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On the camera's left shoulder sits the exposure mode dial, on top of the release mode dial (which is how Nikon refers to its drive modes); the former has a lock button in the center and the latter has it adjacent. As with Canon's design, I don't really like the lock button in the center, as I find it a little awkward to operate single-handed that way. There are two user settings slots on the mode dial; that's one way in which the D600 differs from the pro bodies, which have a much more sophisticated (and complex) set of options. I happen to like them better on the mode dial, but I also find that three slots is my optimal number of custom sets.
On the right shoulder sit the status LCD, dedicated metering and exposure compensation buttons, the power switch circumscribing the shutter button, and a tiny video record button. I'm not a big fan of the tiny top record buttons that seem to be becoming the vogue, and am a little disappointed that you can't program one of the buttons on the back for this function.
As with other modern Nikon models, there are two programmable buttons to the right side of the lens; to the left side are the flash popup/flash compensation button, bracketing control, and focus mode switch plus focus area button. One capability I wish both Nikon and Canon would incorporate would be selecting groups of focus points, like you can with the Sony Alpha SLT-A77 and Olympus' old dSLRs.
It's notable that even though Canon dropped the column of buttons to the left of a smaller LCD on the 6D, the D600, which retains them, still manages to be narrower than the 6D. Menu, Picture Controls, white balance, quality, and ISO sensitivity line the left side. You operate the Live View/Movie switch and the focus-point-selector rocker with your right thumb.
The viewfinder is really nice, big and bright with the useful overlay grid that many of Nikon's dSLRs have. You can assign one of the buttons to activate a digital level in the viewfinder that uses the exposure bars, which I like, but I wish it didn't have to toggle between that and the typical exposure information, and that there were a vertical indicator as well for front-back tilt.
Although it's missing desirable features like built-in Wi-Fi and GPS, the D600 has a full complement of shooting options. Unlike the 6D it has a built-in flash; while I don't recommend using on-camera flash, it's useful in a pinch and it enables in-camera wireless flash operation. The D600 also gets props for dual SD card slots and a headphone jack, other features the 6D disappointingly lacks. And it retains Nikon staples like time-lapse shooting and an intervalometer, plus the clean and uncompressed HDMI output first offered by the D800. For some, however, the biggest advantage the D600 immediately offers over the 6D is the ability to use all variations of both DX (with APS-C cropping, of course) and FX lenses.
| Canon EOS 5D Mark II | Canon EOS 5D Mark III | Canon EOS 6D | Nikon D600 | Nikon D800/ D800E | Sony Alpha SLT-A99 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor effective resolution | 21.1MP CMOS 4-channel readout 14 bit |
22.3MP CMOS 8-channel readout 14-bit |
20.2MP CMOS n/a 14-bit |
24.3MP CMOS n/a 14-bit |
36.3MP CMOS 12-channel readout 14-bit |
24.3MP Exmor CMOS n/a 14-bit |
| 36 x 24mm | 36 x 24mm | 35.8 x 23.9mm | 35.8 x 24mm | 35.9 x 24mm | 35.8 x 23.9mm | |
| Focal- | 1.0x | 1.0x | 1.0x | 1.0x | 1.0x | 1.0x |
| ISO range | ISO 50 (exp)/100 - ISO 6400/ 25600 (exp) | ISO 50 (exp)/100 - ISO 25600/ 102400 (exp) | ISO 100 - ISO 25600/ 102,400 (exp) | ISO 50 (exp)/100 - ISO 6400/ 25600 (exp) | ISO 50 (exp)/100 - ISO 6400/ 25600 (exp) | ISO 50 (exp)/ ISO 100 - ISO 51200/ ISO 102400 (exp, via multishot NR) |
| Burst shooting | 3.9fps 14 raw/310 JPEG |
6fps 13 raw/65 JPEG |
4.5fps 15 raw/ |
5.5fps n/a |
4fps n/a (5fps with battery grip) |
6fps 13 raw/14 JPEG |
| VF | Optical 100% coverage 0.71x |
Optical 100% coverage 0.71x |
Optical 97% coverage 0.71x |
Optical 100% coverage 0.70x |
Optical 100% coverage 0.70x |
OLED EVF 0.5-inch 2.4 million dots 100% coverage 0.71x |
| AF | 9-pt AF 1 cross type |
61-pt High Density Reticular AF 21 center diag to f5.6 5 center to f2.8 20 outer to f4 |
11-pt AF 1 center cross type |
39-pt 9 cross type |
51-pt 15 cross type; 11 cross type to f8 |
Dual phase-detection system 19pt 11 cross type; 102-pt focal plane |
| AF exposure range | -0.5 - 18 EV | -2 - 20 EV | -3 - 18 EV (center point) 0.5 - 18 EV (other) | -1 - 19 EV | -2 - 19 EV | -1 - 18 EV |
