The soldier who does not dream of becoming a general is bad. This truth was written many years ago and does not lose its relevance even now. But there is a slightly different expression among photographers: “It’s impossible not to want a full frame.” But at the same time, the cost of a full frame did not allow every second person to buy such a carcass. In the camp of both Canon's and Nikon's, such cameras were intended for more professional use or for advanced enthusiasts, while it should be borne in mind that professional tools simply cannot be cheap.

It's scary to imagine how much time in total is spent in the world dreaming about a 36x24 frame.

There were terrible legends about the full frame. It was said that the one who picks up such a camera simply will not be able to shoot on anything else, that there is a “Masterpiece” button, and every third shot taken on a full frame will be bought and printed by magazines such as National Geographics, Playboy and Esquire. Many even just went to stores and held such carcasses in their hands in order to feel the holy spirit of real creativity.

But now photo makers are pushing the boundaries and starting to produce cameras that you will not only want, but will be able to afford. And one of these is Nikon D610.

Video review Nikon D610:

Design and ergonomics

Externally, the device most closely resembles the Nikon D600. Same controls, same ports. Go and see his review.

I was too lazy to describe all this, but angry Chief Editor said: "Work!". This is where you have to work.

The basis of the case is magnesium alloy, which protects the camera from external negative influences. Not a large number of plastic is still present, it can be seen on the front side of the device. But at the same time, solidity did not suffer in any way - the carcass feels strong. It has dust and moisture protection, while, of course, it is inferior in level to the D4 master, but you can shoot in light rain or snow without worrying. Even in ten-degree frost, all the functions worked adequately for me, however, for this you need to prepare the camera like this.

The case fits in the hand like a glove, does not slip and does not strive to fall out. On the front side there is a battery handle with a functional wheel for a more comfortable grip and control, an already canonical red stripe, and two function buttons. One is hung with the function of changing the aspect ratio - switching between FX and DX. This is very convenient when you need to get closer to the subject, but the zoom is not enough. Or for a more convenient compositional construction of the frame. On the second one, I personally put an aperture repeater in order to quickly and conveniently assess the depth of field.

In the center is a metal mount, and on the other side is a lens release button, a lever for switching between automatic and manual focusing and a button for changing autofocus modes. Above, on the protruding prism block are the bracketing and opening keys for the built-in flash. This is undoubtedly a plus, because in all models of this class there is usually no flash. Manufacturers believe that people using such a camera will use external light sources. This is partly true, but sometimes the built-in puff saves.

On the left side, under rubber plugs, there are connectors for connecting external accessories - Mini USB, HDMI, a port for a GPS module, and a remote control. There are also connectors for an external microphone and headphones, so it is now much easier to control the quality of sound recording.

On the right side, there are still two SD card slots under a plastic cover. Such a solution will allow you to use twice as much memory and forget about worries about lack of space.

The bottom edge is occupied by the battery compartment and tripod socket.

At the top end, everything is familiar. On the left are two mode wheels that are locked with buttons to protect against accidental rotation, while the lower one is responsible for selecting the shooting speed, mirror pre-up, quiet mode, and the upper one for selecting PASM, user saved modes and auto.

On the right is a monochrome display for displaying information, a shutter button with a three-position on / off / backlight lever, video recording, exposure compensation and focus area selection keys. It is worth noting that to control the functions, you need to not only press them, but also hold them while turning the wheel.

In the center above the mount is a hot shoe and a hidden built-in flash.

The rear edge is given over to a fixed 3.2-inch VGA display. Viewing angles and color rendition cause genuine delight and a desire to view pictures right on the spot.

To the left of the display are five buttons: menu, color correction, setup information, zoom in and out. Almost all buttons have two functions. For example, setting information can change white balance, and zooming can change image quality and ISO.

To the right of the screen is an info button, Live View mode framed by a video or photo selection lever, a four-way joystick, an OK button, and a focus point lock lever. Above the screen is a viewfinder with a proximity sensor and diopter adjustment, to the left of it - viewing the gallery and removing. On the right - AE-L / AF-L and the second mode dial.

What's under the hood

Behind the mirror is a 24 MP sensor measuring 36 x 24 mm. The classic narrow film format in digital form. The Expeed 3 processor is responsible for the correct operation. This is enough to ensure highest speed work and forget about any braking or speed problems.

The sensitivity range is from 100 to 6400 units, and in extended mode, an interval from 50 to 25600 ISO becomes available. At the same time, the matrix makes little noise - values ​​\u200b\u200bup to 6400 can be considered working. If you shoot in RAW followed by competent development, then 12800 is quite usable not only for the web, but also for printing in small sizes. Falling details and colored noise are no longer noticeable from a distance of one meter.

For printing from a device in A4 format, oddly enough, almost all values ​​\u200b\u200bare suitable. Up to 6400 ISO receive prints High Quality You can at least from Jpeg, but after that it’s still worth switching to RAW. 12800, after a competent development, still demonstrates some color noise, but at arm's length, and even more so on the wall, it is difficult to see it. But 25600 is not worth printing even from RAW more than A5. Here you can already see the loss of detail on small textures and noise.

The device's rate of fire is at a height of 6 fps at full resolution in RAW. The buffer is enough for a series of 15 frames, then the camera will shoot endlessly with a frame rate of almost 1 fps. With JPEG, you can practically not worry about the buffer - more than 30 frames will be enough in 99% of cases. Measurements were made with a fast memory card (its review). With slower cards, the results may differ for the worse.

There is also quiet shooting at 3 fps. True, the volume here is an exclusively comparative parameter, but you will obviously attract much less attention.

The dynamic range deserves special praise at all - lights and shadows are worked out correctly and correctly, but if the need arises, you can safely turn on the D-Lighting or HDR extension. High Dynamic Range does not work with RAW and even in RAW+JPEG mode. To activate it, you will always have to switch to JPEG.

autofocus

The autofocus system is inherited, and to it - from the D7000. And I have to say, she's awesome. These are 39 points, of which 9 are cross points. But there is also a minus - the main array is concentrated in the central part of the frame. This means that aiming at the extreme point will be somewhat problematic, as well as at the small one in the center of the frame. For me personally, this was not a problem - I focused, blocked, shifted the camera a little and got a good result. In general, the automatic focusing system works very correctly - quickly, tenaciously, accurately.

These should definitely include the function of shooting Time Lapse Motion, or time-lapse video, as you please. If earlier, to obtain such an effect, it was necessary to spend a lot of time and effort, now we simply select the necessary item, interval and shooting time in the menu. Press "OK" - and we get the output of the finished video in * .mov format. Everything else is not something supernatural - the expansion of the dynamic range, bracketing. That's all we've seen in previous models.

Video capabilities

They are top notch here. FullHD up to 30 fps, high bitrate, flexible sound settings, microphone and headphone connection. But here, as well as almost everywhere at Nikon, a small and annoying bug appears. Well, what the hell am I, buying a carcass for two pieces of bucks, I can’t change the aperture value when shooting video in Live View mode? At the same time, there are no problems with this in the older D800. I'm just shocked that the company, which was the first in the world to implement video shooting in DSLRs, behaves like this.

Nikon D610 vs. Nikon D600

• 6 fps vs 5.5 fps;
• the new model has a quiet continuous shooting;
• fixed some bugs with color correction and white balance;
• from now on, in new models there are no problems with the shutter / mirror unit and there are no oil stains on the matrix. And in the predecessor, this sometimes happened.

