D800 basket case

[Epoc]

If your going to host them on the forum server, resize them to 1024px on the longest side. Save as jpeg to around 300kb. Sounds harsh, but its plenty for web viewing and helps with both server space and download time. Well, this is what I do and haven't had any complaints yet.

 

[KWJams]

The situation you find yourself in suxs.

​But put yourself in the Nikon tech persons shoes for a minute --- or a morticians shoes. How could they be expected to be as emotionally invested in a dropped camera or a corpse as the owner or next of kin would be.

Nothing you can do except to get beyond it.

Maybe in that last bunch of pictures is one that with some creative marketing can be your salvation and can earn enough to pay for a new one --- or maybe you can design a tether strap that quickly connects camera to tripod that you can sell a million of and become so filthy rich that you buy all your Nikonite friends new gear.

Time to make some lemonade.

 

[KWJams]

One other thing --- put the dead one on eBay as for parts only and you may be able to salvage some of your money back.

 

[Silver]

I'm still going to try to straighten the bayonet with a c-clamp or gear puller. if it survives that, it'll be a 2nd body; not dust & moisture resistant, but it'll be interesting to see what will come of it. If it gets FUBAR then yeah i'll try to sell it on ebay. I'm pretty good at fixing things. I actually one time bought a broken Yamaha MD-4 Minidisc Multi-track recorder on ebay for $25, and took out the MD drive and successfully and transplanted it into my existing MD-4. I tell my boss at work: if I can SEE it, I can FIX it!

 

[Silver]

yeah the tether i already thought of (after the fact). I do some small machine work with a Sherline metal lathe. Made removable 3" spikes for my Gitzo tripod.

 

[Silver]

When I try to convert my D800 image files (from View NX 2) they convert to jpeg but I don't know where they go. I clicked on all the files under View and still can't find them. I've just used the email tab to send them to friends, etc. Do you use View NX 2 ?

 

[KWJams]

Picasa is a free program that finds and sorts all pictures on your system and is handy helping find lost pictures. --> Picasa

 

[Epoc]

When I try to convert my D800 image files (from View NX 2) they convert to jpeg but I don't know where they go. I clicked on all the files under View and still can't find them. I've just used the email tab to send them to friends, etc. Do you use View NX 2 ?

Yes for my D7000 RAW files as my PS CS3 won't import them. In the Convert Files window, under the "Save in" option, select "Specified Folder". Then use the browse button to point to the folder you want to save to. Hit the Convert button and all the files you selected should now be in the folder you selected.

 

[bwana]

I recently fell on my ass while hiking. The D800 with a 70-200 vr2 was in my backpack. The bayonet ring cracked. There was no impact damage to the camera itself.

I sent the camera to Melville and got it back with a note-not economical to repair. How can this be?

If the camera is this fragile, then it does Nikon has totally ruined their reputation for durable machines. And their service dept. is poor. Do I have any alternatives to Melville? Or am I their hostage?

 

[gqtuazon]

I recently fell on my ass while hiking. The D800 with a 70-200 vr2 was in my backpack. The bayonet ring cracked. There was no impact damage to the camera itself.

I sent the camera to Melville and got it back with a note-not economical to repair. How can this be?

If the camera is this fragile, then it does Nikon has totally ruined their reputation for durable machines. And their service dept. is poor. Do I have any alternatives to Melville? Or am I their hostage?

The impact damage might have affected other sensitive components such as the sensor, electronics, etc. Buying all of the individual components plus labor makes it impractical to do which is why they said that it is not economical to repair. They basically said buy a new one it will be cheaper.

You can try other authorized Nikon repair service center. I have not tried their service yet but someone mentioned that they provide better service than Nikon Service Center.

Home - Authorized Photo Service

 

[KWJams]

I recently fell on my ass while hiking. The D800 with a 70-200 vr2 was in my backpack. The bayonet ring cracked. There was no impact damage to the camera itself.

I sent the camera to Melville and got it back with a note-not economical to repair. How can this be?

If the camera is this fragile, then it does Nikon has totally ruined their reputation for durable machines. And their service dept. is poor. Do I have any alternatives to Melville? Or am I their hostage?

