The D600 completes Nikon’s new full-format generation, completing it as a stripped-down, almost 1-cm-narrower, 140 g lighter and about 1,000 euros cheaper variant of the D800 down. The now five-year-old D700 is only available in remaining stocks and does not seem to be up to date with 12 megapixels.
Features: 24.2 megapixels
How much more image quality can one expect from the D600 with double pixel number? And when is the extra charge for the D800 (E)?
Viewfinder and monitor: High level
While the D800 and D800E have a 36-megapixel aspect ratio, the D600 has 24.2 megapixels on the 35.9 x 23.9 mm FX sensor - at least 4 million more than in Canon's counterpart EOS 6D.
Exposure, autofocus and performance
Compared to the D800, the housing of the D600 is more compact and lighter, but feels less good and also offers seals for protection against splash water and dust. The top and rear covers are made of magnesium alloy.
Picture gallery
Around the tripod thread, however, the handy coating is missing. In addition, there are two SD card slots instead of the CF / SD combination, and a USB 2.0 port in the left-hand slot instead of the USB 3.0 port
Comparison test: 11 Card reader in the test
In contrast to Canon, Nikon does not use a GPS module in this class, but an integrated flip-out flash, which can be used as a master for external system flashes, with the D600 with guide number 9 delivering slightly less power than the D800 with guide number 11
There is no flash cable connection on the D600. In addition, the slot shutter is designed for 200,000 (E800) for 150,000 releases (D600). And the minimum exposure time is extended from 1 / 8,000 to 1 / 4,000 s. Classically, the D600 has a sensor cleaning system on board and can be extended via an optional battery handle (MB-D14, around 250 Euro)
Like the D800, the D600 has a relatively large second display above which the photographer can keep in mind the important shooting parameters. The rear 3.2-inch monitor provides a clear, sharp image with 307,000 RGB pixels, even with a wider viewing angle, and can be used either as an information / input screen or for live view.
A real surprise: Unlike the D800 and most other newer digital cameras, the D600 in the photo live view with manual control does not have an exposure preview, deceives the monitor a properly illuminated image, even if the pictures then get too dark or too bright. The scale, which should show the correct exposure after pressing the info key, is handy but not a complete replacement. After all, the exposure preview is available in the video live view and the exposure compensation (-3 to +3 aperture).
The SLR viewfinder shows 100% of the image field with 0.7x magnification, including grid lines or frames for masking the DX format (24x16). The practical, integrated eyepiece closure of the D800 must be dispensed with here. Instead, a separate, cumbersome cap is included.
Exposure metering works reliably with an RGB sensor whose pixel count increases from 1005 (D700) to 2017 (D600) instead of to 91,000 (D800). In the phase autofocus system, Nikon uses a module that is scaled down to the D800, which uses 39 instead of 51 measurement fields, 9 of which are cross-sensors instead of 15, and are located on a smaller area in the center of the image
For the Live View, the D600 changes to a slower contrast measurement: it takes 1.0 seconds to focus and release, but with phase AF it is 0.34 / 0.77 s (1000/30 lux) The D800 focusses faster (viewfinder: 0,19 / 0,29, LV: 0,92 s). For image series, the latter can only process 4.0 B / s, whereas the D600 produces 5.3 B / s. However, the fun is somewhat obscured by the restriction to 15 B / series.
Recording functions: For consumers and professionals
Nikon is the D600's focus on consumer SLR and integrates a wide variety of creative programs that professional cameras do not need. On the other hand, there is no option to take pictures directly in TIFF format. This includes: the useful RAW processing module, the HDR function, and the automatic interval-taking of images, which are later expedited as desired in the form of an accelerated film.
In contrast to the D700, all new Nikon-Vollformater including D600 full HD videos as MOV files (H.264) can record. The films are sharp, detailed and relatively low-noise. However, the dynamics of the photos are greatly reduced, and irregular color errors occur occasionally on uniformly fine structures.
Operating concept
The continuous autofocus helps only a little, especially since the sharpness is too jerky, less accurate and anything but inconspicuous - this can make many system cameras better. Also disturbing: If you want to change the iris for the video recording, you have to leave the live view mode.
