Did You Know This Nikon DSLR Was Banned? 

Happy new year Robin. I bought a D610 while shopping for a D600 and love it. Both are great bargains and we use it in concert with a Panasonic G9. Thank you for all the great inspiration and insightful content!

Thank you for the video, still enjoying this D600 camera in 2024

Great video. I am still using this camera. Nikon Malaysia provided me with 5 years of free sensor cleaning for the D600. Wonderful. After 5 years, I learnt to clean the sensor myself.

Happy New Year to you too, Robin. Best wishes for 2023!

Happy New Year Robin with health for 2023. I like you video and the way you do it. Thank for everything. Good day from Montreal.

Happy new year, Robin. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and insights!

Happy New Year to all of you ! I like your idea , Robin, to test different old cameras. Thanks !

And a very happy new year to you Robin!

Happy New Year ! Nice content 👍🏻

Happy New year!Thank you ,great presentation.

Happy New Year Robin👍🏼thank you🏵

Happy New Year & thank you :)

Happy New Year Robin !!!!

Good to have you back Robin!

Hi Robin! You're a joy to watch. Always happy and positive. Cheers! You've got a new subscriber. :-)

Thanks Robin. I love absurd stories. And I also love your honesty about coming to a decision.

Happy New Year Robin. I have the D600 and agree with all your critiques. I also have a D700 (And Olympus EM1 MK2 X 2 for street shots etc). I don't mind the Button lock on the top Dial as I hardly ever use it, but agree that it is an unnecessary extra step. I also find the metering annoying, how it fluctuates between static shots. As for the auto-focus, I have found that (Weirdly) if you use the newer 50mm AF-s lens, the auto focus improves dramatically. I don't know why this would be the case, but in my experience it just is. The only other thing that I find annoying, that you didn't mention is the focus areas. In the D600 they are clustered in the center and there are very few of them (compared to say my older D700) and I find myself missing shots until I adjust. Overall though I love the D600, it gives sharp punchy photos and great dynamic range. However between the D600 and D700 I actually prefer the D700. It's heavier (OMG it's heavy) and only 12MP, but as a rugged go-anywhere camera with great picture quality that gets the shot every time. The D700 is hard to go past. IMHO. Thanks for another interesting and informative video. I look forward to the next one.

Awesome Robin, I shoot all formats, digital and film, just love the experience of shooting with a camera! Cheers!

Happy new year! Once a person loves photography long enough where the gear is interesting but not the main challenge to getting good images, then they are free to really take whatever camera they have and make compelling images in spite of technical shortcomings. For me, a photographer for decades, it seemed that once the digital sensors advanced to around 12+ MP and noise levels in the 2010-2012 forward, the advances have been more academic than game changing. Prior to 2010 it seemed each advance was a game changer. I used Canon and Olympus the first decade and a half. By 2015 I could rely on m43 for commercial work I was doing. Nice that we can find good cameras like this on the market for $200 US or less sometimes. I see a lot of good FF bodies that were very lightly used for under $400US. 10 year old cameras can be just fine. The main difference we have in the digital age is maintenance and repairs. If they break it’s hard to find parts or justify the cost of repairs. So like old computers they are mostly recycled for parts and materials.

Happy New Year mr Wong. I bought the 600 when it came out and it has never given me a problem I love it.

I always love your videos Mr. Wong. Thank you!

Happy new year Robin 🎉🎉🎉

I had the D600 since 2013, it´s been my main camera since (now its shared with a more older but great D700), I had worked for many theater and ballet shows and I am not sure the reason you had problems with focusing in low light, maybe was the lens you was using or the camera was malfunctioning. I always shoot my professional work with the Nikon 70-200 2.8 lens and almost all my shots were right on focus on really low light with amazing color rendition and low noise. I still love it. This camera is still, now in 2024, giving me very good pictures.

Happy New Year Robin.

