So am I the only one who thinks the Nikon D600 hits a great sweet spot by fitting a full frame sensor in to a crop size body? Seems like much of the interweb chat seems to be more focused on how it's not a D800... It's weather sealed, has a handy 5.5 fps, 39 focus points, a half magnesium body, all wrapped around a 24MP full frame sensor. I am sorely tempted to upgrade my D90 <iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Fec3Vd9Gipk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Anyone else tempted?
Nope, look at the price tag.... 2,100 for a camera with tiny AF coverage, worse high ISO performance (from the samples I've seen), the resolution in many ways is a wash as for 95% of photographic uses 24 is more than enough....hell I've been living with 12 since 2012, but the extra bit from the D800 would be nice. And NO PC SYNC PORT!?!?!? The Olympus E-30 I almost got over the D700 had one and that was a ~1,000 dollar camera. Now if it was 1,500 (like the rumors said) sure that's a huge gap....but 900 dollars is a lot closer and in the UK it's only 200 GBP.
I have a D90 and felt like you when I saw the D7000. I ended up waiting and got a D800. The decision was partially made because I wanted to upgrade some lenses as well. From what I've heard about the D600 looks to be an excellent choice as well. The file sizes of the D800 has me shooting it more like a film camera than digital until I work out a good storage solution. I am enjoying it for sure though.
And the only sacrifices are that you get ~2/3 the resolution, and maybe a step down in high ISO but those seem to be the only big differences. Unless you have a bunch of FX lenses I'd go that route.
3TB and USB 3.0 for 140 bucks: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/736902-REG/Western_Digital_WDBACW0030HBK_NESN_3TB_My_Book_Essential.html If it's CF cards you need I recommend going with Transcend, and youprobably should get a UDMA 7 because my normal UDMA (the 700x) gets bogged down with RAW+JPEG on burst. For 50 you can get a 16GB UDMA 7 one: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/646296-REG/Transcend_TS16GCF600_16GB_600X_CompactFlash_Extreme.html And since there are dual cards I'd get a 32GB SD as a backup: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/876410-REG/Transcend_ts32gsdhc10u1_32GB_SDHC_Memory_Card.html That card's read speed is about the same as the CF's but the write speed is half as fast so you will notice a little lag but if you are shooting just RAW without bursts it shouldn't be too bad. It's 31 dollars.....the 16GB is 23 so it's worth the jump, plus with 48 GB of memory you're going to have ~600-800 shots.
D800's are still hard to come by so this will probably pick up some of that demand, and for amateurs the things I mentioned might not matter as much so the little bit less than 1/3rd off still will get a bunch of people. That's 2 nice used, 3rd party, or even some Nikkor FX lenses. So at least for the next 3-4 months I wouldn't expect much of a rebate, though they might do some package deals where you get o many hundred off when you buy X lens. Though if you have time wait a bit longer and we could see a drop in both, the D700 came out in July 2008 for 3,000 and I got mine in January 2009 for ~2,200.
Is it really tiny AF coverage? And when you say worse ISO performance, compared to what? And, just to illustrate my total n00bness, what the heck is PC Sync port and why is everyone so bloody upset about it not being there??
D600 D800 Compared to the D800. It's a standardized port used for mostly studio lighting. In the UK the prices are so close I'd go for the D800 no question. It's a bit tougher in the states for someone who doesn't "gotta have" those features since the price difference is nearly double.
I don't do any studio work so I don't need that. As for everyone else moaning about it, should people be looking at an entry level camera for studio work, even if it is FX? And yep, those UK prices are bonkers - I'd be picking one up stateside. As for the AF coverage - that image makes it look worse than poor! Although probably still better coverage than my D90..
Studio work doesn't need fancy AF, and this camera supposedly has a sensor better than the D3x's which was Nikon's studio/landscape pro camera, so yes this would make a very nice one based purely on the sensor. Think of it this way, if it had the PC sync port you'd be getting almost everything you needed from the D3x for 5,000 dollars less :eek1 Nope, you're D90 while having fewer points has much better coverage. I actually use that AF a lot since it's the same as my Fuji S5 Pro (which is a D200 with a Fuji sensor). What are your intended uses for this camera? And what lenses do you currently have? I'm asking to see if you really need FX, or if the D7000 is a better option. With the D7000 it has basically the same AF but it covers much more of the frame:
Like to upgrade my D200. The new D600 is close enough to the D800 to go that route. I'll probably go with the D7000, simply because my DX lenses will work. I'd really like to see what they're replacing the D300s with? I AM buying before the new year. 7000, or wait for the 400? That's the question for me. Lyle
On my first point, I meant to point specifically to the sync port... My main uses are travel and street. My D90 has been bounced around from Moscow to Morocco, from Norway to NYC, it spends a bunch of time with me on the bike, and now that I'm doing a bit of work with the army, it's getting out in to the field - literally! The main reasons to upgrade are: I have some permanent hot pixels along with a bunch that come out in hi temp/ISO situations, I find the buffer pretty small, and the low light performance often leads me to a long shutter speed leading to blur. So do I need an FX, certainly not. But if I'm going to replace my body shouldn't I get the best I can?
You should get what fits your needs. I'm pretty much the anomaly as I have nice bodies with basic lenses but that is due largely to physical restrictions like I can't hold a 70-200 VR, so I have a 70-210 F4. The build quality will be pretty much the same so they are equally rugged. Image quality for your uses will be very similar, a little more dynamic range and maybe a stop more high ISO with the D600....though the AF isn't as useful which is your trade off. And the price is twice as much which could get you 1-2 nice lenses. What lenses do you use most? And can you list all the ones you own? Coming from a D90 your lenses will be a different equivalent focal length on FX, and some wont work except in a crop mode where you will have lower resolution than the D7000.
I have a 35mm, a 50mm and an 18-200mm. The 50 pretty much stays at home... I have been thinking also of an upgrade to the zoom... For sure, I would need to get something if I went with the D600
is that the 35mm F1.8? If so only your 50mm would work properly on the D600, so add in either a super zoom, or 2 zooms covering smaller ranges. To equal your current kit with with an FX one you'll need: D600 $2,100 85 1.8 $450 (which will be very similar to your 50, and the 50 will be like your 35) 28-300 VR $1,050 So in total it's 3,600, while the D7000 is only 1,000 dollars and your end result will be a very similar camera system in its abilities.
No problem, if I was in your shoes the only reason I'd consider going to the D600/FX is if I was going to spend a few thousand dollars on high end lenses. With your kit as long as the 18-200's quality is acceptable for telephoto work I'd just grab a fast standard zoom like the 17-50 F2.8 Tamron. And go for the non-VR version since it's supposed to have sharper optics. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/550954-REG/Tamron_AF016NII_700_17_50mm_f_2_8_XR_Di_II.html After a mail in rebate it's only 425 bucks right now. The drawback is the AF isn't too fast but I have a similar lens (the 28-75 2.8) and even with that I love it. The 17-50 is supposed to be just as sharp which means that the optics are right up there with top of the line Nikon lenses. If you want a better telephoto or something wider you can get either for 500-600 bucks and your total price is less than just the D600 body and your system will be a lot nicer.
