D600 Dirt/Oil problem still exist?

​Hello All,

This, I think is only my second post. I'm about ready to switch to Nikon from Pentax and Canon, but this dust/oil problem on the D600 has me worried. Not so much the actual problem (I guess Nikon will clean the camera if there is a problem) but more so the way Nikon is handling the problem. And not having my new camera if it does have the problem.


So...my question...


Does this problem still exist? It's been out six months or so, did they fix the problem yet? Should I wait for the D600 V2?


Thank you.

I just recently bought a D600 and after only a week, I had the Dust/Oil Problem happen to my unit. I even asked the salesperson at my local Camera Store about the issue before I bought the camera, and he informed me that he was not aware of such an issue. The place I bought it from has a solid reputation for their knowledge of all things Photo. So, you can imagine how upset I was to find out that the D600 I had purchased definitely had this problem! I could see the dust appear around F8 and it just became worse around F16.

After several days of cleaning up my images with Lightroom, I was frustrated enough to call them and ask about my options. The person on the phone that day, was well aware of the Dust/Oil issue on the D600 and was kind enough to listen to what my concerns were. He then contacted his Nikon rep, and later contacted me with their suggestion. Nikon suggested that I send in my 8 day old camera in for a clean up/Shutter Replacement. The wait time would be 2-3 weeks!

Nikon has a service bulletin out on their website addressing the concern. However, according to my Camera Store, the service bulletin has not become a "Service Alert" and because of that, not everyone knows about the issue, as Nikon had not released what serial numbers have been affected.

Here is the link:
To users of the D600 digital SLR camera

I asked my Camera store what they would do, and they simply said that I could have my D600 exchanged but I may still have the dust/oil issue with the next model.

So, basically I was taking a chance that it could happen again. I was worried that it would happen after my return period had elapsed.

Outside of the Dust Issue and the 1/4000th shutter speed limitation of the camera, I really liked it! It was my first full frame body as I was coming from a D90 to D7000 then to the D600. If the Dust Issue was not there, I would still own that camera. I felt that it was a great camera for a person like me. I take lots of pictures of my kids sports, and our lives, with some portraits of my neighbors and family for fun. I just wanted to have some professional results. I felt that after the camera had been out for almost 6 months, Nikon would have worked out the "Bugs" of this camera, but it seems like they have not. I am jealous of those who purchased a flawless D600, I wish I had!

Does this issue apply to the 800 too?

Nope. My Rep at the camera store specifically asked his Nikon rep about the D800, and was told that it definitely had not problems!

Because of that and the fact that it was $200 off currently, I picked one up.

GeeAirMo said:

Because of that and the fact that it was $200 off currently, I picked one up.

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Nice. Love ya work.

The oil/dust issue does not impact the D800 (it had a left focus issue initially that was quickly remedied). My understanding is that new production D600's should not exhibit this problem, but the fact is that there is no way of knowing how many were manufactured with the original shutter mechanism. Also, to be clear, Nikon is not just cleaning it for you, but it will replace the entire shutter mechanism. Cleaning you can do on your own if you're comfortable or you can take it somewhere to get it cleaned, but you may need to do this several times before the issue works itself out. So, best bet is that if you have the problem, send it back. Just realize that current wait time is about 3 weeks as replacement parts are on backorder (mine is currently with Nikon in NY).

Personally,, for a 2K camera,, Nikon should be providing loaners. 3 weeks is unacceptable in my book.

stmv said:

Personally,, for a 2K camera,, Nikon should be providing loaners. 3 weeks is unacceptable in my book.

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I agree. $2k is a lot of money. I would have really liked it they had it fixed 6 months down the road...

I'm baffled at how cavalier Nikon has been toward all these issues surrounding their latest products. There was a time when Nikon would have bent over backwards to correct a wrong, so I have no theories why they're not being more proactive and getting in front of these issues.

I spoke with a rep and the issue is getting enough parts for the numbers of cameras being shipped back. They are processing the cameras immediately, and it would seem that the turnaround would be fairly quick if they had the replacement shutters on hand. When I got my D600 back the first time it was waiting on a batch of shutters to come in, and what I got was a shutter that may just have had the issue, which is why it's back. This begs the question is there an inherent problem in the manufacturing process that produces a shutter mechanism that is prone to this problem and they can't get QC wrapped around it while re-producing shutters in these numbers? All my own personal speculation, and I don't know if the part is manufactured in-house or farmed out, but regardless I want this batch to be right. From what I can gather, people who sent theirs in immediately after the announcement have not seen a recurrence of the issue.

