Nikon D600 24.3 MP CMOS FX-Format Digital SLR Camera with 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR AF-S Nikkor Lens (OLD MODEL)

This camera has been incredible. Ive hauled it through a hurricane, Ive dropped it in the snow, Ive shot hundreds of live bands with it, and I still love it to death. My ONLY complaints have been the dust-on-the-sensor issue, the lack of video features (which you cant really complain too much about, since this is already an older camera), and the Nikon trademark of mishandling color (the red spectrum in particular). The "dust-on-the-sensor" thing is something thats easily addressed by regularly cleaning and maintaining the camera (from my understand though, a lot of the specks are from mechanisms inside the camera, so this will happen even if you dont take the lens off). The video features, well, you cant really do anything about that. However, the red spectrum issue is something you can fairly pretty easily fix in post. Just be ready to spend a bit more time on skin tone and fall leaves. Outside of that, this camera has handled everything I have thrown at it, with incredible results, and I shoot a LOT of vastly different things. Definitely worth the investment, if youre looking for a cheaper/older camera, that can still hang with the new crowd.

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[UPDATE 07nov2013]. Got it back from service again. This time the doc actually said they did replace the shutter. I set out to test it--shooting over 500 shots in and hour on the Ch setting and then going to the park and shooting a f22 all day. Only 1 spot is on the sensor and that one seems to have been there since it was returned. But no additional spots so far. [UPDATE 16Oct2013] After a month of using the D600 _after_ Nikon Service updated the Shutter for me, I am seeing a few more spots on the sensor. I havent shot a lot of photos -- maybe in the 200 - 300 range, however, there are now a handful of substantial spots on the sensor once again--even with the fix. So if they truly did replace the shutter with that used in the D610, Im not optimistic about the D610 nor am Im relaxed about owning the D600. [UPDATE 16Sept2013] I just received my D600 back from Nikon Service. During the NAB in Las Vegas earlier this year, a Nikon Rep told me that they had a "quiet" service practice for D600. She said "Send it in". I didnt bother doing that until early September of this year and got it back 10 days later. They paperwork said "clean sensor, upgrade firmware" so I was concerned. I called and the Service Tech said, yes theres more to it than that, but he wasnt allowed to say--but he did say "They fixed the problem". After a lengthy test shoot of the Sky, timelapse of nature and several "party" shots, I see Zero Dust/Grease whatever on the pictures. I believe this camera is now fixed. Thank you Nikon and of course Amazon for the best Customer Service ever! [UPDATE 29Nov2012] The 4th unit is now going back to Amazon. This D600 was oil-free and I was very happy for the first 100 or so images. Then excessive dust started to appear. I "let it go" for about a week and it seems to have settled down. I called Nikon who told me I could not clean the sensor myself--it had to be sent to a Nikon Authorized service center. But my experience with Nikon service while good, is also VERY time consuming. So this unit is now on its way back to Amazon and another one has been ordered. Lets hope we get both no oil and little to no dust on this one. (Fingers crossed) [UPDATE 21Nov2012] Im on the 4th D600 from Amazon.com (gotta love their fantastic customer service). The other 3 units had Oil spots either right after shooting or came with oil already on the sensor. This unit seemed okay for the first 40 or so images, and then I saw some particles of dust (not oil) on the sensor. I blew it away and shot another "roll" and saw even more dust and what I believe to be 1 or possibly 2 tiny oil spots (the prior units had larger oil spots). Regardless of how good the image quality is, if you cant depend on the product to product pictures vs dusty images (or oily images) it isnt worth your time. My pure speculation is that some units have oil and some have excessive dust. Oil being caused by Nikon assembly workers over-oiling a poorly designed shutter mechanism, and dust if they did not over oil the shutter mechanism. So you get one bad feature or the other. The other camera I have is a D800e and it now has 1 oil spot after roughly 1000 images. I may send it in to be cleaned, assuming no more appear. But this being the 4th D600 Im going to conclude, based on what Ive read here and from my own experience, that this model is definitely NOT ready for prime-time. I would suggest you put off your purchase until either they replace this module with a new one (one that has the problems resolved) or you invest in a cleaning kit and become what most consumers are not, a camera cleaning expert. Oh, and those who keep saying "are you sure its oil and not dust" please move along until you actually own one of these models, youre boring the rest of us who are actually trying to make this camera with great potential, work. [Original Review] This camera produces some of the best pictures of any Nikon yet. Sure the D800/e has more pixels, but a 50% increase in those pixels makes your computer run slow as it reads/processes them. Plus, the camera itself slows down as it processes 36 megapixels (again on the D800). This camera has just the right mix of features. So unless youre a pro, this should be your camera if youre a Nikon shooter (or get he new CANON 5D Mk III if you prefer CANON, both are great). This is a full-frame camera, not a Pro Camera. It has all the scene modes youve used from the D7000 but gives you that great depth of field results you normally only see in an FX (full frame) model. Likewise you can use Program/Pro mode, or Aperture or Shutter Priority modes and pull fantastic shots. The Good: FX sensor, 24 megapixels is good enough, more would be a negative feature, fits all your Nikon lens, but start buying FX (non-DX) lenses if you havent already; it has a fast enough shutter speed and great colors. The not so good: The focus sensors have been purposely crippled on this camera. Instead of using an FX autofocus array from the D4, D800 or other cameras, they use the same autofocus array used on the D7000 DX camera. This cheat means that you basically have a small area in the center of the view finder in which focus occurs. While this is really offensive to me as a consumer, (shame on you Nikon) it isnt a show-stopper. It too borders on "good enough" but I do find it irritating in some situations. So while focus is perhaps the biggest shortcoming feature, it shouldnt stop you from selecting this over other models. Last, like all 2012 Nikon cameras, this model too tends to overexpose its photos when not using matrix metering (e.g., spot metering). So I tend to have to shoot at -0.3ev all the time. The more I use the matrix metering however, Im learning to know when the camera will work with it vs spot metering. The over exposure that can occur in spot metering (Im speculating) was done to accommodate those "ultra stupid hi ISO" features. If you want to shoot in the dark, get a camera with night vision. So unless youre a professional, get the D600, youll love it. If youre a pro... keep your D3 or get the D4 or for B-roll consider the D800. OIL SPOTS: One caveat: The original D600 I received was wonderful until I hit about 100 photos. Then a bunch of oil spots on the "sensor" (actually on the anti-alias filter) started to appear. Apparently if the person or machine on the assembly line didnt have their coffee, they might have over-oiled the shutter release on your camera. Now, it is easy to clean off dust particles, but oil is problematic. If you look around, youll see two types of users writing about this issue: Those who received a good unit that doesnt show the problem and who falsely conclude that is never happens, and those who are having the issue. To see if yours has the issue, shoot a photo of the blue sky, and look at it on your computer. If you see little grey or slightly dark orbs, you have the problem. I originally had zero, then about 5, then it went to over 20 spots. One or two is nothing--it wont show up on your prints or elsewhere. But one or two dozen, thats a problem The great thing about getting your cameras from Amazon.com is you can return/exchange it for another unit. And thats what I did.

