I bought my Nikon D600 on 6th of February 2013. I was very happy with my camera. Just for a few days. Then, after a few days I got a few first dots on my pictures – just after a few days of using the camera and a few hundreds pictures taken!!!! Then I found in internet, that this particular model is familiar with this problem… But, it was too late, the camera was already bought so I sent the camera for repairing.
On the 22nd of February (about two weeks after purchasing) the camera was sent for repairing. Nikon kept the camera for almost a month.
2ND REPAIR
Unfortunately, just after a next couple weeks the camera got dirty sensor again! I decided to wait about two months before I send my camera for repairing again.
Nikon kept my camera again for about a month period. I was very lucky that also I have a Nikon D7000, which actually has similar problem 🙁
The Nikon D600 was sent for the next repairing (if I remember this well) in September 2013.
Nikon kept the camera again for about a month.
3RD REPAIR
Just a few days ago (January 2014), when I was doing a night photos I found the problem with dirty D600 sensor again 🙁 It was so flustrating! Just look at the picture below – it is a disaster:
NIKON D600 (14mm, f/10, 10 sec, ISO100)
Of course I could try to clean the sensor myself, however I tried to do it on my Nikon D7000 and actually I made the problem even worse…So this time I got very angry at Nikon and I send them an email:
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Hello,
About a year ago I bought a Nikon D600 camera in Norwich in WEX Photography showroom. Since that time the camera has been sent for cleaning twice! Always after a few weeks the sensor becomes more dirty and dirty. Please look at the attached file. This is disaster.
This particular camera model has a very, very bad reputation.
Can you please offer me any sensible upgrade do D610 or proper repairing (NOT CLEANING ONLY)?
I have already spend on Nikon lenses and cameras over £6000 so I am a very valuable customer.
I promise, if you do not help me properly, I will never, ever buy any Nikon product any more.
Thank you for understanding my anger
Regrads Pawel Rozenek
Then I got two answer from Nikon:
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Dear Pawel,
Thank you for your email.
I am sorry that you have encountered issues with your D600. Please note that I have escalated your query directly to our Service department and they will be in contact with you directly to discuss the matter. Alternatively, you can contact the service department directly on: 0330 123 0928.
Please note that the service department is open during the following hours:
I am sorry to learn of the disappointment incurred due to the issues that you have been experiencing with your D600. I can certainly appreciate the frustration and inconvenience that this may have caused.
Under our manufacturing guarantee we will repair without charge an unit exhibiting a manufacturing fault without charge as long as the terms of our guarantee are met. I am afraid any requests for a refund or replacement must be taken up with the retailer (Wex photographic) with whom you purchased from and with whom your contract of sale is held.
Under the current information you have provided I am unable to look into the previous repair details of your D600, please can you confirm whether the unit was returned to our Nikon service centre for a repair and if so please could you provide your request id so that I can look into this further.
To be able to fully resolve the fault that you have been experiencing we do require to see your camera at our Nikon service centre for examination. We do have a free fully insured postal service which you can access via the following link below, I would also recommend to keep the proof of postage receipt from the post office as this documentation will provide you with a tracking number and will allow you to keep an eye on the delivery of your item.
Please accept my apologies for any dissatisfaction caused and please do not hesitate to get in contact if you have any other queries or require further assistance.
Kind Regards Lauren Nikon Service Support
The answer above is a standard answer so I decided to reopen my case and send another email to them – this time I was really angry – I apologise for that…
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Dear Nikon,
Thank you for your email. It is very kind of you that you offer free repairing again. This is actually the matter. Dirty sensor problem happened again. I will provide you my camera details on the end of this email.
For now I can see two solutions: – you will replace my D600 with D610 for free or for a small fee or – I will send you the camera for repairing AGAIN. However I am afraid that your “repairing” is NOT a proper repairing but only a sensor cleaning which is absolutely useless because the sensor I am sure will get dirty after a few hundreds shoots again, because this happened already!
I expect that after your “repairing” the sensor will get dirty again, because D600 model is a huge mistake at all, which is not a secret – it is described even in monthly photo magazines (!!!).
