What happens when you send a camera to Nikon for Repair

KnockKnock

I noticed my medium primes were having a hard time focusing at various distances. I had played with AF Fine Tune last fall using rulers, post-its, paper clips and blades of grass. Couldn't quite nail it consistently. Sure I could get my 50 to focus 3-4-ft, or a different storeed calibration at 15-ft, but it's a pain to jump back and forth. Same for the 85. Zooms didn't notice much because they're the AF-P slow aperture ones that I always shoot at f/8.

Led me to start shooting in Live View a lot more, where everything was sharp. But I chewed through batteries! I didn't want to invest in a test kit and OCD time. So this Spring I dropped stuff off at the Nikon shop in LA (helps that I work about 15 minutes away).

My 85mm f/1.8 G cost $80. Same for the 50mm f/1.4 G. Camera cost $160. Done within a week. I can't remember which, but the corrections were significant in all different directions. One lens back-focusing, the other front-focusing, and the sensor was out of alignment one way or another making all focus difficult. Didn't plan on spending that much, but overall I'm happy. They cleaned everything (including sensor) as part of the service.

Things are popping now they way the weren't before. Visited the Getty, and it was nailing both close and far subjects in focus, shooting wide open. The 85 was especially fun. Close up flowers & architectural details, full body portraits 20 feet away.

Just FYI.

D7100 - not banged around a ton or anything, but well used at this point: shutter count ~20K.

Photobug

Thanks for sharing KnockKnock about the AF Fine Tuning. Money well spent.

Symphotic

KnockKnock said:

....
Things are popping now they way the weren't before. Visited the Getty, and it was nailing both close and far subjects in focus, shooting wide open. The 85 was especially fun. Close up flowers & architectural details, full body portraits 20 feet away.
...

Love the Getty. Just up the street from the Nikon Service Center!

Out_of_Focus

Has anyone sent older AI/AI-S lenses to Nikon for repair? Or do they only service current models?
If Nikon wont take them, any recommendations in NYC (or tristate area)?
Thanks!

PB_PM

Your best best is to call Nikon and find out. Some units, like the 50mm F1.2 AIS were still for sale not all that long ago (less than 10 years ago), so it might depend on what lens you want serviced.

cashreedhar

Nikon still services some of the AIS mount lenses. Click on the link below and you can see if your lens is listed (manual lenses are at the bottom of the dropdown list)
https://repair.nikonusa.com/en/ProductEntry

Also, Royal Camera Service based in IL has very good reviews and they're on top of feedback. They have postal repair service if you look up

Symphotic

I sent my Z7 in for a new LCD 10 days ago. (yeah, I know I should be more careful. I have to learn the hard way, I suppose.) Since then the Service Center in Los Angeles has stopped taking new work on due to COVID.
I received an E-mail that although they are not accepting new repairs, any repairs they have in house before July 14 will be completed and returned within 7 - 10 business days. I'll let you know how it goes.

Symphotic

It’s with UPS on its way back. 11 days, door to door, including a parts hold.

spraynpray

That's good considering the chaos that is around due to COVID 19. What happened to the LCD?

Symphotic

A small region went dead. I don’t know the root cause, other than the usual loose nut behind the viewfinder. I should mention that when the L.A. service center shut down a Nikon rep sent me an e-mail updating me on the status and letting me know that they were going to get all the work in house out according to the normal schedule.

Symphotic

Well, as you all know, I am hard on camera bodies, and my z7 is suffering because of it, I now have a slight separation of the bottom plate. The camera still works, but I doubt it is weather sealed. To make things worse, the Los Angeles Nikon service center is closed for COVID.
So I sent it to New York. It arrived at New York on Tuesday, and I received notification early Friday morning that they wold fix it at no charge.
I have to admit, although Nikon service has made a lot of money off my clumsiness and my unreasonably rough working environment, they have been taking good care of me.

NSXTypeR

Symphotic said:

Well, as you all know, I am hard on camera bodies, and my z7 is suffering because of it, I now have a slight separation of the bottom plate. The camera still works, but I doubt it is weather sealed. To make things worse, the Los Angeles Nikon service center is closed for COVID.

So I sent it to New York. It arrived at New York on Tuesday, and I received notification early Friday morning that they wold fix it at no charge.

I have to admit, although Nikon service has made a lot of money off my clumsiness and my unreasonably rough working environment, they have been taking good care of me.

Did you join NPS or you're just a mere mortal?

Symphotic

Naw, I got all the paperwork setup to join NPS, but then decided not to bother. Although my business is cameras and imaging, I really am not an NPS type photographer. I don’t make most of my money with my Nikon camera, I make it with other cameras and acoustic imaging systems.

BTW, although the camera is being repaired at no charge, it was waiting for parts, so I don’t have it back yet. It’s in the shop now. This Z7 is a very low serial number (less than 700) so I am thinking there was a known problem on the earliest units and that may account for the no charge.
I am really happy with the lighter weight of the Z7 and the compact lenses: it has made my job a lot easier. I was carrying D800 series cameras before and the size and weight difference of the kit is quite noticeable.
We did some work investigating a plume of silt in drinking water reservoir using underwater video and sonar a couple of weeks ago and hiking up and down the hills to get to the waterside was hard work. I had my Z7 then. That might have been where I put too much force on a lens and pried the weather sealing open.

Symphotic

Update. A total of 10 days after shipped, the repair is done and it is being prepared to return from New York. The repair required parts, so there was a delay for parts. The invoice states "good will repair" and is no charge.

Thank you, Nikonusa!

Photobug

Symphotic said:

Update. A total of 10 days after shipped, the repair is done and it is being prepared to return from New York. The repair required parts, so there was a delay for parts. The invoice states "good will repair" and is no charge.

Thank you, Nikonusa!

Symphotic, I had a repair done by Nikon out of warranty and they processed it as "good will repair". Mine was on a D750. I really appreciated that there was no charge.

Nikon does take care of their owners even thou sometimes you hear about the excessive force and they make you pay.

Symphotic

In years past when I was a Minolta user, Minolta treated me well also.
I have paid for a number of out of warranty repairs over the years, so I don't think Nikon is in the red because of me! As I said, I can be pretty hard on camera bodies. My big fear is dropping one into the ocean, which hasn't happened yet.
As an update, my camera is scheduled to be delivered back to me today, in time for our Thanksgiving holidays.

spraynpray

Olympus UK were great to me back in 1970 too. One does remember these things.

Symphotic

spraynpray said:

Olympus UK were great to me back in 1970 too. One does remember these things.

My first camera was an Olympus 35RC. It was stolen at a theatre up the street from Nikon House in Ginza. I replaced it with a Minolta CLE, which was great, but the 28 mm lens needed to be cleaned after a couple of years of hard use, and Minolta in Los Angeles did it for free. My wife had an Olympus OM-1. What a great camera! But never needed service. Actually, none of my old Nikon film cameras ever needed service, and they would run without a battery.
Keeping my digital cameras in prime condition does cost more than keeping the old F2 running, but I don’t have to pay for film or developing.

Symphotic

LA is still closed. I just sent in a speed light for repair (leaked battery), but it went to New York. With the holidays I don't expect any quick turn around.
Today is Thursday, Dec 17, and I shipped by economy, so it is not expected to arrive in New York until December 22.

trolley

So I sent my 200-500 to Nikon UK for repair - they quoted the same prices as an independent. Posted Monday afternoon, 48 hour tracked. Just before midday today I received an email saying it's in the system. They said up to 5 working days to look at it & generate a work quote (for insurance), and then up to 10 working days to repair. So we'll see. As from next Thursday my longest lens option will be 70-200 f2.8 plus a TC14