I have a dilemma

As in my earlier post the meter in my Nikon Df suddenly quit working. I called Nikon and they agree to send it in for repair. Since I needed to use it in a couple weeks at the time the problem happened I decided not to send it to Nikon until I have done with my shooting. During the shooting in Washington DC about 3 weeks ago it started to work on and off for a couple of days. And then after that it worked so far for about 3 weeks now without the problem happened again. I also updated the firmware to the latest and now it doesn't have the problem. I wonder should I send it to Nikon? I don't mind to pay for the cost of repair but I am afraid that they simply do nothing to it. Not doing anything doesn't make me feel good either as since it happened before and without doing anything it can happen again in the future.

What do you think?

If it is important to you that your camera works well, I would send it to Nikon and have them check it out. Most likely you have some poor connection somewhere so that the issue is intermittent. Frequently these problems will come back. Worst case is that Nikon finds no issue and you are out the shipping cost.

 

Years ago when CDs were new, we bought a fairly high-end player. It’s CD drawer didn’t open smoothly. I thought I could live with it. A year later it was out of warranty and the problem got worse. Eventually the drawer wouldn’t open at all and I had to pay for repair.

IMO If it doesn't work ALL the time, it doesn't work. When I sent my DF in for a cosmetic issue, I had a complete service done. Delighted with results.

IMO If it doesn't work ALL the time, it doesn't work. When I sent my DF in for a cosmetic issue, I had a complete service done. Delighted with results.

I am a firm believer that "if it ain't broke, don't fit it." But when it is sometimes broken, it is kind of broken.

I am a firm believer that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Agree - my concern was that the DF was kind of a "one off". I'm planning to keep it "forever" so periodic maintenance while parts are still in stock might be a plan. Doubt I'll do the same with the 750 or 7200 - just upgrade as needed.

Bebu, correct me if this is not the case, I have the impression that the Df is the OP's only DSLR, or at least the main DSLR. If one has 3, 4 different backups all the time, you can afford to have one that is in a iffy condition since you have other options. When it is your main camera, I would keep it in top shape. I really don't like to be in the situation that my main camera may have a serious problem at any time without proper backup.

Bebu, correct me if this is not the case, I have the impression that the Df is the OP's only DSLR, or at least the main DSLR. If one has 3, 4 different backups all the time, you can afford to have one that is in a iffy condition since you have other options. When it is your main camera, I would keep it in top shape. I really don't like to be in the situation that my main camera may have a serious problem at any time without proper backup.

Yes it's my only camera. As for backup I don't really care but I do want to make my camera good and reliable. If a reliable camera fails so be it I don't worry about the missing photos as much as my camera isn't in top shape if you know what I mean. So I do want to send it in, knowing there is a problem somewhere, but I am really afraid that they can't find and fix (or not willing to, I know the pros) and return the camera to me in the same condition.

If you don't send it in for repair, if the problem happens again, you won't know if it could have been prevented or not.

To me, an intermittent problem is worse than a constant problem, cuz it can crop up and bite you at the worst time.

I'm one of those who has to have a backup for everything and if the primary isn't working properly at all times I have it repaired. These things fail completely at the worst possible time....

 

Rick H.

If you are not going to get it repaired, then you NEED to get a backup camera, for when it does fail.

I do not need a back up camera. But I want to make sure that the problem is fixed. Sending it to Nikon in this condition is no warranty that it will be fixed.

For missing photo op doesn't mean much to me. There is no picture that important to me.

I do not need a back up camera. But I want to make sure that the problem is fixed. Sending it to Nikon in this condition is no warranty that it will be fixed.

For missing photo op doesn't mean much to me. There is no picture that important to me.

There is frequently no guarantees in life. Generally speaking, intermittent problems are hard to track down.

 

If you indeed don't care much about whether your camera works or not at any time, maybe you can wait until the problem occurs again. That wouldn't be the approach I would take since I am serious about my photography. However, only your opinion matters here.

 

If you do send it in, explain the intermittent problem you experience. As I said, it could be some bad connection somewhere. An experienced repair technician may have a good idea what the issue is.

There is frequently no guarantees in life. Generally speaking, intermittent problems are hard to track down.

 

If you indeed don't care much about whether your camera works or not at any time, maybe you can wait until the problem occurs again. That wouldn't be the approach I would take since I am serious about my photography. However, only your opinion matters here.

 

If you do send it in, explain the intermittent problem you experience. As I said, it could be some bad connection somewhere. An experienced repair technician may have a good idea what the issue is.

 

My main concern is that when I described the problem to the tech he was in disbelief. He didn't think it's possible for the camera meter to work just fine fine in live view and not when I use the viewfinder.

If the thing isn't acting up now, I have doubts Nikon will be able to diagnose it and fix it. My fear is you send it in, Nikon can't really find a problem, and they start replacing a whole bunch of expensive parts and charge you for it. Might have got some moisture in it and now it's dried out? I wouldn't send it in until it's clearly not working, if that happens at all.

