D600 issues

I am having some serious issues with the Nikon D600. I used to have a Canon XTi. Then, I moved to Micro 4/3. Currently, I have the Olympus OM-D E-M5 as well as the D600. My problems with the D600 are:
1. Auto WB. It works so bad on my camera, I am wondering if I got a bad D600. When I shoot landscape I have to manually move WB to daylight setting. If I use Auto Balance I get horrible colors. Shouldn't Auto WB switch automatically to Daylight setting? Most of the time Auto WB is selecting wrong colors. The only way for me to get a good WB is setting it myself. My OM-D for instance has a fantastic Auto WB. I am surprised that my D600's AWB is so bad. Did I get a bad camera at the store?
2. I am having some sharpness issue. It might be the kit lens on the Nikon D600. I have taken 2 pictures, one with the OM-D and the other with the D600. The picture on the OM-D is super sharp. I can't say the same of the D600. I will post the pictures once I figure out how to do it.
3. of course, the oil dust problem, but that's ok. I can clean the sensor.

I am wondering if I am the only person experiencing these issue and if I should simply replace my D600.

I love the pictures I take with it when I spend time customizing everything: WB, exposure, etc. But when I use Auto settings, most of the pictures are not that good. It is kind of nice to use Auto settings when I need to take a fast picture.

On the other side, the OM-D takes great pictures with the Auto settings but can't match great pictures taken with a full frame camera, especially portraits.

Any advice or help is very much appreciated.

I am still within the return deadline.

The picture above is from the D600. The picture below is from the OM-D. Look how sharp the OM-D is! But how is that possible, there must be a problem either with my D600 or the kit lens 24-85mm. I am using a prime lens on the OM-D, Olympus 45mm.

now here is an example of horrible white balance selection from the AWB on the Nikon D600.



and here below is the good AWB from the Olympus OM-D E-M5



Also look how sharp the OM-D is compared to my D600.

I have taken some 500 pictures of comparison between the two. I can post a few more if you are interested.

Of course, if I spend some time on the D600 I can get some fantastic portrait pictures that I can't get on the Micro 4/3 sensor. But only if I spend time and create my setting of AWB, exposure, etc.

Did I get a bad D600, any comment?

Nikon D600, 24-85mm lens, AWB


and here Olympus OM-D E-M5, Lumix 20mm, AWB

Very frustrating, the OM-D is sharper and the WB is 100 times better.

Things get better on the D600 if I manually select WB to daylight



Below is a picture from the OM-D. Nice AWB and also the picture looks sharper. Perhaps this is due to the superior lens: Lumix 20mm.

Are you taking pictures in raw or jpg? If jpg, may be you should set the color space is sRGB. But if you are shooting in raw, sRGB or adobe rgb will make no difference.

Also, what metering are you using in d600...matrix or spot. Is this the same on the Olympus?

- william - via tapatalk

There's no EXIF data available on these images, so it's really hard to evaluate what might be causing your issues.

I have not experienced those issues, except a bit of dust. Exchange it if you can.

I'm sure you checked this but there are 2 different AUTO settings for white balance, one of which is set to yield warmer colors (AUTO2). If you haven't looked, check this by moving right in the shooting menu when you're selecting AUTO under WHITE BALANCE.

thanks for all of your help.


Regarding the questions:
- I have been shooting jpeg
- sRGB
- metering matrix
- I am using Auto1

What about the softness of the image. Would this be the lens or a focusing problem of the camera?

I sure hope you get this one sorted out, whichever way it goes. I've had mine for a good handful of months now. My brother bought one a few months ago and then a good friend bought one just a few weeks ago and they both agreed with me (especially if you owned a model like the D300 previously like we did) that initially the D600 is a little hard to get used to and that it is also a lot more software controlled in comparison but once you "click" with it, life's pretty good with the D600. We've had differring amounts of dust issues. I had a very minor issue which was taken care of with a swabbing at about 600 shots. My brother was likewise but may have had more dust. My friend had a bit of "visible" dust in his first handful of shots (but no more actual particles than mine under closer scrutiny) which I blew away with the blower bulb for him.

Apart from this, we all agree that the D600 is a marvelous camera, a very capable camera, without a doubt. It's not a perfect camera and it could have been ergonomically laid out a bit better, but it sure takes a very good photo at the end of the day. Many or all of our slight criticisms of the D600 were directly related to comparisons to past cameras, such as I mentioned, the D300 and therefore were not truly issues or gripes but just our own tastes in previous cameras and that we needed to adapt before summing up the D600's layout. Like I said to my brother after we both agreed that the D300's button layout and control was a bit better and why didn't Nikon just make it the exactly same or similar - "If they did that we'd moan that it was just an updated D300,, now we can't moan".

I am only an amateur photographer for the love of it, they are both award and/or competition winners with cameras in the past so they know what they are talking about and know their gear... Me, I just know when I have something worth having in my hand, but not necessarily why, hahahahaha...

I hope you get it sorted out and don't be in too much of a hurry to denounce the D600's capabilities,, because "It Can"....

What mode are you shooting in??? Like someone mentioned, having the exif data might help get your questions answered