Nikon D600 Review
Introduction
The Nikon D600 is a new 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. Weighing in at 760 grams without a battery, the Nikon D600 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 D600 is available now for £1734.95 / €2385.99 / $2,099.95. It is also sold in a kit with the AF-S Nikkor 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR lens for £2148.95 / €2981.99 / $2,699.95.
Ease of Use
“The times, they are a-changin'…” A year ago if you were a Nikon shooter in need of a full-frame camera with more than twelve megapixels, your only option - other than switching over to Canon - was to buy, hire or steal a $7,000 / £5,000 Nikon D3X. Today you have the $3,000 / £2,100 Nikon D800, the slightly more expensive D800E, and the $2,100 / £1,735 Nikon D600 to choose from. That's right - for a little more than a third of the price of a D3X, you can now purchase a camera with a similarly sized sensor and practically identical pixel count. And while it's obviously not in the same league in terms of overall build quality, ruggedness and durability, the Nikon D600 can certainly hold its own when it comes to cutting-edge features and technologies, some of which were practically unheard of when the D3X was released back in 2008.
In your hand, the Nikon D600 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 D600 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 D600 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 D600 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 D600, 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 D600 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 D600 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 D600.
Like the D7000 but unlike the D800, the Nikon D600 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.
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| 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 (5.5 frames per second, which is faster than the D800), Quiet (delays mirror return until the user lets go of the shutter release), 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 D600 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 D600'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 D600 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 D600, 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 D600'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 D600 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 D600 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 39-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.
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| Front | Top |
To the left of the rear screen, the Nikon D600 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 D600 as a back-up to a D800.
Just like the D4 and D800 - but unlike the D7000 - the Nikon D600 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 D600, 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 D600 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 D600.)
The Nikon D600 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 D600, 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.
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| Shooting Mode Dial | Pop-up Flash |
At the heart of the Nikon D600'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 D600 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 D600 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 D600 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 D600 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 D600 too, which is very good news for architectural and product photographers. Also worth mentioning is the fact that just like the D800, D7000 and other mid-range models, the Nikon D600 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.
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| 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 D600 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 D600, 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 D600 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 D600 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 D600'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 D600 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 |
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LO 1EV (ISO 50) (100% Crop) |
LO 1EV (ISO 50) (100% Crop) |
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ISO 100 (100% Crop) |
ISO 100 (100% Crop) |
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ISO 200 (100% Crop) |
ISO 200 (100% Crop) |
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ISO 400 (100% Crop) |
ISO 400 (100% Crop) |
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ISO 800 (100% Crop) |
ISO 800 (100% Crop) |
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ISO 1600 (100% Crop) |
ISO 1600 (100% Crop) |
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ISO 3200 (100% Crop) |
ISO 3200 (100% Crop) |
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ISO 6400 (100% Crop) |
ISO 6400 (100% Crop) |
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HI 1EV (ISO 12800) (100% Crop) |
HI 1EV (ISO 12800) (100% Crop) |
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HI 2EV (ISO 25600) (100% Crop) |
HI 2EV (ISO 25600) (100% Crop) |
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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.
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Original (100% Crop)
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Sharpened (100% Crop) |
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File Quality
The file quality settings available on the Nikon D600 include Basic, Normal and Fine for JPEGs, and the camera can also shoot 12- or 14-bit NEFs (Nikon's proprietary raw file format).
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Fine (100% Crop)
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Normal (100% Crop) |
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| Basic (100% Crop) |
Raw (100% Crop) |
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Flash
Like every other Nikon digital SLR camera except the professional series (D1 through D4), the Nikon D600 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.
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Flash On |
Flash On (100% Crop) |
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Flash - Red-Eye Reduction |
Flash - Red-Eye Reduction (100% Crop) |
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Night Shot
The Nikon D600 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.
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Night |
Night (100% Crop) |
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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.
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Off |
Low |
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Normal |
High |
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Extra High |
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HDR
Like most new-generation Nikon digital SLR cameras, the D600 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.
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Off |
Low |
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Normal |
High |
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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.
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 D600'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.
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JPEG |
RAW |
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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 D600 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 D600 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.
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Standard |
Neutral |
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Portrait |
Vivid |
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Landscape |
Monochrome |
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Image Area (FX vs DX)
The Nikon D600 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.