The alternative would have been for them to milk bucket loads of money out of you until you add up the receipts and it dawns on you that you spent as much on repairs that it would cost to replace. Myself I appreciate honesty from repair shops.

 

[FulThrotl]

Yeah, warranty doesn't cover a drop or impact damage. I'm not asking for a free ride. Just want to get it fixed. I might add a note that I didn't have in my first submission: Nikon technically didn't say it was TOTALLY unrepairable-- but it said ECONOMICALLY unrepairable. But I wish they would've been more specific. At least given me SOME figure. Then I could decide whether it would be worth fixing or chucking....

chit happens. firstly it's a heavy camera, and if it drops 3', and hits wrong, it weighs enough to kill itself, as you have discovered. i've machined magnesium,
and while it's lighter than a popcorn's pfhart, it's not particularly strong, relative to other metals that might have been used. it fractures pretty easily.

be grateful it wasn't powered by a ford diesel. they cost more than nikons, and are more delicate. a mechanic added coolant to my 6.0 diesel, and it was
incompatible with the ford product. how big a deal could *that* be?

after it plugged the oil cooler, causing the egr cooler to fail, causing the motor to be hydrolocked...... the final tab came to $10,080.
and that isn't covered by warranty, either.....

chit happens. my condolences... at least it wasn't a 'blad that was totaled.... it still hurts, however.

 

[Silver]

when i read bwana's experience it was just as i was going out for a the first shoot with a new D800 (insurance this time). And it occurred to me that it might be good preventative medicine to transport-- even in a good backpack or whatever-- the body WITHOUT any lens, ESPECIALLY A TELE, and put the body cap on. That way there are no forces on the bayonet with a drop, because I realized that even tho I had just put the D800, with Sigma 150-500, in the a new Lowerpo Prorunner 450 AW, if I fell, like bwana did, the bayo and lens COULD STILL BREAK! If physics were right, I have no doubt. So from now on, its in the slot for the long lens, but with BODY CAP ON with a barrier between it and the lens. BTW, the Sigma folks did a good job of fixing the lens. Fast service, fairly reasonable ($280+$20 ship), courteous (thanks to spell check) on the phone & email.

 

[Photowyzard]

Thanks for the feedback... and sympathy. Just have to accept that things like this happen... again, SHOULD'VE GOTTEN THE 3YR INSURANCE with it. But, again, Nikon Service could be a little more warmer in their handling of this. They were very bluntly cold, business-like. I guess business is business. Business is business, too, I told them, if I sold all my Nikon gear and went with Canon. Not because Nikon isn't great stuff. It is. But-- support---?

I just stumbled on this. Wow, sorry to hear about your woes, it is a real shame and I feel for you.

In regards to Nikon, I am curious what support you wanted? Canon would give you no different, nor Sony, not Panasonic etc etc. You broke the camera. That is the harsh reality. It is not a warranty issue.

As hard as it sounds, that is how it is with all of them. By threatening to sell your gear to go to Canon, you are cutting off your nose to spite your face. I am just looking in here and not emotional, although I really feel for you, but seriously? Try going to GM or FORD with your smashed up car and getting sympathy. Let's put this in perspective. Nikon is not at fault for you damaging your gear and aside from an, "I am sorry to hear it...." that's pretty much it.

In regards to oil spots, I had my sensor cleaned at a Trade Show. I was amazed at how simple and easy the whole process is to do. You lament about shipping (Not just you, I have heard this before". Save the shipping cost, buy yourself a sensor cleaning kit!

Lenspen SensorKlear makes a great kit, here is the link to their site:

LENSPEN is The superior Camera lens cleaning system for all fine optics, rifle scopes, camcorder and camera viewer screens, binoculars

You can get this almost anywhere for under $70. They were on sale at the show for $60. Very, very easy to use and cleans the sensor of oil in a snap! Two cleanings, you are ahead of the shipping costs to Nikon.

Again, sorry for the disappointment and anguish you have suffered with your damaged gear, hope you get it resolved in the end to your satisfaction.

