- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How they compare
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Compare with...
- Sony SLT-A99
- Nikon D800
- Canon EOS 5D Mark III
- Pentax K-5
- Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Rated 87% by by DPReview (Nov, 2012)Frame rates are consistent regardless of image quality or crop mode.
Rated 80% by by TrustedReviews (Sep, 2012)The vibrant and pastel colours on our Spyder Checkr chart were recorded accurately from ISO 100 through to ISO 12,800.
Conclusion Which is better for you?
Features Key features of the Nikon D600 compared to the Canon EOS 6D
MP24.2
Full frame
20.9 MP
Full frame
Rated 83% by by DPReview (Feb, 2013)And the camera's low-light high ISO performance is impressive as well.
megapixels
| 0 MP | 24.2 MP   | 30 MP |
D600 by Antique-American (Nov, 2012)I am very pleased with the quality of the pictures and the fact that I can crop them up to 50% and still have a respectable pixel count.
EOS 6D by Mark (Feb, 2013)I've shot at 6400 with the 5d ii many times at weddings in situations where I didn't have a choice, and while it worked, the photos had to be heavily noise reduced and I only provided them at 2 megapixels to my clients.
sensor size
D600 by Jeff-L (Nov, 2012)Recommend to anyone looking to move from APS-C to Full Frame - you won't regret it.
EOS 6D by DPReview (Feb, 2013)The EOS 6D ticks off many of the things an APS-C DSLR owner could want in a full frame upgrade: great image quality, excellent handling, light weight and a sub-$2100 price tag.
viewfinder size
D600 by rsub8a (Sep, 2012)Rather than rehash the technical features, I'll summarize in saying that the gorgeous big viewfinder (compared to a DX format SLR) makes all the difference in the world.
EOS 6D by E.-K.-Wlin (Oct, 2012)This is a big deal for my aging eyes and the brighter view finder is truly helpful on the Canon.
body size
141 x 113 x 82 mm
145 x 111 x 71 mm
EOS 6D by Win-MyanIf you travel a lot like me, I suggest 6D which already includes GPS and light weight.
focus points
| 0 | 39 | 40 |
D600 by Samuel (Oct, 2012)The biggest adjustment shooting on the D600 is: the FX sensor allows you to get more accurate and wider coverage in viewfinder(no more cropped images like my 300s, what you see is what you get now) and the 39 focus points is accurate and fast but seem to be crowded mainly in the center (my 51 focus points on my D300s covered more area).
EOS 6D by Andrew-Plotkin (Dec, 2012)I will take the simplified control of 11 AF points and an absolutely fantastic center focus point over 61 points (caveat: I don't shoot sports or other fast moving objects so I wouldn't really benefit from the addition points for tracking a moving subject).
Performance Real world tests of Nikon D600 vs Canon EOS 6D
DxOMark image quality
D600 by Armin-H.This is a great camera in terms of handling and image quality, even though I had hoped to just remain happy with the image quality of my "old" Panasonic GF-1, which, size-wise, is so much more attractive.
EOS 6D by romlan (Dec, 2012)And focus is very fast in low light.-GPS built-in, Works really well, this will cover my vacations.-WiFi built in - I've used it for self portrait and controlled shooting setups with the Christmas Tree in the foyer!
DxOMark low light performance
D600 by DPReview (Nov, 2012)This video clip demonstrates the low light performance of the D600 along with the image stabilization of the Nikkor 24-85mm F3.5-4.5G ED VR lens.
EOS 6D by D.-AlexanderIf you let the camera choose the point, it'll pick whichever is sitting on a contrasting edge (i.e., a clear dark/light edge; anything that isn't a flat color).
shutter lag
| 0 ms | 260 ms | 300 ms |
D600 by D.-Emerson (Sep, 2012)Don't notice shutter lag, and the buffer hasn't given out on multi-shot sprees yet, though I do have a lot of the "auto" stuff off, which speeds things up (like the auto anti-vignette, auto d-light, etc).
EOS 6D by DPReview (Feb, 2013)In terms of core photographic specifications, concert and event shooters will enjoy the ability to autofocus in extremely low light and the impressively quiet shutter release is tailor-made for the needs of wedding and event photographers.
continuous shooting
D600 by D.-Emerson (Sep, 2012)I tried a long burst earlier today, and filled the buffer for the first time.
