Video: Little Disappointed With Nikon...

Hey,

So this post/video is a little upsetting for me to write/make.  I don't know if I quite made it to the "Nikon Fan Boy" status however I was on that Nikon team however lately it hasn't been as good as it was.

In this video I go over my experience with the D600 and the oil spots I got on my sensor from the manufacturer's defect.  I did all the research one could do about this camera and in the end I thought I had A, waited long enough and B, knew that it could be cleaned easily if this happened.

At first, all was perfect.  The D600 really was (and still is) an amazing camera however the oil is becoming a much larger headache for me.  After two months with it, I was thrilled I had no oil on my sensor and all was good.  However after taking the camera to SE Asia, that wasn't the case.  It got a fair amount of oil spots and some being pretty large on the sensor.  I just thought that was because of the excess heat in SE Asia.  Unfortunately I was wrong to assume that.

After getting the D600 cleaned at the camera store where I purchased it in my University town when I got home from SE Asia, I thought I was home free.  I read a lot that the oil went away around 3000 acts. and I was at 6000+ and it was cleaned after 6700 acts.  Unfortunately after doing some lighting tests recently (2 months or so later), I noticed oil spots again in the top left hand corner of the sensor and across the top of the sensor as well.  I was disappointed so I called Nikon to see what there was to do.  Currently there is no cleaning services here that do wet cleaning of sensors and none that I would probably trust.

I called Nikon last week and they told me that it takes 5-7 days (excluding shipping) to service the camera.  With shipping after an hour drive (to Henry's), it would take within the two week mark to ship, service and ship back.  This summer I am between school and my job in the end of August and I am doing photography as my job and this unfortunately means I cannot just ship my camera away for two weeks.  So I asked the Nikon Service person on the phone if there was a loaner program and he said there was through the NPS program.  I asked what it was and he instantly transferred me to the NPS desk.

The lady at the NPS desk proceeded to tell me that it was a professional service that you could get a loaner camera when you camera is in the shop.  However you must have 2 pro bodies, 2 or more pro lenses, and 100% of your income is from photography.  Well I don't have two pro bodies however fit the other criteria however only for this summer.  The lady on the phone also said it was a 3 week application process which also doesn't fit my timeline so well.  Also I want it cleaned sooner than the 3 week with the application process and the two weeks of shipping cleaning.

After I found out the duration of the cleaning and then that I didn't qualify to get a loaner camera because I guess I am not "pro" enough to not be without my D600, I asked what they could do for me then.  The person on the phone told me she could expedite the service time to 5 days.  But that still doesn't work for me because I have some shoots through my week and I have weddings on the weekends now.  So the conversation basically ended there when they couldn't help me more than that and I had to decide what I wanted to do.

Sooo I thought I would make a blog post/video about this since potential D600 buyers and/or Nikon shooters out there with 1 body, or who don't make 100% of their income with their photography should hear/see this.  However I decided this is pretty damming and disappointing information about Nikon who up until now I have backed 100% and I might not want to share it.  So today I decided to give Nikon another chance because as I said I was a pretty big fan of them.  I called them up asking for the customer service department.  Went over my story and situation with the gentlemen on the phone and same situation happened for the most part.  However two new points came up.

First, you have to pay to ship my camera to Nikon however they pay to ship it back.  That is a great system if the reason the camera is being serviced is due to owner misuse or by fault of the owner.  Personally I do not feel comfortable with paying money to ship a defective camera to Nikon to get it fixed when it was not the owner's fault it needs to be shipped.  Secondly, the gentlemen on the phone made another suggestion which was for me to rent a camera from Henry's or Vistek while my camera is being serviced.  This falls in the same category since I don't want to pay more money to use a D600 after I bought one for over $2000 and it isn't working the way it should due to a manufacturing defect.

So after the issue wasn't resolved I decided to share this experience with everyone because I feel I owe it to share it more than I owe Nikon to not say anything.  It does upset me a little to write this and publish damming information but Nikon didn't really keep me happy enough that I could write a happy blog post about how Nikon's Service came through for me.  But regrettably I can't write that story right now because it didn't happen.

As I said in the video, if you know of something for me to do, or advice for me or anything I should know please share it with me in a comment below here, or my video or in an e-mail.  I currently don't know what to do, and I am not taking landscapes yet however will want to do long exposures of waterfalls and startrails soon and there is no way to get a usable images with the sate my sensor is in.

Well I hope this helps all of you who are in my boat or something similar.  I am sorry to write this negative post however this is how it is, and I hope I didn't say anything with a bias.  I wouldn't say I am angry, just disappointed Nikon cannot be more accomodating to people who 1) need their services maybe more than a pro with multiple pro bodies, and 2) Who might one day be 100% photographers and buy more of Nikon's gear.  Up until now I couldn't understand why people switched camera systems.  I didn't know what would make someone sell all their stuff and move to Nikon/Canon/Sony/Pentax etc from their current system.  However I am starting to get that idea now unfortunately and I am very disappointed by it.

