successful - there's still some highlight blow-out but it's truly minimal. Once more raw developers add support for the Nikon D610's NEFs we'll be able to see if there's even more highlight headroom in the raw files, but what we are seeing here is pretty astounding as it is.

JPEG

RAW
highlight_headroom_crop1.jpg highlight_headroom_crop1raw.jpg
   
highlight_headroom_crop2.jpg highlight_headroom_crop2raw.jpg

Picture Controls

Nikon's Picture Controls are akin to Canon's Picture Styles in being preset combinations of sharpening, contrast, brightness, saturation and hue. The Nikon D610 offers all six Picture Controls including Standard, Neutral, Monochrome, Vivid, Portrait and Landscape. All Picture Controls can be tweaked to your liking, then saved and transferred to other cameras. New to the Nikon D610 is a dedicated quick-access button that takes you directly to the picture controls menu - if you use these profiles often, you will appreciate this improvement over the D7000.

Standard

Neutral
picture_controls_standard.jpg picture_controls_neutral.jpg
   

Portrait

Vivid
picture_controls_portrait.jpg picture_controls_vivid.jpg
   

Landscape

Monochrome
picture_controls_landscape.jpg picture_controls_monochrome.jpg

Image Area (FX vs DX)

The Nikon D610 is an FX camera but it can also shoot in a ten-megapixel “DX crop mode.” The angle of view is naturally tighter in the latter, as shown by these examples.

FX

DX

fx.jpg dx.jpg

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Nikon D610 camera, which were all taken using the 24.3 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample RAW Images

The Nikon D610 enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Nikon RAW (NEF) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movie & Video

The Nikon D610 can record Full HD video in the MOV format. This is a sample movie at the highest quality setting of 1920x1280 pixels at 30 frames per second. Please note that this 20 second movie is 61Mb in size.

Product Images

The Nikon D610 is identical to the previous D600 in appearance, apart from the name-badge, so therefore we've re-produced our product shots of the D600 for this review.

Nikon D610

Front of the Camera

 
Nikon D610

Isometric View

 
Nikon D610

Isometric View

 
Nikon D610

Isometric View

 
Nikon D610

Isometric View / Pop-up Flash

 
Nikon D610

Rear of the Camera / Image Displayed

 
Nikon D610

Rear of the Camera / Info Screen

 
Nikon D610

Rear of the Camera / Main Menu

 
Nikon D610

Top of the Camera

 
Nikon D610

Top of the Camera

 
Nikon D610

Bottom of the Camera

 
Nikon D610

Side of the Camera

 
Nikon D610

Side of the Camera

 
Nikon D610

Side of the Camera

 
Nikon D610

Front of the Camera

 
Nikon D610

Memory Card Slot

 
Nikon D610

Battery Compartment

Conclusion

Officially the Nikon D610 adds just 3 new features to the one-year-old D600 camera, none of which are going to compel D600 owners to rush out and upgrade. Unofficially, we suspect that the D610 has been rushed out to fix the "oil on the sensor" issue that plagued its predecessor, as the D610 now has a different shutter release mechanism. It's still early days, but we saw no issues during our testing, and reports elsewhere on the interweb indicate that the problem may now have been put to bed. Phew. In all other respects the new D610 is identical to the previous D600.

At full resolution, the Nikon D610 captures an astonishing amount of detail - not quite as much as the D800 but still more than most people will ever need. In addition, the camera now has even better auto white balance than any previous Nikon we've tested, even in incandescent and Tungsten balanced fluorescent light, where it manages to leave just the right amount of warmth in the images for a perfectly natural look. The photos, especially those shot in NEF format, also have great dynamic range and generally low levels of noise.

In use we have found the Nikon D610 to be a great, responsive and versatile tool. The 39-point auto focus system has proven to be fast and generally accurate, with the fastest speeds achieved using the AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G lens. We did feel that the AF module's frame coverage could have been greater and also had some issues seeing the active focus point because of the unusually small size of the in-finder AF point indicators - but that aside, we've found the focus system to work well in most conditions except for really low light, where the D800 proved to be superior.

