Nikon D4s with a D600 syndrome

[MFloyd]

I was so happy with my brand new D4s.  First shoot of 600 pictures - pictures with a lot of blue skies - and this was the result... (picture of neutral background at f/25 and using the "Visualize Spots" tool on Lr; second picture: unedited)

[Erik Lund]

Please explain the file numbers and 'brand new' - Not sure I get it,,,

[MFloyd]

I got my new D4s, in 2014, May 22.  Very quickly I realized that I got a lot of spots on my pictures. Went for cleaning at my NPS dealer, was even cleaned by Nikon Switzerland at an air show event; 150 pictures further I had the same problem (see second picture).  Back and forward to Nikon in September; they even tried me to charge for the cleaning; 200 pictures same problem; then, I threatened Nikon to replace their defect product.  My ongoing calls with Nikon, made that I finally built a friendly relationship with the head of the technical service. Another expedition of the D4s to Nikon; it came back ten days later, with the mention "sensor cleaned".  Problem was gone.  Months later, I learned from a Nikon person, who knew about my problem, that they replaced the complete shutter mechanism. But they never admitted it. In the end who cares; they cured the problem.

[richardHaw]

this is not typical of the D4s or any professional Nikon camera. weird

[Andrea B.]

Very interesting. I'm happy for you that the shutter mechanism was replaced.

I've also not heard of splatter problems with the D4S. I used one throughout my Norway trip and never experienced that.

I wonder where all this oil glop lurks in the shutter mechanism? And why it cannot be cleaned out permanently without replacing the shutter mechanism?

[richardHaw]

Andrea, the cold might have solidified the oil a bit

the (unofficial) Nikon/Canon repairmen that I am friends with say that it's the gears/blades that are culprit some times. there are times when too much oil has been applied or in the case of the D600, a design flaw.

[MFloyd]

In my case it wasn't oil - oil stains are quite easy to identify; it was like the black coating who went off the mechanism. But this is my analysis and not Nikon's (as they only "cleaned" the body).

This been said, afterwards the D4s worked perfectly. In every bad experience, there is a good one: I became an expert in "sensor (wet) cleaning" 😎 (and, secondarily, removing hundred of spots with Lr/Ps, in an unbelievable high pace.. 😢)

[stenrasmussen]

Glad it came to an acceptable end!
I've also noticed one report that Canon's new flagship has this dalmatian disease.

[BW]

Many of the recent models of Nikons seem to develop these kind of spots during their first thousand cycles of the shutter. A couple of cleanings and it they stay away for quite a while. After ten thousand cycles they are almost non existent, unless you change your lenses in a way that fill your camera with dirt and dust.

[MFloyd]

Børge, that was what I thought at the beginning: "it's like running in an engine; the problem will disappear" but it's wasn't the case; and in any case: more than 50 dust spots after 150 images, is totally unacceptable, by all means.

With regard to changing lenses; I'm really "Mister Clean". Never a body will stay "open" for more than 2s. And, in most cases, I work in relatively clean environments.

[BW]

Some copies might show a different behavior. I understand why you sent it in several times because I have used more three hours to clean some of the worst examples. Its nerve wrecking to scour the sensor that much

[MFloyd]

I have no knowledge of other D4s cases; I documented mine quite thoroughly, because I had some fears with the eventual outcome. This being said, it was my only problem in over 40 years of Nikon usage, and my D5, D610 or D90 work perfectly 😊

[Erik Lund]

The dust and dirt can very easily come into the camera from a 'dirty'  lens so when such an 'strange' dust and dirt issue suddenly show itself also check the rear on all your lenses - Also if you borrow or rent lenses from other people,,,

[John Geerts]

Yes true. The first thing I always do is clean the mouth of the lens, and of course the lens caps. Especially the caps can contain, and collect dust and sand. When you keep both perfectly clean, there will be  hardly  a 'dust' problem despite the fact of a very frequent lens change.

[MFloyd]

My way of doing, is that body and rear lens caps are always tighten together and closely inspected and cleaned, as they are in plastic, and real dust magnets by virtue of their electrostatic characteristics.

For a certain time, I suspected I was wrongdoing; but I had to come to the conclusion that the particles were "generated" inside the body; indeed I made tests where I thoroughly cleaned the sensor, body interior, lens etc; and made up to 1'000 pictures (without removing the lens), with a check (*) every 50 shots, to come to the conclusion that dust particles where gradually building up.

My friend, who runs the local NPS-shop, pointed to my 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 (often used) lens as the possible faulty guy; that by virtue of its telescopic characteristics, it might literally "pump" in dust particles in the body; this was also tested by taking 100 pictures and moving the lens, from 28mm to 300mm, several times between each picture. My side conclusion was: that these type of zoom lenses do not pump in dust particles (at least in my relatively dust free environment).

On the first picture, you can see the "origin" of the particles (top, in fact the bottom, at about ⅓ from the left), where the particles are somehow "streaming" in and disperse over the sensor.

(*) test: picture with long lens (eg 300 mm), f/22, ½ s, focus on infinity, of a white computer screen, by moving the body during exposure, the latter to be sure that the image taken is unsharp, so that only particles will appear sharp on the picture. This became my SOP, Standard Operating Procedure, I run before any important photo event, and at least once every, let's say, 2'000 pictures. Historically, I run a "wet" clean (Visible Dust swabs and liquid) every 5'000-7'500 cycles. Intermediate cleans being carried out with a manual air blower (also Visible Dust).

Visible Dust: http://www.visibledust.eu