Nikon D600 vs D610

The Nikon D600 and the Nikon D610 are two enthusiast cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in September 2012 and October 2013. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with a full frame sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 24.2 megapixels.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Nikon D600		Nikon D610
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Nikon F mount lenses		Nikon F mount lenses
24.2 MP – Full Frame sensor		24.2 MP – Full Frame sensor
1080/30p Video		1080/30p Video
ISO 100-6,400 (50 - 25,600)		ISO 100-6,400 (50 - 25,600)
Optical viewfinder		Optical viewfinder
3.0" LCD – 921k dots		3.2" LCD – 921k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)		Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
5.5 shutter flaps per second		6 shutter flaps per second
Weathersealed body		Weathersealed body
900 shots per battery charge		900 shots per battery charge
141 x 113 x 82 mm, 850 g		141 x 113 x 82 mm, 850 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Nikon D600 and the Nikon D610? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Nikon D600 and the Nikon D610 is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

In this particular case, the Nikon D600 and the Nikon D610 have exactly the same width and height, and, thus, have identically-sized bodies. Moreover, the two cameras also share the same weight. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can compare the optics available in the Nikon Lens Catalog.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Nikon D600	141 mm	113 mm	82 mm	850 g	900	Y	Sep 2012	US$ 2 099	ebay.com
2.		Nikon D610	141 mm	113 mm	82 mm	850 g	900	Y	Oct 2013	US$ 1 999	ebay.com
3.		Canon 6D	145 mm	111 mm	71 mm	770 g	1090	Y	Sep 2012	US$ 2 099	ebay.com
4.		Nikon D5	160 mm	159 mm	92 mm	1415 g	3780	Y	Jan 2016	US$ 6 499	ebay.com
5.		Nikon D500	147 mm	115 mm	81 mm	860 g	1240	Y	Jan 2016	US$ 1 999	ebay.com
6.		Nikon D750	141 mm	113 mm	78 mm	750 g	1230	Y	Sep 2014	US$ 2 299	ebay.com
7.		Nikon D780	144 mm	116 mm	76 mm	840 g	2260	Y	Jan 2020	US$ 2 299	amazon.com
8.		Nikon D800	146 mm	123 mm	82 mm	1000 g	900	Y	Feb 2012	US$ 2 999	ebay.com
9.		Nikon D800E	146 mm	123 mm	82 mm	1000 g	900	Y	Feb 2012	US$ 3 299	ebay.com
10.		Nikon D810	146 mm	123 mm	82 mm	980 g	1200	Y	Jun 2014	US$ 3 299	ebay.com
11.		Nikon D7100	136 mm	107 mm	76 mm	765 g	950	Y	Feb 2013	US$ 1 199	ebay.com
12.		Nikon Df	144 mm	110 mm	67 mm	760 g	1400	Y	Nov 2013	US$ 2 749	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. The D610 was somewhat cheaper (by 5 percent) than the D600 at launch, but both cameras fall into the same price category. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a full frame sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the large-sensor cameras that aim for top notch image quality. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

The two cameras under review do not only share the same sensor size, but also offer an identical resolution of 24.2 megapixels. This similarity in sensor specs implies that both the D600 and the D610 have the same pixel density, as well as the same pixel size. It should, however, be noted that the D610 is a somewhat more recent model (by 1 year) than the D600, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time.

The Nikon D600 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 6400, which can be extended to ISO 50-25600. The Nikon D610 offers exactly the same ISO settings.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The Overall DXO ratings for the two cameras under consideration are close, suggesting that they provide similar imaging performance. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Nikon D600	Full Frame	24.2	6016	4016	1080/30p	25.1	14.2	2980	94
2.		Nikon D610	Full Frame	24.2	6016	4016	1080/30p	25.1	14.4	2925	94
3.		Canon 6D	Full Frame	20.0	5472	3648	1080/30p	23.8	12.1	2340	82
4.		Nikon D5	Full Frame	20.7	5588	3712	4K/30p	25.1	12.3	2343	88
5.		Nikon D500	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.0	14.0	1324	83
6.		Nikon D750	Full Frame	24.2	6016	4016	1080/60p	24.8	14.5	2956	93
7.		Nikon D780	Full Frame	24.3	6048	4024	4K/30p	25.3	14.3	2877	95
8.		Nikon D800	Full Frame	36.2	7360	4912	1080/30p	25.3	14.4	2853	95
9.		Nikon D800E	Full Frame	36.2	7360	4912	1080/30p	25.6	14.3	2979	96
10.		Nikon D810	Full Frame	36.2	7360	4912	1080/60p	25.7	14.8	2853	97
11.		Nikon D7100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.2	13.7	1256	83
12.		Nikon Df	Full Frame	16.2	4928	3280	none	24.6	13.1	3279	89
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, and both provide the same movie specifications (1080/30p).

