Looking a new camera, now almost paranoid

<p>I posted about a week ago re: buying a new camera. Basically decided on either a D3300 or maybe a D5300. Unfortunately, my curiosity regarding customer service from Nikon (and Canon as well) led me to nothing but a ton of complaints. Are these two merely ignoring the customer? Am I being truly paranoid? I have had an issue with both companies in the past, Canon made the repair, no problems, took it to their Atlanta facility. With Nikon, I sent the lens (85 1.8 MF) 3 times, by the third time, it seemed fixed but I sold it. Don't know if I'm over-evaluating this or not. Any experiences with either would be very helpful. Just don't want a lemon.<br>

Thanks to all.<br>

Mark</p>

<p>I don't see how you can solve this by getting random feedback from a few people who have had bad (or good) experiences with different companies. Where will it lead you? I think you are indeed being paranoid. You could choose Sony or another company, since, as they won't have had as many customers as Canon or Nikon, perhaps you will hear fewer complaints...but will that mean they are better in reality?</p>

<p>It is very typical that those who have complaints post to the web. Very few people would post that they have no issues with a product; doing so will seem very odd.</p>

<p>Thanks Robin & Shun, and yes, I'm probably paranoid. Really just looking for any good & bad experiences, trying to ascertain as to what I might expect if I have an issue that the company needs to fix. Appreciate your responses.</p>

<p>Mark--I've had a D3300 since March and it's been perfect. No problems whatsoever--great little camera.<br>

Costco has a big sale on them now..<br>

Paul</p>

<p>There are a few statistical surveys available about Nikon & Canon repair. Here's a couple I think are honest:</p>

<p>http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2013/08/lensrentals-repair-data-2012-2013</p>

<p>Skip down to section "Service & Support"<br>

http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2013/02/roger-buys-a-camera-system-finally</p>

<p>The camera bodies you are looking at don't have a history of problems, so you should be OK. At least, there's no way you'd be hit with an $1,800 repair on either one!</p>

<p>Kent in SD</p>

<p>Customer service and product support is a tricky issue. It's paramount for non-physical or virtual products and online services. But for physical products it's less important than the physical product's reputation for reliability. I think <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MGTq0QHWCQ"><em>Tommy Boy</em></a> said it best.</p>

<p>Personally, I'm irritated by Nikon USA's fickle customer service and product support. But Nikon the manufacturer makes damned good stuff. So I still buy Nikon most of the time. But I pay no attention to the warranty. I only buy what I can afford to either repair at my own cost, or throw away when it quits working. Nowadays I would only buy heavily discounted new old stock Nikon stuff (the Coolpix A is finally down to a reasonable price), or used samples of a model that was generally considered to be reliable.</p>

<p>That way if Nikon USA happens to feel like honoring the warranty, great, it's gravy. If not, no harm done because I'm not relying on them anyway. And I'd probably buy gray market if it's available for the same new product. B&H and Adorama have better reputations than Nikon USA, in my admittedly subjective impression, so I'd consider buying gray market from them.</p>

Nikon handler since 1986. Very few problems or complaints. Get the splash and crash warranty from B&H or Amazon if

you're worried.

<p>Per Dave Wilson above. You can do the same at Samy's. Don't worry be happy, unless worrying really makes you happy.</p>

<p>Ultimately, it's up to you. Should you decide to buy a camera, by doing it now you may have a longer time to return it if you don't like it. At B&H, for example, anything you get now can be returned at any time until February 1. I'm sure many other stores have a similar policy for this time of year.</p>

<p>I have used Nikon cameras for 50 years and have had to send to them for service only one time. I had one of the new d810 units that had to be sent to LA for the firmware issue. From the time I dropped it off at UPS until it was back in my hands was 10 days. I was more than pleased with this turn around time and the camera is functioning beautifully. Perhaps I have just been lucky all these years.</p>

 

<p>I've been using digital cameras since 1999. The first couple cameras I got the store extended warranty on. The first camera I had I used the warranty. The second camera is still working. The third, and later cameras were Nikon cameras and have had no problems. I did not get a store warranty on them The only Nikon item that I've sent back for repair was a remote release that quit.<br>

