First Impressions: Nikon D600

Full frame cameras have been the fine line that divided amateurs/hobbyists from serious professionals for the longest time. Mostly, it was due to the fact that an amateur would have a hard time justifying the usually skyscraper-high price tag of a full frame. The professional, however, could easily shell out that kind of money, because the quality (and the work requirement) justified it.

However, there is now a new movement. A movement to put the prowess of a pro-grade camera into the hands of serious hobbyists (or professionals who are tight on funds). The new trend is marked by the Nikon D600, a “budget” full frame DSLR from Nikon that was announced on September 13.

Probably the worst kept secret in the history of photography product launches, the D600 packs in a sweet 24 megapixel full frame sensor. If you’re a number junkie, that’s 2 whole megapixels more than Canon’s 5D MarkIII and 3 more than the 5D MarkII, which can be had for about the same price as the D600, but it is an old camera.

The Nikon D600 has a lot going for itself. What we like so far:

• Solid magnesium alloy build with weather sealing.
• 24 megapixel full frame sensor with excellent dynamic range.
• 5.5 frames per second burst mode. A little slow, but enough for casual shooting.
• Comfortable grip.
• 39 AF points with 9 cross type.

What we do not like about the Nikon D600 so far:

• The camera has uneven weight distribution. It tends to dip towards the left quite heavily.
• Dual SD-Card slots. We’d have liked to see at least one CF card slot.
• No USB 3.0

We’re going to be putting the Nikon D600 a lot of testing in the coming few days, so stay tuned for our in-depth review of this new budget full frame DSLR that is set to change a lot in the photography world.