Nikon gives us the mushroom treatment

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PaulBCT

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While I appreciate the fact that Nikon is fixing the undisclosed problem proactively and at no repair or shipping charges, it would be nice if they told their loyal customers what the problem is, what the risk is (lens falls off?) and what they do to fix it. Make sense? Instead we get the mushroom treatment: Keep them (us) in the dark and dump horse manure on them.

Same thing happened with D800, some of which auto focused badly on one side (left?). They fixed mine perfectly and with less than a week turnaround time to CT. I never could learn the problem or the fix. Annoying.
I was glad I waited a month to send mine in because some early adopters reportedly had problems.
 
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I think that Nikon has stepped up fast and in a very responsible way. It makes sense to not disclose the technical details of this locking mechanism or button. We can only speculate if this an assembly or part tolerance "snafu". I have owned Nikon cameras since 1985 and feel that they produce great products. Service Advisories are nothing new with cars, cameras, and other complicated gear.
 
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PaulBCT said:
While I appreciate the fact that Nikon is fixing the undisclosed problem proactively and at no repair or shipping charges, it would be nice if they told their loyal customers what the problem is, what the risk is (lens falls off?) and what they do to fix it. Make sense? Instead we get the mushroom treatment: Keep them (us) in the dark and dump horse manure on them.

Same thing happened with D800, some of which auto focused badly on one side (left?). They fixed mine perfectly and with less than a week turnaround time to CT. I never could learn the problem or the fix. Annoying.
I was glad I waited a month to send mine in because some early adopters reportedly had problems.
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When i looked at the page…it says the problem was the lens not locking in place…and I have not seen any indication of that. I will get it fixed anyway of course…but it the lenses lock in place it sounds like a mostly non problem.
 
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No offence, but I agree with all the other replies: you are overreacting. If Nikon tried to hide the problem and not fix it, then they would be dumping horse manure on us. But admitting the problem immediately (along with affected serial numbers) and offering a free fix seems very pro consumer to me.
 
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MrFotoFool said:
No offence, but I agree with all the other replies: you are overreacting. If Nikon tried to hide the problem and not fix it, then they would be dumping horse manure on us. But admitting the problem immediately (along with affected serial numbers) and offering a free fix seems very pro consumer to me.
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especially considering it must have been the last thing they wanted in the middle of a successful (thus far) rollout of a new product
 
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Nikon has a history of putting out cameras with some kind of problem, defect or flaw, some of which get fixed free and some that leave you hanging a bit if you fail to get or notice the recall or issue. It seems to be "their" thing and I live with it because I'm most likely going to continue to use the product and every company has something that is "their thing." I just don't see as a big problem in general and I simply roll with it or shrug it off. There's always Olympus, Canon, Sony, etc. to try if Nikon does not work for someone. A lot of choices out there today. I was happy that shipping was free! Camera went off this morning.
 
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Nikon seldom, if ever, gives specifics for things like this - or heck, even for repairs. I'm sure the problem is that if they did give specifics, internet experts would misinterpret things and create more confusion. I think it's far easier to just tell people there is a problem and fix it than to deal with rampant speculation.
 
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I do not agree with the OP. Nikon has given an appropriate amount of information on this issue. It's a problem where the lens may not lock to the body. They have offered to fix it and it costs you nothing to send it in. I don't see a need for Nikon to give us a step by step procedure of what they will do to fix it. I would surmise it's something in the mount but does it really matter? They will replace whatever they need to insure the camera is within their specifications.
This type of thing can happen when you rely on outside vendors for parts.
Viathelens said:
Nikon has a history of putting out cameras with some kind of problem, defect or flaw,
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I disagree. There have been a few instances of issues but it seems you are implying that it happens much more than it does. I've owned first or second shipment D100, D200, D300, D500, D4, D5, D6, D850 and Z9 and none have had mechanical issues. There have been a couple that had a firmware glitch that was quickly corrected but even those were either very obscure or only were apparent when the camera performance was pushed to the limit or beyond. The only ones I can recall that had serious issues (my definition of serious is something that renders the camera unusable or fails to allow the camera to perform to specification for the average shooter) are the D600 and D2h.
I suspect the biggest problem with parts is vendors. Prototype parts are carefully made (as compared to mass produced) and tolerances are within Nikon's specs. Once the vendor has a large order and production starts, there can be lapses in the specs, and may affect batches.
I don't envy Nikon, they have a lot to consider. If they took the time to test production units people would be complaining they are taking too long to release. If they release and there is an issue, people complain they are rushing to market. I've seen a decay in quality materials and workmanship for many years now (in all areas, not just cameras) and I suspect it will continue if not get worse.
 