Fine

• excellent low-noise sensor;
• wide dynamic range in standard mode;
• bright and rich display;
• good level of video quality;
• variety of ports;
• dust and moisture protection;
• adequate operation at low temperatures;
• fast and tenacious focusing;
• viewfinder with 100% frame coverage;
• the presence of time-lapse photography;
• many functions for correcting lens defects;
• slot for two SD memory cards.

Badly

• minimum shutter speed 1/4000;
• crowding of dots in the central part of the frame;
• IMPOSSIBILITY TO CHANGE IRIS IN LIVE VIEW MODE;
• not the fastest autofocus in live view mode;
• the absence of a histogram on the display when sighting through the display.

What glass to take

It is worth saying that in order to unlock the full potential of the matrix installed inside the carcass, it is worth planning the purchase of good and bright optics. At the same time, in conditions of limited finances, you can easily get by with fixes - for example, Nikkor AF-S 50mm F1.8G.

In full frame conditions, this will be exactly the right fifty dollars, a universal lens. Not for nothing that all film cameras were equipped with just such fixes - they can shoot almost all subjects: from architecture and genre, to portrait and landscape. A high aperture will allow you to shoot even in poor lighting conditions. In this case, the photographer will always be able to switch to DX mode and get 75 mm for shooting large portraits.

If there are no funds at all, then for the first time fifty dollars will suffice. His review.

If you have extra funds, you can take. Its cost is about 400 dollars, but the aperture ratio is two-thirds higher.

The Nikkor AF-S 85mm F1.8G is a good choice for portrait lovers. It's compact enough to carry your camera around every day, blurs the background really well, and delivers a soft and beautiful pattern. But its cost is about 500 conventional units. There is also a version with F1.4 aperture, but it's worth it to overpay, decide for yourself, based on the tasks.

The Nikkor AF-S 28mm F1.8G is the right lens for shooting architecture or landscapes. Wide angle, beautiful drawing, low level of distortion for $700 is a good choice.

You can also look at the expensive one - one of the best wide-angles ever created. . Let it be darker, but it will give a better picture. But given the $2,000 price tag, it's worth thrice-thinking if you need one.

- This is a standard fast lens for every day. Sharp, fast, beautiful, heavy, it will allow you to shoot all sorts of scenes, getting good results. It costs a lot - 1600 bucks. .

The Nikkor AF-S 70-200mm F2.8G VR II is a bright telephoto lens for reporters. The built-in stub minimizes lubrication, there are practically no defects, and the price of 2100 conventional units makes you lick your lips. But keep in mind that buying such a hulk is worth it for professional work - when I came to the club with him, I was asked to confirm the accreditation of a journalist.

Alternative

In fact, the only alternative and competitor. The price category is about the same, and even a little cheaper. Its cost now in the vastness of Ukraine starts at $ 1,500. The carcass is lighter and smaller, the sensor slightly loses in detail nominally. In real conditions, you are unlikely to feel the difference. A matrix from a competitor will make a little less noise in the dark, have the same excellent DD and color reproduction. The rate of fire is slightly lower - 4.5 fps versus 6. There are only 11 autofocus points on board with one cross-shaped. But the points are located more evenly across the frame field. The viewfinder loses - only 97% coverage.

Also, the Canon 6D has one memory card slot and no built-in flash. But there are Wi-Fi and GPS modules.

You can, of course, take the Nikon D600 - it will cost a little less - about $ 1,600. But at the same time, you doom yourself to torment about the oil on the matrix and the breakdown of the mirror / shutter. And given the difference of $ 100 with the next generation, I think it's not worth it.

Summary

I am sure that Nikon D610, despite a number of small disadvantages, will easily win the love of many photographers. This is the most compact and most affordable full-frame DSLR from manufacturers, which brings to life the best practices: excellent detail, low noise, wide dynamic range.

And, if you belong to the Nikonist cohort and can afford such a device, take it. You are unlikely to be disappointed. The camera will allow you to perform the entire range of tasks quickly and efficiently. And given that the price tag for it now starts at $ 1,700 on the Ukrainian Internet, this is an excellent upgrade of equipment. Although, if you have a Nikon D600, then you definitely shouldn't upgrade.

And yes, I hope that the rubber bands will not come off after six months of active use. Otherwise, this is another minus in the karma of the manufacturer.

Snapshot gallery

(hover your mouse over the top right corner to view full screen)

Nikon D610 is absolutely the same gorgeous FX camera as its predecessor D600, but, nevertheless, it has one important fix.

It's a fix, not an improvement. In the D610, the shutter was replaced, which became a little faster, literally by half a frame per second (6 frames / s), but as Nikon themselves say, the problem with spots on the matrix from shutter lubricant has been solved. To be honest, I personally have not observed this problem before, although it may just be lucky. But there are a number of people who see these spots. In any case, regardless of the model, if you have something with a camera, it is better to contact the official service first, and only then build conspiracy theories. More often than not, it's not the camera's fault.

Since the D610 and D600 are otherwise identical, there is no point in comparing them. I will compare with something else, and you will have the opportunity to compare reviews of different authors of almost the same camera to make it more interesting.

In terms of dimensions and capabilities, the D610 is closer to the old Nikon D700, only it is noticeably lighter. But to be more precise, it's more like a D7100 with an FX sensor. Even the autofocus module is similar to the D7100. Only if on the D7100 / D7000, due to the size of the matrix, the autofocus points are more or less distributed over the frame, then on a larger frame there is a feeling that all the points are in a bunch in the center, and there is emptiness at the edges:

There are even theorists who argue, they say, how inconvenient and worthless it is to insert a module from a DX camera into a camera of this level. Personally, I don’t join these comrades, because there are not enough points for photographing sports on the D7100, but for everything else the D610 is more than enough. As far as sports and fast moving kids are concerned, ideally the AF areas should be distributed across the entire screen, similar to mirrorless cameras, only those focus very slowly, but we need to quickly. On the other hand, on the D610 you will have a lot of sharp shots with the subject in the center ;-) But the D610 has no problems with focusing speed, even in moderate lighting.

However, it seemed to me that when it is completely dark, the autofocus on the D610 simply goes blind and you can’t do without autofocus illumination. I don’t remember that the D700 had similar problems in the same situations. In other words, when it's time to use the flash, the autofocus on the D610 will need help too.

As for the flash, it is there and it's very good. In this regard, the D610 is great for travel, if you are not confused by the size and weight of FX lenses. I would not want to take a camera without a built-in flash with me on a trip, since I would definitely have to carry some other junk on myself. A flash in everyday life is needed much more often than it seems to some, even built-in. Here, for example, the option without flash:

And this is the same, but with built-in flash, find 10 differences:

Of course, you will not do serious portraits, as I did in haste, but take special lighting equipment and then at least do the toning. But to understand why the built-in flash is important, this example is enough.

At the same time, the maximum flash sync speed decreased slightly compared to the D700 - only 1/200 and 1/250 in FP-sync mode. For those who like to click with a flash in clear weather, you will have to get a neutral filter and experience some inconvenience. In general, in clear weather without a polarizing filter, do not even think about going out. By the way, a polarizing filter can be used as a weak neutral, as it reduces the exposure by 2-3 stops, depending on the model.

The built-in flash of the D610 has one very unpleasant moment - during recharging, you cannot take pictures at all, you have to wait 3-4 seconds. On older models, you take a picture anyway, even if the flash is not ready. Better Frame without a flash than to sit and cuckoo for several seconds in a row.

The built-in flash of the D610 can also be used in command mode, as on all other serious cameras, making it possible to use i-TTL and remotely control the power of external flashes by group.

