D600 Dust/Oil/Lubricant Issue discussion/Discontinuation and price reductions

flight3

@Ton good to know that there are good ones out there, and I've heard of people "pretending" to have the D600 and that is annoying for people who are trying to decide on whether to buy the camera or not. I do believe that minus the dust/oil problem the D600 is a great camera...especially for the price.

Fredericko

@smadman

I checked my sensor again today and I only saw 2 small spots which I believe are dusts from changing my 50 and 24-70 lenses from time to time. I really love the photos I get from this camera, no regrets upgrading from my D90. I would highly recommend this camera, I think nikon will not address this problem in their website if they havent found any solution. If I were on your shoe I would buy it.. since you could have already enjoyed the photos you have taken from it specially that spring is here and all those lovely flowers in bloom are waiting to be photographed

smadman

@Fredericko

Well fortunately, spring comes a bit later here in New York City, so there's still some time left! Thanks for your update -- I think I'm feeling confident enough that Nikon has this licked that I might just pull the trigger on the D600. I'll probably head down to B&H in the next few days and have a talk with them about the current situation.

If Nikon truly *does* have this under control now, it might be a good idea to get a refurb D600 and save a few hundred bucks. Does anyone out there have any thoughts on the matter?

Fredericko

East coast seems to have only 2 kinds of weather and that is winter and summer, you see I think its gonna be in the 80's this week so its like summer already

Anyway if youre from NY I think Adorama has a refurb D600 for 1600.. just check

dustbuster

I am a d600 owner and I'd like to share my experience & thoughts with you all.
I'll try to keep it short, promise :-B

This is my 1st post as well. I decided to write this comment simply because most of the posts here and everywhere else seems somewhat incomplete. Of course, this post will reflect my own experience only.

By the way, I am not a pro, just an enthusiast, so don't crucify me if I don't make sense.

Here is the "EXIF" data of my experience

1- I purchased D600 back on January, 2013 from B&H in NYC (new). Serial # 3035xxx. I was hoping that I'll be the lucky one, but failed
2- After the first 20-30 shots I noticed some very small, almost invisible spots.
3- Decided to run a time-lapse test. 1st test was on 1/27/13 and I saw only a few (almost transparent) oil particles literally flying and getting stuck on my sensor. There were no black particles at this time.
4- What I've seen so far didn't bother me and I was enjoying my camera until this huge black (solid) particle appear and it was even visible on the back LCD on live-view mode. I even thought that this was dirt on the LCD cover and I tried to clean it then I realized that it's on the sensor. So, I ran sensor cleaning until camera wouldn't let me (I think it was 8 or 10 times back to back). Yes, particle disappeared but oil spots remained.
5- Time-lapse #2 on 2/28/13: more oil spots and black (solid) particles. Sensor cleaning actually worked on the black ones but oil remained and increased.
6- Time-lapse #3 on 3/4/13: shutter count # 4591, camera added 1-2 new oil spots to the previous ones. Now I had very badly visible 4 spots and about 8-9 almost invisible ones.
7- Taken to Nikon Service for sensor dust on 3/4/13. Service description "Service Repair Rank B2 / Repair".
8- Camera was ready for pickup on 3/18/13. Repair was free of charge. Repair sheet read following: RPL Shutter Mechanism, CLN Low Pass Filter, and bunch of "General Check & Clean".
9- Before I put my lens on I realized that metallic chamber around the sensor is not black anymore but it is goldish color metal. So I assumed that Nikon did change something in the camera.
10- At Nikon parking lot on 3/18/13 did a blue sky test @ F14, everything looked clear.
11- Checked shutter count, it was 4854, so Nikon probably shot 300 frames to test the camera.
12- Time-Lapse #4 on 3/22/13; only 2 new oil spots appeared, still no black solid particles.
13- Time-Lapse #5 on 4/13/13; no new oil spots or black particles (still a few almost transparent oil spots). By the way I upgraded the firmware and all looks great so far. Shutter count at this time was 7052.

