Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Nikon D600 vs. D610: What are the Differences?


Recently, Nikon announced the somewhat unexpected update model of its D600 'affordable' dSLR: the D610, which comes to market scarcely a year after the D600 (along with the Canon EOS 6D) shattered previous pricing barriers for full-frame dSLRs. So, with the new camera starting to make its way to retailers just in tie for Christmas, many are asking this question: should I buy a D600 or a D610? Well, let's look at the differences.

Construction:
D600: plastic and metal, sealed
D610: plastic and metal, sealed

Sensor:
D600: 24Mp
D610: 24Mp


Aspect ratios:
D600: 1
D610: 1


Maximum ISO

D600: 25,600
D610: 25,600

Shutter Speed:
D600: 30-1/4000th second, bulb
D610: 30-1/4000th second, bulb


Viewfinder coverage:

D600: 100%
D610: 100%

Viewfinder magnification:

D600: .7x
D610: .7x


AF Points:

D600: 39
D610: 39


LCD:

D600: 921k dot, 3.2”
D610: 921k dot, 3.2”


Touch screen:

D600: no
D610: no


Built-in flash:

D600
: yes
D610: yes


Continuous drive:
D600: 5.5fps
D610: 6fps
WOW! A DIFFERENCE!


Exposure Compensation:

D600
: +/- 5
D610: +/- 5


AE Bracketing:
D600: 2, 3 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV, 2 EV steps
D610:
2, 3 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV, 2/3 EV, 1 EV, 2 EV steps

WB Bracketing:
D600:
2 or 3 frames in steps of 1, 2 or 3
D610:
2 or 3 frames in steps of 1, 2 or 3

Preset WB settings:
D600: 12
D610: 12

Custom WB Settings:
D600: 4
D610: 4


Video:
D600: 1080p up to 30fps, 720p up to 60fps
D610: 1080p up to 30fps, 720p up to 60fps




Wi-fi connectivity:
D600: optional
D610: optional


GPS:

D600: optional
D610: optional



Weight:
D600: 30 oz.
D610: 30 oz.



Needless to say, there's not a whole lot of differences on the spec sheet. An item of note: Nikon claims to have tweaked the white balance algorithm to provide, according to them, even better performance. Well, we'll see on that. Personally, I think my now 5-year old D700 does perfectly fine for that matter.

So, should you get the D600 or D610? My answer: whichever is cheaper at your preferred vendor as the cameras are essentially the same.



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