Hallo is the Nikon D600 a great DSLR or should i go for D800?
I can't find many comments about D600 online...

many thanks

I've been reading several different forums very closely (dpreview, kenrockwell, snapsort and others) and all conclude that the D600 offers about 95% of the performance for $1,000 less than the D800. What sold me are the following features:

1. 24MP sensor
2. 3.2" LCD screen
3. 1080/30p video
4. Good low light performance
5. Slow motion (60fps) and time-lapse to video functions
6. Headphone jack
7. Dual SDHC slots for backup or overflow
8. Compatibility with all my Nikon lenses
9. Wifi adapter lets you see what's on the LCD on an iPad - how cool is that?
10. It's on sale - $1,996 gets you the body, 24-85mm kit lens, and a bundle of other goodies if you order from Adorama, B&H and others.

Got mine yesterday - I'm still playing around with it but it's a really sturdy piece of kit and I look forward to shooting with it!

d600 is hands down the better value.

with one very odd exception:

no easy aperture control for video

very odd i know. when in video mode you can't just dial up or down the aperture, it's locked. there is some weird workaround if you google or youtube it, but it's not a run and gun friendly solution for quick iris changes.

Personally I went with the Nikon D600 kit deal on B&H as well that includes 24-85mm lens, 32gb SD card, monopod and case. There are a few known drawbacks but there only drawbacks if they inhibit your ability. For me they don't but just being aware is nice.

1. 95% HDMI out 1080p - When recording to external recorder you will see a small black bar around the footage. Increase the size of the footage in editing to 105%. I plan on using internal recording only.

2. No aperture control while recording in Live-view (video mode). Personally I usual setup my shot before hitting the record button. Even if I was recording often I use a variable ND filter. Problem avoided.

3. Dust on the sensor. A common problem for the D600 when you receive it. Simply test the camera by aiming it at a white wall on a high aperture say f/16. Look at the image on your computer and see if you notice any black specs. Typical cleaning can resolve.

Reasons I bought the D600 over the Canon 6D. Simplicity is key since I'll be traveling with the D600.

1. Headphone jack, along with a separate audio recorder its nice to have good camera audio levels just in case.
2. On screen audio monitoring while recording.
3. Intervalometer recording and playback
4. Clean HDMI out for monitoring while recording
5. Dual card slots, great for long days or having a producer copy.
6. On-board flash. Not that I like to use it but sometimes its better than nothing.

Also just to add I have a Canon 5D MarkII setup with L glass as well. Until I'm totally comfortable with Nikon I'll have my Canon close by since its been at my side the last 3 years.

The 5D MarkIII with its soft video, lack on audio meters while recording, no intervalometer at $1000 more really turned me away. 6D has the similar drawbacks minus a headphone jack. Nikon is really listening right now.

My 2 cents.

To me it's odd that people are fixating on the "no aperture control while recording in live view." I don't use a DSLR for run-and-gun shooting. I'm using the camera in a controlled environment (interviews and film-style shooting) so I don't have much need to change aperture while I'm rolling. Simply set the aperture, flick on live view, and off you go.

Dig around online and read about the "dust on the sensor" issue. I found this link interesting and factual LensRentals.com - D600 Sensor Dust Issues (http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2012/10/d600-sensor-dust-issues)

Basically, this looks to be an early production issue. Apparently, its a bit of lubricant that got flung onto the sensor by the movement of the mirror. There's a specific range of serial numbers that seem to be affected.

I am a Canon user of many years, however the D800 is the reason I am now going Nikon. The D600 is a good camera, all Nikon cameras released recently are! However the D600 is no match for the D800 in my opinion.

The D800e is just so damn sexy!

Here's an interesting side by side by Snapsort. The best camera is the one that fits your style of shooting. Personally there both excellent and either one will deliver a quality picture. The only major difference, budget.

Nikon D600 vs D800 - Our Analysis (http://snapsort.com/compare/Nikon-D600-vs-Nikon-D800)

The greatest things I see evaluating the Nikon D600 to the Nikon D800 are small size, the best possible quality (D800 has too much!), less sized sea of AF receptors, quicker shape rate, less weight, and a much reduced cost.

I own a D800 & D800E and my co worker has a D800 and D600. There is NO comparison. The D800 and D800E outshine the D600 in EVERY single category except price.

