Nikon - D600 DSLR Camera Body Only - Black

The D600 is a great camera at a great price for image quality and ease of use for pro-sumer to professional photographers stepping up to 'full-frame' (larger image sensor). The U1 and U2 dial settings make it easy to switch from, for example, fast action sports, to landscape or portrait just by a switch of the dial one space, and not having to go through menus. Auto DX mode means being able to use DX lenses as well as full-frame lenses (a frame appears in viewfinder for DX size). I immediately noticed the difference in dynamic range and image detail from my previous camera (D90) and is most apparent when using higher quality lenses. 24 megapixels means being able to blow up photos to poster size, or crop photos extensively and still get an 8x10" of good quality. Shooting sports in available light indoors, or available light outdoors at night is enhanced because of being able to shoot at higher ISOs/faster shutter speeds. Personally found quite usable photos up to ISO 5000; others may claim higher or lower ISO image use than that - in the eye of the beholder - and knowledge on how to work with 'raw' files in software. Shutter is quieter than most other Nikons, although 'quiet mode' setting doesn't seem to be any more quiet than 'normal' mode. Improved video capabilities but still not where it should be for focus speed compared to dedicated video cameras, and there's other limitations. Used carefully with the right setup and nothing moving too fast, can get some beautiful video with it. Being able to shoot 720 60p video means slow motion video is possible, with compatible software. This camera may be the best Nikon ever for value for the money - image quality and features, but it's not meant for amateurs.

As with carl9 (also giving a 1-star review), from Williamsburg, VA, we had the same problem. This camera body suffers a design flaw where possibly every copy of this camera has a problem with large pieces of dust on the sensor caused by the way the camera's shutter was designed. Using the camera's sensor cleaning function does not remove this dust. As carl9 mentioned, the problem with the D600 is mentioned on other websites, and we were able to demonstrate the problem at Best Buy using the store's demonstration copy, in manual mode, shooting at the highest number aperture setting (which is the smallest aperture), focused on a white/beige panel for a 2-second exposure, and zooming into the test image using the back screen. Happens the same for any lens. Best Buy has sent our unit to the Best Buy service center for repair. We hope for a fix or a reasonable resolution.

I'm a pro shooter who primarily does professional musical performance, event, portrait, and architectural photography (mostly stills). I usually work the live non-studio settings with two cameras, a Nikon D800 and a Nikon D700. The D700 was getting a bit long in the tooth (high shutter activation count, some cosmetic wear, etc.) so I decided to try the D600 as a replacement. I'm very happy on most fronts. Compared to the D700 I find the image quality to be very similar, even in low light even though the D600 gives me twice as many pixels. This is pretty impressive given how good a low light camera the D700 is. Build quality feels similar if a bit lower than the D700. While I don't use it much, the LiveView is much better on the D600, and I like the two-card setup. The D600 shutter is also significantly quieter than the D700 and D800, which I value a lot when shooting in small performance venues. Things I like less than the D700: The D600 not only has fewer autofocus points to choose from, they cover less of the frame (they are clustered toward the center). The D600 does not accept a cable release cord (it does accept a wireless remote, but I prefer the cable in macro and architecture usage). The D600 has a mode selection collar instead of the Mode button used on the D800 and 700. Using the collar is much more awkward. The D600's auto exposure bracketing is limited to 3 shots. The D600's top-right LCD panel lacks an exposure feedback scale (there's one in the view finder and in LiveView). The D600 baulks at focusing in some low light situations that would not phase the D700 or D800. Shooting shows with both the D800 and D700 was pretty easy as both cameras have almost identical UI's (except for swapped zoom buttons). It's more awkward switching back and forth between the D800 and D600. I haven't used the video so far, as I'm using the D800 for that. Overall the D600 is everything I hoped it would be, and I even find myself using it over the D800 in situations where 36MP is overkill or where I need a quieter shutter.

This camera is a perfect blend of a Nikon D7000 (16 megapixel DX) and D800 (36 megapixel FX). Like the D7000: Same size (approximately) Same body (mostly) Same battery Similar layout of buttons/controls Rectangular eyepiece Like the D800: Full-frame sensor Expeed 3 sensor Improved LCD display Similar shutter (quiet, quick) Things I like: -Photo sharpness, color, brightness are superb -LCD is crystal clear and big -Battery life is good -Good size -Great high-ISO performance -HD video is great -5.5 frames-per-second is decent Things I don't like: -Only 2,3 shot optional auto bracketing (not great for HDR) -Not ideal for shooting in M mode because you have to look into eyepiece to adjust shutter speed/aperture appropriately -Rectangular eyepiece. In my opinion, all FX cameras should have circular eyepieces (like the D2, D3, D4, D700, D800) to give the full effect of using a full-frame camera. Also, for portrait shots, it is nice to be able to shut off light to the eyepiece like you can with the circular eyepieces. -The HD video works very well but I hate how loud it is when the lens is focusing during playback. There's really not a lot you can do about this. -Whenever I flip the On/Off switch past the On position after the camera is already on, I'm used to the LCDs on both the top and rear of the camera turning on. However, this only lights up the top; you have to click the info button on the back to light up the rear. It may sound silly but it's important to me. I have owned nearly every Nikon digital SLR models released since 2006. I love the D600. If money is not a strong factor, the D600 is a great camera for someone that wants to use higher quality glass but doesn't understand or enjoy the professional controls of a D800. I'd say that I was surprised to find that this camera felt more like a Canon than it did a traditional FX Nikon (D700 for example). It's lightweight and not very wide or dense. If you have a D700 and love it and you're considering a D600 to replace it, don't waste your time or money. Save up and buy the D800 because the features you'll gain are not worth the incredible adjustment you'll have to make to these controls. If you own a D7000 and you are wondering if it's worth the $1,000+ to upgrade, it is! It may not look or feel like it at first, but the truth lies in the images you'll capture.

