Repairing my Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8? (Advice wanted)

[Anomalous]

I would love some feedback if anyone has any light to shed. The body of my one-year-old Nikkor 24-70 mm f/2.8 somehow became dented while I was traveling I always keep my gear in pristine condition and I have no idea how this happened. It's the outside rim surrounding the lens. The lens itself is perfectly fine, photos come out as normal. However, I want to repair it because I currently cannot attach a filter to the lens, and even the cap no longer fastens securely. Is this kind of repair possible? Is it extremely costly? The lens is obviously a big and heavy one, so I want to try and find out what I'm looking at before paying to ship it it Nikon. Should I go through Nikon only? I've heard good things about United Camera as well. Here are photos of the damage:

 

[Marcel]

From my dealings with Nikon for lens repairs, I'd guess you'll be looking at about 300-400$ all together at the max. I'd be interested in knowing how much it will cost you because mine needs the same kind of repair. It's not as bad as I can still fit the filters in but with difficulty.

 

[Anomalous]

Interesting, Marcel. Thank you. I read online about another person having damage to the body of the lens and complaining that the repair cost more than the lens itself! That had me reeling. Just looking at the crack makes me cringe. I wish there were a way to get an estimate without the costly shipping prices for this hefty lens, but the Nikon website said there are no authorized repair shops for this product other than Nikon itself. Anyway, the cap does still fasten... it's just not completely secure.

You mentioned previous dealings... what kind of repair(s) did you have done? Were they substantial?

 

[gqtuazon]

Yes and welcome to the forum. Depending on your location since your profile is not quite filled out, send it to your Nikon Service Center for parts replacement, calibration, check AF motor, etc.

This will be considered as an impact damage and they'll assess the lens first, give you a quote before they even start the repair. You can always ask them to send it back to you if the price is too high for you but I think less than $400 USD is about right.

Nikon Service and Repair

 

[stmv]

do you have any local pro repair shops? I use my local shop for repairs, and they always provide an estimate first fo the amount of cost,, you could even go in,, show them the part,, they could order the part, and you could keep on using it,, until the part comes in.

 

[Marcel]

Interesting, Marcel. Thank you. I read online about another person having damage to the body of the lens and complaining that the repair cost more than the lens itself! That had me reeling. Just looking at the crack makes me cringe. I wish there were a way to get an estimate without the costly shipping prices for this hefty lens, but the Nikon website said there are no authorized repair shops for this product other than Nikon itself. Anyway, the cap does still fasten... it's just not completely secure.

You mentioned previous dealings... what kind of repair(s) did you have done? Were they substantial?

They usually don't like to give estimates without having the lens on the bench. There are other things that could have gotten broken or weakened inside. I once bought a 17-55 2.8 for repairs (zoom was stuck, jammed), brought it in the Montreal Nikon service center for an estimate. They called me back saying it would cost more than the lens. Then I asked for a more detailed estimate of parts and labor. The lens was sent to Nikon in Toronto. The real estimate was for 360 $. Much less than the lens value so I had it done and am glad I insisted with them. Otherwise, it would have made me an expensive paper weight.

 

[Anomalous]

Yes and welcome to the forum. Depending on your location since your profile is not quite filled out, send it to your Nikon Service Center for parts replacement, calibration, check AF motor, etc.

This will be considered as an impact damage and they'll assess the lens first, give you a quote before they even start the repair. You can always ask them to send it back to you if the price is too high for you but I think less than $400 USD is about right.

Nikon Service and Repair

Thank you! I am in New York State, gqtuazon. Let's hope it's no more than that... but we'll see.

do you have any local pro repair shops? I use my local shop for repairs, and they always provide an estimate first fo the amount of cost,, you could even go in,, show them the part,, they could order the part, and you could keep on using it,, until the part comes in.

Do you mean authorized Nikon repair shops, stmv? Or just any old camera repair shop? I supposed I could just go into different shops to get an idea of what they think the damage should cost, roughly. But the Nikon website did mention there are no authorized locations that would fix this particular lens for me.

 

[Anomalous]

They usually don't like to give estimates without having the lens on the bench. There are other things that could have gotten broken or weakened inside. I once bought a 17-55 2.8 for repairs (zoom was stuck, jammed), brought it in the Montreal Nikon service center for an estimate. They called me back saying it would cost more than the lens. Then I asked for a more detailed estimate of parts and labor. The lens was sent to Nikon in Toronto. The real estimate was for 360 $. Much less than the lens value so I had it done and am glad I insisted with them. Otherwise, it would have made me an expensive paper weight.

Yikes! No kidding! Okay, sounds like sending it in is really the way to go. I've never needed a repair in the past, so this is very helpful.

 

[stmv]

I use LeZot camera repair,, certified Lens repairer,, but I am not sure if they are considered an "certified Nikon Repair center",, most likely not, but,, the lens I have repaired are without warranty, so, I prefer the local shop. If the lens still has warranty, sounds like best bet is Nikon... I can't see how the cost would be more than 400 dollars! but who know, the way Nikon is becoming.