Nikon D600 vs Nikon D7200: An Expert’s Hands-On Comparison for Serious Photographers

In the world of advanced DSLRs, Nikon has long been a powerhouse, catering to enthusiasts stepping up their game and professionals demanding reliable gear. Today, I'm diving deep into two of Nikon’s well-regarded models from the last decade: the full-frame Nikon D600 (announced in late 2012) versus the APS-C Nikon D7200 (released a few years later in 2015). Both cameras found strong footholds with photographers across genres, but with differences that significantly affect shooting style, image quality, and workflow.

I’ve spent hundreds of hours with these cameras - field-testing each on portraits, landscapes, wildlife, sports, macro, video, and everything in between. This comparison seeks to cut through spec sheets and marketing fluff to give you real, actionable insights.

Size, Handling, and Build: Feeling the Weight of Legacy and Innovation

When you first pick up the Nikon D600 and D7200 side-by-side, the D600 feels a touch chunkier (141×113×82 mm, 850 g) compared to the more compact D7200 (136×107×76 mm, 765 g). It’s not a huge difference, but as someone who carries a camera for hours - lugging lenses, batteries, and bags - every gram matters.

The D600’s body really solidifies its “full-frame professional” vibe. It has a reassuring heft and a slightly more rounded grip that fits larger hands comfortably. The D7200, meanwhile, is a little more nimble and compact - which makes it a bit more travel-friendly if you’re trekking through cities or uneven terrain.

Control-wise, both models stick to Nikon’s classic DSLR layout, with quick dials and buttons that respond well without fumbling. But the D7200 got a subtle design refresh: it features a more responsive top control panel and slightly better button spacing. The D600’s controls feel a bit dated as of today’s standards, but remain entirely usable once you get accustomed.

Build Quality: Both cameras are weather-sealed - a big plus if you shoot outdoors in rain or dusty environments - though neither is truly waterproof. The D7200 edges out slightly by being dustproof, which is helpful in rugged fieldwork.

For durability, I’ve never had either fail me even in tough conditions, but the D600’s older construction feels less refined than the incremental upgrades packed in the D7200.

Ergonomics Takeaway:

• If you prioritize a hearty grip and full-frame robustness for studio or planned outdoor shoots, the D600’s size and feel should appeal.
• If you want a friendlier, lighter DSLR for trekking or more spontaneous shooting, the D7200 wins ergonomics hands-down.

Sensors and Image Quality: The Heartbeat of Photography

Here’s where things get interesting. The D600 sports a 24.3 MP full-frame CMOS sensor, while the D7200 carries a 24.2 MP APS-C (DX) sensor - both Nikon Expeed processors underpin the image pipeline (Expeed 3 for D600, Expeed 4 for D7200).

Full-Frame vs. APS-C: What Does it Mean?

The full-frame D600 sensor is roughly 2.4 times larger in area (861.6 mm² vs 366.6 mm²). This size affords several advantages:

• Better dynamic range: The D600’s sensor handles shadows and highlights with more grace, yielding a reported dynamic range of 14.2 EV versus 14.6 EV on the D7200. The numbers are close, but full-frame tends to have an edge in highlight roll-off and shadow recovery in real-world shooting.

• Higher color depth: D600’s 25.1 bits vs D7200’s 24.5 means smoother tonal gradations - important in portrait and landscape work.

• Superior low-light performance: At base ISO 100, both are stellar, but the D600 holds up better into the high ISO range, with a “usable” ISO rating up to 6400 natively, and boosted to 25600, while the D7200 scales higher to 102400 but with more noise.

• Lens focal length multiplier: The D7200 has a 1.5x crop factor meaning your lenses behave like a 1.5x longer focal length, which is sometimes an advantage (wildlife telephoto reach) or disadvantage (landscape wide-angle constraints).

In my many night shoots and landscapes, the D600’s sensor gave me cleaner shadows, richer colors, and finer detail, especially when shooting RAW (which both cameras support well). The D7200’s sensor, on the other hand, is a performer in its own right, shining especially in daylight scenarios where depth of field control is less critical.

Autofocus Systems: Hunting Sharpness in Different Fields

Both cameras offer phase-detection autofocus with live view contrast detection fallback and 39 versus 51 focus points (D600 vs D7200), but the devil’s in the details.

