NIkon D600 coming soon?

not an actual D600 image

There have been a lot of rumors floating around the internet about an affordable full-frame Nikon in the works. Supposedly the moniker is to be the D600. Some of the speculations are saying it's replacement for the D700 which has been out there for quite a while.

From the specs that have been showing up all over the internet, this camera has a lot more in common with the D7000 than the D700.

Some of the reputed specs include:

• 24MP sensor
• 39 point AF 
• U1 and U2 user settings
• Dual memory slot SD cards
• 5fps

The rest of the specs are standard among most current Nikon DSLR's these days. 

• 1080p video
• in-camera RAW editor
• intervalomerter / time lapse 
• Fn button
• ADL

The camera will probably be much smaller than the D700. Based on the top specs (39 point AF, User settings, SD cards), I think it will probably be closer in size to the D7000 with the same 1/2 magnesium 1/2 polycarbonate body design . Hopefully it will use the same MB-D11 grip as the D7000 and they don't spring a new double-priced grip on Nikon buyers like they did with the D800 and the MB-D12. 

The BIG stink I've been seeing is that there is to be no direct focus motor, which leaves you with using AF-S lenses only. Personally, I don't find this a problem. I have sold off all of my non-AF-S lenses long ago with the exception of a Sigma 17-35 EX that I use for my Nikon F90X film camera. 

I don't see this camera as being a good direct replacement for the D700 because of less focus points, lesser construction, the probable inclusion of scene modes (due to the User mode selection), and the terrible decision to use flimsy SD cards, and no focus motor, but at a $1500 price point I think Nikon will have a camera that will be even more popular and in demand than he D800 is right now.

This camera could possibly even spell the end of the high-end DX cameras leaving the 1.5X crop sensors to the entry to mid-level camera spots currently filled by the D3200, D5100, and D90. 

With a $1500 FX camera coming out in the DXXX range, I'd be hard pressed to say that the D400 would be an $1800 DX even though a D300s replacement would have to be a full magnesium, CF/SD, 51 AF point camera with the new 91K RGB metering sensor. 

Then again, this is all just speculation, but a nice light-weight affordable FX camera will be an excellent and welcome addition to the Nikon stable and possibly a real winner for Nikon.