That the D610 is lighter than any other Nikon FX digital SLR camera is a real boon to anyone planning to use it for extended periods of time, though be prepared that it's still quite a handful and noticeably heavier than the cheapest auto focus SLRs of the film era (then again, it's a much higher specified model than any of those). The Nikon D610's mirror is surprisingly quiet for a full-frame SLR camera and in normal use it produces only minimal viewfinder blackout. The only major gripe we have with the camera is that you cannot change the aperture in Live View or during movie capture, unless you use an old lens with a manual aperture ring, of course.

If you think you can live with that and a few other limitations / omissions versus the D800, the smaller, lighter and cheaper Nikon D610 will serve you just as well as the more expensive model - and even give you faster frame rates and more manageable raw file sizes as an added bonus.

4.5 stars

Ratings (out of 5)
Design 4
Features 4.5
Ease-of-use 4
Image quality 5
Value for money 4.5

Main Rivals

Listed below are some of the rivals of the Nikon D610.

Canon EOS 5D Mark III

The long-awaited Canon EOS 5D Mark III DSLR has finally arrived, boasting improvements to virtually every aspect of its popular predecessor, the breakthrough 5D Mark II. It's cost has also increased significantly, so does the new 5D Mark III offer enough to justify the £2999 / $3499 asking price? Read our detailed Canon EOS 5D Mark III review to find out.

Canon EOS 6D

The Canon EOS 6D is a new full-frame DSLR with a much more affordable price-tag than the 5D Mark III and a few tricks up its sleeve that its bigger brother doesn't offer. At over £1000 / $1000 cheaper than the 5D Mark II, have Canon cut too many corners for the 6D to be a real contender? Read our in-depth Canon EOS 6D review to find out...

Nikon D600

The Nikon D600 is a new full-frame DSLR camera. Featuring a 24.3 megapixel full-frame sensor, the small, lightweight D600 also offers 1080p HD video, ISO range of 50-25600, a 39-point AF system, 3.2-inch LCD screen and a viewfinder with 100% coverage. Read our in-depth Nikon D600 review now...

Nikon D800

The Nikon D800 is one of the hottest DSLR cameras for 2012. Featuring a remarkable 36 megapixel full-frame sensor, the D800 also offers 1080p HD video, a 3.2-inch LCD screen and a viewfinder with 100% coverage. Read our in-depth Nikon D800 review to find out if it's worth the £2499.00 / $2,999.95 cost of admission.

Nikon D800E

The Nikon D800E is a 36 megapixel full-frame sensor DSLR with the anti-aliasing filter removed, which should result in higher resolution, sharper images compared to the regular D800. The D800E also offers 1080p HD video, a 3.2-inch LCD screen and a viewfinder with 100% coverage. Read our in-depth Nikon D800E review to find out if you should choose it instead of the D800.

Sony A99

The Sony A99 is a new full-frame DSLR camera that seemingly offers virtually all of the latest cutting-edge technologies. The A99 is also the only full-frame camera that isn't made by the Big Two, Canon and Nikon, who both now have three full-frame models in their ranges. Can the A99 compete with the well-established competition? Read our in-depth Sony A99 review to find out...

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Nikon D610 from around the web.

techradar.com »

By and large the Nikon D600 was warmly welcomed when it was announced in September 2012. It was designed to be the natural progression for FX format users wanting to dip their toes into FX (full-frame) photography and, as well as having a control layout that sits comfortably within Nikon's enthusiast SLR range, it was the company's most affordable FX camera.
Read the full review »

ephotozine.com »

The Nikon D610 is this years update to the Nikon D600, shooting at 6fps, which is quicker than the 5.5fps of the D600, and features the same 24.3 megapixel full-frame sensor, full HD video recording, ISO50 to ISO25600, a large 3.2 inch screen, and a new quiet release continuous burst mode.
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photographylife.com »

This is an in-depth review of the Nikon D610, a very minor update that replaced the existing Nikon D600. Since full-frame DSLR cameras typically have a 2-3 year life cycle before they are refreshed with newer models, the D610 was an unusual update, as it replaced a camera that was only 13 months old – something that typically only happens with entry-level/consumer DSLRs. The thing is, the Nikon D610 is what the D600 should have been when it was initially launched.
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Specifications

