Problem with Dark Photos/Vignetting on a secondhand D610?

So I just recently upgraded from a D5100 to a D610. I bought the D610 on Ebay from a licensed Nikon reseller, and the camera has barely been used (has around 1,000 shutter clicks). I'm just starting off with the kit lens, 24-85. When I started shooting, I noticed that the photos were coming out abnormally dark, with some serious vignetting. I tried it at a number of different settings, but for the most part, I was shooting inside with moderate light at 24mm f3.5, ISO 640 and 1/60 shutter speed. After I noticed that the photos were coming out dark, I tried the same settings on my D5100 and took the exact same photos. They came out much lighter, with little to no vignetting. I'm still a photo student in college, very much in the learning stages. I've read about how with FX cameras, with wide angle lenses and a wide open F stop, you can tend to get some vignetting. But the effects are just so extreme, (and having bought the camera used on ebay) I'm concerned that there may actually be something wrong with the camera. I can always return it if there is something wrong, but I don't want to return it if I'm simply not used to the quirks of shooting with an FX because I have only ever shot DX.

What do you think? Might there actually be something wrong with the camera, or do I just need to adjust to shooting FX?

Post an unedited sample so we can see.

goto the Shooting Menu, scroll all the way down to Vignette control... and turn it OFF

Claire,

This lens is known to have vignetting issues when used with an FX format camera at wider apertures. The problem is most extreme at its widest aperture and shortest focal length, with changes to either or both aperture and/or focal length will improve the light falloff (vignetting) in the corners/edges. However, from tests that I've seen, it never completely goes away on an FX format camera. Also, the vignetting will be worse if you have a filter on the front of the lens.

It is perfectly normal for this condition to be non-existent for DX format cameras, hence it would not be a surprise for this to not be a problem with your D5100.

WM

Also make certain that you are using the same metering settings for the 5100. Maybe the 600 was not set-up to matrix metering ??

Welcome to the forum,in this situation a lens hood can makes things worse.