Nikon D600 Reviewed
Finally the long-rumored D600 – a full-frame DSLR aimed at enthusiasts, and I am sure professionals as well, with a price around $2500 for body only. It will also come packaged with a 24 to 85 lens for under $3500. For a full frame with all the bells and whistles, this is great value.
I managed to get my hands on one at Paxtons, one of my favourite camera stores and the largest family owned independent retailer in Australia. The D600 is significantly cheaper than its big brother the D800, and in fact every other current full-frame DSLR, so I may have to re-think my recent change to 4/3rd format. I have over a dozen lenses from my old Nikon film cameras that I thought will fit, but apparently not so some of my older lenses. So I would suggest you check to see if your lenses will work on the D600.
How wonderful to put on a lens that says 20mm and it actually is 20mm. The camera is a work of art and in spite of the fact that I really don’t need a full frame, I wonder if I can restrain myself from buying one.
The D600 offers similar build quality and operational ergonomics as the popular DX-format D7000, this is hugely significant. It’s full frame, but not only that, it matches or exceeds the pixel count of every other full-frame DSLR except the D800, it seems to be a 
camera that all enthusiasts and many professionals will lust after. I’ve already started lusting. Previously a full frame SLR cost many thousands of dollars, now it is within the range, although not cheap, for those enthusiasts wanting the best without breaking the bank who will undoubtly buy one.
LETS LOOK AT VIDEO and COMPETITION
Both the Canon EOS 6D and the Nikon D600 are offering full-frame sensors, but Nikon has the higher resolution device in the shape of its 24.3 million pixel device. Canon has 20.2 megapixels sensor.
Using more pixels can increase the chance of image noise, but a higher count is helpful if you want to crop into an image and retain high quality. Although the Canon EOS 5D Mark III offers an impressive 61 point autofocus system, the Canon EOS 6D doesn’t fare anywhere near as well, with just an 11 point system. This is fewer than the 19 points found on the APS-C sensored Canon EOS 7D, and just two more than the Canon EOS 60D.
Nikon, on the other hand, has included substantially more AF points, with 39 on the Nikon D600. However, there’s something else that needs to be considered with these cameras. Canon claims that the EOS 6D is able to focus all the down to -3EV, while the Nikon D600 can only manage -1EV. This could make a big difference to low light and night time shooting.
Both the Canon EOS 6D and Nikon D600 come with latest generation processors. Canon, however, has the edge when it comes to sensitivity settings, offering native speeds of ISO 100-25,600, expandable to ISO 50-102,400. Meanwhile, the D600′s native settings are ISO 100-6400, expandable to 50-25,600.
I’m biased being a Nikon man through and through, both cameras offer great features. You be the judge.
PHOTO: Michael Zitser, Marcia Paxton and John Paxton. Paxtons Photographic Pty Ltd (Sydney,NSW)