My feeling about the store extended warranty is that if it costs more than 5% of the purchase price per year of warranty it's overpriced. True, I did use one, but that was in the early days of digital cameras and I figured the technology wasn't quite mature yet. In the last 10 years none of my cameras has had any problems (knock on wood).</p>

<p>I've used Nikon cameras since 1973, 30 years with F2 photomic bodies and lenses, then D70s, now D300s and strobes. The only time I needed repair work was for a Coolpix 995, which Nikon fixed better than new within a week. (I'm very happy Nikon repair moved within 1/2 mile of me in Los Angeles, but so far, no need.)</p>

I've used Nikon service (in Sausolito I think?) several times for routine maintenance and also for some repairs (dropped some things) they've been reliable. I used Canon service too and they were good. Also KEH has a good repair department. Shun is right you never hear from the people who had things go just fine.

<p>Used only Nikons for 35 years and have had to send cameras back only twice. Both times service was awesome. The latest was just a few weeks ago when, winding my FE, the advance lever snapped inside and no film advanced. The repair cost $129 and some might think that's expensive but the camera was a gift from my parents and had sentimental value as they really struggled to pay for it as a graduation present from high school. Went online, made a claim, printed the label, shipped it, got an estimate a few days later, and got a cleaned, lubed, repaired camera back in about a week. Most of my Nikon gear is bulletproof. I think you're over thinking. Buy what you like and let the chips fall where they fall. </p>

<p>People tend to homogenize Nikon, the Japanese camera manufacturer, with Nikon USA, the exclusive US distributors. It might help if you think of the US distributor as "Fat Eddie's Camera Warehouse"*. That should keep your expectations about service more in line with reality.</p>

<p>* - With apologies to everyone named Eddie.</p>

<p>I think you're worrying about a hypothetical issue. Despite your exceperience with the 85, that's more the exception that the rule. I've been using Nikon for 40 years and never had anything that had to go back because it was defective. Not one single item ever. (Yes, I have broken a thing or two but got good, quick service on that.) <br /><br />Cameras and electronics (and cameras largely are electronics today) tend to work when you take them out of the box or not. If you buy a body and it doesn't work, you don't have to deal with Nikon, you just return it where you bought it.</p>

<p>Don't be paranoid, buy the camera that you like. The odds are in your favor. In addition to thinking about the D3300 or D5300 think about a D7000, there are some amazing deals on them right now.</p>

<p>You only really see stuff on the net from people who have had problems. If 0.5% of Sony customers have a problem with Sony tech support, 90% of the commentary you see on the net will come from those people because the other 99.5% of people think their situation is normal and that they have nothing to report.</p>

<p>I've owned a bunch of Nikons and Fujis and never had any problems so I've never commented on my Nikon or Fuji customer experience. I reserved a car at Hertz and they tried several different ways to upsell me and then refused to give me the car I'd ordered after I turned down their upsells, and you can bet I blasted that on every channel I could think of.</p>

<p>I'm odd. I'm going to report on the Web that none of my several Nikon digital cameras have given me any problems, other than the irritating one I can't seem to escape of user error. They won't fix that one for me.</p>

<p>I'm in the group that has never had a problem with Nikon products - except for things that were physically broken. With digital cameras, I'd just buy from places to which you can return it.<br>

I'm gobsmacked that (in Andrew Sacco's case above) that Nikon is still repairing cameras last made over 30 years ago.</p>

<p>I appreciate everyone's responses, and yes, perhaps I've been paranoid. I finally settled on a quality camera and hopefully I'll be happy with it and can post some pics. Your opinions is what makes this site so great. Thanks to all.</p>

<p><em>I'm in the group that has never had a problem with Nikon products - except for things that were physically broken. With digital cameras, I'd just buy from places to which you can return it.</em><br /><em>I'm gobsmacked that (in Andrew Sacco's case above) that Nikon is still repairing cameras last made over 30 years ago</em><br>

<em> </em><br>

Greg, so was I. Some might call it foolish to spend $130 on a camera body worth a third or less than that, but when something has sentimental value, it is nice to have a stable company still take care of it. I got the camera in 1982 and I remember how hard my parents had to work and save to pay the $600 or so for it then. It is priceless to me of course since every fiber of my being wanted that camera! </p>