What else I liked:

User settings

Very convenient modes U1 and U2 are right on the wheel on the left, like on the D600 and D7000 / D7100. All camera settings, including autofocus and metering settings, can be saved to these modes and recalled instantly. I prefer to save settings for landscapes in U1, as I shoot them most often, and U2 - portraits. In other modes P, S, A, M, I do all sorts of experiments. I would also like to have U3 and U4 instead of stupid Auto and Scene. Scene, I don’t understand for whom at all, and the green Auto mode is the same P, only the flash automatically jumps out. If you give the camera to a beginner, the P mode does a great job, and the beginner will take wonderful pictures even in difficult conditions. Personally, I mostly shoot in P.

HDR

The Nikon D610 has a fantastic HDR mode (high dynamic range, although in fact the camera narrows it, such a paradox). Once you try this mode, you will never shoot without HDR again, trust me, I don’t shoot without HDR in the evening anymore. This mode takes 2 shots with different exposures and stitches them into one, keeping very bright and very dark areas as much as possible. HDR only works when shooting in JPEG. In RAW, you will do everything yourself, spending a lot of time, and the result will hardly be better.

Here's how without HDR:

And this is with HDR:

Not a great example, but that's only because I don't really shoot without HDR, it was some kind of mistake. So you can be sure that all the evening landscapes taken on the D610 were with the HDR function. Of course, this trick will not work if something moves in the frame - the image will double.

virtual horizon

The gyroscope on the D610 works in two planes. A very handy thing when you need to quickly click on the landscape so that the horizon is not littered and the perspective is not distorted.

Two slots for memory cards

A very useful thing. Firstly, I really like the SD card format. You will not have any problems with such cards, they are small and you can work with them on any modern laptop without having to carry a reader with wires. Secondly, you can configure different behavior to your taste: record photos in parallel on two cards for reliability, or sequentially to increase the available memory.

There are only a couple of nuances. The most important thing is to buy the fastest possible memory cards. You need to look not only at the class (10 is the minimum for you), but also at throughput, it is desirable that UHS (Ultra High Speed) is written on the card, this is 300x and higher. Otherwise, you will have the feeling that the camera is faulty. With slow class 6 cards, the camera may freeze altogether. You definitely didn't spend that much money to slow down your high-speed camera because of some small card. It is better to save on the volume of the card, but take it quickly.

By the way, due to the fact that the matrix on the D610 is 24 megapixels, which is a lot, it seems to me, some common 8Gb card will fill up catastrophically quickly if you shoot in JPEG. I generally keep quiet about NEF. And leave hope that you can use the already available cards from the old technology. You will have to buy new high-speed high-volume.

The second important aspect is that I do not advise you to switch the fill mode of the maps during the shooting process, otherwise you may have ghosts, especially when you think that the frame has been deleted. The camera is not too smart to understand what you were shooting in which fill mode. There is a risk not only of unkillable frames, which is not terrible, but also of losing an important frame when you thought you had a backup. It is better to set this thing up once and not touch it again.

Auto ISO

I almost never turn off Auto ISO, even when I take pictures in the evening with a long exposure - I just twist the shutter speed to the maximum until the exposure starts to go positive, and I know for sure that I have a minimum ISO. But these are old habits.

On the D610, if you press the ISO button and turn the rear wheel, the minimum ISO value will switch, but if you turn the front wheel, the Auto ISO mode will switch to manual mode and back - very convenient!

In addition, Auto ISO recognizes the focal length and makes the shutter speed shorter for telephoto cameras, but on the contrary, you can improve the quality with longer shutter speeds and low ISO. For more flexible settings, there is an ISO correction, if, for example, you don’t drink, and your hands don’t shake much, then you can shift the balance towards slower shutter speeds. To do this, in the Shooting Menu, where ISO is set, in the Minimum Shutter Speed ​​item, where there is Auto mode, you need to press the right arrow on Auto, there will be a correction. So far, this is the most flexible and most convenient ISO setting I've seen.

As for the ISO itself, I am quite comfortable shooting even at ISO 6400. Of course, the noise is already visible, but not too much. At least this allows you to take a pretty decent handheld shot from the shaking Brooklyn Bridge in New York, there is nothing to do with a tripod:

Another detail is the presence of an infrared port for

19555

Product Mentions 3

The choice of "system" for a photographer, ranging from amateurs to pros with a huge fleet of equipment, is often determined by chance - or, as many of us joke, religious preferences. I immediately realized that for me "Nikon is forever" in the middle of the 2000s: in the editorial office of a small town there was only one "reflex camera" - at the editor-in-chief. It was the Nikon D70, which immediately struck me (compared to my rather simple compact at that time) with unprecedented speed - both focusing and violently clicking the shutter. In general, it was then that I decided on my system. Of course, it took me a long time to get to such "coolness" (and at that time, seventy-fifty seemed to me the ultimate dream!) First, I got a Nikon D40, then it was replaced by the D3000, and then the older brother of my dreams, the D90, fell into my hands. I ran with it long enough until I discovered that the dream had changed ... And it has the code name "I want a full frame!"

So I smoothly move on to the subject of my review - full-frame SLR camera Nikon D610. For now, so that you don't get bored with my memories, here is a Kamchatka fox for you - the best photo of me ever taken with it.

A curious little fox against the backdrop of the Koryaksky volcano. Avachinsky plateau, Kamchatka. October 2015

I keep getting nostalgic... So, I even remember the moment when I wanted a full frame camera. Considering that I met opinions on the DNS forum that "FF is just an excuse to amuse the CSF", I think it's worth dwelling on why changing the camera to a full-frame one, forking out not only for it itself, but also for replacing all the accumulated " glasses in the arsenal.

It was a concert of "Mumiy Troll". A nightclub, traditionally disgusting light and Ilya Lagutenko joyfully meows in the spotlights. The concert was amazing, I took pictures with great pleasure. I came home and ... leafing through the pictures, I began to swear loudly. Omitting the indefinite articles, there was: "Noise! ​​Grease! Noise! ​​Noise!" Having somehow made up a reporting post with four and a half not the most disgusting pictures, I turned to the expensive MRZD, they say, make sure that I finally change the camera to a full frame ... I won some competition or someone gave it ... Or something else...

Lyrical digression: "Be careful what you wish for" (c) Route 60

Dear MRZD loves to joke. And pushes people to fulfill their desires in a very extraordinary way. My faithful D90 literally a month after - I drowned on one exotic beach. From the word at all. IN service center they said: “Baba is a fool. You are thoroughly burned, a lot of things burned out, it’s easier to buy a new one ...” Nikon D610 Kit, incredibly successfully acquired by me in DNS, became new (after six months of torment without a camera, by the way - hello from dear MRZD!) . The luck was that just then Nikon, together with DNS, carried out a promotion, returning 10% of the purchase price - they were enough for me to buy another lens and an external hard drive that was promptly filled with photos;)

UNBOXING FROM MEDIUM

Of course, I wildly apologize for the crumpled box - after all, you rarely do reviews on a gadget after two years from the purchase;) It is surprising that it has survived at all. In general, as an experienced Nikonist, I have seen this box many times - their packaging is classic, the design is identical for most SLR cameras - only the photos of the cameras and their names change, and each time the box gets bigger and bigger :)

Inside, in addition to a thick book, there is a user manual (by the way, a rare case when you need to read the manual not when you have already broken the gadget, but preventively - to find out all the possibilities, even get some tips on photography) and the guarantee holder two more smaller boxes. In one of the nesting dolls there is a camera itself with a charger and wires, in the other there is a lens. I took the whale version - with a standard Nikkor "ohm 24-85. The version with a stabilizer and the maximum possible aperture opening of 3.5-4.5 at different ends completely suited me in the whale. Although I planned to later take a glass with a similar focal length - but a little brighter, but I didn't get my hands on it in two years, which means I don't really need it.

