White balance and colour
The D600 has a wide range of white balance settings for those shooting JPEG files. The presets include seven different fluorescent settings, plus the standard array of incandescent, sunlight, flash, cloudy and shade options. The two options of auto mode comprise Auto1, which is a normal setting, and Auto2, which is designed to maintain warm lighting colours for indoor scenes or streetlights. Auto2 will be preferred by those trying to capture the atmosphere of the scene.
The white balance presets allow you to save up to four white balance settings, taken from sample images, or you can dial in a Kelvin value in the temperature setting. The auto settings provide decent results for most scenes and only under a heavily shaded forest canopy did it leave the image looking too cool. The presets are extensive, and the fine-tuning available in each one means you can have the exact temperature you want.
Image: Skin tones appear natural even when shot under tungsten light sources at ISO 2000
The colours straight from the camera are quite bold and contrasty, and the histogram shows plenty of midtones. However, there is a range of colour settings from the picture control menu, including a neutral option and even vivid for those who demand more punch in their shots. All the colour options can also be fine-tuned, with a simple ‘quick-adjust’ control or a series of five sliders covering sharpening, contrast, brightness, saturation and hue.