• The D7200’s 51 AF points include 15 cross-type sensors, granting more precision and coverage, notably useful in tracking fast-moving subjects in sports or wildlife.

• The D600’s 39 focus points include 9 cross-types; somewhat less comprehensive, but still highly competent in balanced lighting.

User experience? The D7200 nears the agility of Nikon’s semi-professional lineup (D7xxx series), while the D600 is reliable but less aggressive in subject tracking.

I did extensive testing in wildlife and street photography modes, observing that the D7200 more consistently nailed autofocus in tricky light, thanks to the Expeed 4 processing speed advantage and denser AF array. However, the D600’s full-frame sensor coupled with native lens sharpness sometimes pulled out sharper final images in cautious, deliberate shooting.

LCD Screen and Viewfinder: Seeing What You Shoot

Both cameras have a fixed 3.2” LCD, but the D7200’s screen is sharper (1229k dots vs 921k on D600) - a modest but visible difference for reviewing images and menu navigation. The lack of touchscreen implementation on either is a conspicuous omission by today’s standards, but understandable given their targeted user bases and launch timelines.

Optical viewfinders are pentaprisms on both - great for bright, clear compositions with 100% coverage. The D600’s 0.7× magnification feels slightly larger and more immersive versus the D7200’s 0.63×. For manual lens focusing or precise framing, this difference matters for many photographers.

In noisy or low-light settings, neither camera has sophisticated EV spy tech, but the D600 edges out slightly in brightness due to full-frame optics.

Burst Rate and Shutter Performance: Catching the Action

For sports and wildlife shooters, continuous shooting speed and shutter durability are paramount.

• D600: 5.5 fps with a max shutter speed of 1/4000s
• D7200: 6 fps with a max shutter speed of 1/8000s

The D7200’s faster shutter speed options and slightly higher burst rate make it a better utility player for capturing peak action moments. I’ve snatched many satisfying rapid-fire shots with the D7200 at local sporting events and bird migrations.

The D600’s 5.5 fps is solid but less aggressive, more geared towards controlled shooting rather than rapid-fire sports (though this is still effective for moderate action work).

Video Capabilities: What’s on Offer?

Neither camera is a video workhorse by today’s standards, but still worth mentioning for hybrid shooters.

• Both shoot Full HD 1080p, with the D600 maxing out at 30 fps and D7200 offering up to 60 fps at 1080p - a big differentiator if slow motion or smoother video is on your agenda.

• Both support H.264 compression and microphone/headphone jacks - important for audio monitoring.

• Neither offers 4K or 6K capture.

I found the D7200’s video usability slightly better due to newer processor efficiencies, but neither is optimal for high-end video work. Videographers would do better exploring mirrorless or newer Nikon DSLR siblings.

Battery Life and Storage: Long Days in the Field

The D7200 takes a clear win in battery endurance with an impressive rating of 1110 shots per charge (CIPA standard) versus 900 for the D600. For travel or extended shoots, that’s a noticeable difference.

Both cameras utilize the EN-EL15 battery, which is widely available and efficient - a win for practical shooters.

Storage-wise, both feature dual SD card slots compatible with SD, SDHC, and SDXC - offering flexibility for overflow or backup storage, a boon to professionals wary of data loss.

Lens Ecosystem and Compatibility: The World at Your Fingertips

Both mount onto the Nikon F mount, granting access to over 300 professional and consumer lenses from Nikon and third-party manufacturers.

• The D600 benefits from using full-frame (FX) lenses natively, allowing maximum image circle coverage and leveraging the sensor’s capabilities.

• The D7200, with its crop sensor, can use the same FX lenses but with a 1.5x field of view multiplier, or choose DX lenses optimized for its sensor size.

If you already own a stash of DX lenses or want longer reach out of telephotos, the D7200 may be the better fit without investing in full-frame glass right away.

Real-World Photography Discipline Breakdown

To truly grasp how these cameras perform, I break down my findings across major photography applications, drawing from extensive on-location testing.

Portrait Photography

Portraits demand excellent skin tone rendition, smooth bokeh, and sharp eye detection.

• The D600 excels at natural skin tones thanks to the full-frame sensor’s better color depth and subtle gradation. Paired with fast FX lenses (like 85mm f/1.8), the bokeh is creamy, isolating subjects beautifully.

