jack_borlongan

<p>I got my D600 back from service last October 2013. So far I've logged in about 4,000+ shutter actuation and it's been good. No more oil splatter issues like before though I'm still keeping an eye on it before the 6 month repair warranty expires.</p>

<p>That's a very good move A Arun to send your D600 to Nikon Service before your warranty expires. I just got my D600 back from them but had to pay $240 since I was out of warranty. My shutter release completely failed to operate. I am not quite sure what they did to my D600 if they had replaced the shutter mechanism or did some minor repair and cleaning.</p>

<p>I was following some of the threads in other Nikon forums. You get all sorts of stories and comments out there. Some claim their shutter mechanism was replaced and some say they don't know. Whatever it is, I'm just hoping Nikon replaced the shutter mechanism even if they don't want to admit it.</p>

<p>Let's just hope and pray Tim Holte that Nikon will not be introducing a D620 or we're screwed :-)</p>

 

<p>I was "pleasantly" surprised to get back my D600 from Nikon LA within a span of just 9 days. I'm looking at the Invoice Repair and just curious what all these repair codes mean specifically "<strong>SC 201564</strong>":<br>

* Repair SC 201564<br>

* Service Repair Rank B2<br>

* Firmware Upgrade<br>

* RPR Connector FPC<br>

* CKD Shutter Mechanism<br>

* CKD Auto Focus Operation<br>

* Clean Low Pass Filter<br>

* General Check & Clean</p>

<p>That's right Don. I'm heavily invested on Nikon lenses right now...as have been since 1971. It's not easy to just hop to another brand unless you want to take a loss on your other remaining equipment. In fact, I had to place an order for a D7100 and have B&H ship it overnight just the other day while waiting for Nikon to repair my D600. It's a better alternative to renting one for 4 weeks. I have a D7000 (my third actually) but it does not come close to a D600 in terms of color rendition which is critical in my line of work. The D7100 shares the same image processor as the D600 which to my mind is what matters in a digital camera.</p>

<p>Bottomline, the D600 is still be best dSLR out there (in its price range) if not for it's faulty "oil splattering shutter mechanism" which Nikon refuses to replace/repair after the 1 year warranty period....much less admit. For professionals like me, it doesn't really matter since it's a tax deductable expense and we profit from our equipment. For the hobbyist and enthusiasts out there, they take the big hit. In terms of resale value, the damage has been done and it's a real pity Nikon did not bother taking any remedial actions.</p>

<p>Here's an image taken from a D7100 just the other day.</p><div></div>

<p>Just got an email today from Nikon Service. They <strong>WILL NOT</strong> cover the repair/replacement of my shutter mechanism even if my warranty had expired just 2 weeks ago. So much for goodwill and long lasting relationships. This is really bad news for D600 owners!</p>

<p>Thanks Brooks. Apparently I used PayPal to pay B&H. I'll check with PayPal if they do have this same policy.</p>

<p>You may be right Steve. The shutter mechanism for the D600 is rated for 100,000 actuations...if indeed it is the shutter mechanism that failed. I believe Nikon would stand by it's claim.</p>

<p>On another note, the recent release of the D610 will certainly be under tight scrutiny for dust/oil in light of the D600 debacle. Any small sign of dust/oil on the D610 would certainly put Nikon in a real dilemma with store returns and countless warranty repairs. I just hope Nikon have solved the problem since I would not be using any other equipment for my business but Nikon. </p>

<p>That is good to hear Elliot. I hope Nikon will do the same for me and to the other D600 owners that are plagued with this shutter issue and are outside the warranty period.</p>

<p>Thanks Michael. I use PocketWizards but I'll give it a try and bring it down to 1/160sec.</p>

<p>Here's another defect with my D600 and this happens a lot....as in once every 10-20 clicks. Shutter speed is always within the 1/200sec range and never beyond when using strobes. This obviously tells me there was something wrong with my shutter mechanism.</p><div></div>