I was on a 2 week parts wait last time. I haven't checked yet today to see if the parts are in, but whenever it's in I just want it to be right.

The problem with the D600 seems to involve the shutter itself degrading or sloughing off some surface material and if that's the case, I can't imagine replacing it with another shutter made of the same material will help me. Remind me Jake, did your D600 stop spotting after being returned? This could all be a case of Nikon choosing to use inferior materials for the shutter mechanism and unless that upgrade to a stronger, less "flaky" material, the problem will continue. Assuming, of course, that the spots are indeed from the shutter mechanism. Which to me seems the only answer that makes sense and the fact that Nikon is replacing them seems to confirm my theory.

Spots recurred after around 750 actuations on the second shutter. They could have been there earlier, but the subjects I was shooting would have hid them. The telltale accumulation in the corners with the spots being perfectly round and not scattered specs (like the relatively normal dust photo from my D800) tells me that it's a combination of liquid (oil), dust, and in my case the second time around what looked like a big fleck of something black. You're absolutely right in saying that if the problem is a build issue and not an overlubrication then they're going to need to fix whatever it is that's causing it and not just replace it with the same thing and hope for something better.

Only had my D600 for 10days and have noticeable dust on the sensor.

The clean function on the camera had no affect... i don't have a 'blower' yet, i assume i should try a manual clean, something that i have never done before or should i get Nikon to do it?

hogan thinks its been cured...clearly not but there are good instructions on his site on how to do it .. Thom Hogan's Nikon Camera, DSLR, Lens, Flash, and Book site

Watoh said:

Only had my D600 for 10days and have noticeable dust on the sensor.

The clean function on the camera had no affect... i don't have a 'blower' yet, i assume i should try a manual clean, something that i have never done before or should i get Nikon to do it?

View attachment 33110

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For what it's worth, while this looks like dust, it looks different from the dust patterns I've seen on my D600, and those of others who had this problem. Yours are fairly well distributed and outside the left corners, which seems to be where the spots on the D600 are really concentrated. I suspect some or most of those would go with the use of a blower - they look very similar to what I see on my D800 after a couple thousand actuations.

pistnbroke said:

hogan thinks its been cured...clearly not but there are good instructions on his site on how to do it .. Thom Hogan's Nikon Camera, DSLR, Lens, Flash, and Book site

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Wish to God Hogan would organize his site a little better. It really helps if you would point to the exact post rather than making a guy search for it. I've been there and I can't find anything specific on this to help him out unless it's buried back in as an edit to one of his past articles.

Thanks BackdoorHippie, i agree ala the link above.. looked through it and can't see anything relevant!

I contact Nikon they requested a sample image, I'll see what they say.

If its a warranty issue they said it was a 10 day turn around with free postage.. will wait and see. Only taken 1,400 shots.

Be forewarned, it's a 10 day turnaround under normal circumstances. The standard treatment is a shutter replacement, it would seem, and there's been a backorder on parts, so it's closer to 3 weeks.

I highly suggest you get a good blower and see what that will do for you first. Easier than going without for 3 weeks.

Cheers mate, Nikon have responded

I have examined the image you sent and can see that there is artifacts on the sensor. However it is difficult to tell what may be causing this ( oil or dust) without first having it examined by a technician at the service centre. If it is caused by a manufacturing defect it is covered by warranty

Please return your D600 to the service centre.

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I'll take your advise and get a blower today and see how it goes. I'm a little concerned with the wording; "If it is caused by a manufacturing defect it is covered by warranty" but hope that is standard for any issue.

​Being such a new toy i have obviously been very careful with it and have yet to use it in a dusty environment.

Lets hope a blower sorts it out.. but I'd of thought a blower would just blow the dust around!

There is a prevailing opinion that some of the "dust" on the D600's may be debris from the shutter itself. Essentially what I'm reading here is that they'll take a look and figure it out, and if it's just dirty they may actually have the balls to charge you in a climate where they can't bring in shutters fast enough for the repairs (I doubt that would happen, but who knows?). Dust is an everyday fact of life with photography, and I suspect that most D600 owners who don't have the real problem might not even bother to check for dust because more times than not they'd never see it on their photos. So getting the proper tools to deal with the basics of camera care moving forward is something you should do anyway. If they don't blow clean, or at least cleaner, then consider senting it back. If it cleans up then shoot some more.