Nikon D600 24.3 MP CMOS FX-Format Digital SLR Kit with 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED Nikkor Lens (OLD MODEL)

Despite all the negative remarks about this camera (not professional, oil and dust a on the light sensor, Nikon has dropped the ball), I bought this camera anyway. Why? 1. I have known many "professional" photographers over the last 45 years and many of them showed me photographs that were incredible AND, they were taken with simple point and shoot cameras. Thus, demonstrating it isn't always the camera, but what you can do with it that makes the difference. This camera is sharp, clear, and takes great photographs. As I progress through the learning curve of operating this camera to it's maximum ability, I have seen a big difference in my photos. I am enjoying the challenges this camera poses, and doing my best to get the full potential from myself. 2. I don't care about the oil and dust issues. Things get dirty. I have to wash my car, too. But, cleaning a light sensor is a lot easier and faster than washing the car. So, I bought a sensor cleaning kit. I haven't noticed any problems with the camera, yet. But, I'm ready to take care of business if the sensor shows signs of needing a good cleaning. I find the capability of this camera to be right up there with the best of all 35mm DSLRs. The focus is super fast, I have fast memory cards in place so, the images are stored at lightening speed, and vibrant color are outstanding. As I hinted at earlier, there is a bit of a learning curve that goes with owning one. Don't let this deter you from considering this camera. Buy a good book that is dedicated to this camera and you will be good to go in no time. And, of course, practice with actual photo taking. If you are in no hurry the slope of the learning curve just flattens out. Who would I recommend this camera to? Everyone!! Everyone who has a real interest in using DSLR, that is. Owning and using this camera has been a lot of fun. I always thought I took pretty good photographs (don't we all?) but, this camera has reminded me that I can be much better than I though I was. In oder to get the most from this camera I have to get the most from myself. I love the challenge. March 13, 2013 I wanted to add a few bits of information that I didn't include before. I have a limited budget so, I had to research exactly which lenses I would need the most for now. I finally decided to purchase two zoom lenses. 1. Wide angle zoom: AF-S Nikkor 16-35mm 1:4G ED VR I really love this lens. It has been called the sharpest lens, and in my opinion it is really sharp. Noted to have several types of distortion but, this distortion can be controlled with good handling and software processing. 2. Tele zoom: AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm 1:3.5 - 5.6 ED VR This lenses was highly recommended and I felt this would fit my budget. The lens is sharp, little to no distortion, and has been a very reliable lens. It is heavy but manageable. I can hand hold it alright but, I'm not as rock steady as I was years ago. On a tripod, this lens yields very clear images. The light sensor kit I bought (in case I need it) is made by Eclipse. I purchased a kit that contained a few #3 brushes, a couple o pads, and a small bottle of liquid sensor cleaner. The kit comes in a handy nylon, zippered bag which is easily carried in my backpack. As for the D600, I am going out photographing birds and flowers at this time, and I really like the results I'm getting. The detail of the flowers is incredible. The birds are harder to get but, the camera has come through with its great response. The 24mp sensor makes the difference when photographing the birds. I can't always get close enough to fill the view finder, but I can crop these photos and still have clear and crisp image. ***UPDATE 3/31/2013 I did notice something on my image sensor the other day. So, I took the camera outside and took pictures of a clear sky under the same conditions recommended to search for oil splotches and dust. And, I found them showing up. No problem. I had already purchased the Eclipse cleaning system and, spent 10 minutes cleaning the sensor in the recommended fashion. After testing I found my cleaning had removed the splotches and dust. Thus, I am still happy with my D600 purchase, it still takes incredible pictures, and I have no fear of oil or dust while I travel. Cleaning is simple and quick. I know Nikon should have resolved this issue long ago. However, they didn't! But, I don't really care. I believe we all should learn to do basic things to take care of minor problems like this ourselves. I won't lose a moment of picture taking, nor will I have to search for someone to clean my camera for me. And, I'm glad I made this purchase.

