Having Second Thoughts.... D600

[BardParker]

Let me start by saying I love older mechanical film cameras from the 70's and 80's. My favorites are my Olympus OM-1N and the XA. Close behind are the OM-4T, and Pentax K-1000. My previous digital camera was a nikon D40, which I have used for several years. Before Christmas, I felt the need to upgrade my digital SLR, and bought the Nikon D600 with 24-85 lens on special from Adorama. It arrived just before we went out of town for a couple of weeks. Since I returned, it sat, unopened in the box. I have never had this response to a camera before! I finally opened it a couple of days ago, and it is a big, hulking piece of plastic. I am having trouble bonding with this camera. I think I may have made a mistake, just because it seemed like a good deal, and the image quality is supposed to be fantastic. My wife noticed, and said, "What's wrong with you? You are usually excited about a new camera."

I called Adorama, and they graciously agreed to extend the return period until Monday, January 28th. I am going to take the D600 out this weekend and see if I can overcome this feeling. If not, I am going to return it and get something else. Maybe a Fuji XE-1 or X-Pro1. Or the Olympus OM-D.

I am not a professional photographer, and the money isn't the issue. It's just that I have never returned a camera before...


Regards,

Kent

 

[thegman]

I'm sure the image quality is not in question, but certainly, if you like older cameras like I do, feeling an excitement about a modern style camera is hard.

If you're not a pro, then you're in the pleasant position of being able to shoot whatever the heck you like, so just do that. Don't want it? Don't keep it.

For me, owning a Nikon D7000 was the impetus I needed to accept that I only want to shoot film. For less than the cost of my D7000 kit, I just bought a Leica IIIf with lens, and a reconditioned Bessa I. For me, that's just so much more interesting and exciting than a blob of electronics.

 

[jsrockit]

DSLRs leave me cold too. Thankfully, we have alternatives.

 

[Paul Jenkin]

There are many beautiful little "gems" of film cameras dotted around throughout the ages. We often have a few favourites - mine are Nikon F3HP, Olympus OM1n/2n and Leica M series. However, I doubt that any DSLR will ever attain the level of heart-felt affection we are prepared to grant to film cameras.

My perception of them (much as I like digital photography in addition to film photography) is that they are no more than computers, recording the 1's and 0's and their output is just, well, clinical.....as good and faithful to the subject matter as it may be.

It would be difficult to fall in love with a robot.

 

[jsrockit]

My perception of them (much as I like digital photography in addition to film photography) is that they are no more than computers, recording the 1's and 0's and their output is just, well, clinical.....as good and faithful to the subject matter as it may be.

Oddly, the clinical look is why I love digital photography. 😱

 

[giellaleafapmu]

Let me start by saying I love older mechanical film cameras from the 70's and 80's. My favorites are my Olympus OM-1N and the XA. Close behind are the OM-4T, and Pentax K-1000. My previous digital camera was a nikon D40, which I have used for several years. Before Christmas, I felt the need to upgrade my digital SLR, and bought the Nikon D600 with 24-85 lens on special from Adorama. It arrived just before we went out of town for a couple of weeks. Since I returned, it sat, unopened in the box. I have never had this response to a camera before! I finally opened it a couple of days ago, and it is a big, hulking piece of plastic. I am having trouble bonding with this camera. I think I may have made a mistake, just because it seemed like a good deal, and the image quality is supposed to be fantastic. My wife noticed, and said, "What's wrong with you? You are usually excited about a new camera."

I called Adorama, and they graciously agreed to extend the return period until Monday, January 28th. I am going to take the D600 out this weekend and see if I can overcome this feeling. If not, I am going to return it and get something else. Maybe a Fuji XE-1 or X-Pro1. Or the Olympus OM-D.

I am not a professional photographer, and the money isn't the issue. It's just that I have never returned a camera before...


Regards,

Kent

I also have the feeling that D600 is supposed to fill a sweet spot which is not so sweet. You are way to high in price to get it just for family picture but the camera lack some of the features of the D800 (and sometimes also of the D700) which probably the typical buyer of this kind of camera like to have, such as high sync speed, sync jack full alloy body. For me I stay with what you have and wait till it make sense to buy the D800 or wait to win the lotter and go directly to the D4 (it's "only" 16Mpx but you will not want to go back if you try it once).

GLF

 

[sparrow6224]

I do both, and have 3 Nikon DSLRs. If you're a Nikon fan you can see/feel the digital line as a direct and palbable descendent of Nikon film cameras. I don't love the Nikon D70 I have, I don't love the D5100, but I do love the D700, which is I believe slightly larger than the D600 but virtually the same size as the film camera F100 that I also love. (I also loved my original DSLR, the D40; and the Panasonic Lumix G1 m43 I had then too. No lack of love.)

