Oil spots/AF issues--called Nikon for service
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Good for me that when I reshot at f/16 and f/22, they still saw the problem and will fix it under warranty.
Thanks for this. Yep, a good read.
The repair status is listed as a B2 (Moderate Repair Major Parts Replaced), and it lists the following problems to be addressed. I even called last night to ask that the shutter either be repaired or replaced to alleviate future problems so I hope the 'B2' status means a shutter replacement. I don't know for sure though.
| • SENSOR DUST • REMOVE THE SPOTS • NOT FOCUSING • READ NOTE EXPLAINING FOCUS ISSUE |
Today when I checked the repair status, all it said was Billing (it's warranty so no payment necessary); however, I wasn't able to determine what repairs were performed. Since I had to call and authorize the estimate on my 20mm lens which is also there for repair, I addressed everything.
According to the rep, the shutter mechanism was replaced, the low-pass filter was cleaned, the mirror angle was adjusted, and the auto focus was adjusted. I questioned the mirror angle adjustment because I wasn't aware of any problem but all she could tell me was they return everything to factory specs--so it must have needed it although I don't know how they determined something was out of specs. The camera should remain in Quality Control for another couple of days before it gets shipped out.
According to the rep, the shutter mechanism was replaced, the low-pass filter was cleaned, the mirror angle was adjusted, and the auto focus was adjusted. I questioned the mirror angle adjustment because I wasn't aware of any problem but all she could tell me was they return everything to factory specs--so it must have needed it although I don't know how they determined something was out of specs. The camera should remain in Quality Control for another couple of days before it gets shipped out.
I'll bet you dollars to donuts that it will say the mirror box and shutter were both replaced. When I sent in my D7000 for oil spots they replaced both the mirror box and shutter mechanism since it was these parts that had the excess oil that was causing the problem in the first place. When my D7000 was returned it worked like a dream. Let's hope you have the same experience.
Although that's what I was told this afternoon, I received a UPS message that a label was created and a package will be shipped out soon. Maybe I'll have my D600 home soon!
Dave_W, I am still unable to access any parts info when I log into my account. I wasn't aware of any D7000 issues, but I hope my D600 works as well as your camera!
My D600 arrived a little while ago, and I immediately went outside and shot some photos of the sky. *sigh* The very first photo had an oil spot, and the more I shot, even more spots began appearing. So I switched the camera to continuous high and shot lots of photos then took a few more test photos. Only the shadows have been adjusted in PSE 10 so the spots are more apparent. These are not cropped--they represent the entire sensor. You probably can't enlarge the photos enough, but the spots are all over the sensor--not just in one area.
I added these 2 photos (the unedited versions) to my Nikon account so Nikon can see them. I may call to see if I can get their attention sooner rather than later. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but after seeing this, I don't believe they have a viable solution.
f/16
f/22
The very first photo had an oil spot, and the more I shot, even more spots began appearing. So I switched the camera to continuous high and shot lots of photos then took a few more test photos. Only the shadows have been adjusted in PSE 10 so the spots are more apparent. These are not cropped--they represent the entire sensor. You probably can't enlarge the photos enough, but the spots are all over the sensor--not just in one area.I added these 2 photos (the unedited versions) to my Nikon account so Nikon can see them. I may call to see if I can get their attention sooner rather than later. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but after seeing this, I don't believe they have a viable solution.
f/16
f/22
Oh man, that sucks. But could this merely be dust spots and a quick blow or two from a rocket blower take care of them? One thing to also be aware of is that you must clean the ends of your lenses every time you use them to insure they do not introduce dust when you change lenses. It's also important to place the lens end-cap in something like a clean ziplock bag and NOT in your pocket, otherwise it will transfer dust on the backside of your lens onto the "sensor".
Try blowing these out and see if it's just a simple dust issue and not oil
Try blowing these out and see if it's just a simple dust issue and not oil
Dave, I put one lens on the camera. The first photo only showed one spot, but the more I shot, the more spots showed up.
I just got off the phone with Nikon. Within the next 2 days I will receive a prepaid label. Now I did ask a question, and the response unnerved me. I asked if they redesigned the shutters, or were they still using the same shutters as the cameras initially had. According to this guy, to the best of his knowledge, Nikon did NOT redesign the shutters and were still using the same shutters. He said they were just getting better results now with them than they had initially. And if that is so, then I'm not surprised with the results.
I just got off the phone with Nikon. Within the next 2 days I will receive a prepaid label. Now I did ask a question, and the response unnerved me. I asked if they redesigned the shutters, or were they still using the same shutters as the cameras initially had. According to this guy, to the best of his knowledge, Nikon did NOT redesign the shutters and were still using the same shutters. He said they were just getting better results now with them than they had initially. And if that is so, then I'm not surprised with the results.
I think Nikon's solution is to take a crap shot at putting in another of the same shutter. I know some folks have had the issue "fixed" and some not. I have a feeling the number truly repaired correlates to the % without an issue in the first place, which would indicate no change. Without a concrete omission of failure there appears not to be a concrete solution. The "repair" still seams to be an inconsistent mystery. I'm not sending mine in as I seem to have a middle of the road model where the issue was light and continues to dissipate over time.
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My main 2 reasons for sending my D600 in were:
- I wasn't able to remove all the spots no matter how many times I performed a wet cleaning. It was as if the low pass filter was stained.