I currently own Nikon D7000. I purchased this D600 to use as my primary camera for studio shots, weddings, and senior portraits. For the last year, I've been purchasing FX lens and using it with my D7k DX camera. I knew I would I eventually purchase an FX or full frame camera and I was just planning ahead. I normally don't purchase electronic items when they first come out. I typically wait at least six months for the kinks and issues to be worked out. When Nikon made the announcement for this full frame D600 and they were delivered to retailers in a short amount of time...I had a gut feeling. I was reading the specs, reviews and comments and knew I had to get this camera. I've had this camera for over a month and a half now and taken over 3600 pictures. I've tested this camera in low light and in bright sunshine. I'm quite impressed with this camera. Improvements over my D7k: - huge viewfinder - larger and deeper grip - larger LCD with auto brightness light - lock button on top of the main dial - full frame with more megapixels. Noticeable differences: more menu items/selections, review zoom-in and zoom-out buttons reversed, and a bit heavier and slightly bigger camera. Overall conclusion: This is a great camera that can use my FX lens as well as my DX lens Sharp pictures with vibrant colors and beautiful IQ. Quick focus. My camera settings: - Picture control - Standard - Exposure compensation - 0.0 - JPG - Large and Fine - JPEG compression - Optimal Quality - White Balance - Auto - Auto Normal - M1 I hardly touch the exposure compensation button. My camera seems to nail it about 95% of the time. The other 5% of the time, I'm pushing the camera in difficult situations. I ended up purchasing the 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G lens as I don't have an FX wide-zoom lens in my stash. I do plan on purchasing the 24-70mm f/2.8G in the near future. I have used my 85mm f/1.8G lens with beautiful results. This camera and lens is a great combination for portraits and for general photography. I have used my 18-200mm DX lens with this camera without any issues. Once the DX lens is mounted on the camera, the viewfinder shows a black outline. The only minor issue with using the DX lens is the limitation of 10 megapixels. After using an FX lens on an FX camera, it's really hard to go back to a DX lens and lower megapixels. I do have some minor dust spots and two oil spots. They are located mostly on the left side. It doesn't really bother me too much as my D7000 had oil spots. I do plan on sending my camera in for maintenance after I do a few photo shoots. I'm going to have a hard time being separated from this camera. :) I believe my money was well spent on this camera. It's now my primary camera while my D7k is used as a backup. I will be back to post additional findings.

What oil? what dust? we'll see, but i got refurbished Nikon D600 I am not sure if it's used camera? it seems like new i don't see any sign of usage, but actuation read 4,781. I am hoping this used is better than new in regard to oil and dust problems. I will update this review but as of today 10/17/2013 ISO 3200 at 1/100 shot under low light with 50mm f1.8G was just fantastic.... Video Quality is awesome too. I used to use Nikon D70, Nikon D200, Nikon D700, PentaxMe, and SigmaDP2s. Compare to any of the camera in the past it almost feels like downgrade of Nikon D700 in ergonomics, but the size and technical data and pixels are most advanced up-to-date. With my 6 megapixel Nikon D70, i can produce as good shots in good light as D600, but at low light they are world apart. I shall update, within couple weeks or so, but for a day use so far, it's one of the best value for a full frame camera. ***update as of today 10/30/2013~ I've shot about couple thousand raw. All kind of f-values and all kinds of light exposures and videos. So far no sign of problems other people talked about. Maybe mine already went through it and fixed the issued when Nikon refurbished it, i don't know. but I am very happy with it, for light, small, but powerful. i don't think i need macro lens. 50mm 1.8g's and D600's 24MP details are just fantastic! ***Update as of 11/22/2013: Oil/Dust issue present. What everyone talked about apprears at f16 2second exposure. Spot shows on top left of what everyone else talk about. I have returned the camera for defective. I do not have patience and time to clean the sensor or to have it shipped back and forth for the service. what a shame, this would've been fantastic camera. Bad Ergonomic design and the focus point clustered in the middle is just..... hmm why did they have to do it like that? I went back to used problem free Nikon D700. D700 feels like real camera. only bad thing about D700 is the viewfinder covering only 95% i don't understand why they have to make it like that? just bad engineering. 4stars fro the oil/dust issue. I've experienced it too! (wasted my time returning it. Amazon is fantastic in the return process and reason why i can comeback here to purchase it!)