Thanks for the review Robin, the D600 was known as not the best for focus in poor light, the D750 improved dramatically in focus ability. As to the quality of the sensor, not much has changed in regards to dynamic range in the last 10 years, only mp and processing, plus removal of a filter in some models.

i brought the vid to 1k likes have a nice day love the video

Happy to New to you too Robin. 😀

Nice video, Robin. Good to see someone pay attention to an older camera. It goes to show that it took great photos when it was introduced and still does. BTW, could you share where you purchased the handstrap that you used in the video?

Things I noticed regarding noise after using quite a number of cameras is: - Larger sensor is usually more forgiving in term of noise. They can tolerate higher ISO before producing noticeable noise and even when there is noise, it is easier to manage in post process while still maintaining image quality compared to small sensor. - Among sensors of similar size, the latest sensor usually produce lesser noise than the old one. so it is not surprising to me when older D600 has slightly better noise than latest Olympus em1-3.

A good honest and frank critique of the D 600. I bought one in 2013, a factory refurbished one after the oil spatter crisis! I have enjoyed using it and I like the ergonomics, but it does have problems in low light as you rightly mentioned. It is quite good for landscape photography, and also some portraiture. At the moment I am torn between investing in a higher spec, Nikon DSLR, like the D850 or the D780 or take the jump to one of the mirrorless Z cameras.

Some of the best photos I’ve ever taken were with a Canon 5D and 70-200f4L IS. And some with a 2012 E-M5 and 12-50 kit lens. Every camera has some abilities in capable hands. But we do appreciate the new gear that makes the work a little easier and computational modes that save lots of time.

I had the D600 and D610 the 610 was a little better i used them for portraits and weddings for about a year. I sold them both and bought a D750 used that for a couple years and traded it in for a Canon 6d mark 11. I liked the touch and flip screen on the canon. Then I traded the 6d mark 11 for an eos r when it was first released. Now I traded the R and a 7d mark 11 for an Olympus e-m1x and so far I enjoy shooting with the e-m1x. The camera and four lenses weigh less than the R with a battery grip and one lens. I will be getting the e-m1 mark111 in a couple months.

The Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 AF D lens is no slouch! It can show some nervousness in the out of focus areas but is plenty sharp and can really bring out some of the best qualities of that D600. My D700 is a beautiful camera and while I do now have a Nikon Z camera, I'll never let go of it. Just as I'll never sell off my M43 camera and lenses because of the size/performance ratio!

Just bought a used Canon 6D recently in pristine condition with less than 3k shots on it for next to nothing. Using it for fun as a second body/system alongside my Fujifilm system. Only have the 50mm 1.8 but I really like it. Probably because I started on the Canon 30D and 7D before I sold everything off so it feels very familiar and safe. Those old full frame DSLRs are really great cameras that are super cheap nowadays.

This banning story over a simple defect is amazing, thanks! My first thought was the Sony camcorder night vision incident, but apparently Sony just did a voluntary recall there.

I purchased a used d600 which had the oil spots issue. Nikon repaired it for free, but in the process of repair, they managed to mess up the flash sync timing - at any shutter speed, I would get maybe only half the frame exposed with the flash. So all flash images would be half dark, half light. I disposed of the camera and picked up the d610 and have been using it regularly for years. I dare say that the images it produces are on par with the z6ii - if not better. One more thing - I just LOVE the d610’s snappy shutter sound. It’s so much more satisfying than that chunky mush of my z6ii.

This was for me a very educational video!!

It’s nice to see robin using a nikon, I love nikon and Olympus, kudos From Philippines

Happy New Year. Yes it's a good camera on its own. btw keep the Canon 5D la. Have 2 full frame around to try try stuff.

As of today (March, 2024) my D600 is still spitting oil. After every hundred shots, need to clean the sensor. Bought it new. Been pissed since day 1.

With regard to the exposure have you got bracketing turned on. It may be worth resetting the camera to default settings and then working through the menu. That lens is a very old lens and not one that focuses quickly.

Happy New year

Also important when buying an old DSLR in the 2020s: the EF mount has a lot of (very good!) AF enabled adapters for mirrorless.

