Woodworm65 Loc: Lombard, IL

Guess there is always a wise a## in the bunch who can not keep their stupid thoughts to themselves.

Jim Bob

You're right, of course. But whatever Canon's cleaner does, it works.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Nikon has had WAY more than their share of problems with sensors covered in oil droplets.

No sensor cleaner *built into a camera* will clean anything other than surface dust. It works by vibrating the top layer of the sensor (IR filter or anti-aliasing filter) at a high frequency, so the dust falls off and gets trapped on an adhesive strip surrounding the sensor. On some models, there is a bit of electrostatic charge involved. But again, that only affects dust. If something oily or sticky falls on the sensor, it stays.

Oil is coming from over-lubricated mechanisms nearby... either from the mirror mechanism, the shutter, or the lens diaphragm actuator. The only way to remove it is with a solvent — usually highly purified methanol. Since you can't get to the source, the only thing to do is remove it from the sensor surface.

Cleaning digital camera sensors is a delicate operation. You can do it yourself, if you have great manual dexterity, a steady, light touch, and can follow instructions to the letter, so as not to damage anything. For a dSLR, you need a fully charged battery or an AC Adapter to hold the shutter open, plus a supply of special swabs and cleaning fluid. Go here for more information: http://photosol.com Videos are available, showing how it is done. Many other manufacturers make similar products.

If your camera is spewing oil repeatedly, it's time to return it to the dealer and complain. This is NOT normal.

dannac Loc: 60 miles SW of New Orleans

I'm probably approaching the 4k range with no problems on my D7200.

I also use a sling ... but is hooked to the camera's left strap mount, not the tripod mount.

kd7eir Loc: Tucson, AZ

I have 11,609 shutter activation on my D7200 and have never had a problem with oil spots. Dust, sure, but that is to be expected.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

Do the Nikons have an oil dipstick? Maybe you are overfilling.

brucewells Loc: Central Kentucky

I'm curious what lens you had attached.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

D300, about 35k actuation. Cleaned it five times*, has foam debris in it (heat?), had Nikon replace the foam shock 'absorber' (No charge), no oil.
Gave that camera away last month.
D800e, about 25k actuation, cleaned it 3 times**, need cleaning again. No oil.
D500, too new to tell.

If you follow a simple method to change your lens dust will still enter but less then when changing lens w/o care. Best bet? Two bodies on the field, no lens change.

-----
* One time while having a cat eye custom focus screen installed
** Nikon had it for service and cleaned the whole camera

T_Span Loc: Northern MI

Having had the D7200 since it was introduced, I have not experienced anything beyond what I consider normal cleaning requirements. The Nikon D7200 is quite a camera and I have no complaints.

Sinewsworn Loc: Port Orchard, WA

Had my 7200 in to Nikon due to the video having no sound. Came back with huge oil spots on the mirror and sensor. Sent it back, took seven weeks (the LA shop) to get it back with a few small smudges on the mirror. Easy to clean but why Nikon?

Bram boy Loc: Vancouver Island B.C. Canada

i remember when the D600 had issues , also remember nikon stating that it isent oil , because they never use oil in that area, ???

pmackd Loc: Alameda CA

If you like the D7200 otherwise and want crop frame just ask Adorama to send you another one. The problem you are describing is very rare. D500 is a specialized camera for sports and wildlife; it can be used as a general purpose camera but there are drawbacks: fewer pixels, extra weight, no built in flash, no U1 U2, different button layout than your D600 etc. You could also buy a D7100 which gives up very little to the D7200.

Maccelerate

So... the attached photo looks pretty obvious, but if the problem is less pronounced, how would one know whether or not one has such a problem? Is it as simple as looking straight at the sensor with a magnifying glass, or is there an easier method? Shoot monochrome dark backgrounds, light backgrounds?

Ira

I have D7200 and a D750 with no issues

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Usually remove the lens, take an image of a light background, a computer screen will do.

Use whatever program you have to inspect the capture using contrast, exposure after turning it into a gray scaled image..