APPEARANCE: BEAUTIFUL

The metal case, covered with textured plastic, with modern dust and moisture protection, dimensions 14x11x8 centimeters cannot be light. The camera itself weighs with the installed battery - 850 grams. Plus the lens - depending on the pumping up of the hands and desire to carry heavy maximum aperture :)

Weight itself is practically the only drawback of all professional and semi-professional SLR cameras. And for me as well. The D610 has been my love for two years now, but often, going on a trip, I am tormented by doubts: a couple of extra clothes or a telephoto camera, a huge photo backpack or a handbag with a mirrorless camera? I choose, depending on priorities - I don’t take it on a short trip without large photoplans, but I can’t go to different seas-Baikal-Kamchatka without it!

The body is equipped with rubberized inserts. Both on the body itself and on the complete lens during two years of active use, they did not loosen at all, they also sit tightly.

A lyrical digression: why is it good to review a thing that has been used for a long time, unlike a novelty that you just turned in your hands or poyuzal for a month - such details are also checked. I’ll talk about wear resistance below, however, I’ll say more.

On the left side of the lens there are two "rockers" - switching the focus mode from automatic to manual and turning the stabilizer on and off.

There is also an autofocus switch on the camera itself - at the bottom, under the lens release button. It is used in cases where the lens - without a "motor" - with a so-called screwdriver :) In addition, there are two more buttons on the left side of the body - flash and bracketing.

Top view - the controls are also classic for Nikon SLRs: on the right is a monochrome display, the power lever, in the extreme position is still a backlit display, exposure metering buttons (in view mode - formatting), exposure compensation - and video shooting. The latter is very convenient, by the way, True, by touch I sometimes confuse it with one of the "exposition", but this is not a lack of a camera, but of Anya's scattered fingers;)

A built-in flash (which I rarely use - but it's good to have it) and a hot shoe for an off-camera flash and other accessories are also on top.

Particular attention to the left corner - there is a wheel of shooting modes. "Green Zone", PASM, a separate flashless (I don't understand why, in the presence of P) preset SCENE options and two custom ones. During the possession of the camera, to be honest, except for PASM, I did not use any others.

Under the wheel is a dial for selecting shooting types - single frames, bursts, with a delay, and so on.

Let's go to the rear of the camera - there is a rubber eyecup for the viewfinder. The viewfinder is mirrored, of course. 3.2-inch color display - non-touch. fixed. I only regret the latter - and that rarely. There is a protection for the display, I took it off for the photo.

The classic set of controls, from which I would focus on only two lever-buttons: LiveView mode for photos and videos (it’s a pity that I’m separately, sometimes I get confused, plus I regret that you can’t shoot video with the screen off, only through the viewfinder) and multi selector with main command dial - four-way button with OK in the middle.

You can also display the main shooting settings on the screen if you don’t want to wander through the general menu.

The D610 has two slots for memory cards - and who would know how often it helped me out when I forgot the first flash drive (regular SD, by the way) in my laptop and ran away to shoot, or one of my friends needed to give a spare card. By the way, the camera "eats" cards up to 64 GB, I recommend using at least 32-16. It's just that files (even jeeps) are quite "heavy" and eight gigabytes will contain about a hundred pictures ... For a photo-loving blogger, this, as you understand, is "about nothing" at all.

All connectors for external connections - from the microphone and headphones to HDMI in the mini version and USB are hidden under the rubber pads on the left side of the camera.

Below - a battery cover, a rubberized insert that closes the contacts of an additional battery and a standard tripod socket.

Nikon has its own battery - lithium-ion EN-EL-15, with a capacity of 1900 mAh. Honestly, I never measured how many frames it lasts for me, because there were only a couple of cases when the battery ran out in the middle of shooting (if I didn’t forget to charge it beforehand, of course). And sometimes I took 2000-3000 photos per day. The only thing I plan to buy now is a spare battery - in February, long-term shooting in the cold is planned :)

Charges from full discharge to charge two hours battery. I usually put it on at night, I don’t worry, since there is a charge limiter.

Concluding the topic of appearance ... We were everywhere with my camera! Of course, I tried not to drop him, but all the same, he is already "beaten" in life, and how did this affect his appearance? Is that a little dusty and rubbed in the corners.

GLASIMER'S SET

My collection of "glasses" is very modest - only the most necessary, as they say. I shot during these two years with three lenses:

Whale 24-85

Telephoto 80-200 2.8

Poltinnichek - 50 1.8 (by the way, I bought it then for a promotion and the exact same one is now being played in a review contest, I strongly recommend it to colleagues and future winners)

I also tried the universal Tamron 17-200 (hoping to forget about changing glasses while traveling and, as a result, wasting time and dust on the matrix), but it didn’t work out - the picture from it seemed too soapy and flat to me. In general, I sold it to those who value compactness and versatility more than "ringing sharpness".

Speaking of the latter - it is given in all its glory, mainly, of course, by a telephoto lens. I still have an old version of it, without a stabilizer. The new one works wonders. True, it costs like a car ...

AND NOW - SLIDES!

Remember the old joke - a lecture about love? So we finally got to the slides and they will also be about love. Love for nature and photography, events and travel, looking at insects and writing reviews. My Nikon helps me in all this (however, I'm not monogamous, I also have a couple of mirrorless cameras, but this is a topic for another review;).

First, nature. Landscape shots in good lighting can look great both on a phone and on a soapbox, but mobile shots will not always give a special texture, bulge to the image. Well I hope so ;)

Mutnovskaya geothermal zone. A geyser floats in the distance. Kamchatka, October 2015.

Ice caves on Mutnovsky volcano - Kamchatka, October 2015.

Naturally, I shoot all the frames in NEF (Nikon's raw file format) and then process it in lightroom, but it is the camera that gives the very possibility for processing, a large dynamic range that allows you to avoid shadows falling through and highlights knocking out. For example, I took the picture above in the twilight of a cave, and I managed to preserve both the bright color of the sky and the landscape outside, and the texture of the stones, the melted snow vaults and the running stream inside.

Or here are the concerts. It was not in vain that I began my post with memories of how I processed concert photos, almost crying ... So, now processing pictures from different performances is a pleasure. Yes, a lot of marriage remains even now (here the camera is not very lucky with the photographer, presumably;), but the number of pictures that are not ashamed not only to show, but also to sell on stock has increased significantly; The same Roxette concert is very popular with me.

Per Gessle, Roxette group in Khabarovsk. Fall 2014

Diana Arbenina, group "Night Snipers" in Khabarovsk - November 2015

Master class on shibari within the framework of the Far Eastern tattoo-piercing convention, 2014

Festival of Orchestras "Amur Waves", May 2015

Returning to nature - I constantly went "on the open air" with a camera, I can say that I have checked the manufacturer's words about moisture protection and protection from dust very thoroughly - for example, the "Three Brothers" kekurs in the photo below were photographed during not weak excitement in the ocean - at the exit from the bay, our yacht was rocking, spray was flying everywhere ... And once a brave photographer (spoiler: not me, but my husband) was rocked from head to toe by one particularly impudent wave - along with the camera. So what? He went into the cabin, got a scolding from me and went on to shoot. We wiped the camera, not a drop got inside.

Kekura "Three brothers" at the entrance to Avacha Bay, Kamchatka, October 2015

Tropical fish at the Moscow Zoo, April 2014

Far Eastern lotuses of Komarov at sunset - shot against the sun. Khabarovsk, August 2015

The very speed that once struck me when I first met Nikon DSLRs still remains with representatives of their line. Shooting sports or animals is a wild pleasure for me now. Of course, I promised not to post cats in this review, but tigers are completely different, right? :) At the same time, I'll brag - the photo below recently won first place on all-Russian competition"Nature and Animals of the Far East" in the nomination "Amur Tiger".