My sense of digital versus film is pretty easy: digital is unbeatable for color, film is unbeatable for b/w (so far, haven't yet tried nor will ever afford a Monochom). I like b/w more and shoot ninety percent film.

Even for color sometimes it's a pleasure to fully create the photograph (minus processing I suppose), which is what the older film cameras both allow and call upon you to do.

I suspect you'd love the OM-D. If you like to shoot wildlife or war or something well then that D600 IQ with a 200-400mm type lens, you can really tell, firing off full size RAW at 4 or 5 or 6 fps with no buffer problems etc. Otherwise, forget it. You don't need it.

IQ-wise, the SONY NEX-7 is just outstanding and hardly behind the big Nikons. It'll take just about ANY of your old lenses too. You might find you need a viewfinder.

 

[jarski]

seeing D600 side-by-side with D800 on shop, agree its not *that* small as I had imagined. but (imo) best package at the moment of price, size&weight, legacy lens compatibility and full frame modern sensor. if unboxing and seeing the camera left OP cold, would probably return it though in his shoes.

 

[x-ray]

Digital files look clinical because people don't know how to process the files or are too lazy to shoot raw and create a look unique to their tastes. Digital raw files are a blank slate allowing a creative person the ability to create a look all their own. It not like film where you have / had a choice of six emulsions each with a different look. Now you can create your own look not some engineer at Fuji or kodak deciding for you.

 

[froyd]

I do believe in love at first touch, but I've only experienced when I got my Rolleiflex and my dad's Exacta. All the other cameras that I decided to keep took a little while to get used to, anything from a few months with the Bessa and the Contax G to nearly a year with the M4 and several years with the F4. The F4 was a struggle because the size, weight, and safety locks, but 20 years on, I would never consider parting with it. I never fee so much in control of my photography than when I have my fingers wrapped around that camera.

 

[Timmyjoe]

Have yet to find a digital camera I get excited about. Maybe the Leica M9-P, but that went out of production before I could afford one.

I own a D4 and a D700 (back-up) for work, and I couldn't do my job without them. But they will never have a place in my heart like the Leica M3, M6 TTL, Canon F-1n, TX, Nikon F4s, Hasselblad 500CM, etc. Those cameras had soul.

One thing I will say about the D4, it is the most amazing camera I have ever owned in that there is no situation where I can't get a picture with that camera. Never have I owned a camera that was so versitile when it came to difficult lighting situations. Totally amazing. Just wish the output was film.

Best,
-Tim

 

[btgc]

froyd said it all.

you either believe in love from first sight, or just invest into partnership.
if you expect she responds to you only because you are so beautiful and nice, you can never hear back. And she isn't obliged to be nice with you just because you shelled out good chunk of cash. Ah, by "she" I mean camera!

Well, there IS some first impression and it has meaning, but real guys make many hard tries before giving up.

 

[akitadog]

Hi there,

Well I also bought a D600 last November. I wanted to upgrade from a digital point and shoot to something with better image quality. I already was using a Nikon F3-HP with a zeiss ZF 50 f1.4 lens. I find that I the D600 with the Zeiss 50 f1.4 makes excellent images for when I need digital, as well as for Video. I have not really printed any of the digital stuff from the D600, but it will be interesting to see how it compares to printing from film.

My camera of choice is still my M4-P with a Zeiss ZM 50 f1.5 and 35 f2.8 lenses. Also, I like the look of film for my prints, from 4x6 up to 16x24.

As they say, different tools for different jobs. I am not a professional, but when needed, the D600 is does a great job. Can't do video with a film camera, and at times I need/want a digital file of my images. Scanning is a pain and good scanners are hard to come by at a price I can afford.

Best Regards,

akitadog

 

[Dave Jenkins]

If you liked the OM4T, you will like the OM-D You might even love it.

 

[bwcolor]

When I don't bond initially with a camera, I don't use it. It really is that simple. On a logical basis the D600 is probably the best out there value wise. I've handled it and it is a tweener. It doesn't have the mass and feel of my 1D, or RTS III and it isn't small and portable.

Of course, if I used logic I would stop shooting film.

 

[CaptZoom]

Dood, there's no point on forcing yourself to like a camera. The D600 is a tool. If it isn't turning you on, return it. I suspect you opted to stay with Nikon because you have Nikon lenses (left over from the D40). The m4/3 format is an open format with a form factor you're more familiar with than modern dSLRs. You can most of your lenses to the m4/3 camera bodies. I suspect you will find the Oly OM-D pleasing.

Let me start by saying I love older mechanical film cameras from the 70's and 80's. My favorites are my Olympus OM-1N and the XA. Close behind are the OM-4T, and Pentax K-1000. My previous digital camera was a nikon D40, which I have used for several years. Before Christmas, I felt the need to upgrade my digital SLR, and bought the Nikon D600 with 24-85 lens on special from Adorama. It arrived just before we went out of town for a couple of weeks. Since I returned, it sat, unopened in the box. I have never had this response to a camera before! I finally opened it a couple of days ago, and it is a big, hulking piece of plastic. I am having trouble bonding with this camera. I think I may have made a mistake, just because it seemed like a good deal, and the image quality is supposed to be fantastic. My wife noticed, and said, "What's wrong with you? You are usually excited about a new camera."

