At last, a full-frame, small-bodied DSLR at an attractive price point for photo hobbyist parents.
I’ve been waiting for years for Nikon to release a full-frame DSLR in a body smaller than that of the D700 (and now D800) and with a price closer to $2000 than $3000.
I ordered the Nikon D600 as soon as I woke up on 13 September 2012. It should arrive two days from today, 18 September.
I sold my Nikon D90 recently in anticipation of the D600’s release. I also sold my Fuji X100, but that was more because of the Fuji’s ever-hunting, unreliable close focus.
This camera is no means cheap in price, but considering how much my mother paid for my father’s manual-focus Nikon 35mm camera in the 1980’s, when you adjust for inflation the D600 isn’t that pricey. And given the substantial savings in film developing, I expect the D600 to have a considerably lower total cost of ownership for myself.
If money matters, the D7000, D3200 or D5100 all promise to take great photographs. My money, however, is on full-frame. My plan is to leave my 50mm f/1.4 G lens on there most of the time. I can even use it with my 18-200 VR DX lens if I need a super zoom. I may later pony up the thousand bucks for a Nikkor 28-300 lens, but I don’t think that’s in my near future.
I also plan to shoot it on Small image size at FX (about 6MP) or Medium image size with DX lenses (also about 6MP) most of the time. I plan to keep one of the U modes set up for full-resolution and probably Normal or Fine compression.
Alternative Cameras
The only other camera (given all considerations, including price) that interests me at this time as a realistic potential purchase is the Fuji X-E1 (body only or with 18-55 lens) with their 35mm f/1.4 lens. I may buy one down the road as a more compact, go-anywhere camera, in addition to my D600.
My Nikon D90 worked great for me for three full years, but I had full-frame wanderlust. My hope is that my D600 lasts me double that time before I sell it.
Note
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