This was a fun video for sure! I suspect your focusing problems are due to the old D lens, and possibly dirt on the autofocus sensor (or whatever it's called). I never had a D600, though I have used Nikon cameras since the early 1980's. Buying an old used camera means you can inherit issues caused by dirt and abuse. I know that because the autofocus on some of my crop sensor Nikons became less reliable over time as I used them out in the world and they got put through the ringer. I shoot both Olympus and Nikon systems now, all mirrorless, and love both systems. Your Olympus cameras are much better weather and shock proof than that old Nikon DSLR. My Olympus cameras actually focus a little faster than my Nikon Z6, which was the first generation mirrorless full frame camera, a rather slow focusing beast. Since I do a lot of macro, that's not really a problem for me. I love my Olympus system and won't give it up. Each of these systems has their strengths and weaknesses. Each person has their own camera brand preferences, and all the major brands are good as far as I can tell. Keep having fun and happy new year!

Well as an owner of the 5D classic, I would love to see a comparison with the Nikon D600. I myself would keep the Canon, but only because I have other Canon bodies and lenses. And I still think it's a good walk around. The Nikon looks like fun as well. But there is only so much room on the shelf. Enjoy!

My brother in law has a D600 from way back. It is still a great camera and his has never splattered oil on the sensor, and it has had a lot of use. Yes the D600 could do that but it was pretty rare of it to do so. And it's really just a case of clean the sensor if it does.

I bought mine in 2017 pre owned and seven years later it is still working great , I asked about before buying and a friend who used a D3 said it was a good camera and he was correct , I like to use Ai , AIS primes and some converted pre AI lenses and find them well suited.

My D600 did not have that issue, but had back focus, which was not fixed in service, I tweaked the AF sensor myself, if you want a thing done well, do it yourself. I know you have the Canon 5D, but you need to have the Nikon D700 too !

That's a great price. Did it come with a free oil change?

Robin. I always get a lot out of your videos. I bought a 5 d classic several months ago. Have the 40and 50mm stm and ef 24-85. Do you think the d600 would be an improvement. I have the following nikon lens. 50mm 1.8 g and af 24-50 and af 24-85. Thanks. I get great photos with the 5d classic though

Happy New Year

Really nice colours.

Critiques stand, yet I never found prettier images than the ones from D610 (though I am primarily Oly guy). Flaws make it a camera of limited usage, the only question is whether you can accept it or not. For the ISO performance, I cannot grasp these results, in my experience D610 images are significantly cleaner than Oly.

What? Considering to sell the 5D for a D600? Hell no, it is called "Classic" for a reason!

It was my first digital camera and I still appreciate it.

All of the Lego Robins on the left look better on my screen. Are you sure you have them labeled correctly ?

I was considering a D600 in addition to my D750 and D3, but ended up going for the slightly more expensive Nikon Df, which has been a superb camera so far. Great video as always.

Gracis por tu vídeo yo acabo de comprar la d610 por que tengo lentes Nikon de la serie d de mi f80 analógica … la espero con ilusión

I still own my Nikon D610. It really is a beast if a camera especially if you like to shoot landscapes due to the fantastic dynamic range. . But my current travel and walkaround camera is a Lumix GX85

Maybe due to the problems you mentioned, Nikon launched D610 to replace D600 very soon.

I was unlucky enough to be an early user of D600 with that issue. That camera is one of the reasons I moved to micro4/3

Wow I've been a Nikon user for close to 20 years now and I somehow missed hearing about this at the time. My current Nikon full frame is a D850, honestly most of the full frame mirrorless bodies really don't appeal to me. Aside from the top tier bodies such as the Z9 and Canon R3, they're really lacking in ergonomics and on-body controls. A $2000-2500 mirrorless body from Canon or Nikon might out-perform their DSLR models in that range in terms of specs, but they feel like a real step backwards in terms of feel and handling. So, that said, for the time being I'm sticking with a Nikon DSLR and my pro mirrorless body is now an E-M1X.

