Nikon to offer D600 shutter replacement to address 'dust' issue

[Syborg1211]

Nikon to offer D600 shutter replacement to address 'dust' issue

Finally! I got my D600 sensor professionally cleaned locally at 6k actuations and was pretty pissed to see more dust appear again by 12k.

 

[CuriousMike]

Wow, that is huge news.
I should have picked up a fire sale D600...

 

[Anubis]

someone say fire sale?

 

[destrekor]

I was just recently considering sending in my D600 under warranty for service. I've seen the issue, but since buying in the Spring of 2013, I've only put on about 3500 shots.

I was really, really tempted to send it in recently after hearing that some users were getting the D610 instead of having any work done on their D600 body. Something tells me they actually are tearing open these ones and replacing the entire shutter mechanism instead of sending out new D610s to these users. I probably missed the only shot at a nice little upgrade by delaying it.

Either way, I just filed for service under the service advisory.

I have heard of some users, previously sending in their D600 and actually getting a brand new shutter mechanism (last year), but that shutter was still the same exact shutter that caused the problems in the first place (it's presumed the issue is due to oil getting splattered out of the shutter mechanism itself onto the sensor).
If they are doing the same thing, and using the same class of shutter as originally found in the D600, hopefully they found a way to fix it. Otherwise, I'm not sure if it's compatible, but hopefully they are using the shutter mechanism that is in the D610. That shutter is capable of other features, ones that the D600 won't be able to support due to the rest of the body not being built around them (slightly faster burst capture framerate, and a new quiet shutter mode)... but either way, as long as it can fit and doesn't spray oil, I think that solves the real concern on the old bodies.

 

[tdawg]

Well I know what I'm doing with mine once I get back from vacation!

 

[AViking]

Huge news for me. Absolutely huge. Nikon totally fucked me. I contacted them when I was under warranty and they gave me the run around until my warranty expired 2 months later. Being overseas they insisted that I send it to the USA for service using their online form but the online service only worked if I lived in the USA and was sending and receiving it from a US address. It had no method of dealing with people who moved overseas. Message after message on their online service center took too long until my warranty expired. I have like 56 spots on my sensor that will not move. All this despite me having a Nikon service center 20 minutes from here.

 

[AViking]

Yeah called them up. No more stupid forms, websites, customer service agents, tickets, etc. 20 minute metro trip, drop it off, pick it up in a few days. Awesome!

 

[Anteaus]

As I reported last year, Nikon was already offering this service for free for D600. I sent mine early last summer expecting to be charged but they cleaned it for free and it only took about 8 days door to door if my memory is right.

It's good that Nikon is publically offering them though.

 

[destrekor]

As I reported last year, Nikon was already offering this service for free for D600. I sent mine early last summer expecting to be charged but they cleaned it for free and it only took about 8 days door to door if my memory is right.

It's good that Nikon is publically offering them though.

Most often, they were only cleaning.

And from what I had heard, sometimes they did replace the shutter mechanism entirely, but I had read many reports of the brand new shutter having the same issue with oil splatter.

Hopefully they've now had a brand new shutter mechanism assembled that is free from defects - this time around, they do seem to be pointing directly at a need to replace the entire shutter.

 

[AViking]

As I reported last year, Nikon was already offering this service for free for D600. I sent mine early last summer expecting to be charged but they cleaned it for free and it only took about 8 days door to door if my memory is right.

It's good that Nikon is publically offering them though.

If you were under warranty. And that was only a cleaning. This is for everyone, is a cleaning, and a full replacement of the shutter if needed. Rather large difference.

 

[Anteaus]

If you were under warranty. And that was only a cleaning. This is for everyone, is a cleaning, and a full replacement of the shutter if needed. Rather large difference.

Good point. I didn't read it through enough. Free shutter replacement is a big deal. I guess I'll send mine in a couple months. I don't have any real dust issues right now but I have vacation in the fall so it would be nice to have it done with plenty of time for test shots before then.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Woohoo! Now I just need to make mine oily in the first place . . .

 

[Syborg1211]

Woohoo! Now I just need to make mine oily in the first place . . .

How many shots have you taken with it? My guess is that it's there, and you're either not noticing it or not using it in such a way that it shows up as obviously. I do studio shooting on a white background a lot... spots on the sensor show up super easily.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

How many shots have you taken with it? My guess is that it's there, and you're either not noticing it or not using it in such a way that it shows up as obviously. I do studio shooting on a white background a lot... spots on the sensor show up super easily.

Probably a couple of thousand. I will have to try some bright background/narrow aperture shots to see if the spots are there - I have never noticed any.

 

[destrekor]

Probably a couple of thousand. I will have to try some bright background/narrow aperture shots to see if the spots are there - I have never noticed any.

Have you never changed the lens on the camera?

Oil spatter or regular usage, every single digital camera will get dust on the sensor on a fairly routine basis.

For the most part, simply blowing at the sensor (careful not to spit!) or, better yet, using a small little air bulb, is usually more than enough. Sometimes a brush tool (approved for sensors) is warranted for stubborn dust.

But outside of having been in a very nasty environment, even solvent-based cleaners should be extreme overkill, as should any brushes. But sometimes the act of changing lenses is enough, or you use a lens where the back elements and lens construction allow the lens to "breathe" into the shutter assembly during focusing or zooming. My Tokina 16-28 F2.8 does that - you can feel it with your hand.

