Nikon D600

Bottom line

The Nikon D600 is the first of a new breed: budget full-frame digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) cameras. You get the same pro-quality images as with expensive full-frame pro cameras for nearly $1,000 less. You'll have to settle for some less-advanced specs, but experts say you might not miss them and plenty of satisfied owners agree.

Canon's very similar answer to the Nikon D600, the EOS 6D (*Est. $2,100 body only), won't hit stores until December. In the meantime, the older EOS 5D Mark II (*Est. $1,900 body only) is selling at a discount. It has a tougher all-metal shell than the D600 and outstanding image quality, but it's a slower shooter and lacks some of the latest features.

Ease of use

"As user-friendly as the Nikon D7000." Aside from its full-frame sensor, the D600 is nearly identical to our Best Reviewed compact-sensor Nikon D7000 (*Est. $1,000 body only), and critics say that's a very good thing. "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," says Lori Grunin at CNET. 

"Given that the D600 is based on the D7000, which I think is still one of the best-designed Nikon dSLRs, it should be unsurprising that I really like this model's design and operation; I really enjoy shooting with it," she adds.

Ben Andrews at TechRadar.com says, "Anyone who's handled a Nikon D7000 will feel at home picking up Nikon's latest full-frame camera. The Nikon D600 is deliberately designed to be as user-friendly as the Nikon D7000, and shares an almost identical interface."

The D600 is a little bigger than the D7000, but only 2.5 ounces heavier. It also adds some welcome improvements like locking pins for the mode and release mode dials so an accidental bump won't switch your settings, a big bright viewfinder that shows 100 percent of the scene, and a big 3.2-inch LCD screen like you'd find on the step-up Nikon D800 (*Est. $3,000 body only).

Performance

Speed and image quality stack up nicely against pricier DSLRs. In terms of megapixels, the Nikon D600 can't compete with the 36.3-megapixel D800 behemoth; nothing can. But nobody's complaining about the very healthy 24.3-megapixel sensor on the D600: It "captures an astonishing amount of detail ... more than most people will ever need," says Zoltan Arva-Toth at PhotographyBlog.com.

While the D600 shoots faster than the D800 -- 5.5 frames per second (fps) versus 4 fps -- thanks to its slimmer file sizes, it suffers from less sophisticated autofocus. Its 39 autofocus points, which is 12 fewer than the D800, are clustered toward the middle of the frame. This bugs both Arva-Toth and TechRadar.com's Andrews, and Arva-Toth finds that the D800 autofocuses better in dim light.

HD video mode is similar to the D800's, except that the D600 won't let you control lens aperture while shooting video. Both Nikons get an external mic jack and a headphone jack for monitoring audio while you record.

Battery life is rated at 900 shots per charge on both cameras. "That's comfortably enough charge for a day's hard shooting, especially if you avoid using the built-in flash," says Andrews.

Durability

Partly plastic body won't be as tough as all metal. Unlike other full-frame cameras that are built pro-tough with all-metal bodies, the Nikon D600 substitutes plastic panels on its front and bottom. This saves weight and cost, but it makes the D600 a little less rugged than other full-frame cameras. However, it's weather-sealed against dust and moisture "to the same degree" as the pricier D800, Andrews points out at TechRadar.com.

The D600's shutter is designed to last for 150,000 shots, fewer than the 200,000 Nikon D800 and Canon EOS 5D Mark III (*Est. $3,455 body only).

Features

Borrows great features. Some of the D800's best extras carry over to the cheaper D600:

• Dual memory card slots are extremely handy, says Arva-Toth at PhotographyBlog.com. "You can tell the camera to record every image simultaneously on both cards for instant backup, designate one card to store raw files and the other JPEGs, use the secondary card for overflow -- you name it." The less expensive Nikon D7000 does the same thing. So does the pricier Nikon D800, but it has one slot for Secure Digital (SD) cards and one for faster Compact Flash (CF) cards. The D600 and D7000 are SD-only.

• Pop-up flash with built-in wireless control for external flashes.

• An HDMI jack that lets you ship HD video out of the camera without compressing it.

One feature the D600 gets that the D800 doesn't: It's compatible with a $60 Wi-Fi adapter that lets you wirelessly send images to your iPhone, iPad or Android device, or use your device as a remote control to snap a photo.