The real difference between D600 and E-M1 mk3 are dynamic range and color reproduction at high ISO, and believe me THERE is difference. Obviously newer cameras have better image processor, that compensate and get an even more evident gap.

They make different sized and shaped hammers. My point being that one tool is not the best for every situation. Same with cameras. One format will have an advantage over another only in a specific situation. The other format will be better in a different scenario. Size, weight, cost, depth of field all play a part. Pick the hammer that will do the job that you are working at. I like MFT for what I do.

I thought the original Sony Alpha 77 was also banned in China for having an on-board GPS that would automatically geotag your images.

That is a steal for RM 800 only. Well done

Всех с новым годом!)

The Nikkor 50 1.8 is very good. I use it (the D ver.) on my D3 and D610. Never disappoints. My D610 doesn't like Sigmas or Tamrons as much as Nikkors. But I get by ok.

My friend once gave me to hand a Nikon D like this. Such a heavy body

are you an ambassador for Nikon now?

1) This camera was aimed on amateurs who wanted a cheap FF camera. Therefore, Nikon was cutting corners by implementing older processors and older (cheaper) autofocus sensors. 2) White balance calculation isn't perfect, in any camera. While it might work good in a daylight, in artificial light it can behave wild. I NEVER use auto wb in the artificial light, either preset value or metered wb off a grey card. On top of that, fluorescent light (which you have a boat load in pictures posted here) is flickering, what can produce not only inconsistent white balance, but also wildly different exposure. And usually cameras are too slow to react to that change in light intensity. There you go...

nice guy

Selamat tahun baru!

Perhaps you had exposure bracketing activated?

Seems as though you might have auto bracketing unknowingly turned on. Is that possible?

IMO in the comparison photos the Om pictures look better than the D600 one's no matter what. Have you labelled them wrong?

I was going to switch to Nikon and buy the D600 but Nikon kept denying there was an issue at first so I was put off Nikon and bought a Canon 6D and so many EF lenses and flashes so Nikon lost my purchases.

You missunderstood the ISO measurements from DXO, Robin. It's not about cheating, it's about tweaking the senzor, geting the best out of it. Think about ISO-variants sensors ! As camera manufaturer I can decide to set-up the senzor in a different way. By example, instead of using ISO-200, I can use ISO-100 underexposed with 1 stop and then the exposure is pushed-up by 1 stop in in camera's engine. In this way, it will preserve better the highlights. It's not actually an increasing of the DR, it is a shifting of DR to preserve lights. So ISO-200 from the camera does not really necessarily need to use the native ISO-200 from the sensor. It can use an ISO-50 from sensor underexposed with 2 stops and then pushed-up in the camera engine. From your user perspective, you get ISO-200 exposure.

Hey Robin who says Nikon sucks gets to play with a classic Nikon! :p I had a D600 until 2019, when i finally upgraded to the Z system. Even 10 years after its release, this camera has some pretty amazing photo IQ I think I would have continued using it since I like DSLRs (I also preferred Olympus DSLRs over early m43). But unusable Liveview and appaling video AF made me switch to Nikon mirrorless. But overall, I still am more of a OMDs and GM series cameras than Nikon whatever.

From my experience night photography is not where you see a large improvement, often because you have great IBIS available to balance the evens Dynamic range is a different beast and each one of the sensors react differently. I tested side by side a Pen F, a Canon 5Dmkll, an RP ad a Fuji X100v in a high dinamic range situation, with strong light and deep shadows. Trying to recover shadow details I rated the 5Dmkll as the worst, then the Pen F and the RP and, at least 2 Stops better, the Fuji xtrans 26 MP sensor, especially about "quality" if the noise then "quantity" Iso invariance plays a big role here. Canon is notoriously bad at that and, at night and high ISO, the Cano RP is definitely 2 Stops better the the Pen F, but not at recovering shadows. I was impressed by the Fuji sensor, which is the only good thing I can say of the X100v (I despise Fuji cameras). RobTrek also did a fair comparison between the RP, the D750 and the EM5mklll.