You sound like a happy customer, Cory. But does one need all of the features of a D800 for every job? Perhaps that's an important consideration.

Guys i'm reading encouraging stuff.....

Which lenses would you suggest for interviews with D800 or D600. Any example of interview online to show me?

Which lenses do you use for documentary purposes?

many thx

I'm in a holding pattern for a little while longer. I want to see what Nikon does in Q1 2013 regarding an update to the DX line.

Right now I've got the Nikon 17-55 2.8 lens which i simply love, and also a 35mm 1.8 which i love. When needed, I will rent the 70-200 VR2 until I can buy my own. I'm really hoping to see something from Nikon soon in regards to DX.

Otherwise, my choices depend on whether or not Sony comes out with an NX5U replacement. Or, I may get a Canon XF300 since they're a good deal now, or maybe I'll go with a Sony VG 30 or 900 with a nikon adapter. I just don't know....

Guys i'm reading encouraging stuff.....

Which lenses would you suggest for interviews with D800 or D600. Any example of interview online to show me?

Which lenses do you use for documentary purposes?

many thx

For interviews I use a Nikon D800 with a Tamron SP 2.8 24-70mm and a Nikon D600 with a Tamron SP 2.8 70-200mm. The 24-70mm gives me a nice head and shoulder shot while the 70-200mm gives me a nice chin to forehead shot to cut away to.

The four lenses that seem to cover most everything I do.

Nikon 50mm 1.8G - Low Light
Tamron SP 24-70mm 2.8 with stabilization - Run and gun
Tamron Sp 70-200mm 2.8 - At a distance
Tokina 16-28mm 2.8 - Tight spaces

Why I chose Tamron SP lenses over Nikkor lens? Cost/performance: The SP lenses have overall pretty good reviews and there about half the cost of the Nikkor lenses. There pretty good build quality and come with a 6 year warranty.

my2cents.

I've had my D600 for 3 weeks now, and I'm in Miami using it on a splashy opening video for a sales meeting. The images I'm capturing are rediculous - the way this camera sees the light is amazing. I'm using a DX 35mm 1.8G and the kit 24-85mm for most of my shots. I'm intentionally vignetting the 35mm to get a toy camera look (see attached).

I read many complaints about this camera because when filming "you can't change the aperture in Live View." That's true. But it's so easy to work around. I'm shooting in Manual mode. Set the aperture based on the DOF you want. Then flick on Live View, and adjust the shutter speed and ISO using the thumbwheels. If you can't find a combo that works for you, switch off Live View, change aperture and start again.

Anyway - loving this camera and thought it was worth sharing!

Sam where is the video?

I've had my D600 for 3 weeks now, and I'm in Miami using it on a splashy opening video for a sales meeting. The images I'm capturing are rediculous - the way this camera sees the light is amazing. I'm using a DX 35mm 1.8G and the kit 24-85mm for most of my shots. I'm intentionally vignetting the 35mm to get a toy camera look (see attached).

ONE VERY IMPORTANT THING TO NOTE: I read many complaints about this camera because when filmin "you can't change the ISO in Live View." That's a load of BS and incorrect. I'm shooting in Manual mode. The APERTURE cannot be changed in Live View (must be set first) but the ISO and the shutter speed can be changed anytime.

Anyway - loving this camera and thought it was worth sharing!

Nice shots! Love the 35mm look.

Sorry can't post right now. It's all mixed together with some stock footage, animations and graphics. I'll need to set aside these clips and post later.

I have tried both the D800 ans D600 and like them both. It was a surprise to me when I first discovered the lack of aperture control on the D600 but I use a variable ND like the Genustech and problem solved!
ND Fader Filters (http://www.genustech.tv/nd-fader-filters)

I own the D800 and the video is OK unless you need to color grade, then the codec doesn't hold up. I also have a GH3 which shoots up to 72mbps. It doesn't shoot stills as well as the D800 but it smokes it when it comes to video, at less than 1/2 the price. Nikon has some catching up to do.

What codec does the GH3 use and how is it different than the D800? Are you shooting with a neutral color profile?

Interested to know how many people are recording video internally on the D800/D600 vs capturing with HDMI out on an external high bitrate device. This seems to be the best solution for any camera (video or DSLR) that compresses the video signal for writing to internal media.

