Buying a refurbished D600. Will I get the increased ISO performance with DX lenses

[CR88]

Hello, I have been debating on either the D600 or 7100 for a little while and recently came across a refurbished D600 that was only a few hundred dollars more than the 7100, so I am ready to pull the trigger. I assumed that even though I have DX lenses, I would get the increased ISO performance from the FX sensor. I do plan on adding FX lenses over time, but for now I am going to shoot with my current lenses. I am coming from a D200 and have struggled quite a bit in low light situations. I have read that performance is reduced as far as resolution is concerned but I have not found enough information concerning ISO performance. I was originally going to go with the 7100 and a nice wide angle, but I eventually want to get into FX anyway and the price on the D600 refurb seems almost too good to pass up. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[molested_cow]

Same ISO performance, but lower resolution.

 

[MOREGONE]

Yep ISO performance should still rock. I got my D600 a week ago and have used a DX lens on it without noticing any adverse affects, other than the crop. But on my Tokina 12-24 it actually works just the same as an FX lens from about 18mm and on.

 

[CR88]

Same ISO performance, but lower resolution.

Yep ISO performance should still rock. I got my D600 a week ago and have used a DX lens on it without noticing any adverse affects, other than the crop. But on my Tokina 12-24 it actually works just the same as an FX lens from about 18mm and on.

Nice. Works for me. Thanks for the info. I will be placing my order this afternoon. I have been wanting to get into an FX camera for a while. I recently had to shoot a graduation commencement in a very dark auditorium. It was hard trying to get the wide shots that the parents wanted with my D200. At the high ISO I had to shoot, I couldn't get much detail. In time I will accumulate some FX lenses. That will probably be my next post...any info on good bang for buck FX lenses to look out for.

Thanks again.

 

[MOREGONE]

Where are you going to purchase it from?

I got mine through Cameta camera because it comes with a 1 year warranty FYI. I actually purchased it on Rakuten.com which is formerly Buy.com, think of it kind of like Amazon, they are the store front, but they have different vendors like Cameta and Adorama to name a couple. I mention all this because Rakuten is doing a lot of cash back offers. I actually got 20% cash back on my purchase, and by cash back I mean Store credit to Rakuten same as cash.

Worth looking into, I think they are only doing 5% right now.

 

[nycphotography]

Best bang for the buck FX lenses are generally primes.

If you want zooms, these two are gifts from the Nikon Gods....

Nikon 35-70mm f/2.8D AF very affordable used... pro glass... only down side is it's push-pull.

Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8D ED AF also affordable used... also pro / ed glass. no downside.

(But they are NON VR, NON AFS lenses... so you need a focus motor body).

 

[oldhippy]

Where are you going to purchase it from?

I got mine through Cameta camera because it comes with a 1 year warranty FYI. I actually purchased it on Rakuten.com which is formerly Buy.com, think of it kind of like Amazon, they are the store front, but they have different vendors like Cameta and Adorama to name a couple. I mention all this because Rakuten is doing a lot of cash back offers. I actually got 20% cash back on my purchase, and by cash back I mean Store credit to Rakuten same as cash.

Worth looking into, I think they are only doing 5% right now.

Buy.com seems to be running the 15% discount once a week. MOREGONE I HAVE TRIED TO pm YOU TWICE, YOU GET THE GRIP NEED ADDRESS.

 

[CR88]

Where are you going to purchase it from?

I got mine through Cameta camera because it comes with a 1 year warranty FYI. I actually purchased it on Rakuten.com which is formerly Buy.com, think of it kind of like Amazon, they are the store front, but they have different vendors like Cameta and Adorama to name a couple. I mention all this because Rakuten is doing a lot of cash back offers. I actually got 20% cash back on my purchase, and by cash back I mean Store credit to Rakuten same as cash.

Worth looking into, I think they are only doing 5% right now.

I was actually going to order from B&H, they have it for $1,599 + free shipping. I am going to take a look at other sources though now, including the ones you mentioned. I have only really worked with B&H and Amazon in the past if I wasn't going to a local camera shop.

Best bang for the buck FX lenses are generally primes.

If you want zooms, these two are gifts from the Nikon Gods....

Nikon 35-70mm f/2.8D AF very affordable used... pro glass... only down side is it's push-pull.

Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8D ED AF also affordable used... also pro / ed glass. no downside.

(But they are NON VR, NON AFS lenses... so you need a focus motor body).

Thanks for the info. I did come across a few 35-70 2.8's for about $400. I may have to pick one up.

Incidentally, I must admit that I am not near as lens savy as many of you are and didn't really understand the difference between DX and FX lenses. I thought that camera/sensor made the difference, crop factor and all. That being said, I was told that a couple of the lenses I use the most will work on an FX camera as intended and are NOT DX lenses. My Tamron 70-200 2.8 and my Nikkor 50mm 1.4. and only my 18-200 VR is a true DX lens. If that is true, it makes the D600 that much more of a no brainer.

 

[Solarflare]

Your ISO performance will obviously be even better if you get FX lenses and downsize the result to 10 Megapixel ...

But yeah, just from only using part of the sensor the ISO performance obviously wont change.

 

[CR88]

Your ISO performance will obviously be even better if you get FX lenses and downsize the result to 10 Megapixel ...

But yeah, just from only using part of the sensor the ISO performance obviously wont change.

I actually stopped by the local camera shop and was surprised at how many used quality full frame lenses they had at very reasonable prices. They were older, but when I looked up reviews for many of them, they had a lot of very positive comments. I always thought that going FX would be more expensive on the lens side, but the availability of used quality glass at reasonable prices surprised me. Incidentally, I did not order the 600. I am now considering the 800. Still strongly leaning towards the 600, but I have been reading some comparisons and reviews before making my final decision. As I was getting ready to order the 600, I came across a refurbished 800, for only $800 more ($2,399). So, before I make my purchase I am going to see if the 800 is worth the extra $800. I like the focusing system of the 800, but I am not sure if that is worth the premium for me. I know the 800 has more to offer than just that, but if that is really the only thing that is a factor for me personally, I will just get the 600 and pickup a new lens. Thanks for the feedback everyone.

 

[CR88]

Just placed my order with B&H for my refurbished D600. I just didn't see going the 800 route, especially since this is a jump from DX to FX. Pretty excited to see what my ISO performance will be coming from a D200 and shooting full frame...Finally!