I called Adorama, and they graciously agreed to extend the return period until Monday, January 28th. I am going to take the D600 out this weekend and see if I can overcome this feeling. If not, I am going to return it and get something else. Maybe a Fuji XE-1 or X-Pro1. Or the Olympus OM-D.

I am not a professional photographer, and the money isn't the issue. It's just that I have never returned a camera before...

Regards,

Kent

 

[Mcary]

No reason to feel bad about returning something that's not right for you. Year before last I order a Fuji X10 and called to return it before I even open the box. For the simple reason that I decided what I really wanted was an X100.

 

[hepcat]

I've written before that I regard cameras as tools that do a job for me. I've had dozens of cameras over the years, some were excellent, some left me cold. What I've realized is that we have expectations of what a camera should be and do and most importantly, what they should "feel" like. Nikon has always left me cold because the shape was always not quite right (since the F, tn finder days!) and the controls are mis-placed for where I want them. That's not disparaging the camera, but the way they're laid out isn't intuitive for me.

I found the original EOS1 to be pleasing to use. The Olympus E1 was a marvelous digital camera... and a marvelous camera. Just the right blend of ergonomic feel and automation with the soul of a film body. The sensor qualities have never been surpassed. The E3 and E5 were both disappointing in that the more features they offered, the further they got away from what makes a camera work for me.

I bought an X-Pro1 and the image quality was amazing, but all of the controls, buttons and menus got in the way of what I want to do. I found I had to defeat the automation more often than I was using it, and you can't use manual focusing the camera through the optical viewfinder.

I've returned to my roots; Leica rangefinders. I started shooting Leica in the early '70s. I bought a used M8 and it felt like "coming home." I'm now reinvested in bright-line rangefinder gear.

I'm certainly competent to use the new equipment, learn the menus and commands, and make the gear perform the way I want it to, but I find all I want is to set the focus where I want it, and I can adjust exposure the way I want to do it... with aperture or shutter speed, as I choose; I don't want to use a compensation dial.

I'm rediscovering the joy of making images outside the confines of nested menus and buttons and dials and over-rides. It's wonderful. I suspect that I've re-discovered equipment with soul that is a partner in making the image rather than taking over the process for me. Perhaps that's old-fashioned, but I'm really feeling a backlash toward all of the automation being built into Tupperware bodies. Life is too short to try lugging around and fight with a camera that doesn't suit you and your style.

 

[kuzano]

You have a lot of reading to do in three days.

You have a lot of reading to do in three days.

Now, please forgive me if you have heard about the rather large issue taking place as we post on the Nikon D600.

Are you unaware of all the chatter on the internet and various forums about the "oil on the sensor" issue with this particular camera.

A Google or Yahoo search for:

Nikon D600 Oil on Sensor

Will yield a rather interesting dilemma of what may become a Chronic and known issue for this camera.

It seems NOT to be a situation of many people with buyer remorse, or other user failings, but rather a hardware/design situation. In addition, a lot of people seem really upset with Nikon over this camera and their extremely passive action on the complaint.

In fact about a week ago, the camera price plummetted by roughly $600. An appearance the people with inventory are dumping that inventory. As I recall the going NEW price on a D600 at this time is about $1600. In looking at current prices it appears that plummet may have been short lived, as prices appear to be back up at the commonly known on line purveyors.

The fact that you have not used the camera could count against you, since you have not experienced a problem. So perhaps the offer to allow a return until Monday has been a bit of a blessing here.

There have been a couple of posts here on RFF in the last few weeks on the order of

NIKON... HELL NO.... I'M DONE.

Cannot recall if that was a result of this camera.

Now admittedly...

Me crying "Wolf".. perhaps. A real need for some research... absolutely!

I did read an interesting review done by a Tech firm that reviews cameras for "repairability". I don't recall the rating system, but the D600 scored badly, primarily because of the high numbers of screws inside, screwed directly into body plastic, where one might have expected to find brass bosses. No brass bosses for assembly screws.

 

[kxl]

DSLRs leave me cold too. Thankfully, we have alternatives.

Same here... While my D700 is a fantastic low light machine and the Nikon lenses are great and they turn out fanstastic images, the experience of shooting them leaves me cold. I don't this for a living, so part of the enjoyment for me is the experience of capturing an image.

Having said that, I'll probably always have a DSLR for those times when it is useful (tele, sports, macros), but other than that, I prefer shooting with the smaller digicams like the NEX6 and/or film.