D3s Service

[pcassity]

<p>I have a three year old D3S with approximately 100,000 shutter activations. I am about to enter my slow period in regards to business and would like to send it to Nikon for some general cleaning and tuning. Does Nikon offer such a service and what has been your experience with such. Results, how long did they take, etc...?</p>

[howard_m]

<p>http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Service-And-Support/Service-And-Repair.page</p>

[paul_b.1]

<p>My D3 (out of warrany) suffer sudden death (shutter infarct) at 104K activations. The shutter mechanism cost was 200 euro and I have to pay another 100 euro for al the rubber parts and the new LCD glass window. Cleaning, calibration and workmanship was free of charge. (I am a NPS member). They manage to repair'it in exactly one week (door to door).</p>

[robert_bouknight1]

<p>This could be an interesting thread. At 100K shots, the camera should not be worn significantly. I think there are self checking systems in the shutter to monitor and maintain shutter accuracy, The old mechanical shutter days, a regular CLA was needed to maintain and verify shutter accuracy, especially for the higher speeds.</p>

<p>If it works well, I would tend to go another year per the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" theory. There is always the (small?) chance of problems created by the service itself. </p>

<p>Do you use the camera in dusty or coastal conditions? Then I would it in.</p>

[jonb]

<p>I had the same question, so I tried contacting Nikon via their online form. The response I got was that they do offer a "General Clean and Check" service, but I was unable either online or via a follow-up phone call to get an estimate of the cost. Apparently, they won't provide an estimate until they have the camera in-hand.</p>

<p>I guess I'll send my D3 in in a couple of weeks when things slow down for me and see what happens.</p>

[tom_boston1]

<p>Paul - I think they do cleaning, calibration and general adjustment anytime a camera comes in for a repair. No NPS membership necessary. </p>

<p>I just had a problem fixed on my D3s for $310 and got the same CLA service as you describe (sensor cleaned, AF adjusted, general check & clean).</p>

 

[paul_b.1]

<p>Tom - Yes they do..., if the camera comes in for repair, but if only CLA is requested , I think the labor is not for free, unless you-re a NPS member . I only have to pay for parts (even out of warranty) because I am a NPS member. But that is not what I wanted to imply... : as Robert already said : at 100K shots, the camera should not be worn significantly. Just imagine how surprised I was when my D3 shutter broke..., just to discover (googling) lots of similar cases...So, maybe the OP should wait for another 5K activations , just to be sure :-)</p>

[tom_boston1]

<p>Paul - I've heard of priority repairs and free loaners for NPS members. But, other than special events like the Olympics, I hadn't heard about free CLA service.</p>

<p>Anyway, I think the information about shutter count is only to indicate the condition, not to ask if it should be replaced.</p>

[tom_boston1]

<p>Pat - If you qualify (meet minimum equipment requirements, etc), your best bet is to become an NPS member because those guys go to the head of the line.</p>

<p>Other than that, your wait time may vary depending on how long their service queue is.</p>

<p>My D3s was in the shop three times recently.</p>

<p>A day or two after Nikon receives your camera, they'll send an email acknowledgement which you can use to track roughly track where the camera is. The only categories seem to be (ESTIMATE, APPROVAL, SHOP, SHIPPED). It's not a great system because sometimes it can be a day between when they receive the camera and when they put it into their system.</p>

<p>That said, my camera got into the shop pretty quickly the first two times I sent it. The third time, it seemed to take an extra day or two. I don't know. Maybe they were waiting to give it to a technician who could actually fix the camera. (And yes, third time was the charm.)</p>

<p>Authorized Photo Service (yes, that's their name) in Morton Grove, IL only services Nikon equipment and has a good reputation. I've always receive quick turn around when I've sent equipment there so that's second option you might consider.<br /><br /></p>

 

[tom_boston1]

<p>But all in all, I'd cast my vote for "If it ain't broke don't fix it."</p>

 

[paul_b.1]

<p> <strong><br /><br />"I hadn't heard about free CLA service"</strong> ; Yes , once a year , for every camera and lens registered (I live in Europa ).<br>

<strong> "the information about shutter count is only to indicate the condition, not to ask if it should be replaced" </strong>I am aware of that, but probably I'm a little "bitter" regarding this subject. On the otherhand I also think, at 100k, that's no need for "tuning" , and the cleaning should be an easy thing to do bay the owner himself.</p>