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DX |
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Sample Images
This is a selection of sample images from the Nikon D600 camera, which were all taken using the 24 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.
1/320s · f/2.5 · ISO 100
35mm
Download Original
1/2000s · f/8 · ISO 100
200mm
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1/200s · f/8 · ISO 100
56mm
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1/200s · f/8 · ISO 100
50mm
Download Original
1/100s · f/5.6 · ISO 6400
75mm
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1/60s · f/8 ·
28mm
Download Original
1/60s · f/8 ·
62mm
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1/160s · f/11 · ISO 100
35mm
Download Original
1/2500s · f/2.5 · ISO 100
35mm
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1/250s · f/8 · ISO 100
35mm
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1/100s · f/16 · ISO 100
35mm
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1/800s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
35mm
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1/200s · f/11 · ISO 100
35mm
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1/200s · f/11 · ISO 100
35mm
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1/1250s · f/8 · ISO 400
70mm
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1/800s · f/8 · ISO 200
145mm
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1/1000s · f/8 · ISO 400
300mm
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1/640s · f/11 · ISO 400
122mm
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1/800s · f/2 · ISO 200
35mm
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1/100s · f/11 · ISO 100
35mm
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1/125s · f/1.4 · ISO 3200
35mm
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1/400s · f/5.6 · ISO 400
95mm
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1/800s · f/8 · ISO 400
70mm
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1/125s · f/2.8 · ISO 6400
70mm
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1/1250s · f/8 · ISO 400
170mm
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1/400s · f/8 · ISO 100
22mm
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1/400s · f/8 · ISO 100
24mm
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1/400s · f/8 · ISO 100
14mm
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1/80s · f/22 · ISO 200
14mm
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1/400s · f/8 · ISO 100
14mm
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1/100s · f/16 · ISO 100
14mm
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1/400s · f/8 · ISO 100
24mm
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1/1600s · f/2.8 ·
24mm
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1/2500s · f/2.8 · ISO 100
17mm
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1/50s · f/5.6 · ISO 400
14mm
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1/125s · f/16 · ISO 100
14mm
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1/125s · f/16 · ISO 100
24mm
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1/500s · f/8 · ISO 100
24mm
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1/125s · f/2.8 · ISO 200
22mm
Download Original
Sample RAW Images
The Nikon D600 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).
1/2000s · f/8 · ISO 100
200mm
Download original
1/60s · f/8 ·
28mm
Download original
1/250s · f/8 · ISO 100
35mm
Download original
1/100s · f/16 · ISO 100
35mm
Download original
1/800s · f/5.6 · ISO 100
35mm
Download original
1/200s · f/11 · ISO 100
35mm
Download original
1/200s · f/11 · ISO 100
35mm
Download original
1/100s · f/11 · ISO 100
35mm
Download original
1/125s · f/2.8 · ISO 6400
70mm
Download original
1/100s · f/5.6 · ISO 6400
75mm
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1/640s · f/11 · ISO 400
122mm
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1/125s · f/1.4 · ISO 3200
35mm
Download original
1/400s · f/8 · ISO 100
22mm
Download original
1/125s · f/16 · ISO 100
14mm
Download original
1/500s · f/8 · ISO 100
24mm
Download original
Sample Movie & Video
The Nikon D600 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 52 second movie is 141Mb in size.
Product Images
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Front of the Camera |
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Isometric View |
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Isometric View |
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Isometric View |
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Isometric View / Pop-up Flash |
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Rear of the Camera / Image Displayed |
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Rear of the Camera / Info Screen |
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Rear of the Camera / Main Menu |
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Top of the Camera |
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Top of the Camera |
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Bottom of the Camera |
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Side of the Camera |
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Side of the Camera |
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Side of the Camera |
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Front of the Camera |
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Memory Card Slot |
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Battery Compartment |
Conclusion
When the first rumours of an FX-format Nikon D600 started circulating on the Internet, just about everybody thought it would be a full-framer for the masses - i.e. an entry-level, FX format digital SLR camera sporting an entry-level feature set and an entry-level price tag; with some websites speculating that it might hit the shelves at a price as low as £1,200/€1,500. In reality, the Nikon D600 has turned out to be quite a different kettle of fish. With its current price of £1,734.95 / $2099.95, the Nikon D600 isn't the most aggressively priced full-frame digital camera ever - that title is held by the Sony A850, which cost £1,700 / $1,999 at launch - but then with highlights like a weather sealed body, a viewfinder offering 100% frame coverage, a shutter designed for 150,000 actuations, bona fide spot metering and a multi-point AF system that works with lens+teleconverter combinations as slow as f/8; it isn't exactly the kind of camera anyone would describe as “entry-level,” either. And let's not forget that the D600 is the least expensive of all currently manufactured full-frame cameras, undercutting Nikon's own D800 by as much as 20-30%, depending on market. In some countries, you can buy the Nikon D600 plus the new AF-S 28mm f/1.8G lens - or the D600 plus the 50mm f/1.8G and 85mm f/1.8G lenses - for the same price as the D800 with no lenses at all.