| Shutter speed | 1/8,000 to 30 secs; bulb; 1/200 sec x-sync | 1/8,000 to 30 secs; bulb; 1/200 sec x-sync | 1/4,000 to 30 secs; bulb; 1/180 sec x-sync | 1/4,000 to 30 secs; bulb; 1/200 sec x-sync | 1/8,000 to 30 secs; bulb; 1/250 sec x-sync | 1/8,000 to 30 secs; bulb; 1/250 sec x-sync |
| Shutter durability | 150,000 cycles | 150,000 cycles | 100,000 cycles | 150,000 cycles | 200,000 cycles | 200,000 cycles |
| Metering | 35-zone TTL | 63-area iFCL | 63-area iFCL | 2,016- pixel RGB 3D Color Matrix Metering II | 91,000- | 1,200 zones |
| Metering exposure range | 1 - 20 EV | 0 - 20 EV (est) | 0 - 20 EV | 0 - 20 EV | 0 - 20 EV | -2 - 17 EV |
| IS | Optical | Optical | Optical | Optical | Optical | Sensor shift |
| Video | H.264 MOV 1080/30p/ 25p/24p; 720/25p/ 24p | H.264 MOV 1080/30p/ 25p/24p; 720/60p/ 50p | H.264 MOV 1080/30p/ 25p/24p; 720/60p/ 50p | H.264 MOV 1080/30p/ 25p/24p; 720/ 60p/50p/ 25p/24p all at 24, 12Mbps | H.264 MOV 1080/30p/ | AVCHD 1080/60p @ 28, 24Mbps, 1080/24p @ 24, 17Mbps, 1,080/60i @ 17Mbps; H.264 MPEG-4 1440x1080/ 30p @ 12Mbps |
| Rated estimated max HD video length at best quality | 4GB (approx. 12 minutes) | 29m 59s | 29m 59s | 20 minutes | 4GB/20 minutes | n/a |
| Audio | mono; mic input | mono; mic input; headphone jack | mono; mic input | mono; mic input; headphone jack | mono; mic input; headphone jack | Stereo; mic input; headphone jack |
| LCD size | 3 inches fixed 920,000 dots |
3.2 inches fixed 1.04 megadot |
3 inches fixed 1.04 megadot |
3.2 inches fixed 921,000 dots |
3.2 inches 921,000 dots |
3 inches articulated 921,600 dots |
| Memory slots | 1 x CF (UDMA mode 7) | 1 x CF (UDMA mode 7), 1 x SDXC | 1 x SDXC | 2 x SDXC | 1 x CF (UDMA mode 7), 1 x SDXC | 2 x SDXC |
| Wireless flash | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Battery life VF/ Live View (CIPA rating) | 850/ n/a shots (1,800 mAh) | 950/200 shots (1,800 mAh) | 1090/220 shots (1,800 mAh) | 900/n/a shots (1,900 mAh) | 900/n/a shots (1,800 mAh) | 410/500 shots (1,650 mAh) |
| Size (inches, WHD) | 6 x 4.5 x 3 | 6.1 x 4.6 x 3 | 5.7 x 4.4 x 2.8 | 5.5 x 4.5 x 3.2 | 5.7 x 4.8 x 3.2 | 5.9 x 4.5 x 3.1 |
| Body operating weight (ounces) | 32.9 | 33.5 | 27.2 | 30.1 | 35 | 25.9 (est) |
| Mfr. price | $2,499 (body only) | $3,499 (body only) | $2,099 (body only) | $2,099.95 (body only) | $2,999.95/ $3,299.95 (body only) | $2,799.99 (body only) |
| n/a | $4,299 (with 24-105mm lens) | $2,899 (with 24-105mm lens) | $2,699 (with 24-85mm lens) | n/a | n/a | |
| Ship date | November 2008 | March 2012 | December 2012 | September 2012 | March 2012/ April 2012 | October 2012 |
It's interesting to see where companies draw the line on features. For instance, as mentioned before Nikon only supplies two custom settings slots, and you can't save them to an SD card for sharing across bodies (though you can save and share Picture Controls). It's also limited to a three-shot/3EV bracket, though that might be wise given the highlight clipping. It uses the same, somewhat limited two-exposure sans raw HDR as in the D4.
Those are just the highlights. For a complete description of the D600's features and operation, you can download the PDF manual.
Conclusion
The Nikon D600 is essentially the D7000 with a full-frame sensor and some more modern video capabilities. That's what you're paying all the extra bucks for. Whether it's worth it for you depends upon what you photograph. If you primarily shoot telephoto, for example, the D7000's focal-length magnifier of 1.5x means you can use a shorter -- and generally lighter -- lens to achieve the same framing. The D600 does support DX lenses and will automatically frame to APS-C, so you don't lose any of that flexibility, but if you're never going to take advantage of the wider angle of view or use fast lenses, then you're better off sticking with the cheaper D7000 and spending the extra $1,000 on a nice lens. Another consideration, however, is that the D7000 is due for replacement -- if Nikon chooses to replace it at all.
The D600 definitely feels like a must-have upgrade over the D700, if not for the resolution than for the generations-improved image-processing, better performance, and bigger viewfinder and LCD. And video, of course. As the D600 is a vastly less expensive alternative to the D800, that choice is a little tougher. The D800 has a broader dynamic range, better AF system, and more durable build, but whether or not those are meaningful tradeoffs depends again on what you photograph. Though the 5D Mark II is old and has a lot of issues, like a sad AF system (and being discontinued), it still does a better job of holding highlights. I'm hoping that's a firmware-fixable update. As for a comparison with the 6D, that will have to wait until I get my hands on one.