 

 

Kent in SD

If the thing isn't acting up now, I have doubts Nikon will be able to diagnose it and fix it. My fear is you send it in, Nikon can't really find a problem, and they start replacing a whole bunch of expensive parts and charge you for it. Might have got some moisture in it and now it's dried out? I wouldn't send it in until it's clearly not working, if that happens at all.

 

 

Kent in SD

Nikon repair will not carry out any repair that is not free (e.g. under warranty or recall such that the repair is free of charge) until the customer approves the repair cost estimate. If you feel that the estimate is high, you can always decline repair.

 

You may end up paying for shipping, but not an expensive repair that you don’t want.

"My main concern is that when I described the problem to the tech he was in disbelief. He didn't think it's possible for the camera meter to work just fine fine in live view and not when I use the viewfinder."

 

- I would worry about putting a repair in the hands of someone with so little knowledge of how the camera works!

 

LV and viewfinder metering are two completely separate systems with only a commonality in their display and effect on shutter speed/aperture/ISO. In fact the fault being limited to viewfinder metering should have narrowed down the possibilities and given the 'technician' a big clue as to where to start looking.

Rodeo Joe has a good point. Traditional metering in Nikon SLRs since they introduced TTL metering has always been inside the viewfinder. When you use live view, the viewfinder is blocked by the mirror in its upward position so that the meter inside the viewfinder plays no part.

 

I would find a better technician.

Rodeo Joe has a good point. Traditional metering in Nikon SLRs since they introduced TTL metering has always been inside the viewfinder. When you use live view, the viewfinder is blocked by the mirror in its upward position so that the meter inside the viewfinder plays no part.

 

I would find a better technician.

 

It was Nikon USA technician. How do I find a better one?

Did you call Nikon USA over the phone? I wonder how you got to talk to their technician directly. The person who answers the phone is probably not a technician.

I do not need a back up camera

 

I sometimes wear a belt when I wear suspenders.

 

In any case, it's one thing when I am at the end of my driveway taking pictures of "my" watertower and another thing altogether when I am away shooting something that is important to me.

 

Everyone needs a back-up camera.

Did you call Nikon USA over the phone? I wonder how you got to talk to their technician directly. The person who answers the phone is probably not a technician.

 

I sure hop so.

I sometimes wear a belt when I wear suspenders.

 

In any case, it's one thing when I am at the end of my driveway taking pictures of "my" watertower and another thing altogether when I am away shooting something that is important to me.

 

Everyone needs a back-up camera.

 

I never had a back up camera. I never buy a camera for back up. I have lots of cameras in the film days but none is for back up. Each has its own purpose. I don't feel no pain missing a photo op. It hurts me quite bad when my camera broke. So when my camera breaks I am much more worrying about fixing it than any photo I may miss.

So really the old saying the best camera is the one you have with you isn't applied to me.

 

In the case of this camera I want to make sure that it works properly for a long time regardless whether or not I ever use it again.

Edited April 16, 2018 by BeBu Lamar

I sometimes wear a belt when I wear suspenders.

 

In the interests of never seeing the image that gave me ever again on this forum, I feel obliged to share that in British English, suspenders are what an American would call a garter belt. But I know what you mean (we say "belt and braces" in the UK).

 

Everyone needs a back-up camera.

 

I had a D700 alongside my D800 for a while. I used it during that period about twice, when the D800 was off for a sensor clean, and the interface changes drove me nuts. I traded it in when I got the D810 on the basis that I really wasn't using it.

 

I did, as it happens, have need for a backup very shortly after getting the D810, since I had a friend's wedding to shoot. I just hired another D810 for the event. (And by "need" that was as in "let my wife be second shooter under instruction, and have the body there in case of failure", not anything having gone wrong with my D810. But I'm not going to be primary shooter at an event like that without a full backup.)

 

On my big tour of the US a couple of years back, I also didn't want to find myself with a dead camera, so hired a D500 as a complement to the D810. Both cameras behaved perfectly, but again it let me and my wife shoot simultaneously. On more recent trips I've just taken a single camera, partly due to the awkward logistics of collecting a hire body and partly because I felt safe doing so.

 

Of course, when I say "single camera", I mean I had an RX100 in my bag just in case. If that died, I do have a micro 4/3 body in the house (with an F adaptor), and I have a selection of film bodies and a couple of less capable compacts, plus my phone - but frankly I'd have headed to the nearest reasonably-sized store and bought a D3400 or similar. I would like a backup, but the weight, bulk and cost of a D8x0 class camera means I'm not so keen to carry one when travelling alone. It's why I have some hope for whatever Nikon do with mirrorless.

The reason I don't want or have backup camera because cameras are toys to me and not tools. When I work I do have a lot of backup. In my line of work I have backup laptop, backup hand tools, backup measuring instruments like DMM, Oscilloscope etc.. But those are tools and I wouldn't care less if they die as long as I have another one to use immediately.

I won't contemplate the garter belt and belts either, if you don't mind.

 

A touching and even philosophical account of my camera and my backup can be found at

A Boy and his Rollei 35