D3 or D600


Erm..... You looking for first hand or second hand product?
And do you already have any FX lenses?

With a budget of 2-3k... and you're looking for D600 or D3..not say its not possible but i think its abit hard..unless u already have FX lenses.
If not you will be left with very little or no more budget for your lens. (I dont know about you..but in most cases..a lens is more important than the body..IMO)

So..If u dont have any FX lenses and with that budget..I honestly think.. Its better for you to buy a APS-C camera and mount a good glass on it instead.

Nope.. I only have oly lenses.. hmmm seems like im going towards apsc cameras.. unless I go for d600 and 2nd hand kit lens
 

Please allow me to share my humble opinion.

The 2 bodies serve different purposes. D3 is for fast moving action and D600 is more towards landscape or any other works required higher resolution.

So the question is what you intend to do with the camera, action? Sport? Documentary? Landscape? Travel? If you decided on the shooting style, I believe you will have clear answer.

Of course this 2 bodies is coming from 2 different generations, which is also a key factor for your decision. D600 will be the obvious choice if you consider this point.
 

There are no major differences between this 2 cameras.

Both of them contain a 35mm sized sensor and will give you very similar image quality.

The only significant difference lies in the body. The D3 has 2 shutter release buttons while the D600 comes as a lighter, smaller package.

I would prefer the D3 anytime for the ease of handling. Currrently I have 2 pcs of D700. Do i miss the vertical shutter release button --- answer is YES
 

There are no major differences between this 2 cameras.

Both of them contain a 35mm sized sensor and will give you very similar image quality.

The only significant difference lies in the body. The D3 has 2 shutter release buttons while the D600 comes as a lighter, smaller package.

I would prefer the D3 anytime for the ease of handling. Currrently I have 2 pcs of D700. Do i miss the vertical shutter release button --- answer is YES


Vertical shutter can be provided easily with the MB-D14. Coming from a regular shooter side, my concerns are as follows:

- Battery life (D3 wins, EN-EL4A vs EN-EL15)
- Small filesizes (D3 wins)
- AWB (D600 wins, sadly, but true)
- ISO noise cleanliness (D3 wins)
- Shutter Lag (D3 wins, 37ms vs 26x ms)
- Storage Buffer (D3 wins hands down)
- Multiple Shooting / Custom Menu options (D3 wins)
- Weather sealing (D3 wins)

Last but not least - D600 wins overall on having a popup flash.

Comparing the ups and downs, the D3 seems like a likely winner if I need the stuff as I mentioned. D600 is afterall a consumer body affixed with a FX sensor in many areas.

If one does not require the reliability a D3 can provide, the D600 is clearly a very good camera on it's own. Professional body over a consumer any time.


p/s: Kidding on the popup flash point.
 

IMHO, D3 and D600 are bodies from 2 different generations for different purpose

The D600 is a general all rounder that has a high dynamic range, high resolution of 24 MP, good ISO and decent shutter speed.

The D3 on the other hand was a flagship model that had gone out of production. In terms of dynamic range and resolution, it is not going to surpass the D600 but it has it own strengths like FPS and built quality.

When comparing the 2,
For general purpose applications, the D600 would be a better purchase.
For sports and action that require high FPS, the D3 would likely be the better tool.
 

D3 or D600?
Why want a sophisticated but aged lady compared to a young and (s)exciting SWT?
To all the ladies of Clubsnap, you all are forever young when holding a Nikon :-)
 

Why you wanna get AGED technology. D600 can do everything that the D3 can do but do it better!
 

D3 or D600?
Why want a sophisticated but aged lady compared to a young and (s)exciting SWT?
To all the ladies of Clubsnap, you all are forever young when holding a Nikon :-)

Sophisticated aged lady is also more experienced in the ways of life and pleasures.

While SYT might be youthful and jubilant, it still needs to learn how to make it's master happy in more ways.
 

You sure? Last time I checked the D600 cannot shoot 9 fps...

If he were a sports shooter he would not bother asking which to get. D600 is more advanced compared to the D3. In terms of technology.
 

Just heard that d610 coming out.. if only d3s is the same price I will definitely go for it.. anyway thank you to all for ur inputs! Appreciate it! Awaiting CFO approval..
 

If he were a sports shooter he would not bother asking which to get. D600 is more advanced compared to the D3. In terms of technology.

Only the sensor in D600 is better.
D3 is better in almost any other aspect: AF, FPS, buffer, handling, customization, direct access to features, ruggedness, shutter reliability, battery life, even image preview options is way better on a D3.

