Recommendations on F100 repair

My March 2001 F100 is giving me troubles:

 

1. The rubber front cover is coming off. Electric tape seems to have

done the trick for 3 months, but it is coming off also ...

 

2. The [+] closest distance AF seems to be unstable, in fact it

switches (all by itself) to [.] single focus point mode every 10

seconds or 10 frames, however it pleases. Shoving the camera back to

the left and pressing down on it usually gives me true [+] mode back,

but only temporarily.

 

3. General screen cleaning etc ; CLA, maybe (250+ films shot)

 

Question: Where to send it : to Nikon Melville or to independent

service facility. (I am located in Auburn, AL). Quality of repair is

the issue for me, not the last $ saved ...

 

Recent experiences, ..., please. Thanks!

Two of the three things you list can be done by yourself.

 

There have been other posts regarding F5/F100 rubber grips coming off, and the recommendation has usually been to use Pliobond, an adhesive available from micro-tools.com. I've never used it, but that's the solution that always comes up.

 

I also experienced a problem with the AF sensors going haywire, and it was simply becuase I needed to clean the contacts between the camera back and body. That happened 3 years ago and hasn't been a problem since.

 

As far as a CLA, someone else will have to answer that one.

Either Nikon Melville (New York) or their new El Segundo (Los Angeles) facility should do a good job. IMO their main problems are (1) they are expensive and (2) sometimes they are slow unless you are an NPS member.

 

As an alternative, you might want to conisder Authorized Photo Service in the Chicago area. See the following thread for the details:

 

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00BxJs

I have repaired my F100 rubber cover successfully using Contact Cement Adhesive which may be found in most of industry hardware supply or hobby stores. For the AF point issue, I would check the back door contacts for cleaning first as Eric has experienced.

Frank I'd give Oscar a call at Camera Service Center in Ozark, AL. He's a bit up in years but recently repaired 3 cameras for me, 2 Nikons. I haven't found anything so far he couldn't repair properly the first time.

 

Rick H.

After getting a rip-off quote from my local camera place I just sent my F-4 to KEH -- they seem to be fair with their used gear, so why not with repairs? An instant, online quote said my problem would cost $175. That's $200 less than the other quote I got.