AVCHD, mp4, MOV and MOV all-intra. I usually shoot by color temp. Just so I'm clear, I love my d800 and have no plans to part with it. Even using the clean hdmi however it does not shoot fine detail like the gh3 nor can it shoot 1080 60p.

I just recently got a GH3 as well, and yeah, the video does seem to smoke everything else.

The D800 takes better stills but another area where it shines is interval recording using RAW.
Time lapse sequences using this method are astonishing and have better resolution than the Blackmagic Cinema Camera. I used the time lapse function at first but that only shoots compressed video. You need a large, fast card to shoot interval RAW but the results are remarkable.

Duane, what about grading using an intermediate codec, such as cineform?
Just wondering?

If you consider 25% photography and 75% filmmaking use, does the general "Go D600" consensus change?
The only draw back (besides price) for me to the D800 I can see is the useless CF slot (I use SD) and i know I can get a SD-CF adapter (works similarity to the micro-ss to SD adapters) as a work around for about $50. But it does seen to be the better camera (control layout, no weird issues like apature control or 95% HDMI output, more MP which Ill use, better body and USB3).

Also anyone know of a good low-light/ISO comparison of the video recording quality (internal and HDMI recorded) on Vimeo or YouTube. I'm having trouble finding one as most compare image/photo quality.

If you consider 25% photography and 75% filmmaking use, does the general "Go D600" consensus change?
The only draw back (besides price) for me to the D800 I can see is the useless CF slot (I use SD) and i know I can get a SD-CF adapter (works similarity to the micro-ss to SD adapters) as a work around for about $50. But it does seen to be the better camera (control layout, no weird issues like apature control or 95% HDMI output, more MP which Ill use, better body and USB3).

Also anyone know of a good low-light/ISO comparison of the video recording quality (internal and HDMI recorded) on Vimeo or YouTube. I'm having trouble finding one as most compare image/photo quality.

You know the d800 takes both sd and cf cards right?

Yes, but it's 1CF and 1SD whereas the D600 is 2 SDs

The cost of SDHC cards seems to be dropping every day. I just picked up some 32GB Sandisk cards for about $34 each. That's cheap enough to use as shelf storage for each project!

I'd say "so long" to CF cards and get the D600 or the new D7100. Both are great cameras.

The fastest SDHC card is nowhere near CF or XQD capabilities. I know, I have all three. The margin is drastic.

The fastest SDHC card is nowhere near CF or XQD capabilities. I know, I have all three. The margin is drastic.

Great point. The Lexar 1000x CF card is rated at 150 mbps which means you could shoot 3 shots per second continuous burst in raw.

The GH3 may rock for video, but note it only has one SD card slot.

I think the new Nikon D7100 may be worth looking at, unless you need full frame capture.

Yes, the D600 is a great videocamera. I'm reminded of this everytime I pick it up and shoot. I've had the camera for two months now, and the buttons and menus are becoming second nature to me.

I shot interviews on Friday afternoon, and "wild" photos and footage of a historical walking tour in Downtown Atlanta Sunday afternoon, both for a tribute video to honor an award recipient later this month. I used the stock 24-85mm zoom for much of the walking tour, and alternated between 35mm, 50mm and 85mm primes for the interviews.

The images I'm capturing with the D600 (with respect to color, detail, DOF and response to natural light) are amazing. The sensor is light years ahead of my 3-CMOS Sony Z5U. I'm also coming from .m2t (HDV) codec and the .mov files from the Nikon look great in Vegas Pro.

My camera does have some dust or oil specs on the sensor. I've not decided what to do about this yet - they only show up if I take photos of the blue sky at F11 or higher. You can't see them at all in the footage I'm shooting. It has not diminished my respect for this camera.

The GH3 may rock for video, but note it only has one SD card slot.

I think the new Nikon D7100 may be worth looking at, unless you need full frame capture.

I was going to pick up a D7100 as a backup camera but had to send my D800 to Nikon for sensor issues this week. Think I'll wait awhile to see if the new sensors have the same problems.

That screen doesn't look like good news. Dust has always been the photographers curse.

That doesn't look like dust - it has a pattern to it. Dust would be truly random specks. That looks like moisture or residue left behind from something wet?

