Our verdict
Although initially slightly disappointed in some of the D600’s specification, this camera has really impressed me. The size and weight are spot-on, remaining bulky enough to be taken seriously, yet small and light enough to carry around. The handling and navigation are intuitive and the viewfinder is nice and bright. Autofocus is surprisingly adept, and the burst and buffer are sufficient for its needs. Images are well detailed and low in noise, while the JPEGs are print-ready to please those not wanting to spend time editing. As an all-round camera for true enthusiasts, the D600 makes perfect sense. I would have liked the Wi-Fi to be included in the body rather than as an accessory, and the video mode needs manual options. For me, adding the metering and autofocus from the D800 would be ideal, but then that would leave little reason to covet the D800.
Nikon D600 – Key features
Dual dial
The shooting mode and drive mode dials are placed on top of each other as on the D7000, with button locks to avoid accidental movement.
Hotshoe
The standard hotshoe mount allows an array of accessories, including the full range of Nikon Speedlights.
Accessory ports
Connections on the side include 3.5mm mic and headphone sockets, USB, HDMI and GPS attachments.
Live view/movie
This quick selection lever and button allow the camera to be placed in live view or movie mode.
Wi-Fi dongle
Like the D3200, the D600 has an optional Wi-Fi dongle that attaches to the side of the camera. This allows images to be uploaded via a hotspot or 3G device, or the camera controlled remotely via a smartphone device using the Nikon App.
Screen
The 3.2in, 921-000 dot LCD unit provides a large, sharp and accurately coloured review of images. However, it lacks the flexibility of a vari-angle mount or the added zing of an OLED or four-colour
(white pixel) unit, as seen on some recent DSLR models.
Battery
The circuitry has been reworked from the D800 to be more efficient. However, the official figures still quote the same 900-shot life from a single charge. This is an impressive figure nonetheless.
Dual SD slots
As a consumer model, the D600 uses SD card memory as opposed to CompactFlash. The two slots can be used to distribute different types of files or the second used as an overflow.