Young tigers are playing. Tiger Park, Harbin, October 2014

BMX - demonstration performances in motofreestyle. Khabarovsk, summer 2014

Full-fledged macro photography is still worth doing with lenses designed for it, or at least with macro rings (they have been on my wishlist for a long time, but still nothing :), but more or less large-scale shots of flowers or snakes promised in the last review can also be done on a whale lens .

One of the Red Book primroses of Russia is Pasque or, as it is called in the west of the country, Sleep Grass. Nizhny Novgorod region, April 2014

The flowers of the "Khabarovsk sakura" - strictly speaking, this is not sakura - but one of the plum species with inedible fruits - three-lobed almonds. Khabarovsk, June 2015

The Amur snake (aka the Schrenk snake) is a Red Book beauty snake from the Far East. Her name is Severina and she lives at my house. August 2014.

By the way, I didn't say before, but one of the features of the camera is the presence of a wi-fi module that allows you to use eye-fi cards. But I expressed my opinion about them in the last nikon review, and that's what I regret that there is no full-fledged opportunity to control the camera from a smartphone and merge photos to it immediately after the "stock version". It would be incredibly cool, so here's another camera flaw for you if you think that the review is too richly flavored with molasses :) But this flaw is the last one :)

In general, the only time when I did not dare to take a camera with me was when I "flyed" over the sea bay on a parachute hooked to a yacht. And I was afraid that I would drop it, and because of the weight-volume I did not. But under the clouds in the balloon basket went with him.

Balloonists fill the balloon with hot air. Khabarovsk, May 2015.

Balloon on the background of Cupid. Khabarovsk, May 2015

"These are all examples of photos in good shooting conditions" - a meticulous reader will say, and he will be almost right (concerts = difficult lighting, but not only about them) I tested how the Nikon D610 behaves in difficult light or low light conditions, as a rule, in production blog tours - no one will set up lighting fixtures in the workshops especially for guests, and will not open the windows wide open. We shoot it the way it is.

And here's what pleases - you can bully ISO on a full frame, if not up to the maximum settings in 25600, then safely up to 6400 - the noise will be minimal. I didn’t do boring tests with different ISOs, there are enough of them on our Internet - those who wish will find it, I prefer to show how it all came in handy in my life. When shooting reportage, I set the same ISO to automatic, with a limit of up to 6400 in fact and - I simply don’t think about it. I know - for a blog and publications in the media, I have enough quality.

Car cleaning after coal overturning in the car turner. Khabarovsk CHPP-3, November 2014.

A worker at the construction of the second stage of the Blagoveshchenskaya CHPP, June 2015.

Portrait photography is something that I almost don't need, but an important aspect for those who switch to full frame, earning money with studio and event photography on order - from weddings and corporate events to girl photos. I don't shoot in the studio, strobism is a dark forest for me, I confess right away. But often portraits come out at events or blog tours. Despite the fact that, unlike staged photography, there is not much time to "work" with one or another model - the result is excellent.

Ildar Maratovich Bagautdinov, an employee of the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station, who on the fateful day organized an accident on it and, together with them, reached the top of the dam in a matter of minutes - and manually opened the gates of the water conduits. By doing this, he prevented an even greater catastrophe then and reduced the number of victims. SSHGES, April 2014.

Holi festival of colors. Khabarovsk, June 2015

Monstration participant, Khabarovsk, May 2015.

Seller of whistles in the bazaar in Kotor. Montenegro, August, 2014

The D610 has an active D-Lighting function and the ability to make HDR (better from a tripod), as well as in-camera processing capabilities - from using preset filters to changing one or another image characteristic on the scales - sharpness, contrast, lightness, saturation.

But if in the case of a soap dish I said that this would not be in demand by those who simply “take pictures on the machine”, then reviewing the full frame, I will say differently: I just don’t understand WHY this is necessary for the main target audience of this camera, which. against. shoots in manual or semi-automatic modes and brings the pictures to mind post-processing on a computer. In general, the anecdote "professionals_do not_use_space" is spinning in my head And yes, it's photo-snobbery.

View of the bay and the old town in Kotor. Montenegro, August 2014.

Winter Sea of ​​Japan, Zolotari Bay. Nakhodka, January 2015.

It would seem that when shooting from a tripod and at a slow shutter speed, when the aperture is "clamped" and the ISO is reduced to the minimum values, the main advantages of full-frame SLR cameras compared to their "cropped" younger sisters come to naught. And many will confirm this by demonstrating the unreal beauty of the photo. But I still think that the pictures come out clearer. Well, or I justify myself for the drowned previous camera and the expensive current one :)

Smolny Cathedral through the wings of the divorced Bolsheokhtinsky Bridge (Peter the Great). St. Petersburg, September 2014. By the way, it was not taken from a tripod - from hands and on a moving boat. This is about the speed and quality of the photo.

Fountains on the main square of the city, Khabarovsk, July 2015.

Coal terminal of the port of Nakhodka from one of the city's lookouts. Nakhodka, August 2015.

Locks on the observation deck in front of the dam of the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station. SSHGES, April 2014.

I literally hear voices in my head (no, not schizophrenia :), they say, it all depends on the photographer. Yes, it depends and you should at least know basic settings cameras, but I will not say that the camera does not affect the result. I don’t consider myself a good photographer at all, I’m just a push button lover, a blogger who captures reality. Professionals, of course, have pictures both from a matchbox and from D4s (involuntary salivation has gone, gone ... :) they bear the general stamp of genius :) In the case when a person does not have enough stars from the sky, but tries to photograph - quality and opportunities devices are very influential.

And as proof, I will show two pictures of the authorship of my husband, who rarely picks up a camera and does not understand shooting modes and other settings from the word in general. In one case, he simply shot in P-mode, and in the second, he consulted me on the phone "how to do it at a slow shutter speed."

Fragment of the ice sculpture "Alice in Wonderland" by Dmitry Boytsov and Alexander Kuznetsov, which won 1st place at the Amur Crystal-2014 competition. Khabarovsk, December, 2014

Evening skyline of Heihe - a Chinese city located directly opposite Blagoveshchensk. Blagoveshchensk, June 2015.

A little about the additional features of the camera. Right "inside" you can set up time-lapse shooting, for example. And both separately pictures, and with the formation of video immediately. The only thing is that last year I managed to shoot long time-lapses, but this year - due to lack of practice - I got confused in the settings and made only a second video.

Stars over the Koryaksky volcano. Kamchatka, October 2015.

As for the video itself - throughout the use of all Nikon DSLRs that have a video function, I highlight two drawbacks for me when using the camera as a video camera:

1. Autofocus does not adapt to changes in the frame, as it was set before shooting, and it goes. It can be "twisted" in the process by half-pressing the shutter button. In this case, the sharpness "turns" several times and focuses on a new point.

2. By default, the internal microphone is very sensitive - at concerts (and more often I write videos there), its sensitivity must be greatly reduced, otherwise it will "beep".

An example of a video is below (filmed handheld, with a heavy telephoto lens, a slight trembling of the picture from there)

Concert of Vadim Samoilov, group "Agatha Christie". Khabarovsk, December 2015.

We are slowly creeping towards the end of the review (“Hurrah!” - the husband on duty in the kitchen rejoiced and feeds Olivier to your obedient servant, who does not look up from the computer while writing the post) and a couple more examples already directly relate to the members of the DNS Club - photos for reviews I do it mainly on the D610, so its capabilities, coupled with my curvature;) - you can judge by them.