Type Single-lens reflex digital camera
Lens mount Nikon F mount (with AF coupling and AF contacts)
Effective angle of view Nikon FX format
Effective pixels 24.3 million
Image sensor 35.9 x 24.0 mm CMOS sensor
Total pixels 24.7 million
Dust-reduction System Image sensor cleaning, Image Dust Off reference data (optional Capture NX 2 software required)
Image size (pixels) FX (36x24) image area 6,016 x 4,016 (L), 4,512 x 3,008 (M), 3,008 x 2,008 (S). DX (24x16) image area 3,936 x 2,624 (L), 2,944 x 1,968 (M), 1,968 x 1,312 (S). FX-format photographs taken in movie live view 6,016 x 3,376 (L), 4,512 x 2,528 (M), 3,008 x 1,688 (S). DX-format photographs in movie live view 3,936 x 2,224 (L), 2,944 x 1,664 (M), 1,968 x 1,112 (S)
Storage - File format NEF (RAW): 12 or 14 bit, lossless compressed or compressed. JPEG: JPEG-Baseline compliant with fine (approx. 1 : 4), normal (approx. 1 : 8), or basic (approx. 1 : 16) compression (Size priority); Optimal quality compression available. NEF (RAW)+JPEG: Single photograph recorded in both NEF (RAW) and JPEG formats
Picture Control System Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait, Landscape; selected Picture Control can be modified; storage for custom Picture Controls
Media SD (Secure Digital) and UHS-I compliant SDHC and SDXC memory cards
Double slot Slot 2 can be used for overflow or backup storage or for separate storage of copies created using NEF+JPEG; pictures can be copied between cards.
File system DCF (Design Rule for Camera File System) 2.0, DPOF (Digital Print Order Format), Exif (Exchangeable Image File Format for Digital Still Cameras) 2.3, PictBridge
Viewfinder Eye-level pentaprism single-lens reflex viewfinder
Frame coverage FX (36x24): Approx. 100% horizontal and 100% vertical. DX (24x16): Approx. 97% horizontal and 97% vertical
Magnification Approx. 0.7 x (50 mm f/1.4 lens at infinity, -1.0 m-1)
Eyepoint 21 mm (-1.0 m-1; from center surface of viewfinder eyepiece lens)
Diopter adjustment -3 - +1 m-1
Focusing screen Type B BriteView Clear Matte Mark VIII screen with AF area brackets (framing grid can be displayed)
Reflex mirror Quick return
Depth-of-field preview Pressing depth-of-field preview button stops lens aperture down to value selected by user (A and M modes) or by camera (other modes)
Lens aperture Instant return, electronically controlled
Compatible lenses Compatible with AF NIKKOR lenses, including type G, E, and D lenses (some restrictions apply to PC lenses) and DX lenses (using DX 24 x 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 can not be used. The electronic rangefinder can be used with lenses that have a maximum aperture of f/8 or faster (the electronic rangefinder supports the center 7 focus points with lenses that have a maximum aperture of f/8 or faster and the center 33 focus points with lenses that have a maximum aperture of f/6.8 or faster).
Shutter type Electronically-controlled vertical-travel focal-plane shutter
Shutter speed 1/4000 - 30 s in steps of 1/3 or 1/2 EV, bulb, time (requires optional ML-L3 remote control), X200
Flash sync speed X=1/200 s; synchronizes with shutter at 1/250 s or slower (flash range drops at speeds between 1/200 and 1/250 s)
Release mode Single frame, continuous low speed, continuous high speed, quiet shutter-release, quiet continuous shutter-release, self-timer, Remote control, mirror-up
Frame advance rate 1-5 fps (continuous low speed), 6 fps (continuous high speed), or 3 fps (quiet continuous shutter-release)
Self-timer 2 s, 5 s, 10 s, 20 s; 1-9 exposures at intervals of 0.5, 1, 2, or 3 s
Remote release modes Delayed remote, quick-response remote, remote mirror-up
Exposure Metering TTL exposure metering using 2,016-pixel RGB sensor
Metering method Matrix: 3D color matrix metering II (type G, E, and D lenses); color matrix metering II (other CPU lenses); color matrix metering available with non-CPU lenses if user provides lens data. Center-weighted: Weight of 75% given to 12 mm circle in center of frame. Diameter of circle can be changed to 8, 15, or 20 mm, or weighting can be based on average of entire frame (non-CPU lenses use 12-mm circle or average of entire frame). Spot: Meters 4 mm circle (about 1.5% of frame) centered on selected focus point (on center focus point when non-CPU lens is used).