When the D600 is used, the D600 is reminiscent of the consumer model D7000, but remains so close to what you already know from other Nikon fullformers that the change from the D700 to the D600 should not be a problem. Among other things, the well-known menu consists of long scrolling lists, the infobox screen, which can be used as a kind of menu, and the four-directional rocker.
In contrast to the D700 and D800, the D600 does not have a multi-function switch with four function buttons on the left side of the viewfinder but a two-level dial on the D7000: the lower part is intended for the operating mode, the upper one for the recording mode
Image Quality: D600 vs. D700 and D800 / E
Conclusion
Buying advice Nikon system: The DSLRs of the middle class D90, D7000 and D300s
The Mode button on the D700 and D800 next to the upper second LCD is free, and the D600 is used instead as a measurement system selector. The AF-ON button is omitted. If AF-ON is set to the AE-L / AF-L button instead, the autofocus can only be started by means of the half-pressed trigger. In addition, Nikon has several options on the D600, including the advanced capture configuration that includes additional parameters such as iris and exposure time.
Regarding the resolution, the scissors at Nikon's Vollformatern is currently very far apart: the D700 is comparatively few, larger pixels on the one hand (12 MP, 8.5 μm), D800 and D800E with smooth the three number of corresponding Smaller pixels on the other side (36 MP, 4.9 μm), the D600 is exactly right in the middle (24 MP, 6 μm)
This gives the D800 and D800E the widest range of image capture and printing, while the D700 and D600 take advantage of the larger pixel diameter as they capture more light at every pixel and provide a more restrained signal Code>
The D700 uses this uncompromisingly to process the JPEGs much more gently, which means: less non-linear interventions in the image, correspondingly low kurtosis values and, ultimately, outstanding fine-tuning with good noise characteristics (kurtosis 0.2, VN 0.7 To 1.1 to ISO 3200). Also in the D600, the larger pixels compared to the D800 (E) lead to a generally more favorable ratio between noise and texture loss (0.4 to 1.0 VN, 0.6 to 1.0 kurtosis to ISO 3200), but without in this regard The D700.
The D800 is back with comparable noise, but kurtosis 0.9 to 1.6. And the D800E, which differs from the D800 only by the filter without low-pass function, has to help somewhat more with the noise filter and loses more points than the others (Kurtosis 1.0 to 2.0)
This is exactly the opposite in the case of boundary resolution and dead-leaves. The absence of the low-pass filter increases the risk of moire and color fringing, but the D800E achieves maximum sharpness: 2313 LP / BH limit resolution, 2061 LP / BH dead-leaves at ISO 100, and a comparatively slow decrease over the entire measured ISO range - what the D800E does here.
How to create distortion and vignetting
Also outstanding: the D800, which is around 7 to 15% below the level of the D800E. But also the D600 can convince with 1787/1163 LP / BH Grenzauflösung / Dead-Leaves and moderate power loss with higher ISO figures. In addition there is an above-average dynamic of up to 10.7 stops.
All in all the D600 can compete with the two D800er excellently, but must be defeated especially with ISO 1600 and 3200. The D700 is not quite good enough to fully compensate for the low resolution of a maximum of 1233 LP / BH and DL values below 850 LP / BH.
The Nikon D600 is a perfect match for people coming from the APS-C warehouse. Thanks to the large sensor it achieves a great picture quality, in particular a 24 Megapixel high resolution combined with a solid relationship between noise and texture loss. Buying a "price / performance"
Innovative are primarily the case compared to professional full-format cameras more compact housing and the cheaper price. Otherwise there are no big surprises, both the operating concept and the functions are largely known by other Nikon cameras. Compared to the D800 (E), however, the equipment has been reduced and adapted to consumer cameras such as the D7000: from the autofocus, the number of controls and menu options to the photo live view without exposure preview - the D800 (E) offers more.
Buying advice Nikon system: The full-format cameras D700, D800 / E, D3x and D4
Also due to the higher 36-megapixel resolution, which leads to even better image quality despite smaller pixels and stronger texture losses, the extra charge for the D800 models can be worthwhile. The older D700 has all the features of a professional camera and has an excellent fine-tuning, but can not quite make up for the weaker 12-megapixel resolution.
Nikon D600