• The D7200 performs admirably, but its smaller sensor requires wider aperture lenses to get equivalent depth of field control. In my experience, it tends to render portraits with slightly harsher background separation but maintains good color fidelity.

Eye detection autofocus isn’t native to either, but face detection on live view helps some.

Landscape Photography

High dynamic range, resolution, and weather sealing are key here.

• The D600’s larger sensor and native 24MP resolution deliver crisp detail and greater tonal latitude, perfect for RAW workflows involving exposure blending.

• The D7200, with a slightly smaller sensor but lack of anti-aliasing filter, can produce sharp landscapes with good color but sacrifices some shadow delicacy under challenging lighting.

Both have robust weather sealing but no full waterproofing.

Wildlife Photography

• The D7200’s higher frame rate and superior autofocus coverage make it a better hunter of those fleeting shots. Its APS-C crop factor extends lens reach naturally.

• The D600’s full-frame sensor is less forgiving on focus tracking speed but compensates with higher image quality for large prints.

Sports Photography

Similar to wildlife, burst speed and autofocus are essential.

• D7200 leads here with a slight edge in capture cadence and faster shutter speeds.

• I’ve found it more manageable to track fast subjects with the 51-point AF system on the D7200.

Street Photography

• The D7200’s compactness, lighter weight, and quiet shooting modes make it friendlier for candid shooting.

• The D600 is bulkier but offers superior image quality when discretion isn’t a concern.

Macro Photography

Magnification and fine focusing are paramount.

• Both cameras rely on external macro lenses and don’t have native stabilization.

• The D600’s larger sensor can capture more detail, but the D7200’s faster autofocus helps lock on faster moving bugs.

Night and Astro Photography

• The D600’s full-frame sensor gives cleaner lowlight performance and less noise at high ISO - big pluses for astro enthusiasts.

• The D7200 is decent but shows more grain under long exposures.

Video Shooters

• D7200's 60 fps Full HD mode is a win.

• Both lack 4K - this is not a serious camera for videographers.

Travel Photography

• The D7200 edges out because of lighter size, longer battery life, and wireless connectivity.

• The D600 offers greater versatility if you carry full-frame lenses.

Professional Workflows

• Both support robust RAW formats and dual card slots.

• The D600 is considered the entry point into Nikon’s FX pro realm, better suited to studio and pro shoots.

Nikon D600 front Nikon D600 screen back Nikon D7200 screen back

Connectivity and Extras: Age vs Touch of Modernity

The D7200 includes built-in Wi-Fi and NFC, allowing easy sharing to phones or remotes - a nice touch for on-the-go editing. The D600 requires optional accessories.

Neither camera supports Bluetooth or touchscreen operation - expected given their announcement dates.

Price and Value: Paying for What Matters

As of this writing, the Nikon D600 hovers around $1900, while the D7200 can be had for roughly $1100 - a substantial price gap reflecting their sensor class and market placement.

If budget is a major factor, the D7200 delivers exceptional value, especially for enthusiasts wanting strong overall performance without breaking the bank on full-frame glass.

Summing It Up: Who Should Choose What?

Final Thoughts: The DSLR Battle That Still Resonates

I often think of the Nikon D600 and D7200 as siblings raised under the same roof but charting uniquely different paths. The D600 appeals more to photographers prioritizing image fidelity and expansive shooting, especially in controlled or professional environments. The D7200 fits shooters who value speed, agility, and modern convenience packed into a cost-effective body.

Personally, I found the D600 a joy for landscape and portrait assignments where image quality is king - there’s something magical seeing those full-frame RAW files unfold on my screen after a shoot. The D7200 charmed me on trips and wildlife jaunts where speed and reliability matter more than absolute image perfection.

If you’re considering joining the Nikon world and can swing the budget, the D600 remains a compelling choice for a solid full-frame DSLR legacy system. If you want a versatile, modern workhorse that punches above its APS-C weight for less, the D7200 is tough to beat.

Whichever you choose, you’re getting a robust, weather-sealed, well-built DSLR with solid ergonomics and superb Nikon lenses at your disposal - a recipe for crafting wonderful images for years to come.

Happy shooting!

Appendix: Quick Specs Overview

This is a comparison grounded in real experience, and I hope it illuminates the best DSLR for your photographic journey. Don’t hesitate to consider your personal shooting style and budget because the “better camera” is ultimately the one that inspires you to create.