So the D60 I just bought had multiple dead pixels...

[kyzen]

So I just discovered that the Nikon D60 I just bought and was really excited about has some dead pixels on the sensor. 2 in the upper left, 2 in the lower middle, and 1 in the lower left.

I hadn't noticed them in the first 250 pictures or so I had taken since I got it Sunday, but I was taking some pictures of a storm today that were significantly darker than the others I've taken, and that's when the pixels became obvious.

Anyways, I took the camera back to Best Buy where I got a refund, as they didn't have any more D60's to exchange.

So, I'm now without a fun new toy, and trying to decide what to do.

Are dead pixels common on DSLRs? Did I overreact by replacing this right away?

I'm also trying to decide if I should replace my D60 with an identical model, or if I should look into other cameras, such as the D40, or a Rebel model, or a Sony a200k (which I could presently score with a 2nd lens for less than the cost of a D60), or whatever.

Any suggestions?

 

[xanis]

AFAIK, dead pixels are not common on DSLRs. You did the right thing by getting a refund. It's an expensive toy, don't settle for something that's flawed.

 

[soydios]

Camera sensors are never supposed to have dead or stuck pixels; you must've gotten one of the rare ones.

But, other than the dead pixels, if you liked the D60 then get another one. If you didn't like it and another model has something you want at a price you can pay, go for that one.

 

[kyzen]

Well that's the thing; I enjoyed it, but I barely got a chance to use it before noticing the pixels. I got the D60 mostly because I had a friend who loved his D40, so I figured the Nikon line was pretty reliable. Unfortunately, I got the D60 at a relatively great price (as far as B&M retail goes) due to a combination of a sale and a coupon; both of which have since ended.

I don't know much about photography, besides what little I can remember from a high school class - where we used black and white film; certainly nothing digital.

So, since I'm sitting on about $600 now, and in need of a new camera... any suggestions besides the D60?

 

[QuixoticOne]

Ouch, I'm sorry you missed the sale / coupon. I'd have asked for an exchange to be made by having BB ship a replacement to your house or for store-pickup at the actual time of exchange if you still wanted a D60.
Actually if you go back to the same store I imagine they'd still be willing to get you a unit ordered and sell it to you at the price you paid for the one you originally got since you wanted an exchange to begin with and just didn't know how to proceed without risk to yourself since they were out of stock at the moment.

We've got a D50 and they're decent cameras, so I imagine the D60 generally is too. I've never
seen a dead pixel though they all eventually get something that's almost as bad -- dust stuck to the sensor path optics so the grains of dust show up as fixed "pixel" like blotches in all your photos. Sometimes
you can blow it off, other times not so easily or at all. But at least usually the color of the dust
pixels at least somewhat modulates according to the actual scene unlike some harsh totally unrelated
fully saturated pixel color.

As for others besides the D60.. eh I'd probably buy Nikon or Canon, and I'd look at which of the lenses
you like best to inform your decision. If you have a substantial investment in lenses that are compatible
with certain bodies, your choice becomes a lot simpler.

 

[ivan2]

My friend had 2 D60 with stuck pixels and then he gave up exchanging them and took a refund.

One thing I wonder is if the pixel is dead, hot or stuck.

Dead are the black ones. Hot are the ones that shows up in long exposure and stuck are the ones that always show up bright.

Hot pixel is unavoidable, however dead or stuck means bad sensor.

 

[Funyuns101]

Originally posted by: kyzen
Well that's the thing; I enjoyed it, but I barely got a chance to use it before noticing the pixels. I got the D60 mostly because I had a friend who loved his D40, so I figured the Nikon line was pretty reliable. Unfortunately, I got the D60 at a relatively great price (as far as B&M retail goes) due to a combination of a sale and a coupon; both of which have since ended.

I don't know much about photography, besides what little I can remember from a high school class - where we used black and white film; certainly nothing digital.

So, since I'm sitting on about $600 now, and in need of a new camera... any suggestions besides the D60?

You should've been able to exchange for another D60 at the store. Although they were currently out of stock, you could have asked (and they should have offered) to get a new one when it comes in stock.