Some final notes:
> All spots appeared on the very left side of the filter (on top, middle and bottom). Remaining areas of the filter has always been clean since the day 1.
> I ran my test always @ F14 and time-lapses were about 20 seconds long each @ 1 shot per 3 seconds.
> After Nikon's repair only 1 black particle appeared but camera's sensor cleaning option was able to clean it after 3-4 runs.

I am thinking about taking the camera to Nikon for one more cleaning since spots are not increasing and absolutely not visible up to F11. So, I guess problem somehow has gone finally.

I am very happy with this camera and getting lots of compliments from my family and friends. Even though the way Nikon handled the whole situation is definitely not right, it still is a great camera and I would definitely recommend it to anyone (including my enemies)

Thanks for listening, Mike...

[Deleted User]

So, that is what I call information, thank you Mike.

Fredericko

Wow its really pretty short Mike But very informative.. thank you!

donaldejose

Just checked my D600 for dust spots at 4,600 exposures. None seen. The last sensor cleaning was at 3,300 exposures, about 1,300 exposures ago. Perhaps the issue is over for me.

smadman

@donaldjose - Very interesting....did you get the shutter mechanism replaced?

donaldejose

smadman: no, I just kept cleaning it as the spots appeared. I have cleaned it three times so far and it has been 1,300 shots since the last cleaning with no new spots appearing. My theory is that there is some internal "dust" or "grindings" on a part which was insufficiently cleaned before assembly and some "excess lube" on the shutter which sprays off. After about 3,000 exposures the excess lube has all come off and the dust or grindings have all come out. Thus, if we do a few cleanings before 5,000 exposures we will have taken almost all of this stuff out of the camera and only normal dust will appear on the sensor thereafter. I think Nikon cleans the camera and puts in a new shutter with less lube in their "fix." I will check mine about every 2,000 exposures for a while and if no problems appear extend that to checking every 5,000 exposures and then every 10,000 exposures.

[Deleted User]

Same here, but by me the shutter is replaced by shot 2281. Now shot 4651 after many lens changes and TC-1.4 on and off, lot of dust, with some simple blowing with the Giotto, all gone, no dust at all, business as usual.

dustbuster

Wow these are encouraging news. Hopefully the scale will turn positive for the sake of all those D600 users out there. Oh mine still clean since my last post. By the way can someone please tell me the best wet cleaning kit for my D600? Sooner or later I will have to do this but there are lots of conflicting reviews out there. Thanks again!

donaldejose

Using both I have found this moose peterson method better than the Peter Gregg method.

http://www.moosepeterson.com/blog/2012/06/11/sensor-cleaning-with-copperhill/

spraynpray

Using both I have found this moose peterson method better than the Peter Gregg method.

http://www.moosepeterson.com/blog/2012/06/11/sensor-cleaning-with-copperhill/

Who would get Kermit the Frog to do their voice over? ;-)

I like that mega kit for $88.95.

Msmoto

Somehow, I like the way Peter Gregg emphasizes the idea of keeping the camera pointing down so dust cannot drop in and also blowing out the mirror box immediately prior to the swab being used.

donaldejose

Yes, I also like those aspects of the Peter Gregg method and I have a number of his sensor swipes. The last time I cleaned my sensor I couldn't get all the spots off with his method but they did come off with the Copperhill method. It cleaned spots his system couldn't get. Still it took one Peter Gregg treatment and then two more Copperhill wet treatments before I was able to remove all the spots. I think the difference is really in the solution the copperhill method uses. If I put a drop of that solution on one of Peter Gregg's sensor swipes instead of fogging the sensor with my breath I think it would work just as well.

rensuchan

Just thought you all may want to see my experience...

http://rensuchanphotography.com/2013/04/nikon-d600-sensor-oil/

I'll update it in a few months if I notice the problem come back after a cleaning but I'm over 8000 actuations now so I'm not expecting it to be a major problem anymore.