Having read so much about the phenomenal quality of the D600's full-frame sensor, I was really anxious to upgrade. I bought the kit with the 24-85 mm lens, and the image quality definitely lives up to the hype. I'm replacing a D300 (which was another excellent Nikon dSLR for its time), and the improvement in image quality is amazing. The ISO performance is outstanding, and the Auto White Balance is shockingly accurate. My fiancé has been shooting a Canon 5D and just got the 6D; even he's impressed by the images from my D600, and actually considered getting one if it hadn't been for all of the Canon glass he already owns. My only gripe about the camera is that the selector for switching between movie and photo live view appears to be non-functional on my unit. Switching from photo live view to movie live view produces no noticeable change in the live view window (it doesn't look like the manual suggests it should in movie mode), and pressing the movie shutter button results in no response. I don't shoot movies (aside from my pets using my iPhone) and didn't buy the camera for this feature (would have bought it without it, frankly), but I do expect all functions to work as advertised. I searched online and didn't see any indication that this is a broader issue with the D600, so I'm willing to chalk it up to a one-off defect. Amazon immediately shipped out a replacement (next-day air, as per the original order), and issued an RMA for the return, with shipping at their expense - no questions asked (well, other than what was the nature of the problem). Outstanding customer service, as usual. I'll update this review when I receive the replacement unit and verify that it's functioning properly. ***** UPDATE 1/2/13 ***** I received my replacement camera today, and the movie mode works just fine. I've upgraded my review to 5 stars on the basis that the camera takes spectacular images and has outstanding AWB and ISO performance, and I still have not found any evidence online that my movie mode issue is a recurring problem. As a note, I can't yet comment on whether this camera will exhibit the sensor dust/spotting issue. My personal view on this topic is that it sounds like this is really only noticeable when stopped down (and I rarely shoot at f/22) and looking at sky or blank walls; although it may be an annoyance to have to clean the sensor a few times in the first few thousand shots, I'd rather have to deal with that than wait for an unknown period of time to buy (i.e., wait to take more of these great photos). Others clearly differ in their opinion. To each their own.

Yes. That's a tall claim but with the introduction of Nikon D600 and Canon 6D, it won't take long before APS-C DSLR fall out of favor. It'll be prudent to remember that there was no APS-C format during film days. APS-C was created because manufacturing a 35mm digital sensor was prohibitively costly. It was a compromise to reach a certain price level. As D600/6D have shown, affordable full frame is a reality now. APS-C compromise is no longer required. Yes you'd lose extra reach that APS-C provides with existing zoom lenses, but you get extra dynamic range, ISO performance and lower noise with a full frame. Point and shoot cameras are a dying breed already. They are being replaced by smartphones. Similarly, APS-C DSLR will give way to APS-C and micro-four thirds mirrorless cameras as they reach (already have) the technical performance of a APSC-C DSLR. People who want it light and still have a high quality camera will gravitate towards these. And people who need maximum quality will reach out to full frames. Coming to D600, it's an awesome camera. Anyone who's coming from D7000 will feel right at home. People who make a living off photography may still go for D800, but for an amateur or a casual photographer who wants a full frame quality should be more than happy with D600. But people who've never handled a DSLR before should know that it's still a BIG camera with enough heft to it. If size and weight is a concern to you, Olympus OM-D E-M5 16MP Live MOS Interchangeable Lens Camera with 3.0-Inch Tilting OLED Touchscreen [Body Only] Silver is an excellent light weight camera. Images straight out of the camera are clean and great. To maximize D600's excellend sensor, you'd be better served with high quality lenses. My pick would be Nikon 50mm f/1.8G AF-S NIKKOR FX Lens for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras and Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Nikkor Wide Angle Zoom Lens . The 24-70 is great for all day shooting and 50mm comes in handy at night. Additionally, buy OP/TECH USA 1501012 Pro Strap for cameras and binoculars- neoprene (Black) which will make the camera feel much lighter than it actually is. On the downside, the focus points are concentrated towards the center. It's a pity for such a high-end camera. Also, it's high time Nikon/Canon include in-body stabilization in their camera bodies. This will free the lenses from having a VR of it's own making them cheaper, lighter and hopefully optically more superior. Nikon 24-70 2.8, as great as it is, doesn't have a VR and could benefit from a camera with built-in VR. Olympus has implemented in-body stabilization in OM-D E-5 really well. I whole-heartedly recommend D600 for anyone looking for a full-frame, but after spending a small fortune on this camera, I advise not to skimp on good lenses.

