Back focus problem on D7000 bought in Spain (No International Warranty)

Z

zmijasu2k3

New member
Hi all,

I purchased my D7000 in Barcelona Spain, our D90 was stolen in train station first day of vacation. :-(

I noticed that the pictures were not sharp and an a lot of pctires the background was more focused than the main object. After some research I found out there were lots of people complaining of back focus problem.

My question is, can I talk Nikon in USA to accept the european warranty? Seems like it is a known problem after all.

Does anyone have similar expericence?
Has anyone sent it to Nikon after warranty expired? How much did it cost?

I am thinking that even if they don't accept my european warranty, I would still like to fix it even if it means paying few hundred bucks for it.

Does anyone recomment local Nikon dealers to try to Fix it. 17th Street Photo in NYC, Cameta Camera in Long Island, NY.

Thanks in advance for any help.
 
Marcel

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
If you have a receipt and explain what happened to you (theft), you might get something out of Nikon. Try to call them or email their service center nearest you and find out. You might have to speak to a supervisor. If the worst comes, you might have to send it to Spain for service… Start by contacting them and let us know how it turns out.
 
W

westmill

Banned
zmijasu2k3 said:
It is not a proper fix. It is cumbersome, not easy to do it seems and it is a fix per lens. I want a permanent fix and not have to worry about this.
Click to expand...
It can actually work well, and can be set for all. But yes.... you need a bit of knowledge to do it properly.
It generally needs to go to a Nikon service centre with direct instructions to calibrate it.
They should easily set it and zero the calibration. This should not be a problem.
One more question though... what lens and what focal length and aperture... mmm I guess that's 3 lol.
In for a penny in for a pound lol... Is it consistent at all focal lengths, etc !
I'm asking because there is another possible cause, depending on your reply.
Actually it would also help to know exactly which lens you use, too.:D
 
Last edited by a moderator:
P

pistnbroke

Banned
Setting the back focus is dead easy....take a pull out tape rule and extend about 4 ft ..balance it on two glasses on the kitchen table so its about 4in in the air. Then with it at 45 deg to your shooting axis photograph one point on it say 2 ft mark centre screen. Use your widest aperture and max focal length ... Put the image up on your computer screen and you will see and area in focus around the 2 ft mark ....this will be too far back or forward so now you move your menu adjustment to get it centred on the 2ft mark or as you like..your camera will remember the settings for each lens you hae ....very easy an american could do it .
 
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Z

zmijasu2k3

New member
westmill said:
It can actually work well, and can be set for all. But yes.... you need a bit of knowledge to do it properly.
It generally needs to go to a Nikon service centre with direct instructions to calibrate it.
They should easily set it and zero the calibration. This should not be a problem.
One more question though... what lens and what focal length and aperture... mmm I guess that's 3 lol.
In for a penny in for a pound lol... Is it consistent at all focal lengths, etc !
I'm asking because there is another possible cause, depending on your reply.
Actually it would also help to know exactly which lens you use, too.:D
Click to expand...



I used with the kit lens, 18-100. Pretty much at all focus lengths and apperture. Obviously less pronounced at 18. I also used nikon prime 30mm, same problem. My nikon d90 used to take far superior pictures
 
Z

zmijasu2k3

New member
pistnbroke said:
Setting the back focus is dead easy....take a pull out tape rule and extend about 4 ft ..balance it on two glasses on the kitchen table so its about 4in in the air. Then with it at 45 deg to your shooting axis photograph one point on it say 2 ft mark centre screen. Use your widest aperture and max focal length ... Put the image up on your computer screen and you will see and area in focus around the 2 ft mark ....this will be too far back or forward so now you move your menu adjustment to get it centred on the 2ft mark or as you like..your camera will remember the settings for each lens you hae ....very easy an american could do it .
Click to expand...

I'll try this approach but only after I can't get it fixed permanenty before I go on vacation In three weeks. I tried a different approach with a metal ruler, I thought I followed instructions well but didn't really work.

Thanks
 
W

westmill

Banned
zmijasu2k3 said:
I used with the kit lens, 18-100. Pretty much at all focus lengths and apperture. Obviously less pronounced at 18. I also used nikon prime 30mm, same problem. My nikon d90 used to take far superior pictures
Click to expand...
That rules that out what I was thinking then. If you have tried to calibrate yourself before, its likely the sensor is so far out, there
is not enough correction available in camera. I would say it just needs submiting for calibration.
 
Z

zmijasu2k3

New member
westmill said:
That rules that out what I was thinking then. If you have tried to calibrate yourself before, its likely the sensor is so far out, there
is not enough correction available in camera. I would say it just needs submiting for calibration.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I sent an email to Nikon yesterday, still waiting for response.
 
Z

zmijasu2k3

New member
zmijasu2k3 said:
Thanks. I sent an email to Nikon yesterday, still waiting for response.
Click to expand...