Photos for the review of the alarm clock lamp were taken in a lightbox, on a black background - without a flash, with two bulbs on the sides.

You can talk about the camera for a long time ("Oh my God, no!" - said the husband), remembering the focus points, the Live View mode, the quiet shutter release mode ... And so on and so on ... But this review has already exceeded all reasonable amounts, and New Year very close ... Therefore, here are two more cards for you, as an example of his work and my conclusion - and I went to cut salads in anticipation of Putin's five minutes.

Leopard in the zoo. Novosibirsk, April 2014.

Bureya reservoir. Amur region, June 2015.

CONCLUSION: NYASHMYASH, NIKON OUR!

In short: this is my camera. She is beautiful inside and out. Heavy, doesn't send snaps to Instagram, but allows you to create wonderful photos.

Yes, if suddenly Santa Claus brings me a D750 or 810 ... but why waste time on trifles, Medvedev's D4s - I will not refuse and will be very happy. But I definitely won’t change the camera on purpose, grow “even higher” in terms of technology. Do you hear, dear MRZD, DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING! I have not even studied all the possibilities of this camera, not that I have grown up to their full-fledged use. Therefore, I’d better wish myself in the new year some kind of over-wide, bright staffer, a new tripod (the last one died in Kamchatka ...) and a mountain of little things ...

And I wish you all a Happy New Year and wish your dreams come true , and also remember that if you teach a child to take pictures from childhood, he will never have money for drugs! Happiness and cool moments to you - it doesn’t matter if they are captured in the photo or not!

Today we are testing a very interesting camera - Nikon D610. On the one hand, this is an advanced full-frame SLR camera for serious work, on the other hand, this is the most affordable model from Nikon's full-frame line, and it will be of interest primarily to those amateur photographers who decide to switch to full frame from simpler models. The camera also has many automatic modes that will be useful for beginners, there are also purely professional features, which will help you create photos and videos of excellent quality. Who will be interested in Nikon D610? Our test will try to answer this question.

It's a bleak winter, slowly turning into spring. Gray low sky, slush underfoot, incessant nasty runny nose, wet feet. I really don't want to shoot anything in this weather. I want to crawl under a warm blanket and sit in front of the fireplace on long dark evenings with an interesting book, without going out at all. What kind of photography is there, what full and incomplete shots ... However, as soon as the bright sun looks out, and even on a day off, all the people rush out of town, to parks, museums, ski resorts and just into the forest, away from the dusty metropolis, and almost each has a large black SLR with a huge lens around their neck, or a smaller mirrorless camera, and many simply shoot with a smartphone and enjoy a good mood.

Video film - our program "Photo Fire!"

In our video we took a brief look at ergonomics Nikon cameras D610, the principles of setting the main modes, gave examples of shooting photos and videos, as well as two examples of Time Lapse shooting. The film was shot by the authors and is an appendix to this article.

Test Methodology

All photos taken with Nikon D610 (firmware 1.00) equipped with AF-S NIKKOR 24-85mm f/3.5-4.5G ED VR lens, all shots in RAW format (14-bit, lossless compression), SDHC UHS-I memory card Transcend SDHC 32GB 300x Class 10, developed in Adobe Lightroom 5.7, all photos without artistic processing, as they were taken on camera, the necessary retouching was carried out for the portraits.

Comparison of the main characteristics of Nikon D610 and Canon EOS 6D

Ergonomics Nikon D610

What did you like

1. Secure grip, comfortable body, control as in the latest models of DSLRs - D7100, D750, everything is familiar and everything is in its place. It makes no sense to list the basic principles of the settings - everyone who shot with Nikon cameras will instantly understand, for beginners it is enough to remember the main point: we press the control button of one or another parameter (for example, ISO) and change the value of this parameter with the wheel. We monitor on the top or main screen. Everything is simple and logical.
2. Control wheels with locking parameters- the set mode will never accidentally go astray. We hold the camera with the right hand, press the button with the index finger of the left hand, turn the upper wheel with the thumb; in the case of the lower wheel, it is more convenient to press the button with the thumb, turn it with the index finger.
3. Large additional screen on the top edge- it is convenient to read the values, besides, you can save battery power if you constantly use the upper screen without using the main screen for setting purposes.
4. Screen protector- a moot point. It is rather useful, as it protects the screen from damage and does not interfere at all when shooting. If it seems to someone that it spoils the appearance, the cover can be removed.
5. Two SD memory cards are very convenient! Frankly, we are used to the fact that modern Nikon DSLRs have two memory cards, and it is no longer comfortable to use other cameras with one card.

What did not like

1. Shooting options and Live View. One of the most significant disadvantages is that when using Live View in photographing mode, when changing the aperture and shutter speed, the digital values ​​on the screen, although they change, visually, these changes do not affect the picture on the screen, which misleads the user. There is no live histogram in Live View mode, which is not so critical compared to the result of changing parameters that is not displayed.

2. Aperture in video shooting mode. In Live View mode, when shooting a video, you cannot change the aperture, you can change the shutter speed, ISO, white balance and some other parameters, but changing the aperture is not available. Directly when shooting a video, the aperture change, if necessary, is smooth, without jumps, as on more professional models (for example, the Nikon D750 can smoothly change the aperture). A discrete change in aperture will inevitably lead to jumps in brightness, although in some cases it is better to have a jump in brightness than to continue shooting with incorrect settings.

3. OK button when viewing. Pressing the OK button while viewing a photo does not magnify the photo on the screen as with older models. To enlarge a fragment of the frame, you need to click on the magnifying glass with a plus sign several times.

4.Built-in mono microphone. The camera records video well, but the built-in microphone is monophonic. Saves the connector for an external stereo microphone, only in this way it will be possible to record stereo sound.

Shooting a portrait

The aperture at the long end is 4.5 ... this is, of course, not 1.4 or 2.8, as on fast fixes, however, it is quite possible to blur the background with this lens.

50mm f/4.5	85mm f/8

85mm f/4.5	50mm f/4.2

70mm, f/5.6	80mm, f/5

Shooting landscapes

Thanks to a versatile lens and a chic sensor, the camera allows you to capture great landscapes, especially when traveling. You can safely take this camera on a trip - it is simply created for travel reporting. The focal length of the whale lens - 24 mm - will allow you to shoot wide sea or mountain landscapes, and if you wish, you can set 85 mm and zoom in on the subject or take a series of excellent portraits. In the evening, it is not necessary to take a tripod with you - you can safely raise the ISO to 6400 and shoot urban scenes with your hands, and there is a built-in flash for evening portraits.

Panorama of 5 horizontal, focal length 24mm, 1/60 at f/5.6, ISO 100:

Indoors, with mixed light, auto white balance does a great job:

autofocus

AF-A- Auto Servo AF: The camera automatically selects single-servo AF if the subject is stationary and continuous servo AF if the subject is moving.

AF-S- single-frame tracking focus: for shooting stationary objects. Focus is locked when the shutter button is pressed halfway. At default settings, a picture can only be taken when the in-focus indicator is displayed

AF-C- continuous tracking focus: for shooting moving objects. The camera focuses continuously while the shutter button is pressed halfway; if the subject is moving, the camera will engage predictive focus tracking to predict the final distance to the subject and adjust focus. At default settings, the frame can be taken whether the subject is in focus or not.

You can select focus points:

Single point autofocus: used for stationary objects.

