Veering Toward the D610...

Nikon D610: The full-frame DSLR for the lean conscious.

Not long after the D800 arrived on the scene came the D600. And while I had already fallen for the D800, I couldn't help but realize that the D600 was really the camera I had been waiting for.

I’ve seen the D600 referred to as an entry-level camera. Perhaps. But it’s certainly not short on features, and it sports a magnesium alloy body and weather sealing just like the big boys. And at 24MP, it offers higher resolution than a 12MP DX camera without the sensor congestion. In DX crop mode, the resolution is 10MP (not exactly shabby) which means that it’s less dense than my D90, and that’s a good thing. Now the D610 comes along with a new and improved shutter, and any hesitation arising from the oil problem is moot. 

The thing is, I’ve been putting too much emphasis on the DX performance of the camera. Sure, I can shoot a 15MP image on the D800, but the whole point of this camera is to work with my full-frame lenses, which actually outnumber my DX ones. If I plan on shooting DX, I can just use my D90, which is fine since I have no plans of unloading it anytime soon.

And to be honest, I’d get far more out of the full auto mode, scene modes, and U1 and U2 banks than I would a resolution that my current lenses won’t even be able to take full advantage of. 

Also, I’ve never been quite sold on Nikon’s “Pro” control layout, sans mode dial. Even the professional Canon 6D has one, including a scene setting. And while it would be nice to have that “Pro” style metering selector and eyepiece shutter, I won’t miss them as much as the $800.00 in my pocket.

Yet another added benefit is that the the D610 is compatible with non-pro accessories such as the DR-6 and DK-21M viewfinder accessories that I already own. In fact, these fit all my Nikon SLRs, since the N80, D50, and D90 all have interchangeable viewfinder eyecups and accessories. 

The D610 is a new breed of Nikon. It’s clearly not an entry-level camera, otherwise it would be the D6100. But it’s not exactly a D6 either, despite its pro-like build, features, and performance. The D200, 300 and 700 all featured pro-style tampo’d logos, and weather-sealed magnesium bodies. The D610 has the machined-style logo of the DXX-series and the mode dial I’ve grown to love, but also has all the important pro features I’d ever need.

It’s fairly compact, too, weighing in  somewhere between the D90 and D 800/E. 

Yup. I’m thinking I’m really going to like this camera.