D600 - VF and AF

Jessops stock the D600 but won't allow anyone to view them so I have to ask: is the VF on the D600 as good as the one on the D700 (unlikely) or rather a tiny window like on the D7000?

Also, do we know if the D600 AF is a little more reliable than that on the D7000? I speak from experience. From what I gather, people are finding the AF a little better.

lordbeau said:

Jessops stock the D600 but won't allow anyone to view them so I have to ask: is the VF on the D600 as good as the one on the D700 (unlikely) or rather a tiny window like on the D7000?

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It is the same viewfinder as the D800 and D4. It is very good. It has 100% full frame coverage, so it's impossible for it to be anything like the D7000.

lordbeau said:

Also, do we know if the D600 AF is a little more reliable than that on the D7000? I speak from experience. From what I gather, people are finding the AF a little better.

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The D600 AF seems to be much closer to a 39pt version of the D800/D4 AF based on everyone's testimony so far, as well as the few reviews that are out. I have a D600, and it is much faster than my D300. They hit a home run with this AF system.

Thanks for the positive pointer about the D600 AF.
Have you tested it with fast moving subjects?

I too have a D300 - which has excellent AF.
Dont really want 36MP of D800, but dont want a D600 with sub par AF either.

Any feedback you can give about its AF performance with respect to the D300 would most helpul.

Thanks

Peter

My perception is also that the D600 VF is better than the D700. It may be a combination of the 100% coverage and the slightly longer eyepoint, but I am finding that I can frame very accurately and nearly see the frame edges all at once without moving my eye around (as I had to do on the D700). This is often a problem with glasses.

Doug

D600 view finder is big and 100% but much closer to the eye than the D700 (feels like sitting too close to a movie screen but not in the worst way) so you have to line up your eye perfectly with the center of the view finder and it could be a disadvantage for those with glasses, The D700 and D800 have more black space.

I just bought a D600 and had some doubts when I took it out of the box because it was so small and light. I borrowed my friends D800 to compare and i find there is something a little more accurate about the D600 with my 84 1.4. it is dead on and doesn't as nervous before it locks on

The eyepoint for the D600 is longer than the D800 or D700, so I think your perceptions are incorrect.

Doug

vockman said:

D600 view finder is big and 100% but much closer to the eye than the D700 (feels like sitting too close to a movie screen but not in the worst way) so you have to line up your eye perfectly with the center of the view finder and it could be a disadvantage for those with glasses, The D700 and D800 have more black space.

I just bought a D600 and had some doubts when I took it out of the box because it was so small and light. I borrowed my friends D800 to compare and i find there is something a little more accurate about the D600 with my 84 1.4. it is dead on and doesn't as nervous before it locks on

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vockman said:

D600 view finder is big and 100% but much closer to the eye than the D700 (feels like sitting too close to a movie screen but not in the worst way) so you have to line up your eye perfectly with the center of the view finder and it could be a disadvantage for those with glasses, The D700 and D800 have more black space.

I just bought a D600 and had some doubts when I took it out of the box because it was so small and light. I borrowed my friends D800 to compare and i find there is something a little more accurate about the D600 with my 84 1.4. it is dead on and doesn't as nervous before it locks on

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"There is something a little more accurate"?? I hope it is not as accurate as your statement about its viewfinder.

Peter Brogden said:

Thanks for the positive pointer about the D600 AF.
Have you tested it with fast moving subjects?

I too have a D300 - which has excellent AF.
Dont really want 36MP of D800, but dont want a D600 with sub par AF either.

Any feedback you can give about its AF performance with respect to the D300 would most helpul.

Thanks

Peter

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It had no problem tracking some cats running toward me quite fast, but like any camera, you need to be using a fast focusing lens (I used 300/4).

The AF points are smaller, and I can get them on eyes of animals/people better, which I like.

The AF point spread is not NEARLY as bad in practice as some people make it out to be by examining pictures of the viewfinder. I haven't had to focus/recompose once yet, and if I ever have to, it won't be the end of the world. The outermost focus points work great, and they extent quite far into the frame.

It just seems more responsive and quick to lock on than the D300. It will also focus on things so dark I cannot even see them in my viewfinder until my eyes adjust, then as long as I point it at any contrast whatsoever, it snaps to focus.

Took it to the zoo and went to the nocturnal exhibits where everything is extremely dark and under weird lighting (heat lamps, etc.) not only did it nail the WB every time under colored lighting, but the AF gave me 100% keepers even at f2.8.

I am absolutely thrilled with this camera , and the IQ will blow your mind coming from a D300. I find it to be 2.5-3 stops better with much better colors t higher ISOs. You can shoot at 1600 all day long and it looks like ISO 320 on the D300. ISO 3200 and 4000 are great as well.

I have a D300s and my experience is that the D600 is much better with tracking BIF. I have much more keepers now, also in low light. You can check some of my latest pictures with the D600 here:

http://500px.com/ErikV

Thanks for the positive vibes about the AF system - appreciated.
Erik - your bird photography is excellent. The kingfisher shots are superb.
regards
Peter

I suggest that you read Ming's review on the D600 and you will see that a professional photographer like Ming considers both the VF and the AF on the D600 to be excellent.

For the auto-focus, Ming says:

"I’m pleased to report that after extensive testing and specifically looking for the problem, autofocus on the D600 is fast, accurate and positive even with moving subjects; perhaps feeling a little more ‘solid’ than the D800 – more like the D700, in this sense.".

Read "The Nikon D600 review: full frame for the masses? – Ming Thein | Photographer" at http://blog.mingthein.com/2012/09/24/nikon-d600/