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I bought this camera as an upgrade from my Canon T3 which I used for many years. I love the camera and have learned a ton since using it. This has so many options that Im not sure I have used them all. It is a huge change from the cropped sensor I was used to. There is a bit of a learning curve going from cropped to full frame. I did have sensor oil spots after using it for many nights of star photography and long exposures, but I sent it back to Nikon and they replaced the sensor without question. This camera is an extension of my right arm. It is extremely heavy, if you are used to a starter DSLR, though, so be prepared. I have bought several lenses and other accessories for it, and so far have had no issues. I do like the vivid colors of the Canon a bit better, but the ease of the controls on the Nikon are so much better. The fact that I can have different user settings for different circumstances is a huge plus, because I like to shoot at night a lot, but I also shoot portraits quite often. This has back button focus capability, can record video, has two memory card slots, can do double exposure, hdr, and is great in low light.

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I purchased this camera the December after it was released. Id wanted to upgrade from my D80 and had been collecting FX lenses along the way. The camera is very capable and has some nice features: FX sensor, two SD card slots, video and a good burst rate with a good buffer depth. I started out with regular 16GB cards, but soon realized that I needed to get bigger and faster SD cards. I found that I have the best results with a card thats at least 90MB/Second from a reputable maker. Ive used both 32GB and 64GB cards with no issues at all. Frequently, I shoot both jpeg fine and RAW, so having two cards to push the photos to helps keep things organized and safe. Although the camera shoots video, you need to use an external microphone. The internal motor noise is horrendous and theres virtually no protection from wind noise. Ive noticed that the camera has issues focusing in low light when shooting video, so I use manual focus. If you have aspirations of movie making, I recommend a steady-cam type mount, an external microphone and a viewing hood for the LCD display since it tends to wash out in bright light. Even though these all sound like negatives, the cameras primary purpose for me is shooting stills and it does a spectacular job. My camera came with the 24mm-85mm kit lens which is decent, but not especially fast. Photograph quality is very good, but these cameras also have an issue when new of flinging tiny specks of oil on the sensor whenever the mirror flips up. I didnt really notice the issue for the first 500 shots or so, but ended up buying a cleaning kit and taking care of the problem myself. Ive shot about 15,000 shots since the first cleaning but its something Ive kept an eye on. Overall, I think its a great camera. Its not as feature rich as some of the higher-end cameras on the market, but its a strong choice for the advanced amateur.

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I must say that I was very reluctant to buy a D600 24-85 Kit. I did because the price came down so much on recent deal. I sold the lens as I had no need for it. So my D600 pretty much only set me back around $1270. Not bad :-) Ive shot 2 events so far 3 photo treks totaling about 7500 photos. Im very happy with it. Ive shot wide open from 1.4 to f22 and so far no signs of dust/oil on the sensor plate. Maybe I got lucky :-) It looks as if the size of it maybe about the same size of a D7000 but I was wrong. Side by side with a D800 you can tell that its smaller but the grip on the D600 feels a lot more secure than a D7000/D90. It a great camera. Photos and videos turn out great with proper technique and lens :-) Sorry to hear about others with dust/oil problems. Nikon dropped the ball when it comes to handling the situation. I have friends that werent so lucky with theirs. Good luck with your purchase. I hope you get a good one.

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This is a great value for a full frame camera. Functionally it works extremely well. If you are worried about the dust issue, I will say that yes it will probably happen to you. I bought a refurbished model and it still happened to me. However It is only a temporary issue that will go away after a couple thousand shots. My advice is to watch some youtube video and learn how to clean your sensor with a proper swab and fluid as it is not very difficult (takes 2 minutes). If you have steady hands, you will not run into issues. If you are uncomfortable with this, pay somebody to do it. After your photos start getting dirty, clean your sensor. Shoot a couple thousand more, then clean it again. Chances are that will be the end of it.

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