Range (ISO 100, f/1.4 lens, 20 °C/68 °F) Matrix or center-weighted metering: 0-20 EV. Spot metering: 2-20 EV
Exposure meter coupling Combined CPU and AI
Mode Auto (auto; auto (flash off)); scene (portrait; landscape; child; sports; close up; night portrait; night landscape; party/indoor; beach/snow; sunset; dusk/dawn; pet portrait; candlelight; blossom; autumn colors; food; silhouette; high key; low key); programmed auto with flexible program (P); shutter-priority auto (S); aperture-priority auto (A); manual (M); U1 (user settings 1); U2 (user settings 2)
Exposure compensation Can be adjusted by -5 - +5 EV in increments of 1/3 or 1/2 EV in P, S, A, and M modes
Exposure bracketing 2-3 frames in steps of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 1, 2, or 3 EV
Flash bracketing 2-3 frames in steps of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 1, 2, or 3 EV
White balance bracketing 2-3 frames in steps of 1, 2, or 3
ADL bracketing 2 frames using selected value for one frame or 3 frames using preset values for all frames
Exposure lock Luminosity locked at detected value with AE-L/AF-L button
ISO sensitivity (Recommended Exposure Index) ISO 100-6400 in steps of 1/3 or 1/2 EV. Can also be set to approx. 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, or 1 EV (ISO 50 equivalent) below ISO 100 or to approx. 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1, or 2 EV (ISO 25600 equivalent) above ISO 6400; auto ISO sensitivity control available
Active D-Lighting Auto, Extra high, High, Normal, Low, Off
Autofocus Nikon Multi-CAM 4800 autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection, fine-tuning, 39 focus points (including 9 cross-type sensors; the center 33 points are available at apertures slower than f/5.6 and faster than f/8, while the center 7 focus points are available at f/8), and AF-assist illuminator (range approx. 0.5-3 m/1 ft 8 in.-9 ft 10 in.)
Detection range -1 - +19 EV (ISO 100, 20 °C/68 °F)
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 (M): Electronic rangefinder can be used
Focus point Can be selected from 39 or 11 focus points
AF-area mode Single-point AF; 9-, 21-, or 39-point dynamic-area AF, 3D-tracking, auto-area AF
Focus lock Focus can be locked by pressing shutter-release button halfway (single-servo AF) or by pressing AE-L/AF-L button
Built-in flash Auto, portrait, child, close up, night portrait, party/indoor, pet portrait: Auto flash with auto pop-up P, S, A, M, food: Manual pop-up with button release
Guide Number Approx. 12/39, 12/39 with manual flash (m/ft, ISO 100, 20 °C/68 °F)
Flash control TTL: i-TTL flash control using 2,016-pixel RGB sensor is available with built-in flash and SB-910, SB-900, SB-800, SB-700, SB-600, SB-400, or SB-300; i-TTL balanced fill-flash for digital SLR is used with matrix and center-weighted metering, standard i-TTL flash for digital SLR with spot metering
Flash mode Auto, auto with red-eye reduction, auto slow sync, auto slow sync with red-eye reduction, fill-flash, red-eye reduction, slow sync, slow sync with red-eye reduction, rear-curtain with slow sync, rear-curtain sync, off; Auto FP High-Speed Sync supported
Flash compensation -3 - +1 EV in increments of 1/3 or 1/2 EV
Flash-ready indicator Lights when built-in flash or optional flash unit is fully charged; flashes after flash is fired at full output
Accessory shoe ISO 518 hot-shoe with sync and data contacts and safety lock
Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS) Advanced Wireless Lighting supported with built-in flash, SB-910, SB-900, SB-800, or SB-700 as a master flash and SB-600 or SB-R200 as remotes, or SU-800 as commander; built-in flash can serve as master flash in commander mode; Auto FP High-Speed Sync and modeling illumination supported with all CLS-compatible flash units except SB-400 and SB-300; Flash Color Information Communication and FV lock supported with all CLS-compatible flash units