- Despite cleaning the low pass filter, more oil spots developed while taking test shots. No matter how many times I wet cleaned it, new oil spots showed up (along with the spots I couldn't remove).
I asked a Nikon rep what they used to remove the spots, but she didn't know--and she said even if she did know, she didn't think I'd be privy to that information.
One thing that bothered me is I expected to have to sign for the package (shipped home via UPS) because of the camera's monetary value. I was waiting for the delivery, but the package was simply left outside, and no signature was necessary.
I used the prepaid label provided by Nikon to return my D600 so they can repair it again. Supposedly it will be delivered to Nikon today.
ARRRGH!!! At this point, I am really frustrated. Today I received an email with the status update. It simply says,
Sigh. I want the oil problem fixed so it stops spewing out oil. When I submitted a new photo, that person could see the oil spots. I will probably have to call Nikon AGAIN to make sure this gets resolved. So much for the Nikon supervisor who said she would make sure to follow my camera's progress when Nikon received it.
Sorry to rant....
Sigh. I want the oil problem fixed so it stops spewing out oil. When I submitted a new photo, that person could see the oil spots. I will probably have to call Nikon AGAIN to make sure this gets resolved. So much for the Nikon supervisor who said she would make sure to follow my camera's progress when Nikon received it.
Sorry to rant....
Sorry about the troubles that you are experiencing. Main reason why I am not even considering the D600 or any future cameras until we get enough feed backs from early testers. I learned my lessons with the D800 but I'm glad that it was easily resolved and now I can't complain with its performance.
Don Kuykendall_RIP
RIP :(
ARRRGH!!! At this point, I am really frustrated. Today I received an email with the status update. It simply says,
Sigh. I want the oil problem fixed so it stops spewing out oil. When I submitted a new photo, that person could see the oil spots. I will probably have to call Nikon AGAIN to make sure this gets resolved. So much for the Nikon supervisor who said she would make sure to follow my camera's progress when Nikon received it.
Sorry to rant....
Don't be sorry for the rant. Sounds like you are totally justified. This problem is well known to Nikon by now I am sure. They should not even be questioning you on the problem but instead just replacing all the parts that are causing the problem. You know they have it figured out by now. You have every right to be upset.
ARRRGH!!! At this point, I am really frustrated. Today I received an email with the status update. It simply says,
Sigh. I want the oil problem fixed so it stops spewing out oil. When I submitted a new photo, that person could see the oil spots. I will probably have to call Nikon AGAIN to make sure this gets resolved. So much for the Nikon supervisor who said she would make sure to follow my camera's progress when Nikon received it.
Sorry to rant....
Keep on them! Should not have had to send it in twice!
That's ridiculous, should have had signature required! That always worries me when I order something expensive.
Surprisingly I received my camera back from service tonight. When I first spoke with a supervisor about the camera still having oil spots, I was told to send it back, and Nikon would identify whatever was causing the oil and replace it. Sounds good, doesn't it?
Except nothing was replaced at all. Supposedly the low pass filter was cleaned again; however, I even question whether that was even done.
This is the very first shot out of the camera (shadows adjusted so the spots are more visible):
Here is the same image, but I cropped it so only the upper right corner of the photo is displayed. This represents 25% of the sensor:
And I don't know what that light colored blob is. Since I cleaned my lenses for tomorrow's photo walk, I doubt it's from the lens. It certainly wasn't there the last time I took a test shot either. It was getting dark outside tonight so I won't be able to take any additional photos tonight.
So of course I called asking for the latest supervisor who helped me, but he wasn't available. They told me they'd leave a message to have him call me. Since they didn't ask for my name or any service order number, I asked if she knew my name. She immediately stated my name. I do have call block on my line so obviously Nikon has a way to unblock the feature--just giving you a heads up if you are ever in my position.
For those who are considering buying a D600, please make an informed choice. Do you want to go through this?
There is another thread here requesting people state the positives about the D600. In all honesty, I've had these spots for months and months now and haven't been able to get them to stop that I can't remember what it is like to obtain a decent photo from this camera. Of course the OP in that other thread condemns people such as me who keep posting about the oil/dust issue. Heck, if Nikon would actually fix the problem, perhaps there wouldn't be so many unhappy posts about the D600.
Except nothing was replaced at all. Supposedly the low pass filter was cleaned again; however, I even question whether that was even done.
This is the very first shot out of the camera (shadows adjusted so the spots are more visible):
Here is the same image, but I cropped it so only the upper right corner of the photo is displayed. This represents 25% of the sensor:
And I don't know what that light colored blob is. Since I cleaned my lenses for tomorrow's photo walk, I doubt it's from the lens. It certainly wasn't there the last time I took a test shot either. It was getting dark outside tonight so I won't be able to take any additional photos tonight.
So of course I called asking for the latest supervisor who helped me, but he wasn't available. They told me they'd leave a message to have him call me. Since they didn't ask for my name or any service order number, I asked if she knew my name. She immediately stated my name. I do have call block on my line so obviously Nikon has a way to unblock the feature--just giving you a heads up if you are ever in my position.
For those who are considering buying a D600, please make an informed choice. Do you want to go through this?
There is another thread here requesting people state the positives about the D600. In all honesty, I've had these spots for months and months now and haven't been able to get them to stop that I can't remember what it is like to obtain a decent photo from this camera. Of course the OP in that other thread condemns people such as me who keep posting about the oil/dust issue. Heck, if Nikon would actually fix the problem, perhaps there wouldn't be so many unhappy posts about the D600.