How Good Is Nikon Service - Part IV The Final Chapter

<i>[Moderator's note: Edited to go directly to the summary. Readers may visit previous threads for background. -- LJ]</i><br>

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<p>In July, I sent my F100 to Nikon, El Segundo, for a Clean and Inspect. (The incidents, including some problems that necessitated returns for additional service, have been detailed in these previous discussions:)<p>

 

<a href="http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00TqTk">http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00TqTk</a><br>

 

<a href="http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00UKqc">http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00UKqc</a><br>

 

<a href="http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00UVod">http://www.photo.net/nikon-camera-forum/00UVod</a></p>

 

<p>To recapitulate, I sent my F100 to Nikon for a Clean and Inspect. It took three more trips to Nikon to correct problems that occurred either at Nikon or in transit. The camera now has a new Focusing Screen, SI Display Plate (whatever that is), Flash Hot Shoe, and Rubber Grip. (And many Frequent Flyer Air Miles – Sacramento to El Segundo - courtesy of Nikon <grin>.)</p>

<p>Would I use Nikon Service again? Yes, I would. Although there were many problems, Nikon stood behind their work and corrected the problems. That shows integrity.</p>

<p>Firstly, congrats on the happy ending. Your story just deepens my conviction of <em>If it isn't broke, don't fix it</em> . The only time I sent in one of my Nikon cameras (actually my first, a Nikon FM) to Nikon (Germany at that time) was to have the displaced shutter readout in the viewfinder re-adjusted. Nikon did the job under warranty - only the readout slid into its old position about a week later again. Never sent in another Nikon for a CLA - and never had one fail. Recently, an inherited Leica M6 needed some shutter brake adjustment after it failed on me in the field - it had never been serviced since its purchase in 1986.</p>

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<p>Would I use Nikon Service again? Yes, I would. Although there were many problems, Nikon stood behind their work and corrected the problems. That shows integrity.</p>

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<p>Indeed - would have been better if there hadn't been any damage to the camera at all...</p>

<p>First of all, I of course don't know the exact conditions of Brooks' F100 each time it was returned from Nikon, but my impression is that if the camera were sent back to me with very minor issues instead of Brooks , I would have simply taken cared of them myself so that the camera wouldn't keep going back to Nikon.</p>

<p>Hi Shun,</p>

<p>You wrote</p>

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<p>but my impression is that if the camera were sent back to me with very minor issues instead of Brooks , I would have simply taken cared of them myself so that the camera wouldn't keep going back to Nikon.</p>

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<p>From the way this post has been edited, I understand why you wrote the above; the meaning, while not changed, has been obscured. By the way, who is the moderator of this forum? I thought you were, but your initials are not LJ. Editing, however, is the moderator's call, and I respect it.</p>

<p>The loose focusing screen may have seemed minor, but Nikon found it necessary replace both the focusing screen and the SI Display Plate on a subsequent return. I assume this was because they were damaged by the loose focusing screen bouncing around inside the camera during transit. Had I simply tried to fix the problem, I would have found myself paying for a new focusing screen and the replacement of the SI Display Plate (whatever that is, it is not inexpensive - nothing Nikon is inexpensive).</p>

<p>As for the bent hot shoe, I did try to bend it back. It did not go easily, so rather than force it and possible break it and have to pay for it, I returned the camera to Nikon. I do not know how much it costs to replace a hot shoe, but I would be surprised if it were less than $100. I assume the grip was replaced as part of the Hot Shoe fix. The fact that Nikon chose to replace the Hot Shoe, suggests the damage could not be corrected by a simple tweak with a screwdriver.</p>

<p>Last, I returned the camera because it is not my job to fix Nikon's errors and omissions. When I send a camera, or any piece of equipment for that matter, to be serviced and pay for it, I expect it to be returned in perfect working condition. I do not think that is expecting too much.</p>

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<p>Shun and I are moderators of this forum. I edited the original post.</p>

<p>The goal is to serve the needs of the forum for future reference. A reader who is unfamiliar with your previous posts might have misinterpreted the lengthy recap of the issues as a new complaint about Nikon service.</p>

<p>In future it's usually best to append new information to existing threads rather than starting new threads for each additional comment about the same issue.</p>