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The D600 and the D610 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (100%), as well as the same magnification (0.70x). The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Nikon D600 and Nikon D610 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Nikon D600	optical	Y	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.5/s	Y	n
2.		Nikon D610	optical	Y	3.2 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
3.		Canon 6D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	fixed	n	1/4000s	4.5/s	n	n
4.		Nikon D5	optical	Y	3.2 / 2359	fixed	Y	1/8000s	14.0/s	n	n
5.		Nikon D500	optical	Y	3.2 / 2359	tilting	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	n
6.		Nikon D750	optical	Y	3.2 / 1229	tilting	n	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
7.		Nikon D780	optical	Y	3.2 / 2359	tilting	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	n
8.		Nikon D800	optical	Y	3.2 / 921	fixed	n	1/8000s	4.0/s	Y	n
9.		Nikon D800E	optical	Y	3.2 / 921	fixed	n	1/8000s	4.0/s	Y	n
10.		Nikon D810	optical	Y	3.2 / 1229	fixed	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	Y	n
11.		Nikon D7100	optical	Y	3.2 / 1229	fixed	n	1/8000s	6.0/s	Y	n
12.		Nikon Df	optical	Y	3.2 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.5/s	n	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The Nikon D600 and the Nikon D610 both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the D600 and the D610 write their files to SDXC cards. Both cameras feature dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Nikon D600 and Nikon D610 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Nikon D600	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Nikon D610	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Canon 6D	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
4.		Nikon D5	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	-	-	-
5.		Nikon D500	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	Y	Y	Y
6.		Nikon D750	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
7.		Nikon D780	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.1	Y	-	Y
8.		Nikon D800	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	-	-	-
9.		Nikon D800E	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	-	-	-
10.		Nikon D810	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.0	Y	-	-
11.		Nikon D7100	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	-	-	-
12.		Nikon Df	Y	- / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-

Studio photographers will appreciate that the Nikon D610 (unlike the D600) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights can be controlled by the camera.

Both the D600 and the D610 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The D600 was replaced by the Nikon D610, while the D610 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the features and operation of the D600 and D610 can be found, respectively, in the Nikon D600 Manual (free pdf) or the online Nikon D610 Manual.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Is there a clear favorite between the Nikon D600 and the Nikon D610? Which camera is better? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Advantages of the Nikon D600:

• More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in September 2012).

Reasons to prefer the Nikon D610:

• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.2" vs 3.0") for image review and settings control.
• Better studio light control: Has a PC Sync socket to connect to professional strobe lights.
• More modern: Was introduced somewhat (1 year) more recently.

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the D610 emerges as the winner of the match-up (3 : 1 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Nikon D600 and the Nikon D610 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the D600 or the D610 perform in practice. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews

This is where reviews by experts come in. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Nikon D600	4/5	+ +	..	87/100	5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	US$ 2 099	ebay.com
2.		Nikon D610	4/5	+ +	..	87/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2013	US$ 1 999	ebay.com
3.		Canon 6D	5/5	+ +	..	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	US$ 2 099	ebay.com
4.		Nikon D5	..	..	4/5	89/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jan 2016	US$ 6 499	ebay.com
5.		Nikon D500	5/5	+ +	4.7/5	91/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jan 2016	US$ 1 999	ebay.com
6.		Nikon D750	5/5	+ +	4/5	90/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2014	US$ 2 299	ebay.com
7.		Nikon D780	5/5	..	5/5	87/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2020	US$ 2 299	amazon.com
8.		Nikon D800	5/5	+ +	..	82/100	5/5	5/5	Feb 2012	US$ 2 999	ebay.com
9.		Nikon D800E	..	..	..	84/100	5/5	5/5	Feb 2012	US$ 3 299	ebay.com
10.		Nikon D810	5/5	..	5/5	86/100	5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2014	US$ 3 299	ebay.com
11.		Nikon D7100	5/5	+ +	..	85/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2013	US$ 1 199	ebay.com
12.		Nikon Df	4/5	..	..	81/100	4/5	4/5	Nov 2013	US$ 2 749	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

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