If it happens again I will do the biggest ever action (facebook, websites, forums etc) saying how the Nikon cares about customer which lost a lot of money buying a crappy camera. The care is actually a joke – in my opinion Nikon just say “get lost you idiots, you gave us the money so we do not care any more”. This is how I see Nikon’s attitude! I swear – the action about and against Nikon will be massive! Hop you will loose a lot of money.
So please be 100% sure before you ask me again for sending the camera for “repairing” that it is really what you want. I am happy to get D610 replacement.
PS. I am NOT going to ask Wex retailer for changing my camera because it is NOT their faults. This is a Nikon responsibility to fix or replace the problem. I am afraid you tried to fix it already twice without any success. If you which to try again – it is OK – we can waste our time.
Please then tell me for the last time – are you sure that you prefer to try to fix my camera again?
My camera number is: *******, also I attached an extra Nikon despatch note in the attached
Regards
Pawel Rozenek
D600 problem with the sensor is NOT a secret. It was even described in monthly photo magazine (possibly not only that one): Sony C6603 (4.1mm, f/2.4, 1/50 sec, ISO50)
Now I am waiting for response.
After 2 days I received the response:
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Dear Pawel
Thank you for your email and for providing the additional repair information as per my request.
As stated within my previous email we would be unable to provide a refund or replacement, as we are a repair centre we would only carry out a repair under our manufacturing warranty and any requests for a replacement will need to be taken up with the retailer with whom your money was handed to and with whom your contract of sale is held. I am afraid to be able to resolve the issues that you have been experiencing, we do require to see the unit back in at our repair centre for examination. I can certainly appreciate that this is something that is not favourable but please be assured we will do everything that we can to have the unit fully repaired and returned in as short a time as possible.
Since October 2013 Japan have manufactured a new modified shutter which we are fitting as a preventative measure for customer who are experiencing problems with their cameras. This is carried out on a case by case basis and we would require to examine the camera along with the images that you have previously supplied to investigate as to why you are experiencing further problems with your camera. If you are happy to return the camera for a repair please let me know and I can either arrange for a pre-paid label to be sent through to you by email so that you are able to post the item to us at no charge. Alternatively I can also arrange for a courier to collect your camera on a specific day from a convenient address.
Please accept my apologies for any disappointment and inconvenience incurred due to the faults that you have been experiencing with your D600. If you do require further assistance please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Kind Regards Lauren Nikon Service Support
My answer:
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Dear Lauren,
Thank you for your email. Please prepare the ticket for me, I will bring the camera for a collection point myself.
Please do not forget what I swore – if after repairing the problem appears again – I swear, I will do the biggest ever campaign against the Nikon.
Also, I think the focus is NOT exactly in centre point, I have a BF or FF I am not sure at this moment.
Is any chance to check it too?
Thank you.
Pawel Rozenek
Well, we will see what happen 🙂
Update:
On 4th of February 2014 I sent my camera to Nikon service in Surrey, using post label sent to me and prepaid by Nikon . On 5th I received confirmation, that they received the camera.
On 17th on February (almost 2 weeks later!) I received email saying that they received spare parts for my camera. WTF? They did not have spare part like a shutter in stock?
Whatever. I am still waiting.
Update:
A few days later I received a fixed camera. About 1000 shots later I cannot see any dust or oil marks on the sensor. Let’s wait a few thousand pictures more 🙂
4TH REPAIR
Update: disaster!
Here we go again. After about 2…3k shots later Nikon changed the D600 shooter mechanism I found small dots in the left upper corner of my pictures. They are visible now with aperture like f11 but I am sure it will become worst. What a crap this Nikon is!
On Tuesday 15.04.2014 I wrote a complain to them. I requested again full money refund or replacing my D600 with D610 even with a small extra charge.
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Hello,
About 2 months ago I got back my D600 from repairing (shutter
replacement). I have done about 3000…5000 shoots (I am not sure) and
in the left top corner I found about 10 or more spots. There is no way
that any dust got into the camera because I use the camera ONLY with
Nikkor
14-24 2.8 – I do not change lenses.
