Nikon D600 HDSLR: hands on preview
© 2012 Ellis Vener
Dateline: New York City, September 12, 2012
At a press preview in New York City, Nikon USA showed off the much-rumored D600 to a small group of journalists. The D600 is a 24.3mp FX format (FX is Nikon’s designation for their 24x35.9mm format digital cameras) and DX (APS-C format approximately 16 x 24mm area) digital SLR with 1080p (AKA “Full HD”) and 720p capabilities. According to Nikon’s Steve Heiner and Lindsay Silverman, “The D600 is Nikon’s lightest, smallest, and most affordable FX DSLR ever.”
The D600 fills the hole between the now discontinued 12mp D700 and the36mp D800 FX cameras yet is roughly the size and weight of the now discontinued DX format D7000 body. The D600 is about 16% lighter than the D800 (26.8 ounces) and is a few millimeters shorter in height and width). Holding and operating it feels much like the D7000. In many ways the D600 is like a D800 Lite. Besides having 33% less total resolution there are some electronic and mechanical differences.
One of the design goals with the D600 according to Nikon’s representatives is to reduce having to go through different layers of menus so some of the buttons on the front and back control dual functions. In particular the Function and the Depth of Field preview buttons on the right side of the camera’s lens mount are user programmable.
Significant features for stills and general operation:
- 24.3mp full frame (Nikon FX) resolution and a little under 11mp if used as a DX format camera. Nikon does not disclose who does the fabrication on their CMOS imaging chips but Mr. Silverman pointed out that the CMOS in the D600 is a Nikon design.
- Processing chip: uses a variant of Nikon’s EXPEED III processor.
- Normal sensitivity range: ISO 100 to 6400, plus a Lo1 (ISO 50 equivalent) and on the high end up to an equivalent ISO 25,600 in the “Hi” settings”.
- Nikon claims a “high” signal to noise ratio throughout the Sensitivity range.
- Metering: TTL exposure metering in spot (4mm circle), center-weighted, and matrix metering modes.
- 3D Color Matrix metering III for type G and D Nikkors, Color Matrix III modes for other CPU equipped lenses.
- Metering range: 0 to 20 EV.
- EV adjustment range: +/- five stops (ten stop total range)
- Shutter Speed range: 1/4000th to 30 seconds plus B. Normal Flash Sync speed (top) 1/200th. Shutter assembly life expectancy 150,000 cycles.
- TTL Autofocus: Nikon Multi-CAM 4800 Autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection over a -1 to 19 EV (ISO 100 @ 68˚F) range. Autofocus options for SLR type shooting: selectable between 39 (3D tracking), 39, 21, 9, and 1 AF points.
- Live View autofocus: Contrast-detect AF anywhere in frame. When in face priority or subject tracking AF modes are selected the camera selects the AF point.
- Top frame rate in continuous mode: 5.5 FPS when shooting either NEF or JPEG formats
- Dual SD media slots.
- Compatible with over 60 Nikkor lenses including DX format lenses (some of the Nikkor DX zooms will fill the full 24x36mp area but not at their widest settings)
- Fully charged battery capacity: approximately 900 frames.
- The built-in pop up flash can also work as a Nikon iTTL commander for 2 groups and 4 channels. Flash beam with is sufficient for a 24mm lens in the full FX format).
- The control cluster on the left side of the camera’s pentaprism has an expanded range of functions.
- Viewfinder: 100% view at 0.7x magnification.
- LCD preview screen: 3.2 inch (diagonal) 921,000 dot wide angle TFT-LCD
- One big change in the D600 is the use of a smaller version of Nikon long established 10-pin external control connection.
Video: Lots of choices here including the ability to shoot Full HD (1920 x 1080p) and HD (1280 x 720p) video when the camera is either in FX or DX crop mode. In Full HD mode you can shoot at 30, 25 or 24 p speed while in HD mode, 60, 50, 30 and 25p refresh rates are your choices. With the camera in Live View mode Video shooting is started and stopped with a dedicated button next to the shutter release. There is an HDMI port for direct to HDTV sets and if you take the SD cards out of the camera you can stream uncompressed video directly to an external digital video recorder. If you have an external monitor connected you can have Live View both on the camera’s LCD as well as the external monitor. Maximum movie continuous recording time is twenty minutes. Movie File format: MOV, Movie Video compression H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding
Moving pictures need sound recording capabilities and the D600 has dual channel audio inputs with separate level meters and to monitor sound the camera is equipped with a standard stereo mini-phone headphone jack. Movie Audio recording format: Linear PCM
Everyone loves options and beyond lenses and speedlights Nikon announced four of them, a grip/battery holder, and three external connectivity options.
- MB-D14 battery/vertical grip will take either 2 of Nikon’s re-chargeable EN-EL15 lithium-ion or standard AA batteries. The MSRP for the MB-D14 is $322.00
- UT-1 Communication unit opens up the possibility for wired Ethernet connectivity and remote control of the camera. The UT-1 connects to the camera via a USB 2.0 connection on the D600’s left side. MSRP: $470.00
- Wireless LAN (Local Area Network) communication will be possible with the WT-5 in conjunction with the UT-1. Combination MSRP for the WT-5/UT-1 combination: $1299.00.
- Far more intriguing is the WU-1b, a wireless Mobile adapter that will let you control and fire the camera from mobile devices (smart phones and tablets) as well as downloading to those devices. As of today mobile connectivity is limited to Android based devices but more information will be available very soon about compatibility with Apple iOS devices. The MSRP for the WU-1b is $59.95.
The MSRP for the D600 body alone: $2099.95. For the D600 plus 24-85mm 3.5-5.6 FX Nikkor lens kit the initial MSRP will be $2699.95.
Unlike previous Nikon (and other camera maker’s for that matter) there is projected to be virtually no lag time between the official announcement (Sept 13 12:01AM on September 13) and retail availability. Nikon’s representatives say the D600 will be available at the retail level starting September 18, 2012.
Look for a full review and user report available in the November issue of Professional Photographer.
If you have questions, please ask.