Technology in D3 is still more advanced in most aspects. Only the image sensor is of a newer generation and higher resolution. Even the D700 is more advanced than the D600 in almost every aspect, except for the image sensor. And the D700 is nothing more than a watered down D3.

So please understand what you are going to say before saying it.
 

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Before getting D3 are u ok w/o the build in flash and the weight and the bulkiness... no doubt the D3 is very good but the sensor is years behind the latest offering now. i would choose the D600 anytime..
 

Only the sensor in D600 is better. D3 is better in almost any other aspect: AF, FPS, buffer, handling, customization, direct access to features, ruggedness, shutter reliability, battery life, even image preview options is way better on a D3. Technology in D3 is still more advanced in most aspects. Only the image sensor is of a newer generation and higher resolution. Even the D700 is more advanced than the D600 in almost every aspect, except for the image sensor. And the D700 is nothing more than a watered down D3. So please understand what you are going to say before saying it.
Okay. My bad. Btw it's a bit hard to understand what you say before you say it. I think the word you were looking for was comprehend. lol. Anyways TS prolly made his mind up on which camera to buy. Which leads me to my next point. This is a silly thread, it's not like the TS will seriously take our recommendations into consideration. Waste of time. In his mind he already knows exactly what he wants to buy.
 

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Just heard that d610 coming out.. if only d3s is the same price I will definitely go for it.. anyway thank you to all for ur inputs! Appreciate it! Awaiting CFO approval..

D3s will never be in the same price range as a D600. Both are very different machines meant or very different purposes. I've got a D700 and D3s both of which I enjoy using. But when the time comes to retire my D700 I'm going to get a D600 or possibly D610 whichever suits me more.

I'm assuming your not using this camera as means of making primary income? If that's the case the D600 or D610 is a really good camera. But of course if you have the means to get a D800 or D4. Even better. Sometimes carrying the D3s even for me is a chore.
 

Btw it's a bit hard to understand what you say before you say it. I think the word you were looking for was comprehend. lol.

What I meant is: "Think before you say something". Hope this is not too hard for you to comprehend.
 

D3s will never be in the same price range as a D600. Both are very different machines meant or very different purposes. I've got a D700 and D3s both of which I enjoy using. But when the time comes to retire my D700 I'm going to get a D600 or possibly D610 whichever suits me more.

I'm assuming your not using this camera as means of making primary income? If that's the case the D600 or D610 is a really good camera. But of course if you have the means to get a D800 or D4. Even better. Sometimes carrying the D3s even for me is a chore.

Now you got it right. D3 or D3s are very different animals from the D600/610. Even the D700 handles better than a D600/610. For an example of that just look through a viewfinder of a D600/610, look at the grouping of the AF points and you will understand why I say that.

Which is why this statement is not true: "D600 can do everything that the D3 can do but do it better!"
 

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So sorry for starting such a ruckus. Special thanks for stokers too. :-)
But, seriously. Good things are not cheaper and cheap things are not good. But cheaper things can be good also.
Tailor one's needs according to one's wallet. But being a man with Nikon since the 1970s, AGS (acquiring gadget syndrome) has infected me in a bad way.
So, the best of all is have both D3 and D600 (now D610). Have the cherry and eat it too.
Cheers.
All these typing has ached my fingers and drained my brains. No shooting for today.
 

hi just to chime in a little. agree with the point on feel, d3/d3s is like driving an old but high end sports car, d600/610 just feels like it was built on a lower level.

i have only tried playing with the d600 so can't really comment there but i'd say the af of the d700/d3/d3s will definitely be better than the d600 one simply cause it covers so much more of the frame as opposed to the d600's one.

but with the d600's sensor it really depends on how u weigh things out. better sensor, or better everything (or mostly everything) else. (weight can go both ways though)

have not played with 600's files but i can say that the difference between d3s and d3/d700 files is actually quite big, especially in the high iso (3200 and above) for example i can still push underexposed images at iso4000/5000 on my d3s about one or two stops and it still looks ok but not so for the d700. dont get me wrong, d700's still a great camera, it's just that the d3s files are more forgiving for when the meter doesn't meter properly

end of the day i'll suggest d600 actually, cause anyone who has to ask this question probably (though there are exceptions) won't fully utilize/appreciate the features of the d3. and as for the oil spots actually i heard if you just go past the first few thousand shutter actuations the dust stops coming out so you can just send it for cleaning and you're good to go. do verify this information though as it's just something i heard
 

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