D600 oil on sensor issue and Nikon UK support

[myotis]

The free fix or replacement for Nikon D600s with the shutter/mirror mechanism problems finishes at the end of this year - which is fair enough. But I bought mine after Nikon had said they had fixed the problem and just before the D610 came out.

I do seem to get more grime on the D600 sensor, than I do on my D500/D7000, and it needs a wet clean to fix it so I emailed Nikon support to see if they could tell from the serial number (which I gave them) whether my D600 body was post-fix or pre-fix. If the latter then I could just assume that I was just "unlucky" with the dirt on the D600.

Nikon responded very quickly with a boiler plate " we are sorry to hear your Nikon equipment is faulty please send it to us for repair" response that had no reference to any of my support request content, and the case marked as resolved.

Does anyone know if the serial numbers are relevant to whether you are likely to suffer from the problem, and am I being unfair in expecting Nikon to answer my question :-(

 

[Caerus]

I think it was one of those things that if you had it you would know about it straight away.

Just my opinion but I don't think "I do seem to get more grime on the d600 sensor" matches the severity of the problem that existed.

It should read more like " OH MY GOD MY CAMERA HAS OIL SPLATTER ON THE SENSOR AND IT IS COMPLETELY UNUSABLE"

Don't take that the wrong way, its just my opinion and maybe totally wrong.

 

[myotis]

Don't take that the wrong way, its just my opinion and maybe totally wrong.

You could well be right, but that is of course why I was hoping for some serial number information from Nikon. The reason I question whether its oil, is that it's hard to clean, compared to cleaning my other sensors, and needs cleaned more often. if I leave it for a while it does build up to scary high levels of dirt, but I do change lenses more often on the D600, than the D500, or the D7000 when I had it.

If it is the oil problem then I would like to get it fixed (for free) before the deadline, and before I might sell the camera, so the new owner knows they don't have a legacy problem to maybe deal with.

 

[wibbly]

I think @Bristolian had a D600 with very similar issues. Hopefully he'll see this thread and respond.

 

[Bristolian]

And as if by magic, here I am

@myotis: My D600 did, indeed, have this problem and my initial reaction from Nikon Service was just the same so I sent it in (it's all free of charge, BTW). The sensor in mine had more than 50 spots, some of which were quite dark, borderline black even. When the camera came back it was almost as bad as when I sent it in so I contacted Nikon to complain and they immediately had it back in. This time when it came back there were still several spots in almost the same places as before so I called Nikon and spoke with a very helpful young lady who explained the procedure. They know the pattern of spots caused by the shutter problem and check each sensor against that pattern.

If the pattern matches then they clean it and send it back - twice. If you send it back a third time "in a short timeframe" they will offer a D610 in replacement. The serial number of my D600 was 6082884 but I have no idea when it was made as I bought it used on TP. The short timeframe for mine was sending it in 3 times in less than 3 months.

You have nothing to lose by sending it in and see what they say. You will only get a standard response back by post but if you ring them they are, in my experience, very helpful.

i hope this helps

 

[myotis]

And as if by magic, here I am

You have nothing to lose by sending it in and see what they say. You will only get a standard response back by post but if you ring them they are, in my experience, very helpful.

i hope this helps

Thanks for this, my serial number is 6083107, so very close to yours. I will send it in, but need to use it a bit as I've just cleaned it ! A good tip about phoning them, and useful to know the process and the time period.

 

[myotis]

Just to wrap this up. I have had a further response from Nikon and there is no serial number database they can run a check against.

So although Nikon said that the later models of the D600 were supplied with a new shutter/mirror mechanism (presumably the one found in the D610) it seems they don't have anyway of checking which bodies were fitted with it.

So as I said in my previous post, I will send it in for a check, but its clean at the moment, so will need to let it build up some dirt before I send it in.

 

[Bristolian]

Sorry, I forgot to mention that when I sent mine in for the second time they replaced the shutter plate bu that didn't cure the issue. I don't think the shutter they use when replacing the original is the same as the one in the D610. I have no basis for that comment it's just the feeling I got from speaking to the agents at Nikon Service.

Ironically, I've just purchased a low shutter count D800 today - the price was low enough to be irresistable - with a 6 month warranty. Time will tell if that was a good move, or not.

 

[myotis]

I don't think the shutter they use when replacing the original is the same as the one in the D610. I have no basis for that comment it's just the feeling I got from speaking to the agents at Nikon Service.

Ironically, I've just purchased a low shutter count D800 today - the price was low enough to be irresistable - with a 6 month warranty. Time will tell if that was a good move, or not.

Thanks again, it may well not be the same shutter in both, I may be just assuming that the new mechanism they said was fitted into the late D600s, was the same as the D610, as I also assumed the D600 was mainly a marketing exercise to excise the D600 name from their books, even though it brought some minor changes.

I think any of the 800 series is a great buy, so I hope you enjoy it.