<p>Good point Sergio. I would deny wet cleaning my sensor periodically much the same way Nikon denies there is a problem with their shutter mechanism or anything for that matter with their D600.</p>

<p>But here's the reality which I hope Nikon can understand. When dealing with oil splatters on your sensors, there is simply no way you could remove that by a blower bulb or their built-in sensor cleaner. Using the dry wipe on oil splatters will only create smudges and make things worse. </p>

<p>As a professional photographer, it is simply not practical to send my D600 to Nikon every month for cleaning and wait 2-4 weeks for it to come back. I used to drive 50 miles to Calumet just to have my sensors cleaned and pay them $50 for the job. I just finally gave up and decided to wet clean the sensor myself. The oil spots do come off after a wet cleaning but comes right back after about 500 clicks.</p>

<p>A friend of mine who owns a Canon camera confirmed that Canon replaced his shutter mechanism way after the warranty period completely free of charge. So I'm hoping Keith Reeder that Nikon will do the same.</p>

<p>I probably did use my credit card Brooks Gelfand but not sure if they cover this after one year :-(</p>

 

<p>Yes Shun...my D600 displayed an ERR message (not the blinking one) and has completely disabled my shutter release. All other function works like menu display or reviewing images on the card. I've tried everything the manual suggests from the SD card to the battery and finally the lens contacts. I doubt if its the circuit board as this would have disabled the entire function of the camera or majority of it. Like you said, I'll just have to wait for Nikon to contact me to give me their diagnosis...and estimate:-(</p>

<p>With regards to the wet cleaning voiding the warranty, I completely agree with you and find it completely absurd if indeed it is true.</p>

<p>Will I buy another Nikon camera after this sad experience? Well heck YES! They're simply the best for my kind of photography (<em>product photography</em>) :-)</p><div></div>

<p>Thanks Rodeo Joe. It does seem odd that the US has only a one year warranty period while you guys in the UK and Canada have 2 years. As Shun said earlier, we'll find out if they'll charge me for the repair and/or replacement of the shutter mechanism in the next couple of days.</p>

<p>Not quite sure if I read it here in photo.net or another forum but if Nikon USA finds out through your own admission that you've been wet cleaning the sensors yourself, it will void the warranty. I don't know how true this is but you don't need to be a qualified tech or a mad scientist to wet clean your sensor. My issue here with Nikon is the shutter mechanism and not the sensor. </p>

<p>Thanks to my D600 Chris Lindsey, I am now an "expert" in wet cleaning sensors. I used to be scared cleaning the sensor. I also got tired of paying this guy $50 just to clean it :-)</p>

 

<p>Thanks Shun. I'll find out in 4-6 weeks when my D600 comes back from repair if I still have any issues with the oil splatter on my sensor...and if they'll charge me for the repair.</p>

<p>Chris Letts - I wet clean my D600 sensor 2-3 times a month from all that oil splatter. Do remember that you are not wiping the sensor itself but a glass on top of the sensor. If you use the proper materials and wet clean it, you shouldn't have any problems damaging your sensor.</p>

<p>Thanks Shun. I've been in this forum since 2006 but was absent for quite a while and had to sign up all over again yesterday. While it is true that all my earlier statements are purely speculative, I still ask myself why is Nikon introducing a D610 with an all new shutter mechanism. They give 2 flimsy reasons. Faster shutter speed from 5.5 to 6 fps...and no more dust problems. Both you and I and some of the readers out there that are in the business of photography know this is not dust but oil splattered all over the sensor which Nikon refuses to admit.<br>

While we also speculate that the new shutter mechanism on the D610 may not be compatible with the D600, I find it hard to believe that Nikon would totally redesign the frame and hardware mounting just to fit in this so called "new and corrected" shutter mechanism. Chances are, they would fit. Then again, who are we to speculate.<br>