EOS 6D by DPReview (Feb, 2013)When shooting fast action sequences, the great benefit to shooting in JPEG mode is of course that you can shoot uninterrupted bursts in continuous shooting mode.
battery life
900 photos
980 photos
D600 by D.-Emerson (Sep, 2012)The battery life is fantastic, the mirror lockup mode using the remote is likewise wonderful, and the camera's noise levels in -complete darkness- are unbelievably low.
EOS 6D by A.-Sun (Dec, 2012)#3 12/30 **. After few thousand shots Canon 6D is handling the job quite well, it has high dynamic range, good ISO performance and OK battery life if you don't have WIFI or GPS on all the time.
Differences What are the advantages of each
Advantages compared to the Canon EOS 6D
| Much better overall image quality | 94.0 | vs | 82.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| More than 10% better image quality | |||
| Much larger screen | 3.2" | vs | 3" |
| Around 10% larger screen | |||
| Autofocus supports continuous | Yes | vs | No |
| About half of cameras support continuous | |||
| Much more color depth | 25.1 bits | vs | 23.8 bits |
| Around 10% more color depth | |||
| Much better dynamic range | 14.2 ev | vs | 12.1 ev |
| Around 20% better dynamic range | |||
| Much larger viewfinder coverage | 100% | vs | 97% |
| Almost the same | |||
| Shoots video in 24p | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; For that film look | |||
| Significantly more phase-detection focus points | 39 | vs | 11 |
| 28 more phase detection focus points; Faster autofocus in reasonably lit settings | |||
| Has a built-in flash | Built in flash | vs | None |
| About half of cameras have a built-in flash; Take photos in low-light with no extra gear | |||
| Less noise at high ISO | 2,980 ISO | vs | 2,340 ISO |
| Around 30% higher low light performance | |||
| Higher resolution | 24.2 MP | vs | 20.9 MP |
| Around 20% higher resolution; Capture more detail, good for large prints | |||
| More cross-type focus points | 9 | vs | 1 |
| 8 more cross type focus points; Easier and faster focusing in low light | |||
| Less delay taking photos | 260 ms | vs | 290 ms |
| More than 10% less shutter lag; Avoid missing spontaneous moments | |||
| Slightly faster rapid fire | 5.5 fps | vs | 4.5 fps |
| More than 20% faster continuous shooting; Take photos in rapid succession to capture motion | |||
Advantages compared to the Nikon D600
| Significantly higher resolution screen | 1,040 k dots | vs | 921 k dots |
|---|---|---|---|
| More than 10% higher resolution screen | |||
| Much faster benchmarked shot to shot times | 0.23 s | vs | 0.5 s |
| 2.2x faster shot to shot; Take multiple consecutive photos quickly | |||
| Higher light sensitivity | 102,400 ISO | vs | 25,600 ISO |
| 4x higher light sensitivity; Avoid blur in low light situations | |||
| Has WiFi | Yes | vs | None |
| Very few cameras have WiFi | |||
| Includes a GPS | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; Records the location of your photos automatically | |||
| Slightly bigger viewfinder | 0.71x | vs | 0.7x |
| Almost the same | |||
| Much thinner | 71 mm | vs | 82 mm |
| More than 10% thinner | |||
| Smaller | 145 x 111 x 71 mm | vs | 141 x 113 x 82 mm |
| More than 10% smaller | |||
| Lighter | 770 g | vs | 850 g |
| Around 10% lighter | |||
Reviews Word on the street
Nikon D600 | Canon EOS 6D | ||
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 | Rated by 129 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by Testflyer70 (Sep, 2012) Rated 100% by by kendalltristan (Oct, 2012) Rated 100% by by Chandler | Rated by 140 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by Jeff-Sprague (Mar, 2013) Rated 100% by by D.-Alexander Rated 100% by by Carlos-Trejos (Jan, 2013) | |
sensor
Nikon D600 | Rated 100% by by Anzere (Oct, 2012)The images are amazing, and now that Lightroom supports the raw format of the D600, the raw files are even better.
Nikon D600 | Rated 87% by by DPReview (Nov, 2012)We'd have no qualms setting out to shoot night-time street scenes with the D600 handheld at ISO 6400.
