The Nikon D610 offers the same professional image quality that you'd find in a camera many times its price. For that reason alone, it's an excellent choice for those who need professional-quality images, but aren't quite ready to splurge on the more expensive options out there.

A good price puts professional image quality in reach for budget-conscious shooters

Battery life is below average

If you are interested in full-frame shooting and are looking for a camera that delivers amazing dynamic range, excellent image quality, and full feature set with great performance for both still images and video, all for around $2000, then look no further… this is your camera.

Excellent Image Quality; Amazing Dynamic Range; High quality performance; Full range of features; Dual SD card slots; Shutter fix is an improvement over the D600; full frame; weather sealed camera with loads of features for the price

Small AF coverage compared to some other full-frame DSLRs; Wifi not included; purchase as optional accessory; AF struggles a bit in very low light; gets there but is slow; 1/200 sync speed for flash; 1/4000 top shutter speed (same as D600

The Nikon D610 ($1,999.95 direct, body only) is a minor update to the company's first entry-level full-frame D-SLR, last year's D600 . The only notable change is a new shutter that supports a slightly faster burst rate.

Excellent high-ISO quality; Uncompressed 1080p workflow; 6.1fps shooting; 39-point AF system; Compact, full-frame body; Sharp rear display; Dual SD card slots

No GPS, Wi-Fi, or PC sync socket; Compressed control layout; Must initiate autofocus manually during video recording

Reviewing the D610 is a challenge because it's essentially the same as the D600 with only a handful of improvements. Nikon introduced a new shutter mechanism with the D610 and with it came a slight boost in continuous shooting speed - 5.5 fps to 6 fps - and a new Quiet Continuous mode.

Outstanding high ISO performance in both JPEG and Raw files; High quality JPEG images at default settings; Wide dynamic range in Raw files; Consistently pleasing metering and white balance results; Solid build quality and weather-sealing; Responsive camera when adjusting settings and handling; Dual...

Small coverage area of AF array compared to its peers; Slow AF in live view and video modes; Rear LCD prone to glare in bright sunlight; No 'live' aperture control in live view or video mode; No histogram in live view; When shooting in live view; rear screen is blacked out until data is written to...

The D610 is the D600 for all photographic purposes. Image-quality is identical with very slightly improved AWB and speed. Truly, these changes are minimal. The D600 being an excellent DSLR, so is the D610 without a doubt. The Nikon D610 essentially replaces the D600 with an identical twin.

Class-leading image noise; Class-leading dynamic-range; Good color-accuracy after tweaking; Speedy autofocus; Generally fast and responsive; Ultra-short black-out; Flexible self-timer and exposure delay; Very sharp LCD; Highly customizable with plenty of controls; Dual memory cards can provide...

Under-exposure more frequent than usual; Light entering OVF skews metering; Increased softness at ISO 3200; Strong anti-alias filter; EC button placement not ideal; Indistinct ISO button; Poor Live-view; not Exposure-Priority; Bizarre Auto ISO; Exposure Delay mode hidden in menu; No 16:9 guidelines...

The Nikon D610 is the camera last year's D600 was supposed to be, with a redesigned shutter mechanism that eliminates the dust-and-oil spot issue that plagued its predecessor. The new D610 keeps the affordable full-frame DSLR price point, as well as the excellent image quality, great ergonomics and...

Eliminated sensor dust-and-oil spot issue from D600; Great controls for amateur or pro; Comfortable ergonomics and weight; Excellent image quality and low-light performance; Very good dynamic range; Excellent battery life; Built-in lens correction, Dust/oil on sensor problem from D600 fixed with...

Not drastically different from D600; Moire with certain subjects; Auto WB still too warm in incandescent light; Slow AF in live view mode; Aliasing in videos, Main point of this upgrade is to fix problem on previous model; few added features are just minor tweaks, Second function button oddly...

Specs wise, the D610 isn't as eye-popping as some of its full-frame counterparts, but don't let that deter you from this DSLR that shoots excellent stills and videos.

Superior full-frame stills; Quality Full HD videos; Good feel and response

Expensive; heavy – but totally expected; Specs not world-class; Onboard mono mic

The Nikon D610 is their most affordable and compact full-frame (FX-format) camera. Both image quality and overall performance are excellent, and the video capabilities outperform most dSLRs on the market. Read more in our Full Conclusion .

iAuto shooting mode is accurate and easy in all situations; Dedicated Video Capture Button is always ready to record; Overall performance is incredibly fast; Amazing image quality at lower ISO settings; Higher ISO settings do produce a lot of noise; but are all good for each setting when compare to...

Not really a new camera model; more of a fix for the D600 issues; Highest ISO settings are over the top with image noise; Fixed screen; not movable to help in awkward shooting situations; No built-in WiFi

Nikon offers an update with the D610, and it's a pretty solid camera.

As I have pointed out in the beginning of this review, the Nikon D610 is what the D600 should have been when it was initially launched. Without fully acknowledging the dust issue on the D600, Nikon released the D610 as if it was a whole different camera.