I looks like an unpolished sensor problem. If it were my camera then it would be on its way back to Nikon by now.

I'm happy with the D600. The image is very good for a dslr. The crop mode can be handy to extend the reach of your lens. The audio levels and headphone jack are nice improvements over my previous 7d.

Here's one little video I made while sightseeing, hand-held with big mitts on. Some colour correction and sharpening done in Premiere Pro. The lens was a kit lens from a Nikon film camera I bought in the 90s. Montreal Fete des Neiges on Vimeo

And the photos from this camera are great imho.

Nice video which has been edited well. It looks like you are using a DX lens on the D600 as the coverage is not even especially in the corners.

Thanks. It's an fx lens (Nikon 28-80mm 3.3-5.6), but I added vignetting.

It always amuses me when I read about all the technical innovations that go into designing and making a lens. Then the creative photographer finds a way to put in soft focus, add a vignette or change the colouring in an image. I personally like to add an element of noise into my shots, I guess it makes the photo look more like a traditional photo shot with 400 - 800 ASA film (sorry I meant ISO).

The images I'm capturing with the D600 (with respect to color, detail, DOF and response to natural light) are amazing. The sensor is light years ahead of my 3-CMOS Sony Z5U. I'm also coming from .m2t (HDV) codec and the .mov files from the Nikon look great in Vegas Pro.


Not exactly realted, but I shot a short promo video for a local photographer on Saturday and brought along our new Nikon 1 V1 to play around with. I know it's no D800 or D600... but, the video I got out of it just looked much better (color, sharpness, and just overall "look") than my trusty Sony NX5U that I've been using for about 2 years now... which I've loved. - Until I put clips side by side.

Where is the clip Kyle, proof of the pudding etc.

When I get home from work, I'll try and post some screen grabs etc. Unfortunately I didn't shoot the same thing with both cameras, but there were shot in the same room, at different times.

about a year since anyone as added to this tread. I was offered a good deal on a newer serial number D600. any recent thoughts on the performance of this camera for motion capture? any new updates would be great.
thanks

I'm still very pleased with my D600. I had a brief pang of regret when the D7100 came out for $1,000 less, but I like the flexibility of using the FX sensor in full frame or DX crop mode, and better low light capability. It's just a solid, well-designed camera.

Another late addition.

I've recently started shooting some video with my D610. The dust/oil issue has not occurred, possibly due to improvments in the 610. The video quality is comparable to my Pany HMC150, although not as intuitive to use.

I need more practice with it, but it's nice to know I can carry just one camera for mixed use. Also need to get an external mic, to reduce the AF noise when activated.

I tried out the D750 at Best Buy the other day, and believe for video having that moveable screen is a pretty big deal if you're going to try and stay compact.

If I were looking to buy today for a Nikon DSLR as a video camera, it'd be the D750 just because of the screen.

Hi Kyle

I never even heard of the 750 but it seems to be better for video than the 810 !! The only thing that would worry me is how good the autofocus is? With a tiny screen focussing manually for video would surely be a hit and miss affair but if the AF with 51 focus points is as good as they claim then could you confidently use the flip out screen just for framing and let the camera worry about focussing at weddings.

I do like the idea of using one camera for both video and stills (we do both at weddings) I really don't like to handhold a DSLR body for video but shucks, 3 axis gimbals are becoming cheaper by the day so you can have almost perfect handheld footage with one of these now.

Chris

Yeah the D750 just came out a couple weeks back.

I imagine it would work well in one of those stabilizers. I did a wedding Friday where my second shooter had a "Ghost" stabilizer and we used a Canon 7D and Sony a7s on it and it worked great. It was the first time I'd ever seen one of those brushless gimbals in person and we got some great stuff using those 2 cameras. The a7s was my third shooters camera and it made the rig even lighter. lol We did a cool "through the window" handoff shot at the reception that would not have been possible any other way. I was super impressed. He got one of the inital ones for about $1,200... but I saw the newer Ghosts are around $2,500 depending.

As far as focusing, I've been using my V1 and 17-55 and 70-200 for weddings and focus is quick and super accurate. I've never had any problems focusing on my V1. I would expect the D750 focus to be fairly quick and accurate. Probably not as fast as the mirrorless camera, but fast enough for me.