Nikon D600 | Rated 100% by by Brian--bravotangofoxtrot (Sep, 2012)In my opinion, the D600 is essentially a D7000 with a full frame sensor and the other attributes that go along with the larger sensor such as the additional megapixels and the increased sensitivity.
focus
Nikon D600 | Rated 87% by by DPReview (Nov, 2012)As usual, if you're working in marginal light the central AF point is your best bet, but in normal everyday shooting, the D600's AF system is very capable.
Nikon D600 | Rated 60% by by David (Nov, 2012)I'm used to Nikon "feel" on the controls and this one is very different even from the previous D600 that I had just returned because of the autofocus problems.
Nikon D600 | Rated 100% by by Doctor.Generosity (Sep, 2012)The D600 appears to be based on the D7000 half frame, so all the focus sensor points are clustered towards the center, but I did not find this to be a problem.
autofocus
Nikon D600 | Rated 90% by by TrustedReviews (Oct, 2012)Using the camera in Live View mode to record stills or video causes the D600 to switch from phase-detection to contrast-detection autofocus with a choice of AF-S or AF-F focus modes.
Nikon D600 | Rated 100% by by P.-SU (Oct, 2012)After a few days of shoot, I think the D600 has pretty accurate AF.
Nikon D600 | Rated 90% by by TrustedReviews (Oct, 2012)The D600’s Multi-CAM4800 AF module is a very capable system that delivers a high level of performance.
size
Nikon D600 | Rated 90% by by Photography Blog (Oct, 2012)With 0.7x magnification (using a 50mm lens focussed at infinity), the Nikon D600's viewfinder image isn't the biggest in the market - however, those stepping up from an APS-C model will still find it positively huge.
Nikon D600 | Rated 100% by by gunstar17 (Oct, 2012)Overall the D600 is a great full frame camera wrapped up in the perfect size body with a terrific price tag.10/24/12 Update.
Nikon D600 | Rated 87% by by DPReview (Nov, 2012)The point remains, however, that the D600's AF coverage is unusually small for a full frame DSLR and may indeed make the camera less appealing as a D800 backup for action shooters.
screen
Nikon D600 | Rated 87% by by DPReview (Nov, 2012)The D600's LCD screen is fractionally larger than the D7000's, too, but the difference between 3in and 3.2in is hardly stunning, and the resolution is the same, at 921k-dots.
Nikon D600 | Rated 90% by by TrustedReviews (Oct, 2012)The top-plate, for example, is virtually identical, with the only major difference being that the D600 has a one-touch-record ‘red’ movie button sandwiched between the Metering mode and EV compensation buttons just behind the shutter button.
Nikon D600 | Rated 87% by by DPReview (Nov, 2012)The D600's LCD screen is exactly the same as the one on the back of the D800 too - 3.2 inches, with a resin layer to reduce internal reflections and increase screen contrasts and visibility outdoors.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Sony SLT-A99 Most detailed video recording mode |
 | 2 | Nikon D800 Best image quality as rated by DXOMark |
 | 3 | Canon EOS 5D Mark III Many many cross-type focus points |
 | 4 | Pentax K-5 Little delay taking photos |
 | 5 | Canon EOS 5D Mark II 3-way tie: Largest sensor |
 | 6 | Canon EOS 7D Fastest rapid fire mode |
 | 7 | Canon EOS 60D Most shots per battery charge |
 | 8 | Nikon D7100 Newest |
Popular Questions
October 22, 2012
DSLR Video Production
I'm looking to invest in one of these for personal usage, but I also am thinking about using these in an upcoming low-budget short film. What recording modes are available on each (i.e. 1080p30),...
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Image Quality
I'm an experienced amateur, and I've taken a couple photography classes. I have a (small) collection of Nikon lenses, and I'm reluctant to switch systems, but the 6D has features that I feel be I...
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December 17, 2012
D600 oil spots on mirrors
I keep reading on forums about D600 users getting oil spots on their mirrors. D600 users -- have you encountered this? Is it common enough to go to the 6D instead? I am not yet invested...
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Answers Nikon D600
Venda-Nica 
Beginner I
The nikons have significantly higher image quality. I would go with the nikon d600, specially if you already own nikon lenses. View Venda-Nica's recommendation
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- December 4, 2012
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Dastan-Zhumagulov 
Beginner II
No brainer choice - nikon d600 superior sensor - will give you stunning image quality even in low light, since it was ranked well above some more expensive pro dslrs in 3-6k$ hdmi will give you... View Dastan-Zhumagulov's recommendation
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- October 22, 2012
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