Just got word from Nikon, thye asked me to send two pictures where this issue is seen. They will be able to service the camera for a fee. I'll take what I can get, otherwise the camera is almost useless. Still frustrated at the whole issue though, How did they miss this? How come they don't acknowledge openly this is an issue.
 
W

westmill

Banned
Its just down to a lack of quality control. I also beleive Nikon should calibrate for free.
I think they are scared everyone would take there cameras in and be swamped if they announced such a thing.
Hopefully, It will just have been a batch. This is far from a nikon only thing, beleive me.
Strangely, and for reasons unknown.... its unlikely nikon will do much about the stuation.
They never have in the past. I remember the F100... A number of models before it too.... It was common knowledge
it used to underexpose by about 2 stops lol. It was a disgrace, but it was simply never fixed.
It wasnt difficult to work around, but it was just ridiculous. I remember my first film using one... 50 asa velvia.
The whole role came back black lol. An I dont meen dark... I meen black.
I sent the whole lot back I was so miffed. I think I bought a cannon EOS3 instead if i remember rightly.
Although I bought the full Bronica RF645 kit from the same shop too. At least it seems to the odd batch this time.
It pays to buy local. At least you have the recourse to exchange as faulty goods as I did.
 
Z

zmijasu2k3

New member
westmill said:
Its just down to a lack of quality control. I also beleive Nikon should calibrate for free.
I think they are scared everyone would take there cameras in and be swamped if they announced such a thing.
Hopefully, It will just have been a batch. This is far from a nikon only thing, beleive me.
Strangely, and for reasons unknown.... its unlikely nikon will do much about the stuation.
They never have in the past. I remember the F100... A number of models before it too.... It was common knowledge
it used to underexpose by about 2 stops lol. It was a disgrace, but it was simply never fixed.
It wasnt difficult to work around, but it was just ridiculous. I remember my first film using one... 50 asa velvia.
The whole role came back black lol. An I dont meen dark... I meen black.
I sent the whole lot back I was so miffed. I think I bought a cannon EOS3 instead if i remember rightly.
Although I bought the full Bronica RF645 kit from the same shop too. At least it seems to the odd batch this time.
It pays to buy local. At least you have the recourse to exchange as faulty goods as I did.
Click to expand...


I would by local but our D90 was stolen first day of vacation. (Seriously, watch out in Barcelona) We needed another camera, quite frankly we said, screw the camera, thank god this happened fist day and not the last day, pictures are more important :).

It is just our luck I guess. We didn't want to get new point a shoot camera because we already bought one before when our old point and shoot camera was destroyed on another vacation. We asked a couple to take our picture and the old lady just dropped it on the ground. We though lets just buy D7000 instead of 200 point and shoot since we have one at home. (Yeah, home because we actually borrowed it to our parents for their vacation, otherwise we would have it).

What is also interesting is that we bought D7000, few days later we noticed the focus issue, so we went back to the store, tried to find anyone who speaks at least a little bit of English and tried to replace it. After an hour of complaining they exchanged our body only, they just took out body from another camera and took ours. Go figure. But the second camera had the same issue.
 
W

westmill

Banned
I bought an Olympus lens in Barcelona lol. I was staying in La Ret da mar over xmas. While we were there, we heard
of a number of rooms being burgled and even some old couple being mugged in the hotel lift would you believe.
I ended up carrying my gear everywhere... even to breakfast etc lol.
Luckily I look more like a mugger than a mugee so I was ok lol. I did warn the girls... any trouble.. Im going have
to look after my gear first lol. ;)
I would not go there again :)
 
Z

zmijasu2k3

New member
westmill said:
I bought an Olympus lens in Barcelona lol. I was staying in La Ret da mar over xmas. While we were there, we heard
of a number of rooms being burgled and even some old couple being mugged in the hotel lift would you believe.
I ended up carrying my gear everywhere... even to breakfast etc lol.
Luckily I look more like a mugger than a mugee so I was ok lol. I did warn the girls... any trouble.. Im going have
to look after my gear first lol. ;)
I would not go there again :)
Click to expand...

We went to the police, and we saw like 5 people there, some have had stolen money, passports, other documents. They work in teams, they are pretty organized there. Even locals warn of pick pocketers, inlcuding public announcements in the metro. It's crazy. I would still go there again, I liked the city.

I was also pissed because they stole our camera on Sunday afternoon, all the stores were closed and we had to buy it next day. That evening we went to Barcelona game, had to take pictures with my phone :-\.

That entire day was a disaster.
1. Stolen Camera
2. could not buy new one
3. ATM swallowed my Citi ATM card, no options in English so I pressed cancel but the card never came back.
Went to the bank next day but they just don't speak ANY english so we had employee come with us to translate. Long story short, they can;t give me my card and they cut it to pieces right in front of me.
4. Bought two tickets for Barcelona game and wife lost one. No replacement, se neede to buy another one 4 seats farther. Thankfully we were sitting together.
5. Took Pictures with crappy phone.

All on the first day.
 
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