As a Nikon user for more than 35 years and a disgruntled D600 user, all I am asking Nikon is to be that old honorable Japanese company it used to be in the 70's and face up to their mistake. Like I said, a simple admission...a recall of the product....and cost-free replacement of the faulty shutter mechanism would put them back to where it was.<br>

They did this for the SB900. They're doing it to the D600. I hope there is no Strike 3.</p>

<p>By the way, thanks for the tip Shun. I'll see if Nikon (where I sent my D600) can cover the repair under the warranty.</p>

<p>There's an online form that you fill up before sending your camera to Nikon. They give you a rough estimate depending on the defect. I believe it was about $270++ for the ERR problem. You have to approve the estimate and give your credit card info before they send you the shipping label. For the amount I am paying, I really hope they install the new shutter mechanism used on the D610 as I am not about to shell out another $2000 for a D610.</p>

<p>After 13,000 shutter actuation, my D600 finally displayed the ERR message and is now completely inoperable. Since I bought it 13 months ago, I've been wet cleaning the sensor 2-3 times a month on account of the oil splatter from the shutter mechanism. I suspect the mechanism finally dried up from all that oil splatter and froze to death.<br>

So why do I suspect it's the shutter mechanism? If you read some of the write-ups for the new Nikon D610, you'll notice one change and only one, the "<em>new and corrected</em>" shutter mechanism installed on it. Nikon never admitted the issue with the faulty shutter mechanism. They never admitted it was oil on the sensor but just dust. If you wipe dry your sensor, you'll notice smudges on it.<br>

It's the same issue with the SB900 which would overheat. Rather than admit a faulty design and replace it, they decided to sell us the "<em>new and corrected</em>" version known to us now as the SB910. This to me is totally unethical and they're doing it again with the D600. Strike 2!<br>

Since I can't use nor sell my D600, I was forced to ship it to Nikon for repair. And since I missed the 1 year warranty period by 2 weeks, I now have to pay for the repair.<br>

My only hope is for Nikon to replace the shutter mechanism with the "new and corrected" version and not the "faulty" version used on the D600 otherwise it will just keep going back and forth to the service center. Unfortunately for me, I came across a forum and saw a response from Nikon to a D600 owner:<br>

<em>Dear Kevin,</em><br>

<em>Thank you for your email.</em><br>

<em>I am sorry to hear of the difficulties that you have experienced with your Nikon D600 camera. Please rest assured that the service centre will only apply parts that are of the D600′s original design in order to bring it back to it’s standard specification. As such, <strong>the shutter mechanism of the D610 will not be applied to a D600</strong>.</em><br>

<em>I would advise that you consult directly with service staff directly for questions that you may have over any action that the service centre may have performed on your camera during service. If you would like to do this you are welcome to call them on 0330 123 0928 Option 3.</em><br>

<em>I am very sorry if you are not satisfied with the D600, however we are confident in the design and build quality of the model. We can only advise that any users experiencing a problem with foreign matter on the sensor should follow the instructions in the manual for sensor cleaning and if the issue persists to then send it to the service centre for cleaning and inspection, which I can see, you have done already.</em><br>

<em>Please be advised that we will not replace Nikon D600 cameras with new ones, reimburse purchase price, or replace a D600 with a D610.</em><br>

<em><strong>The release of the D610 was in response to demand from a great number of users for a faster continuous shooting rate and the addition of a quiet continuous shutter-release mode.</strong> Nikon decided to release the D610 in order to respond to this demand as quickly as possible.</em><br>

<em>If you still have any further comments please do not hesitate to contact me again.</em><br>

<em>Kind Regards,</em><br>

<em>Anaelle Moreau,</em><br /><em> Nikon Europe Support</em><br /> <a href="http://www.europe-nikon.com/support" rel="nofollow">http://www.europe-nikon.com/support</a><br>

Note the reason this lady gives for the release of the D610..."<em>faster continuous shooting rate</em>." That's right. From 5.5 fps to 6! A simple admission and remedy to D600 users would have kept the integrity and honor of Nikon.</p>