At full resolution, the Nikon D600 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 has 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 D600 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 D600 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 D600'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 D600 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.
| Ratings (out of 5) | |
|---|---|
| Design | 4 |
| Features | 4.5 |
| Ease-of-use | 4 |
| Image quality | 5 |
| Value for money | 4.5 |
Review Roundup
Reviews of the Nikon D600 from around the web.
whatdigitalcamera.com »
The Nikon D600 is one of the most affordable full-frame DSLRs ever, so is it the camera we’ve all been waiting for? We find out in the What Digital Camera Nikon D600 review
Read the full review »
kenrockwell.com »
The Nikon D600 packs unrivalled technical image quality into the smallest full-frame digital camera ever from Nikon. D600 images can be astounding, while the D600 is also inexpensive, small and light. The Nikon D600 is very quiet and refined. The D600 is a little quieter than the D800, and much quieter than the D4. All have "Quiet" modes, but none work very well for general use.
Read the full review »
techradar.com »
Nikon has been rather busy over the past year, having already released the D4 and D800 in quick succession. But the company isn't taking a break just yet. The Nikon D600 aims to fill the gap between the hugely capable and professional Nikon D800 and the enthusiast-level Nikon D7000.
Read the full review »
blog.mingthein.com »
Some cameras launch with a huge amount of anticipation and fanfare, some are surprises from far left field, and some are simply such poorly kept secrets that the manufacturer might as well just have skipped the announcement. Although the Nikon D600 falls squarely into the last category, I think photographers in the world were pleased when it finally broke official cover. The camera itself breaks almost zero new ground technically – it doesn’t push boundaries in any way. Not quite what you expected me to say in the first paragraph, I bet. This is not to say that it’s a bad camera; far, far from it.
Read the full review »
neocamera.com »
The Nikon D600 boasts professional camera features in the lowest cost full-frame DSLR on the market. Its large 24 megapixels CMOS sensor is capable of shooting continuously at 5.5 FPS and capturing full 1080p HD video. The durable body of the D600 features an extra large 100% coverage viewfinder and weather-seals against dust and moisture.
Read the full review »
Specifications
| Type | Single-lens reflex digital camera |
| Lens mount | Nikon F mount (with AF coupling and AF contacts) |
| Effective pixels | 24.3 million |
| Image sensor | 35.9 x 24.0 mm CMOS sensor (Nikon FX format) |
| 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 (36 x 24) image area: 6,016 x 4,016 (L) 4,512 x 3,008 (M) 3,008 x 2,008 (S); DX (24 x 16) 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) |
| 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 (36 x 24): Approx. 100% horizontal and 100% vertical; DX (24 x 16): 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 (-1.0m-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 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/5.6 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 (CL), continuous high speed (CH), quiet shutter-release, self-timer, remote control, mirror up |
| Frame advance rate | 1-5 fps (CL) or 5.5 fps (CH) |
| 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 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 | -5 - +5 EV in increments of 1/3 or 1/2 EV |
| 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, or SB-400; 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; 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 (available separately) |
| Audio input | Stereo mini-pin jack (3.5mm 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 | 0-40 °C (+32 - 104 °F) |
| Humidity | 85% or less (no condensation) |
| Supplied accessories | EN-EL15 rechargeable Li-ion battery (with terminal cover), MH-25 battery charger, BS-1 accessory shoe cover, DK-21 rubber eyecup, BM-14 monitor cover, BF-1B body cap, DK-5 eyepiece cap, AN-DC8 strap, UC-E15 USB cable, ViewNX 2 CD |
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