Design

Nikon D600 review – Design

For those upgrading to the D600, you should feel right at home. On the top-plate, you’ll find a mode dial to switch between shooting modes – including Scene and Auto options, rather than the four-button arrangement for setting ISO, WB, Quality and Bracketing on the D4/D800. The mode dial features a press-lock to ensure it doesn’t get knocked out of position unintentionally, while round the collar is the drive mode selector just like you’ll find on the D7000.

Again, like the D7000, 4 of the 5 buttons along the side of the display on the rear of the camera offer different controls dependent on whether you’re shooting or reviewing your images. You’ll find quick access buttons to ISO, Quality, White Balance and Picture Control if you’re shooting, while these revert to zoom out, zoom in, help and the retouch menu when looking at and reviewing images.

The D-pad on the other side of the display is smaller than we’ve seen on some Nikon DSLRs recently, while there’s a dedicated selector switch to choose between stills and video capture, with a button in the middle to select Live View.

The design of the D600 is a blend of the D800 and D7000 that it sits between. Side-by-side with the D800 and it’s noticeably smaller, with a similar footprint to the more compact D7000, if a touch taller.

Its also a touch lighter than the D800 too, tipping the scales at 850g compared to 1000g, and is only a little heavier than the D7000 at 780g. This weight-saving over the D800 is due in part to the D600’s construction, with just the top and rear covers constructed from magnesium alloy, compared to the entire chassis that is the foundations for the D800. Nikon point out that the D600 is weather-sealed to the same degree as the D800, and while it doesn’t quite have the ultra-rugged feel of the D800, it still feels very well put together. The handgrip is a decent size, allowing you to get a firm hold of the camera – it’s big enough that you don’t have your little finger dangling off the bottom of the camera, while the finish is to a high standard, too.