Point being - unless you haven't changed lenses, ever... you've gotta at least have some fine dust. It's the excessive, repetitive (in the same general area of the sensor), and extremely stubborn "stuck-on" dust that is a step or five beyond the bane of all digital photographers.

 

[AViking]

I have a shutter count around 7000 and was one of the first to buy the camera. I knew about the dust problem almost right after I bought the camera and took a picture of a white wall. Sure a few in the upper left corner but I wasn't spotting them in my images. However after a thousand shots or so it was out of control bad. Any shot with a sky in it would look awful. A blower cleaned it up a bit but there was just too many spots and they were all stuck in the top left corner. In the sunlight I could see that the spots on the sensor were not moving with the blower.

So I would say that if it's not bothering you that's great but take a picture with a nice blue sky in it and see what it looks like. I'm not convinced that taking a picture of a white wall is going to tell you much. All sensors get dust on them but it's not a problem until it's bad enough to ruin images.

 

[AViking]

But outside of having been in a very nasty environment, even solvent-based cleaners should be extreme overkill, as should any brushes. But sometimes the act of changing lenses is enough, or you use a lens where the back elements and lens construction allow the lens to "breathe" into the shutter assembly during focusing or zooming. My Tokina 16-28 F2.8 does that - you can feel it with your hand.

I have that lens and have never noticed that. It's weather sealed as far as I know. I've used it in some wet and -30 degree environments and it's a beast as far as I can tell. I love that lens. Where do you feel it?

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Have you never changed the lens on the camera?

Oil spatter or regular usage, every single digital camera will get dust on the sensor on a fairly routine basis.

For the most part, simply blowing at the sensor (careful not to spit!) or, better yet, using a small little air bulb, is usually more than enough. Sometimes a brush tool (approved for sensors) is warranted for stubborn dust.

But outside of having been in a very nasty environment, even solvent-based cleaners should be extreme overkill, as should any brushes. But sometimes the act of changing lenses is enough, or you use a lens where the back elements and lens construction allow the lens to "breathe" into the shutter assembly during focusing or zooming. My Tokina 16-28 F2.8 does that - you can feel it with your hand.

Point being - unless you haven't changed lenses, ever... you've gotta at least have some fine dust. It's the excessive, repetitive (in the same general area of the sensor), and extremely stubborn "stuck-on" dust that is a step or five beyond the bane of all digital photographers.

Of course I have changed lenses many times. I am not saying there is no dust or oil whatsoever, but I have never noticed any.

 

[destrekor]

I have that lens and have never noticed that. It's weather sealed as far as I know. I've used it in some wet and -30 degree environments and it's a beast as far as I can tell. I love that lens. Where do you feel it?

It's not a slam against the lens by any means - I love the thing.

The air is only felt at the lens mount. If you have the lens on its own, that is, not connected to the camera, place your palm near the mount assembly and zoom in and out - you should feel some slight air movement.

It's not necessarily a flaw, it's more or less the norm with lenses that have any actual lens travel.
I MIGHT be remembering wrong, and it was the Nikon 70-200 F2.8 I had rented that I was made aware of that happening with. I don't think so, as there is one difference with the Tokina that makes it more likely: the front element actually moves in and out based on focal distance. Most of the more expensive glass out there only allow internal elements to move, with the rear and forward elements remaining stationary. Which may or may not be what causes the air pressure differential.

More than anything, all that says is to be mindful that working with the lens may contribute to dust on a digital sensor, since that would be air blowing around inside of the mirror and shutter assembly while using the lens.
It wasn't significant, but enough to be felt.

 

[destrekor]

Of course I have changed lenses many times. I am not saying there is no dust or oil whatsoever, but I have never noticed any.

Lucky you!

I've only been able to notice dust when I have shots with a large swath of a light solid color (sky, interior walls, etc). And that's really only when digging into some in Lightroom.

 

[AViking]

When the camera got bad the spots were visible on pretty much any sky. I actually first noticed it while doing photography at dusk.

 

[Syborg1211]

Yea, I remember checking for dust at around 2-3k shots and thinking "oh sweet I don't have any dust issues like other people!" Then I did some shots at a kite festival with bright sky and small aperture and the spots were all over the place at 6k. I read most of the oil comes off by 5k so I went and got it cleaned, but the spots are back now at around 12k.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Does the D7000 have this issue too by chance? I recently cleaned mine, was kinda nervous about it and I'd have to do it again as I did not do a good job. Only notice if I crank the F stop very high. It's almost like an oil since blowing on it does not remove it.

 

[Anteaus]

The D7000 was claimed to have similar problems at release but I never had any issues with mine. I had close to 10,000 shots on it before I sold it in response to my buying a D600. The dust problem with the D600 did creep up on me when I was shooting landscapes in Utah at small apertures and clear skies, but Nikon cleaned it for free right after. Haven't had any issues since. I'm still going to get the free shutter swap though. My guess is that the updated shutter box is the only substantial difference between the D600 and D610.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Good to know, may be an isolated incident with mine, bought it used from a pro photographer so it probably got lot of lens swaps and it's very possible dust got in then.

Is rubbing alcohol safe to use? That's what I used the last time and it worked, but kinda nervous about it. Sure I could send it out somewhere to get cleaned but may as well learn to do it properly myself.