Nikon on D600 Dust Issue: Use a Blower (and Tips On Cleaning Your Sensor)

Last Updated on 02/22/2013 by Chris Gampat

Best. Product Advisory Statement. Ever.

According to Nikon Rumors, Nikon is issuing a product advisory statement on the D600 Dust/Oil issue (check out our review). To catch everyone up to speed, many users were reporting on Dust and Oil getting onto the camera’s sensor. Nikon’s official statement goes something like:

“To users of the Nikon D600 digital SLR camera

Some users have indicated the appearance of multiple granular dust spots in images captured with the Nikon D600 digital-SLR camera. These granular dust spots are reflections of internal dust generated with camera operation, or external dust particles that have found their way into the camera, either, or both of which, have adhered to the camera’s low-pass filter.

While the structure and concept of digital-SLR cameras makes the complete elimination of these dust spots very difficult, it has come to our attention that, in some rare cases, they may be reflected noticeably in images. Therefore, Nikon is informing users of a service to reduce this issue.

Resolution

As a first step, please follow the guidance from the User’s Manual (pages 301-305) related to the “Clean Image Sensor” function and manual cleaning using a blower. If these measures do not remove all dust particles and you are still experiencing problems, then please consult your nearest Nikon service center. They will keep your camera, examine it thoroughly, and service it as needed.”

It’s quite interesting that a company is essentially saying, “Clean your goddamned sensor before bitching in forums you jackass” but we honestly have to agree. For those of you that know nothing about camera maintenance, we’ve got you covered. You can check out these resources:

– Improving Your Camera’s Autofocus

– How to Check for Dust on Your Sensor (and a video on cleaning here)