Dynamic AF: in AF-A and AF-C modes, the camera will focus based on information from surrounding focus points if the subject moves out of the selected point for a while. The number of focus points depends on the selected mode:

• Dynamic, 9 points
• Dynamic, 21 points
• Dynamic, 39 points

3D Tracking: in AF-A and AF-C modes, the camera will track subjects that have left the selected focus point and select new focus points as needed.

Auto-area AF: The camera automatically detects the subject and selects the focus point. When a type G, E, or D lens is used, the camera may differ human faces from the background to increase the possibility of defining the object.

In Live View mode, the camera can focus:

AF-S- single-servo focus: for shooting still subjects - focus is locked when the shutter button is pressed halfway.

AF-F- continuous focus tracking: for objects that move - the camera focuses continuously while the shutter button is pressed; focus is locked when it is pressed halfway.

In live view, the following AF area modes can be selected:

• Face priority autofocus- for shooting portraits.
• Wide autofocus area- for shooting landscapes and other subjects handheld.
• Normal autofocus area- for precise focusing at a selected point in the frame.
• AF Subject Tracking- The focus point will follow the selected subject as it moves through the frame.

Lens included

The camera came to us for testing with an AF-S NIKKOR 24-85mm f / 3.5-4.5G ED VR kit lens - this lens is well known to everyone who shoots on Nikon cameras - an affordable kit lens that comes with full-frame cameras. In the case of this optic, whale - does not mean "simple" - the lens provides excellent optical performance and covers the most popular focal lengths - from a wide angle of 24 mm with a minimum aperture of 3.5 for landscapes and urban scenes to classic 85 mm portraits with aperture of 4.5.

The lens has a built-in ultrasonic autofocus motor, thanks to which it focuses instantly and almost silently, equipped with image stabilization 2nd generation (VR II). The lens produces good sharpness in the center of the frame, but the resolution at the edges and corners is much worse.

Test: focal length 24mm, ISO 100, F11

Test: focal length 50mm, ISO 100, F11

Test: focal length 85mm, ISO 100, F11

The disadvantages of the lens are noticeable barrel, vignetting and chromatic aberrations, these parameters can be compensated both by the camera itself (for shooting in JPEG), this is turned on in the menu, and using processing software, for example, in Lightroom 5.7 in the case of RAW. The average price of this lens according to Yandex Market for February 2015 was 21,800 rubles.

Alternatively, consider the even more versatile Nikon 24-120mm f/4G ED VR AF-S Nikkor lens - a constant f/4 aperture at all focal lengths and 120mm at telephoto would be clear advantages, but such a lens is more expensive by about 10,000 rubles.

Using DX Lenses

The D610 can be fitted with any DX lens that is specifically designed for Nikon crop factor cameras. Of course, such lenses are equipped with exactly the same mount, so they will be installed without problems, the only problem is strong vignetting at the edges at a wide angle.

To reduce the effect of vignetting when installing DX lenses, you need to specify the frame size in the menu not FX, but DX (see screenshot below), the camera uses only part of the matrix and there will be no vignetting effect. In our opinion, if a full-frame sensor is already installed in the camera, it is better to use its full potential, and do such a trick only when necessary. The only plus is that the coverage area of ​​the autofocus points will get very close to the edges of the frame, and we will be able to focus almost anywhere in the frame.

Nikon D610 with DX NIKKOR 18-55mm 1: 3.5-5.6 G VR lens

At a focal length of 18 mm, the strongest vignetting is noticeable	Now you need to enable DX in the menu
The viewfinder will display a full frame, but a crop frame will be drawn in the center, this is how the frame will be shot	In Live View mode, the camera immediately crops the frame to DX size

ISO sensitivity test

At this point in the review, I would like to make a small digression. , we first encountered Nikon's full-frame DSLRs, before that we only tested models with a crop factor. And the amazing quality that the matrix in the Nikon DF camera produced at almost all ISOs, up to 51200, seemed to us in the order of things. We were glad and decided that this is the norm for all Nikon full-frame DSLRs.

Friends, this is not true. See how much Nikon DF costs. This is despite the fact that the camera does not shoot video, there is no battery handle for it, it has an outdated processor, the screen is not rotatable, the battery is rather weak, the battery compartment lids are frail ... The Nikon DF camera has one indisputable advantage that easily and naturally puts on both blades any DSLR on the market, excluding only the top-end Nikon D4S (there is exactly the same matrix) and Canon 1D (of course, we do not take into account medium format cameras and the just announced Canon 5DSR). This advantage is its chic matrix.

We invite you to look at the ISO test that we shot on the Nikon D610. Shooting options: aperture priority F / 8, NEF format, all processing like noise reduction at slow shutter speeds and high ISOs are turned off. Click on the photo - increase 1:1. The quality of the Nikon D610 is quite suitable for work, so do not watch the Nikon DF test, and do not compare, you do not need to be upset.

50	64	80
100	125	160
200	250	320
400	500	640
800	1000	1250
1600	2000	2500
3200	4000	5000
6400	8000	10000
12800	25600

Extended dynamic range

Classic HDR with exposure bracketing

We put a lot of emphasis on HDR shooting in every report, and there are many reasons for this. Firstly, even the coolest modern matrices are unable to convey the range of brightness that we see with our own eyes at the shooting location, and secondly, this style allows you to turn on the fantasy and creatively process the frame, making it more dramatic.

In the Nikon D610 camera, AE bracketing can be selected:

• 2 frames: one of which will be shot with a normal exposure, the second either in plus or minus to choose from.
• classic 3 frames with fork 0.3, 0.7, 1, 2 or 3 steps.

The Nikon D610 camera allows you to shoot only three exposures in a series, so all that remains is to choose the fork on the spot. We most often make two series - with a 2 or 3 plug, as it is sometimes difficult to decide which brightness spread is suitable for a particular plot. A narrower fork than 2EV, in our opinion, is meaningless - such a result is easier to achieve by processing one RAW than messing around with a series and subsequent gluing.

Plug 2 example

-2EV	0EV	+2EV

Fork example 3

-3EV	0EV	+3EV

A few more HDR shots with different processing:

Setting options in the menu

In-camera HDR

The camera also has an automatic HDR stitching mode, it is included in the menu and works only when shooting in JPEG - the camera itself will take a series of two frames and glue the finished file. In order for the camera to remember the fact that this mode is turned on, you need to set the “series”, otherwise, before each next shot in the HDR style, this function will have to be reactivated in the menu.

You can adjust the fork (in the menu it is called “Exposure Diff”) and the hardness of the processing (for some reason it is called “Softening”). As practice shows, special miracles from shooting in this mode should not be expected. For the example below, we made a landscape in all modes and compared the result with the classic HDR, which was shot at the same time from the same point. Comments, as they say in such cases, are superfluous.

HDR Off	HDR Auto, Normal	HDR 1EV Normal
HDR 2EV Normal	HDR 3EV Normal	HDR 1EV

Classic HDR with three exposures, shot in RAW from this point and assembled in a graphics editor:

-2EV	0EV	+2EV

Active D-Lighting

This is a feature of all Nikon DSLRs, we test this mode every time we work on camera reviews. And every time the work of this function causes bewilderment - why? There is not much difference in the photo, and when processing RAW in a graphics editor, you can easily achieve more interesting results. And another strange moment: this function does not affect the raw file, only JPEG. Or rather, not quite so: when you open NEF in Nikon's program, Capture NX-D, information about Active D-Lighting will be read, and the file will be displayed according to the settings for this parameter. If you work with this NEF in any other editor, there is no point in using this function, rather, it makes sense to turn it off so as not to waste energy.