Nikons are Thailand's favorite and most popular camera.

It has been the camera that introduced me in the FF world. After a shutter free change, obviously.

I’m more interested in low light moving subjects. Can you get the shutter speed high enough to freeze the action? This would eliminate the cheating problem.

The A7c might be ugly, but it's very light, and takes excellent images. The AF is very good as well, better than my D810, but time for me to move on and sell both and get an OM-1.

Happy new year! Hmmm! Never heard of that camera. Lol! I think that’s the only good looking camera Sony makes

There's several selections on the type of Autofocus on Nikon cameras including the D600. Single point autofocus gets me what I want most of the time. I am much less trusting of the other types of autofocus as the autofocus can be distracted. As you know all camera manufacturers have fought these issues and lost the battles up until 2019 with Canon in the lead at that time . Finally Sony found better autofocus then Fuji. The rest trailing closely behind. I have the D600 and find extreme dark is difficult. However very few cameras would have had those shots right on par. In fact the D500 or D850 are the only ones I know of in the Nikon line where it would hit near one hundred percent. I also suspect a micro four-thirds influence in your review. Your also right about the lens too. I couldn't get a close look at the one Nikon your shooting. The Yongnuo isn't autofocus. By the way, you made a lot of Nikon users cry sticking that lens on a Nikon. Sooo Sad. The lens on Nikon systems also makes big focus differences. I tend to lead to Spot and single point autofocus if I even do autofocus.

10:35 So here I can't agree. In my opinion and impression, the images from the Olympus are much clearer and sharper. So I would prefer the results of the Olympus!

I have the D610 which is almost identical to the D600 (in fact from that I heard, when they replaced the D600 shutters, they used the newer shutter from the D610). It's such a capable camera, and I still use mine all the time. It has never let me down, and love the photos I can get out of it. I of course also use my Olympus camera bodies, and no one has been able to reliably tell me which camera body I use with my prints side by side. In the end the photo that comes out is what matters, so I just grab whichever camera body has the lens I want and go make more photos I shoot manually with most of my camera bodies which is why I don't encounter as many of the issues with the body, but I have to say my Olympus E-M1X is much much more reliable when I want to use the metering or autofocus compared to the D610

happy new year the camera is about 450 on eBay

“The A7C is ugly…” I take that as a personal insult there. Nah, jk. 😝 The black one certainly doesn’t look great, but my silver one looks far better. A bit surprised you hadn’t tried one of Fuji’s APS-C cameras yet. I’d definitely like to see your impression on those.

You should try a Nikon D700.

Not ISO "cheating". The two different systems use different standards. Olympus uses the SOS standard while Nikon uses the REI standard. Really ISO is just a brightness or gain control.

I agree with you. Sony cameras are not very pleasing cameras aesthetically.

Just couple of days ago I found a used D600 for 300€.At the time I clicked the camera to my shopping cart someone already bought it. Please do not tell me it was you :)

I have a Nikon with a dx sensor. Same problems. Pictures were not sharp. I had to calibrate focus separately for each lens. Also auto WB was always bluish. I hate this camera. I got Canon 6D and all problems went away. I shot manual Nikons since the 70’s and loved them. Digital Nikons are a piece of shit slapped together in Thailand. Lenses made cheaply in China cost more than Canon lenses made in Japan. If you want a reliable camera that does what it’s supposed to do and does it exceptionally well, go with Canon. All pros at the olympics can’t be wrong. They shoot with Canon.

Sir! If you want to sell off your Canon 5D, let me know. I'm interested :D

Based China as always 🇨🇳🫡

find a used D700,everybody say it is the best from NIKON.

Well, it is low-end cheap junk downgraded as much as possible. D750 was the basic and D850 standard in Nikon view. For the price it was better to get D7200 and stick with APS-C. Or get older D700 which had at least proper AF.

Autofocus is indeed very bad. Terrible!!!