Nikon D600 24.3 MP CMOS FX-Format Digital SLR Camera (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.

Three notes; comparison with D800E, with D3200, and with mirrorless half frame such as Fujifilm: 1. So how does the D600 compare with D800E? Two months ago I was able to try out a D800E and saved many shots at various ISO. When I received my D600 this week I was able to compare directly, closely duplicating the previous scenes, with the same lens (105mm VR). High ISO noise reduction was OFF for all shots. Results: At ISO 6400, the D800 image is distinctly less noisey, and also punchier, with better color contrast and clarity. Comparing at ISO 100 and then again on a third scene at ISO 800 there is very little difference between 800/600 except of course in pixel density. At ISO 1600, the noise is comparable but D800 is beginning to give noticeably nicer contrast. Also the D600 produces an odd texture on greens. So, D800 is a higher performance sensor at very high ISO - as one should certainly expect for the price. Under more typical conditions, there is little difference. As for resolution, I think most photographers know by now the difference between 24MP and 36MP is not going to be realized in handheld photography anyway. For the ultimate in low noise and image contrast at high ISO, D800 is slightly but definitely superior to D600. But it should be; for the difference in price you can buy a nice lawn tractor. Comparing the D600 with itself at various ISO, if one looks closely there is a bit of noise beginning above ISO 400. Please note that all my comparisons were JPEG's; I don't yet have software for raw D600 files. The D600 appears to be based on the D7000 half frame, so all the focus sensor points are clustered towards the center, but I did not find this to be a problem. On the convenience side, the D600 has almost all the options of D800, including Autofocus Fine Tune, while being noticeably lighter and smaller. Both D600 and D800 have the MyMenu feature; Instead of plowing through the endless complex of menus to make any change, I can set up my own custom menu with up to 20 items selected from all the standard menus and leaving off things I use rarely, if ever. Note: D600 should be used with VR lenses or you have no hope to get 24MP out of it at ordinary shutter speeds. 2. Five stars for the D600 as a sweet spot in the Nikon line for those of us with a drawer full of FX lenses. However, the photo market has changed significantly in the four years since the D700 came out and the rational photographer should consider the alternatives. A few years ago full frame digital, if you could afford it, was head and shoulders above anything else. This is no longer quite so true. I was able to try out a D3200 recently, Nikon's newest entry level half-frame DSLR. This was a quick test, but enough to see this is the real bargain - at 1/4 the price of D600, 1/6 the price of D800E, amazingly good DX sensor, photos at lower ISO quite striking, and about half the weight. Entry level DSLR is a very competitive market and Nikon tries harder to offer value there than for the lower sales volume full frame. Even advanced photographers shouldn't turn up their noses at D3200; unless you're firmly committed to full frame or need the dedicated buttonss, D3200 is a steal. Yes, D800E is state of the art and D600 is close - but neither of these could be said to be five times better than D3200. 3. The second big development in recent years is the advent of mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. I still strongly prefer a DSLR vewfinder to any other kind - have tried electronic viewfinders but just do not like them. Also, the familiarity of the Nikon interface is a big plus for me. Nevertheless, I am aware that lots of advanced photographers are moving to much smaller and lighter half-frame mirrorless cameras like the Sony NEX and Fujifilm X series. As the art of making sensors continues to develop, the quality gap between full-frame digital and half-frame digital is becoming smaller. Particularly for the Fujifilm X series, which I have tried, the sensor is truly impressive. One recent online review even reports that the high ISO images from Fujifilm half-frame are slightly better than full-frame D600! If true, quite remarkable. The D600 takes lovely photos. Today I went to a farmers' market in a neighoring town and shot baskets of fresh radishes, beets, squash; the images on my computer screen glowed with smooth bright color.I have not stopped shooting since it was delivered. But at the same time I can see it being perhaps my very last DSLR. The D600 with 24-85 kit lens weighs 3 lb 2 oz, even more when I mount one of my two other FX VR lenses, 16-35 and 105 macro. Things are changing in photography, and we are close to the point where one can get beautiful images without needing such a big heavy camera. Until then, D600 is highly recommended.

Great price! And camera was in great condition for a used item. Wife loves it.