That aside, I'd recommend you waiting for the superior D80 to drop in price as the inevitable D90 replaces it in the (very?) near future.

 

[kyzen]

Originally posted by: ivan2
My friend had 2 D60 with stuck pixels and then he gave up exchanging them and took a refund.

One thing I wonder is if the pixel is dead, hot or stuck.

Dead are the black ones. Hot are the ones that shows up in long exposure and stuck are the ones that always show up bright.

Hot pixel is unavoidable, however dead or stuck means bad sensor.

Well, with a lens cap on, taking a more or less normal length exposure, the pixels showed up as bright white, blue, and green.


So are Nikon's the way to go then?

 

[Funyuns101]

Originally posted by: kyzen

So are Nikon's the way to go then?

There's nothing wrong with Nikon and Canon you could even look at Pentax (like the K200D - currently the highest rated entry-level d-slr on Consumer Reports), Olympus and Sony who make good d-slr's. Like someone said, dead pixels are pretty rare on these cameras.

Looking at your other thread - if you bought and kept the Nikon lens - you should probably stay w/Nikon. Which is why I suggested the D80.
However, it's not too late for you to switch as you aren't heavily invested in one brand yet.

 

[kyzen]

I actually luckily hadn't ordered the lens yet - I bought a few generic things - a tripod, 2 bags, and a cleaning kit, so luckily I'm not invested in a particular brand yet.

Perhaps I'll wait and see how low the D80 goes...

 

[twistedlogic]

You may not have to wait, just the announcement of the D90 should push a lot of used D80's into the market.

The problem with waiting is that you may miss some nice photo ops and you miss out on learning how to use a DSLR's features. And if your like me, that $600 you have laying around may not stay around too long as something else might pop up. I had some nice plans for my stimulus check but alas it all went into the wifes POS car.

I suggest that if you do wait, get a head start on learning how to use your new toy by reading up on some photo books. Not only will it help with your photography, but it will also help you from making a mistake in buying accessories you might not need, like slow glass, he he.

Does your friend still have a D40? If he has any lenses or accessories to use other than the kit lens, I'd suggest you stick with Nikon so you guys can swap lenses if needed.

 

[ivan2]

Originally posted by: kyzen

Originally posted by: ivan2
My friend had 2 D60 with stuck pixels and then he gave up exchanging them and took a refund.

One thing I wonder is if the pixel is dead, hot or stuck.

Dead are the black ones. Hot are the ones that shows up in long exposure and stuck are the ones that always show up bright.

Hot pixel is unavoidable, however dead or stuck means bad sensor.

Well, with a lens cap on, taking a more or less normal length exposure, the pixels showed up as bright white, blue, and green.


So are Nikon's the way to go then?

With the cap on, does it do like a 1 second exposure or something like 1/60 that is more commonly used. If it shows up in more or less a 1 second exposure then it sounds like hot to me, try to shoot a piece of white paper in indoor light, and see if the dots are still as strong.

There are many free programs to get rid of hot pixels if you want to give that a try, try to google that and you will find plenty.

 

[Heidfirst]

KM/Sonys have pixel remapping & I would imagine that other makers' DSLRs do too (a quick Google suggests that they do) .

 

[jpeyton]

My D60 (in fact every Nikon DSLR I've owned) has never had a dead-pixel problem *KNOCK ON WOOD*.

 

[Heidfirst]

if you Google pixel remapping the first 2 results are for Nikon

 

[ZOXXO]

Originally posted by: Heidfirst
if you Google pixel remapping the first 2 results are for Nikon

Really? My first results were for Nikon, Olympus then Canon.

 

[Funyuns101]

Originally posted by: kyzen
I actually luckily hadn't ordered the lens yet - I bought a few generic things - a tripod, 2 bags, and a cleaning kit, so luckily I'm not invested in a particular brand yet.

Perhaps I'll wait and see how low the D80 goes...

check it out, even a fellow AT'er has one for sale~
About the price you paid for that D60, no?