Nik0n2011

hi

i am reading all the discussion for the d600 oil-dust problems
i'm currently owning a d7000 and i have seen the very same problem (oil or dust, round spots and i have been following oil-dust discussions before i bought the d7000.)

now i think i have more than 17.000 actuations, and i must say i have cleaned the sensor ONE TIME ONLY with a Giotto air blower (violent shots of air from the center of the sensor to the outside of it (it would be senseless to shoot from the outside to the inside isnt it ?) of course the mirror must go up also :-)


my question to the people with problems are

are you swapping lens a lot ? are you swapping lenses a lot outside ?
can you do a basic-careful-simple sensor cleaning ? (dslr face down, airblower (with other end closed for new dirt to come in)) in the proper way?

please dont answer me : i have spent 500.000 euros/dollars/pounds i pretend a free-magic-etc machine
that is in part right but in part a dslr user IS SUPPOSED to be :

1) extremely careful with this camera (a compact wont get lenses changed and shall have less-no spots coming and going, however a compact user might not require any internal knowledge (a young lady looking for pointshooting)

2) you should know the internal mechanics more and basic cleaning of THIS TOOL
it's not a crocodile bag, it's a tool for work and as a tool for work it needs maintenance, knowledge and more.

dont take it wrong, you may have a good chance of a defective item, however there is a lot of chances too that many users cannot live with what is 'normal' (i have had the feeling before i removed the spots, but as it worked i am shooting happily)

i'm looking forward for the d600 (as a wise extra-golden rule never buy when an item just comes out, you are highly prone to problems (added to your shooting environment etc))


IF i end up buying this model in 20-30 days
i'll let you follow (if you care) what happens with my copy of it


cheers

Nik0n2011

i forgot to say, that every time i perform (d7000) the inside camera sensor cleaning, spots came back randomly (i was thinking the opposite) since then i turned it off and i only do the giottoairblowing (not random blower with open end (sucks new dirt inside)) camera facing down, and blow strongly repeatedly from centerTooutside, do not touch the sensor with the blower.
im posting soon a pic of clear background, i havent cleaned the camera for months and this (d7k is supposed to be a problems-prone camera -oilstuff)
lets see (i dont know whats coming out ) brb

Nik0n2011

1.8f

Nik0n2011

when there were spots, they were all round spots and you could notice them clearly or blurred no matter what.

last addition:

- if you use a normal blower you may suck new dust inside, buy one with 1 filtered end

- if you keep the camera face up while cleaning you are just MOVING spots/dust/oil inside the camera, from one spot to another (from the top of the sensor to inside the camera, out of the sensor, but there awaiting to jump back), the very same dust-pieces will move back shortly thru your 101 lens swaps and camera play around.

spraynpray

@NikOn2011: I have a few normal spots and one nasty one on my D7000 now which will not come off with air but my sensor looks pristine if I look at an image taken at f1.8 8-|

Take one at f22 and show us.

Nik0n2011

ok here is at f22



does the round one look like oily ?
lets try to clean

spraynpray

Yeah that's more like it. You have got about as many spots as me - but not any like the 'rock' one that is stuck on mine.

Don't worry, forget them, be happy, shoot. They affect NOTHING.

[Deleted User]

The Giotto don't suck dust inside, other blowers do. I change lenses a lot, I Always get dust inside. Sometime when I change the lens, mirror up, do a couple of blows with the Giotto, that is all.

The camera shop do the wet cleaning for me once, or twice a year. Cost 25 euro and I can wait for it.

I have a wet cleaning set and know how to do it, but since my D70, which I bought in 2004, I hardly used it.

There are Always spots on my sensor, they were there on my dia's and negatives too. I don't use f/16 that often and never f/22 or higher (macro maybe), so my spots are never visible on the photo. Everything with my D600 is now the same as it was with my D70, D200 and D300.

Edit: saw your photo and this is normal for me.

O, I had a rock one as spraynpray also on my D300, so I bought myself a sensorklear loupe with a sort of pen and could remove it, thus I used it once last year.