D600 vs D800

Rip101

TPF Noob!
Joined
Oct 30, 2012
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Location
Bermuda
Can others edit my Photos
Photos OK to edit
Hi, I presently have a D7000 and was all set to upgrade to a d800 and keep the 7000 as a second body, but now with the new kid in town (D600) I can't make up my mind on the 600 or 800.
Any sugestions welcomed.
 
Why do you want to upgrade? I think the answer to that question will help you decide! Ex: If it's just to move to FX for the low-light or DOF, the D600 is a good choice. However, if you're looking for better AF, then the D800 would be the better option.
 
The D600 is the first entry-level grade full frame camera, and is essentially a D7000 with a full frame image sensor.

The D800 is Nikon's top-of-the-segment Prosumer full frame camera, and as such has many features, functions, and capabilities the D600 lacks.

The D800 has, faster shutter, faster flash sync speed, 91,000 pixel exposure sensor, 51 auto focus points (15 cross-type), H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding, 2 types of Auto White Balance, a PC flash cable port, 10-pin connector, USB 3.0, up to 9 exposure brackets, and more.
 
Last edited:
It's still VERY early in the life cycle for both cameras. I've looked at the D600, and for *me*, a middle-aged guy who wears his eyeglasses when he shoots, and who also likes to frame his shots through an OPTICAL viewfinder and not on the back of the camera in Live View, the difference is mostly down to the viewfinder differences between the two classes of body. For *me*, the square-eyepiece cameras Nikon makes are not quite what I want in a viewfinder...the round-eyepiece bodies OTOH, are easier to see the extreme edges of the finder image on...and the D800 is a ROUND-EYEPIECE camera...that puts it into the upper echelon by default, for *me*.

For the amount of money spent, the D600 represents a breakthrough for Nikon users; it's the first "affordable" high-MP Nikon full-frame body. For the amount of money, I think the D600 is a very good FX Nikon. It costs $1200 less than a Canon 5D-II did five years ago, and has MANY MORE features than the 5D-II had, and that camera was regarded as an excellent value, despite its somewhat limited, basic AF system and lack of frills. A lot of the bad PR the D600 gets seems to stem from people who want EVERYTHING the D800 has, at $2099 and in a compact sized body AND with the wide-area AF of a crop-frame body, and so on...

I do not see the 1/4000 second top shutter speed as being that much of a limitation of the D600. OR the flash sync speed...I grew up with 1/60 flash synch speed, 1/125 was considered ULTRA-fast flash synch speed until the Nikon FM-2 hit the BLAZING speed of 1/200 for a focal plane in that body's first release 30 years ago...big deal...the Nikon F3 and F3HP, the "pro" Nikons contemporary with the FM and FM-2 and FM-2(n), had 1/80 X-sync, for almost two decades of production...so, the X-sync argument is bogus.
 
Hmm, quite a few things to think about.
What about the 36.6mp, do you consider it an advantage or disadvantage for normal size photographs? probably not much bigger then 15 x 20.
 
It's a slight advantage...just slightly more acuity from the 36MP images....but it's a slight disadvantage in terms of "handling" and "storing" the images. HONESTLY, for most people, I think 24MP on full-frame is PLENTY of resolution. I'm shooting 12 MP and 24MP on FX, and for me, the 24 MP Nikon images are absolutely amazing. The one thing the D800 DOES bring though, is its approximately 16 megapixel APS-C Crop mode...that sort of makes the D800 like having a full-frame AND an APS-C 16MP camera, like a D7000, all in the same camera.
 
Sensor wise the 800 has nothing over the 600 except resolution. The 600 sensor has similar dynamic range and is incredibly clean into 6400 ISO. I would only consider the 800 if a pro body and a big juicy viewfinder were strong selling points.
 
Just FYI, I was in Costco yesterday and a little surprised to see the D600 for sale. Comes with a 24-85mm VR, a 70-300mm VR, a WU-1b wireless device and a Nikon camera case. Marked down from list price to $2989.99.
Great store to deal with if you want to return this outfit within 90 days. Of course not that great a deal, if you have no use for those particular lenses.
 
I use the D800 almost exclusively since I received it via the 1st wave. I know my way around it now almost without looking while shooting. Low light is amazing and the excessive pixels come in very handy when I need to crop that drummer at the back of a shot. My friend manages a photo store just took the D600 on a test drive to Arizona. His photos were simply amazing. Tough call.
 
Last edited:
Boney said:
Just FYI, I was in Costco yesterday and a little surprised to see the D600 for sale. Comes with a 24-85mm VR, a 70-300mm VR, a WU-1b wireless device and a Nikon camera case. Marked down from list price to $2989.99.
Great store to deal with if you want to return this outfit within 90 days. Of course not that great a deal, if you have no use for those particular lenses.

And a 32GB SD card.
 

Most reactions

Back
Top