I have to say, I really loved the Nikon D600. I bought it the first day it came out. Moving up from a D300s with all FX lenses to the D600 was one of the best photographic experiences of my life. The difference in Full Frame vs. crop sensor is huge! First the Bad I shoot mainly landscape long exposures, and found that at f8 to f16 I had roughly hundreds of spots on my photos. At first I thought it was dust, so I used a rocket blower to get rid of any dust particles. It turned out to actually be "oil on the sensor". Roughly 600 shots from the day were all ruined or took many hours in post process to correct. I even went to the D600 demo they had at Best Buy and when talking to the camera clerks, I told them about the problem, and indeed their own demo showed oil splatter all over the place, but we jacked up the f/stop to f22 to see it clearly using the flash on a white background. Most people wouldn't even notice or use that closed aperture, and probably most won't even notice spots. Best Buy was awesome, they exchanged the camera with no problem, and I happily went off with my second body. Unfortunately, 400 exposures into the second body and same problem. This time, far worst. Instead of returning this body, I contacted Nikon support (they took 3 days to respond), and they requested that I send the camera in for servicing. Luckily, you can ship the camera through Best Buy to nikon free of charge if there is not a local Nikon repair center. Hurray for Best Buy!!! To be honest, I am dissapointed in Nikon quality control and for a brand new $2,000 camera to have to be sent in right out of the box, I am not thrilled. There is also some issue with HD video size being cropped about 5% and showing black bars. Also, not to mention you cannot change aperture in video mode once you start. Now the Good, The Nikon D600 is almost the holy grail of camera's. Full Frame for a relatively affordable price for the pro-sumer or enthusiast. ISO 6400 images without flash firing are very usable. Low light pictures: restaurants, family events or kids running around are not a problem. I get tons of keepers now, where before images were blurred w/o a flash, the full frame sensor really comes into play. Also, a 100% view finder, and larger LCD are really helpful. I am so happy with Best Buy's return/exchange policies. Second to none. I would buy another expensive item from them and wouldn't worry about it. If this product weren't plagued with oil on the sensor problems, I would rate this camera 5 stars. Most users may rarely shoot at f8 and may never notice problems, and for these people the camera will be one of the best camera's they own. Hopefully Nikon owns up to the problem and a fix comes soon. I stated I would not recommend this product to a friend, and that is because of the oil problems. If they get this fixed, I would happily recommend it.

Purchased this camera after Christmas and had taken about 500 shots when I happened to notice a bright green spot in a shadowy part of one of my images. I did some looking and found this spot and another defective pixel in every image I took above ISO 250. After some online research I also checked for the sensor dirt/oil issue reported by some and found that I did indeed have spots showing up at f/22. Because of these issues, I exchanged for a new camera that so far has no pixel or dirt problems. Glad I went that route, Best Buy was great about the exchange, and Nikon was going to make me pay $40 to ship my camera to them to fix. The camera itself is great. I moved up from a D90 and have been pleasantly surprised at the low light capability and detail I now have. The ergonomics are very good if you're moving from D90 to the D600 because most of the buttons are in similar locations and the menus are pretty similar. Overall the camera is bigger and heavier than the D90, but still smaller and lighter than the D700. I like the bigger grip better here and the additional control dial is nice. As for images, all have been quite sharp with my 28-300mm VR and 50mm 1.8. The file sizes are going to be really big if you try to shoot raw, so the dual SD cards will come in handy. The autofocus is pretty speedy, but the focus points tend to be in the middle of the frame, making it tougher to get things focused on the edges. You just have to get your subject in center focus and then recompose. Overall I'm very happy with my current D600, but wouldn't have been with my first one. I would recommend this camera to anyone with the caveat that they check the sensor before taking it home. If I had gotten the clean/working copy first, I would have given this 5 stars, but the lack of quality control from Nikon reduced that to a 4 star rating.

I think this is a good camera but even though I just ordered mine from BestBuy.com in June of 2013 it still cmae with dust on the sensor! I had to send it in to Nikon to have them clean it. It still came back with one noticeable dust spot but I guess I'll just have to settle with this for now. I think BestBuy should send back all of their models with the serial numbers that all have dust on the sensor. It really sucks getting a $2000 camera to find out that it's flawed and then you have to spend a bunch of time trying to get Nikon to take care of it. Make sure to bug Nikon for a free shipping label.

I was extremely hesitant to buy this camera; I am a photographer that specializes in family/children photography. When I first started snapping pictures, I was using my old Nikon d3100. I wanted to majorly upgrade because my picture taking on the side was quickly gaining ground. I wanted a full frame camera but didn't want to spend tons and tons of money. When Nikon came out with this camera, I was so excited....until I started reading more and more negative reviews about the dust sensor. I almost bought the camera millions of times but chickened out. I ended up biting the bullet and chancing my purchase but made sure to buy the extended protection plan. It's honestly one of the best decisions I've made. Obviously compared to my d3100, the picture quality is amazing. But just the ease of switching from my old camera to this one was awesome. It has honestly made me more and more excited for my upcoming sessions. Although I do think that Nikon needs to fix the dust sensor issue and stop ignoring all of the bad reviews, I do feel that this was worth the risk. If you're on the fence like I was for months and months, maybe take a chance (make sure you buy the protection plan to cover yourself). When I got home, I had a session the next day and since then have taken about 1000 pictures with it. I haven't had any blotches or smudge marks in my images like other people said they've had.