I will post about this again once I have figured all this out and let everyone know how it is resolved.  Personally I don't see Nikon catering to me which is unfortunate considering the amount of gear I do have that is Nikon.  Also I do expect to keep growing with my photography and continuing to do it on the side and that would mean purchasing more Nikon gear but it's things like this that make you question a company/brands service and commitment to their users or if they are worth your continual support.  

Video: D600 Re-Reviewed

Hey Folks,

After using the D600 in Southeast Asia for almost two months I feel that I can give a full review of the camera now.  So I made another video giving my final thoughts on it and I hope you find it helpful!  Let me know if you have any questions.

Tom

Very Exciting News!

Hey Folks,

Tom Houston Photography has gone FX.  So I have invested in a D600 which means I will be using a Full Frame camera as my main body now.  My D90 will be my backup and it is a cropped sensor or DX camera.

It is a big step and I am very excited to use this camera to see what it can do.  Once I have used it another to base more than initial thoughts on it, I will make a video review of it.  So stay posted for that!

Tom

Videos

Hey folks,

Just made a video on my initial thoughts of the 16-35mm f/4 VR wide angle zoom lens as well as my camera, the Nikon D90.  I hope these videos help and if you want me to cover anything just toss a comment below.

Camera Review

Camera Review: Nikon D90


Update: Here is my video review of the Nikon D90 on my youtube channel:  http://youtu.be/mp4jBd6HAGM

This is the first and only camera I have had.  I have been using it for two years now and I love it.  It is a great camera for the price and I bought it when it first came out as well.  Now it is around $500 cheaper or so.  The build quality is good, it isn't weatherproofed or made from magnesium alloy however it is a sturdy camera.  I don't take it in the rain or drop my camera so those features are only if you are shooting in tricky situations.


One factor that a lot of people look for in a camera is how fast it can take photos.  The D90 has 4.5 fps which is very decent.  It doesn't sound like a machine guy but unless you are taking a lot of sports photography that isn't needed that I've found.  I always like dreaming about a faster camera however I don't need it.


The D90's ISO is 200-3200 which is decent I think.  After the release of the newer Nikon cameras with 100-6400 ISO, the D90's 200-3200 isn't that impressive anymore however the D90's still good.  I've done shots in low light and with the 18-105mm, which was a bit of a trouble.  That is why I invested in better and faster glass.  It is said to invest in glass instead of buying the newest camera which I agree with.  I also invested in a flash which is a very good investment which also helps add in light to help keep the ISO low.  I have found either a flash or fast glass is good enough to not risk getting noise in photos with the D90 in areas with bad lighting.


I have used a friend's canon as well as another smaller Nikon camera and I prefer the D90.  The size is nice because it isn't really small as well as it isn't big and heavy.  The ergonomics are good and I got the Nikon battery grip (MB-D80) for it so that it is easier for me to take portraits.  There were other reasons however I go over those when I review the MB-D80.  I do believe the D90 is a good size for a camera.


The buttons are in good places however they could be placed a little better.  However for a amateur camera like the D90, they are fine.  After using it for awhile it is not an issue.  The battery life is amazing.  The EN-EL3e battery has amazing battery life as well as the D90 is very efficient.


The HD video feature has not really been a great help to me personally.  I have taken one video of mountain sheep hopping up a rock face in Jasper, AB.  It wasn't that great of a video but it was something the pictures couldn't really capture.  But other than that video I haven't really used the D90 for a video camera.  The live view function also hasn't been a very useful feature.  Again I have maybe used it once or twice.


The 11 point AF system is very good.  More points could be useful however I have learned to make do with the 11 and their placement.  Personally I wouldn't know what to do with 51 AF points.  The D7000's 39 points could be good however with enough practice, 11 points isn't the end of the world.


The 12.3 mp is enough for any normal use for a photographer.  I have printed out two 2' x 3' photos and they look perfect for sharpness and clarity.


In conclusion, the D90 is a very very good camera where it sits in the Nikon line up.  Yes, it is 3 years old and the D7000 is better however the D90 still holds it's own.  The D90 is a very good camera for a starting photographer that knows they will continue doing photography.  I highly recommend this camera and I am very glad that I bought this as my first camera.


Side note: As mentioned I did buy the D90 almost 3 years ago so it is older now.  The D7000 is now at the price I got the D90 for.  So personally, if I did it over again right now, I would probably get the D7000.  However, this said... If you would rather save a couple hundred dollars and get the D90 and get a better lens or a flash or something, then that would be another very good idea.