I do not want to waste my time saying what I now think about Nikon. I
request a camera which do not get a dirty sensor (eg. D610, I can pay
a bit if you wish for the replacement) or I want to get a full refund
from Wex in Norwich.
My camera, since I bought it was repaired 4 times (!!!!!!!!!!!) and it
is just over a year old one now.
Please let me know your decision – if you prefer to replace my camera
with
D610 or if you decide (in cooperation with WEX I am guessing) to fully
refund my D600. I do not see any other options.
The answer was received a few days later, on 23 April 2014:
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Dear Pawel,
Thank you for your e-mail, and i am sincerely sorry to hear of the
problems you have been experiencing with your D600 camera.
I can see from our records that we have previously seen the item in at
our service centre on 3 occasions. The last time it was fitted with a
modified shutter to resolve the problem of dust on the sensor. We are
therefore concerned to hear that you are still experiencing problems,
and would strongly suggest you send it back in to us for thorough
inspection and further investigation. I would also advise you include
a quick covering letter to explain the situation. We will then be able
to advise you further of the best course of action.
If you are happy to do this please advise me and i can have a postage
label sent over to your e-mail for printing, or alternatively i can
have one sent in the post to you.
Kind regards
Bethany
Nikon Service Support
Wow, they decided to collect the camera without usual stupid questions and conditions. However it is not the end of the story yet. Firstly, because I have not sent the camera yet – I have just finished a big test – I decided to take 10.000 pictures and see what happen. The first picture below shows dirty spots (in green circles) about 2 months and 5000 pictures after replacing the shutter mechanism I found that the sensor is dirty again! The second picture shows the same scene after 10.000 shots – you can see (in red circles) a few new dirty spots from the sensor oil. The third picture shows how the test was taken 🙂
NIKON D600 (24mm, f/20, 1/5 sec, ISO100)
NIKON D600 (24mm, f/20, 1/5 sec, ISO100)
NIKON D7000 (24mm, f/5, 1/60 sec, ISO200)
And here you can see a timelapse video made from there 10.000 shots:
So, at this stage I try to get the replacement – Nikon D610 which is (apparently) free from this dirty sensor problem. I can also accept a full money refund. I am not asking Nikon for the camera replacement, because I want to get the new one, I am asking because I want to get a camera which will work properly. Canon does not have this problem at all!
Here is a paper letter which I sent to Nikon together with the camera:
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This is a 4th time when I send this Nikon D600 camera for repairing.
Problem: dirty sensor in the top-left corner.
I do not wish to get this camera back
I request an equivalent model (D610) or the full refund.If you do not refund or replace my camera, I will seek for a legal advice and also, which is even worst for Nikon, I will make a huge anti Nikon campaign.
The shutter mechanism in my camera was changed about 2 months ago and after approximately 3…5 thousands shots I found dirty spots in the top left corner again. Then I decided to make another 10.000 shots timelapse video, showing how the sensor becomes even more and more dirty!!!
Video is available on my website: https://www.rozenek.com/nikon-d600-sensor-dust-problem/ on the bottom of the page. During the test the sensor got extra 5 or 6 spots which is now countable up to 13…15 altogether.
If you send me this camera back, as I said, I will do a huge anti Nikon campaign, I will seek for a legal advice, and I will do next 10.000, or 20.000 or maybe even more shots to check the camera quality. Because I am sure I will get dirty sport again, let’s stop wasting our time.
I think now we should do it right – resolve the problem.
Yours faithfully
Pawel Rozenek
UPDATE 2014.05.16:
Nikon replaced my D600 with D610 for free 🙂
NIKON D600 (14mm, f/10, 10 sec, ISO100)
Sony C6603 (4.1mm, f/2.4, 1/50 sec, ISO50)
NIKON D600 (24mm, f/20, 1/5 sec, ISO100)
NIKON D600 (24mm, f/20, 1/5 sec, ISO100)
NIKON D7000 (24mm, f/5, 1/60 sec, ISO200)
NIKON D610 (24mm, f/6.3, 1/10 sec, ISO100)