Sync terminal AS-15 sync terminal adapter (available separately)
White balance Auto (2 types), incandescent, fluorescent (7 types), direct sunlight, flash, cloudy, shade, preset manual (up to 4 values can be stored), choose color temperature (2500 K - 10000 K), all with fine-tuning
Live view modes Live view photography (still images), movie live view (movies)
Live view lens servo Autofocus (AF): Single-servo AF (AF-S); full-time servo AF (AF-F). Manual focus (M)
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)
Movie metering TTL exposure metering using main image sensor
Metering method Matrix
Frame size (pixels) and frame rate 1,920 x 1,080; 30 p (progressive), 25 p, 24 p. 1,280 x 720; 60 p, 50 p, 30 p, 25 p. Actual frame rates for 60 p, 50 p, 30 p, 25 p, and 24 p are 59.94, 50, 29.97, 25, and 23.976 fps respectively; options support both high and normal image quality
File format MOV
Video compression H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding
Audio recording format Linear PCM
Audio recording device Built-in monaural or external stereo microphone; sensitivity adjustable
Other options Index marking, time-lapse photography
Monitor 8-cm/3.2-in., approx. 921k-dot (VGA), low-temperature polysilicon TFT LCD with approx. 170 °; viewing angle, approx. 100% frame coverage, and automatic monitor brightness control using ambient brightness sensor
Playback Full-frame and thumbnail (4, 9, or 72 images or calendar) playback with playback zoom, movie playback, photo and/or movie slide shows, histogram display, highlights, photo information, GPS data display, and auto image rotation
USB Hi-Speed USB
HDMI output Type C mini-pin HDMI connector
Accessory terminal Remote cord: MC-DC2 (available separately). GPS unit: GP-1/GP-1A (available separately)
Audio input Stereo mini-pin jack (3.5 mm diameter; plug-in power supported)
Audio output Stereo mini-pin jack (3.5 mm diameter)
Supported languages Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Portugal and Brazil), Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian
Battery One rechargeable Li-ion EN-EL15 battery
Battery pack Optional MB-D14 multi-power battery pack with one rechargeable Nikon EN-EL15 Li-ion battery or six AA alkaline, Ni-MH, or lithium batteries
AC adapter EH-5b AC adapter; requires EP-5B power connector (available separately)
Tripod socket 1/4 in. (ISO 1222)
Dimensions (W x H x D) Approx. 141 x 113 x 82 mm (5.6 x 4.4 x 3.2 in.)
Weight Approx. 850 g (1 lb 14.0 oz) with battery and memory card but without body cap; approx. 760 g (1 lb 10.8 oz; camera body only)
Temperature 0 °C - 40 °C (+32 °F - 104 °F)
Humidity 85% or less (no condensation)
Supplied accessories BS-1 accessory shoe cover, DK-21 rubber eyecup, BM-14 monitor cover, BF-1B body cap, EN-EL15 rechargeable Li-ion battery (with terminal cover), MH-25 battery charger, DK-5 eyepiece cap, AN-DC10 strap, UC-E15 USB cable, ViewNX 2 CD
Audio output Stereo mini-pin jack (3.5 mm diameter)
Supported languages Arabic, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Portugal and Brazil), Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian
Power source  
Battery One rechargeable Li-ion EN-EL15 battery
Battery pack Optional MB-D14 multi-power battery pack with one rechargeable Nikon EN-EL15 Li-ion battery or six AA alkaline, Ni-MH, or lithium batteries
AC adapter EH-5b AC adapter; requires EP-5B power connector (available separately)
Tripod socket 1/4 in. (ISO 1222)
Dimensions/weight  
Dimensions (W x H x D) Approx. 141 x 113 x 82 mm (5.6 x 4.4 x 3.2 in.)
Weight Approx. 850 g (1 lb 14.0 oz) with battery and memory card but without body cap; approx. 760 g (1 lb 10.8 oz; camera body only)
Operating environment  
Temperature 0 °C - 40 °C (+32 °F - 104 °F)
Humidity 85% or less (no condensation)
Supplied accessories BS-1 accessory shoe cover, DK-21 rubber eyecup, BM-14 monitor cover, BF-1B body cap, EN-EL15 rechargeable Li-ion battery (with terminal cover), MH-25 battery charger, DK-5 eyepiece cap, AN-DC10 strap, UC-E15 USB cable, ViewNX 2 CD

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