Nikon D600 Digital Camera Tech Review

The Nikon D600 digital camera comes with a 24 megapixel full frame sensor, 1080p video recording and a sleeker HD-SLR body. Matt Mira and Candace Bailey put these features to the test for its Gadget Pr0n rating.

Find the full written review after the jump.

What You Need To Know

• The Nikon D600 is smaller than most professional DSLRs but is the same size as Nikon entry level cameras, which is a huge bonus.
• Despite the smaller size, this camera has the all the buttons and controls that professionals would want.
• The mode wheel on the top locks nicely into place to make sure you don't accidentally switch modes while shooting.
• This does make it difficult to switch modes with one hand, though.
• There's an HDMI out, which is standard nowadays, and two SD card slots.
• The screen is great and the kit comes with a screen protector, which is a welcome addition.
• Overall, this Nikon is a very well constructed camera.
• The pictures looked surprisingly great, especially stacked up against cameras that cost a couple thousand dollars more.
• The quality is due to the 24 megapixel full frame sensor which is 2.3 times larger than a sensor you'd find in cheaper DSLRs.
• Because the sensor is larger, it can take in more data, which leads to amazing color reproduction and image sharpness.
• This camera really shines in low light situations.
• The price is a big deal because there's always a huge difference between cropped sensor SLRS like the Nikon D700, which cost $1,200, and the Canon 5D Mark 3, which costs around $4,000.
• The HD video quality is good but not like Canon.
• The video looks great in optimal lighting but the quality drops a lot in any other situation.
• We found the video was often distorting and a stable image was really difficult to keep.
• This camera definitely leans towards the still photographer.
• The D600 requires a learning curve to use for amateur photographers; even someone who has owned an entry level DSLR like the Canon Rebel won't be able to just use this right out of the box.
• There's no easy mode because this is a professional camera.
• That said, if you're spending a couple thousand dollars on a camera, you should probably know how to set your aperture and ISO.

Price

• $2,500 with a 25-85 kit lens

Rating

• 5 Seals of Approval out of 5.  (How do we rate gadgets?)