 

[Silver]

Yeah, no, I know it's my fault that I broke it. By "support", I mean the lack of it, plainly. They would NOT give me a price. I don't care if they said $10,000. At least they would say something. You want me to just say, "oh, well, what's $3,000. the big corporations are what they are, you can't do a thing. no, my generation tries to get corporations to be accountable for their products if there are problems. My father was involved in a class action suit against GM which was famous for ignoring glaring manufacturing and design problems with some of their products. My dad bought one of the Oldsmobiles with the V8 diesel, and the crankshaft broke at 50K miles. GM had the same attitude that Nikon gave me. "oh, things like this happen".

I know, my case is different. I BROKE THE CAMERA. ME. I KNOW THAT. But I EXPECTED to get it repaired and PAY for it. I ASSUMED IT WAS GOING TO BE EXPENSIVE, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS GOING TO BE TOTALLED.

I AM AT FAULT HERE. I BROKE IT. I'M NOT BELLYAKING FOR A HAND OUT. I WOULD HAVE PAID FOR THE REPAIR. LET'S GET THIS STRAIGHT AND NOW LETS KILL THIS THREAD.

 

[Silver]

Ps- thanks for the advice on the lenspen. I'll definitely get one for the sensor. I have the regular lenspen for lenses.

 

[FulThrotl]

I AM AT FAULT HERE. I BROKE IT. I'M NOT BELLYAKING FOR A HAND OUT. I WOULD HAVE PAID FOR THE REPAIR. LET'S GET THIS STRAIGHT AND NOW LETS KILL THIS THREAD.

i doubt anyone was suggesting you wanted something for nothing. your reaction is, i suspect,
similar to what most of us would feel in your situation.... and we've all felt this way about something
or another. it's not that the broken camera, it is the callous treatment you were dispensed at the
hands of people in "customer support", which amounts to a minimum wage person in a cubicle
in a huge faceless call center in phoenix, or wherever they outsourced it to.

based on reading this, when i bought a 14-24 2.8 last week, i opted for the "fix or replace"
5 year warranty from samy's, where i bought it. it doesn't cover theft, or damage when
the camera is NOT being used, but covers everything that happens. they'd just hand you
a new one in this case.

and when you replace the camera, i'm betting a cheeseburger you have one of those type
​of warranties as well.

 

[FulThrotl]

Ps- thanks for the advice on the lenspen. I'll definitely get one for the sensor. I have the regular lenspen for lenses.

i read this, and decided having someone else clean
my camera is silly.

Introduction - Cleaning Digital Cameras - D-SLR Sensor Cleaning.

it was kinda wierd, the d800 i got brand
new had a bunch of junk on the sensor.
it was a bit intimidating the first time you
try it.... on the other hand, you have a
d800 you can practice on.....

the main deal is to blow off the loose stuff,
so you don't have anything to drag across
the surface, and then clean it wet. you won't
​hurt it.

 

[Nathan Lanni]

Only problem is, what do I do now?

Sorry for your misfortune and I feel your pain:

1. You mentioned the camera still functions - how much of an angle and can you see the affect of the damage in your photos?

2. Just curious - how much did they charge you to say "beyond repair". But, seriously sometimes organizations have extremely high standards, especially in this case as it is a pro-level camera. The other side of that coin could be they only looked at the outside and didn't seriously consider repairing it.

3. There must be other people or companies that do camera repair beside an official Nikon Service center? I would ask around at the local camera shops. Assuming the frame isn't ripped in two, you might have a better chance getting a reasonable repair, and if the tech is local he might even be able to show what is damaged. Maybe it's something you can live with until you save up to buy a new one and keep that as a backup.

4. I see "good for parts only" items for sale on ebay all the time. Usually those are a basket of parts. In your case, you mentioned the items still functions, so it would seem the your camera must be worth more than salvage value. Let's face it, more than likely everything "in" the camera is OK.

 

[riverside]

I would personally take the word of a Nikon tech who said any modern DSLR which suffered a drop severe enough to bend the bayonet mount was beyond repair. I'd interpret that to mean repairs would exceed replacement cost. Why? Here's a D7000 that displays the complexity of these cameras. Replacing a bent frame sounds simple until one ponders the reality of such an endeavor. I don't think any competent tech would simply transfer all the components from a damaged unit to a new frame without testing each component and its interaction with other components stage by stage. I'd certainly hope not.