An example of how Active D-Lighting works

ADL AUTO	ADL moderate	ADL normal
ADL reinforced	ADL Super Reinforced	ADL Off

In this example, the photo with ADL turned off looks much cleaner and more interesting, while the super boosted mode adds a gray veil to the photo.

Setting options in the menu

Shooting in JPEG	Setting Active D-Lighting	HDR setting

Shooting video

The main video parameters are configured in the menu before shooting: quality and frame rate (we shot 1920 × 1080 24p), memory card number. Many settings can be adjusted when switching to video mode before recording has started. And some parameters can be changed right during the recording of the video.

If you set creative mode to M and switch to movie mode, but do not start recording yet, you can configure many recording settings. A picture will appear on the screen, already cropped to a 16:9 format, which is good, and then:

What can be customized:

• excerpt
• white balance
• Brightness
• Microphone level
• picture control
• Autofocus mode and move the autofocus area

What can't be configured:

• Aperture - turning the wheel does not change the aperture value and does not affect the picture in any way
• Exposure compensation - changing exposure compensation is visually displayed on the screen, but it does not affect the picture in any way

If you start recording video, then right during the shooting of the video you can change:

• excerpt
• white balance
• Brightness
• Autofocus mode and move the autofocus area

The built-in microphone is monophonic, the sound in the video will be flat, which does not decorate the video at all. But the most difficult thing is to adjust the aperture, because no matter how you turn the front control wheels, there is zero sense. And in the field, when you urgently need to shoot, you start to turn different wheels in a hurry and press all the buttons in a row, eventually setting the parameters at random. Well, if you guessed it.

Examples of shooting video on the Nikon D610 are shown in our video

Interval shooting - Time Lapse

The camera can shoot a classic version interval shooting- frames after a period of time specified by the photographer. In this case, we get a series of files as output, which will need to be assembled into a video clip on a computer in an editing program, such as Adobe Premiere or Adobe After Effects.

Time-lapse video- everything is the same, only the camera will glue the final video on its own, and the resolution and frame rate will be copied from the video recording settings.

Important points when shooting Time Lapse

1. When shooting Time Lapse be sure to disable autofocus! If this is not done, the camera will focus again when shooting a new frame, which will inevitably lead to focus jumps in the video. If, when shooting a photo or even a video, this is not noticeable to the eye, then in the case of Time Lapse, this fact will completely ruin the video. And besides, the battery power will be wasted. An example of an unsuccessful shooting is given in our video - shooting the evening MIBC Moscow City, we forgot to turn off autofocus. The second example in the video turned out to be more successful, where we turned off all the automation altogether.
2. It's a mistake to select shutter priority mode. or program P - the camera, when shooting each next frame, will re-evaluate the exposure and choose some kind of aperture, which will inevitably lead to a change in brightness from frame to frame, which in turn will lead to flickering in the frame. Aperture must be clearly set.
3. It is better to refuse automatic ISO selection, you must select and set the desired value.
4. Set the desired white balance but not automatic. On a cloudy day it can be a cloud, on a clear day it can be the sun. Otherwise, the white balance can also “walk” from frame to frame, which will inevitably lead to color jumps in the video.
5. floating exposure. If you choose aperture priority, say f/8, then the camera will reselect the shutter speed every next frame, lengthening it as it gets dark in the evening, and shortening it at dawn. When shooting on a bright day, this can again harm the video if the sun hides behind a cloud, after which it looks out again and so on - brightness jumps are inevitable. Or a passerby will accidentally appear in the frame - for the picture this will only add dynamics, but we are provided with a jump in brightness.

Multiple exposure

Like most modern Nikon DSLRs, the D610 can shoot multiple exposure style shots. Overlay 2 or 3 frames is available, while you can shoot in RAW. By default, the maximum time between exposures is 30 seconds, this time can be extended using Custom Setting c2 (Standby timer). As with HDR, the menu can be set to On. (series) or On (single shot) - in the first case, the camera will take one multiple exposure, and you can start shooting the next, while in the second case, after shooting one multiple exposure, the camera will automatically switch this setting to Off.

There is also such a parameter as "Auto Gain". This setting should be adjusted to your taste, the manual does not give any specific recommendations in this regard, except that it suggests disabling auto-gain if the background is dark.

Shooting in multiple exposure style is not an easy creative task. If in the case of HDR you can at least roughly imagine what the future frame will look like (for example, mentally darken the sky and brighten the shadows on the ground), when shooting Time Lapse, you can again mentally speed up the movement of clouds in the sky or the course of any events, then in the case of multiple exposure, it is incredibly difficult to imagine the future frame.

Anyone interested in multiple exposure can be recommended to study the works of the masters, and you can start with the works

Many people dream of a high-quality full-frame camera for not too much money. And the Nikon company went to meet the buyers and offers the D610 model with an FX matrix. This is more likely not an improvement on the predecessor Nikon D600, but a fix, because the previous camera is also gorgeous.

What has changed

Basically, the camera completely repeats its predecessor. But! The shutter has been improved, it has become a bit faster (6 frames per second), a general improvement in ergonomics and individual elements. As the engineers themselves say, the most important fix is ​​getting rid of the shutter grease stains on the matrix, which the D600 model often sinned.

Camera hardware

The autofocus module is almost identical to that of the Nikon D7100. However, due to the size of the matrix, sometimes it seems that all the points are located in the center.

Fast autofocus, allows you to focus perfectly even in moderate lighting. True, sports games cannot be filmed due to the limited size of the focus area.

But in complete darkness, autofocus starts to go blind, and it needs to be illuminated. Flash can do it. She's built in. good quality. This is great when you need to go on vacation, but it’s inconvenient to carry additional equipment: several lenses will increase the weight of the bags anyway, and an external flash will add additional grams. For flights it is especially critical.

But there is one unpleasant moment. After taking a picture with the flash, it takes 3-4 seconds to recharge. At the same time, photography is not possible at all. You just have to wait.

Features Nikon D610

The Nikon D610 camera has very flexible and convenient settings. Two wheels allow you to quickly set the desired parameters, and two special modes U1 and U2 allow you to save two combinations of all parameters for later quick recall. There are usual, for cameras of this level, PASM modes (program, aperture priority, shutter speed, manual). There are also "Auto" and "Scene" modes, which are practically not needed in a camera of this level. Except for beginners.

There is an excellent HDR (high dynamic range) mode. In it, the camera takes 2 pictures with different exposures and glues them into one, keeping the lightest and darkest areas of the picture. The built-in gyroscope allows you not to fill up the horizon when shooting landscapes. There is a Live View mode for displaying the picture on the screen, and not through the viewfinder.

There are 2 SD card slots for memory cards. When buying cards, you should consider not only the class, but also the throughput. It is desirable that they have the inscription UHS (Ultra High Speed). The volume will need to be taken more, at least 32 gigabytes, since the resolution of the matrix is ​​​​24 megapixels and the pictures will turn out to be very large.

You can configure either parallel filling of both cards, or sequential. It is advisable to set this moment immediately and not change it, since sometimes photos that cannot be deleted may appear, or vice versa - an important frame will be in oblivion.

The device perfectly sets automatic parameters, and if you need to quickly take a picture, it will adequately assess the lighting and set the appropriate settings. At the same time, no one forbids them to exhibit themselves.

The Nikon D610 camera is an excellent choice for both beginners and professionals. Ample opportunities for shooting, a large number of settings, high-quality materials - all this is in the Nikon D610 Body camera.

Detailed specifications

Camera

Lens

Matrix

Functionality

Shooting modes

Viewfinder and LCD screen

exposition

Focusing

Memory and interfaces

Nutrition

Video and audio recording

Other functions and features

Dimensions and weight