I have used Nikon cameras for many years dating back to 1976 when I bought my first Nikkormat FT2 new. Over the years I kept buying newer bodies and lenses primarily because of the weddings, event photography and calendar work I have done. My latest Nikon was the D7000 which having used the D100 and D200 was an improvement in many ways. I decided to buy the D600 mainly because I have a large mix of AF-D, G, and DX lenses plus an array of older AI-S manual focus lenses. The D600 can use them all. I have read many reviews and can say that AF is faster than the other bodies I have used and in my landscape shooting the metering is phenomenal. Files in both RAW and JPG are very high quality and you can tweak the settings in the camera and for the most part if you use settings in the Menu such as Landscape you get JPGs you can use right out of the camera. I prefer to work in Photoshop so I leave the camera settings neutral/standard and have no problem getting RAW files that with a minimum of PS work can be printed at 16x20 or larger with stunning quality. What does the D600 bring to the table that DX bodies don't? Mainly being able to use any Nikon MF or AF lens (with the exception of the earlier non-AI manual focus lenses) and getting so many features at the same time. There is no doubt that the quality of the files and therefore prints, etc., that you can get from this camera in all reality exceeds what 95% of us, pro or advanced amateur, need for our work. If you already have a top quality body like the D7000, D5100 or the newer D5200, and already have DX lenses you may want to take a deep breath and fight off the urge to plunge into the FX world. Take a look at the output you are getting and realistically evaluate your needs. If you are using any of the later DX bodies to their utmost and really need the extra file size and capabilities of the D600 full-frame body then you can't do better than this newest Nikon entry. BTW, I bought my body from Amazon in late December and have experienced no issue whatsoever with dust or oil spots already on the sensor or any new ones coming on with my use. And I have lots of shots with open sky and light backgrounds that would show the spots if they were there. Perhaps the issue has been taken care of by Nikon during production, but I have no complaints in that area at all. Good luck deciding what your needs are. If you buy the D600 then you will have years of fun photography ahead of you.

Added Sept. 21, 2013: I have had to clean the sensor about 4 times with blower and once with liquid and swabs in the almost year that I have owned this body. I now have 18,404 shutter releases. The body is one of the early models as I bought it days after first available. I am very satisfied with my D600. I have increased my star rating to 5. Added Nov. 19, 2012: I now have 2120 clicks on the shutter and no more dust at this point. The dust appeared at about 1800. It was only one spot of "dust" but it was big and took multiple shots of air to remove as it seemed to be stuck on. I am not experiencing a pattern of dust as others have, just the big one. MY SN is 300xxxx. Another note which may help some. I am using SanDisk 32GB 45MB/s SD cards. I used an older, slower card in a pinch and it was way too slow, especially when shutter was on continuous. I recommend 45MB/s or faster SD cards. I am shooting in RAW on 1st card and large JPEG on 2nd. Original post: Once upon a time I was a part time, medium format, film, photographer. Having put more effort into my full time career, pro photography went by the wayside. I still kept in the loop with Nikon FE2's for slide presentations, etc. Then the digital age came to town. Eventually, I purchased a D50 to take my daughter's grad photos. They really turned out well, but the D50 seemed somewhat limited, especially when working with my older prime lenses. I looked at the D7000 and was about to turn the crank when the D600 was announced. So, I bought one and am having a great time resurrecting my interest in photography. I am also able to copy my old 35mm slides with the PB-6 and PS-6. Being an FX, lenses such as 55 and 105 primes work well with the PB-6. There just was not a suitable DX lens to do the same with the D50 or D7000. My old primes work great in M and A mode. Metering works, which is lacking on the D50 for AIS lenses. The ISO range up to 6400 seems to yield very good results also. RAW file size really taxes PC disk space for storage, but it is manageable. I can't imagine this issue with the D800. The only negatives so far include dust on the sensor and battery life. Never had either problem on the D50. No oil on mine, but had to clean noticeable dust off once so far. The battery life is real short compared to the D50. Would recommend a second battery for long shoots or wilderness wandering.

UPDATE: After having the camera for a few months now, I realized there's a MAJOR DUST issue. Beware. The camera is great but the dust is very annoying. It's a known issue read the other reviews yourself. I knocked down the review stars from 5 to 3 because of this. Just got the camera, and I must say it is great for the price. The video is fantastic and the picture quality with low light and high iso is amazing. I have to do more testing, but initial tests I did so far got me really excited on other projects I'm going to do. I'm sure there will be more detailed reviews out coming out soon, but this initial review for me is just to say that this camera even with the enormous hype does deliver. Also, it's a bit smaller than other Full frame camera, but it is built well and to me doesn't seem very flimsy. It has good ergonomics for my hands and supposedly Nikon said it is weather sealed, and since I do have it in hand, it does seem very durable. Price is very affordable with all the great features everyone expected. Thus,worth the purchase.