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The only additional info I would have liked is some guidance on what to do if you are not experiencing any issues at the current time. A lot of folks want their butts covered and are sending their cams in even if all their lenses lock in as they should. So, what is the urgency for these folks? Can they wait and be assured if their lenses lock in they will always lock in (until the repair is eventually made)? Or is this something that is likely to change with time?

That said, I understand why Nikon does not go into details. It just opens them up for criticism should one of the 'locking lenses' fail to lock at some point in time and fall off.
When my vehicles were recalled it was along the same generic lines if this is what the recall fixes without much further detail.
 
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Geoff_G said:
The only additional info I would have liked is some guidance on what to do if you are not experiencing any issues at the current time. A lot of folks want their butts covered and are sending their cams in even if all their lenses lock in as they should. So, what is the urgency for these folks? Can they wait and be assured if their lenses lock in they will always lock in (until the repair is eventually made)? Or is this something that is likely to change with time?

That said, I understand why Nikon does not go into details. It just opens them up for criticism should one of the 'locking lenses' fail to lock at some point in time and fall off.
When my vehicles were recalled it was along the same generic lines if this is what the recall fixes without much further detail.
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I agree with Geoff. I have not tried all my Z-mount lenses on my Z8, but have mounted the 400 4.5, the 100-400, 15-30, and the TC 1.4. Everything snaps into place and works fine. But, since I purchased the Z8 specifically to have a “smaller” camera to take to Africa in August, I'm guessing it would not be a good idea to take my Z8 until the ”fix” is made.

Update: Today I tried every Z mount lens I own on the Z8… they all mount smoothly and lock firmly into place without any issue. They don’t seem too tight or too loose. Each lens mounts on the Z8 as smoothly as on my Z9 and Z6ll. Think I’ll wait a bit to send it off to Nikon. Here in California it seems that the turnaround time has been a month to six weeks for the other cameras (D750) and lenses (200-500) I have sent in for repair.
 
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John Navitsky said:
nikon said what you should do if you are not exhibiting problems.. you should send it to them
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Yes, I agree, but that is NOT my point. My point is when? Like right now? Of course all Z8's should be looked at and fixed (if req'd) but what is the urgency for folks not experiencing problems? Should every single Z8 owner send their cameras in right now? Is it or is it not okay to wait if you don't have issues?

Or are 10,000+ cameras showing up at the service center this week the better way to go? Nikon only X number of repair techs....spreading out the workload spares customers from excessive wait times. Certainly some folks without issues could wait for the rush to slow down? No?
 
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that’s hard to say of course, but i recall in the past where nikon had a deal where they’d tell you *when* to send it in so i would assume if they wanted to do they they would.

i think the easiest approach is to take them at face value
 
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John Navitsky said:
that’s hard to say of course, but i recall in the past where nikon had a deal where they’d tell you *when* to send it in so i would assume if they wanted to do they they would.

i think the easiest approach is to take them at face value
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Exactly, it is hard to say. Nikon could have possibly avoided a mass rush if they gave out a bit more info. But it is what it is at this point in time. I fear mine will be 1 of 1000's waiting to get looked and and repair if needed.

Hopefully they have a go-no-go gauge to test the camera quickly and efficiently. And even more hopefully, many don't need repairs. We'll start to get some feedback from users getting their cams back later this week...could be interesting to see how many actually needed repair.
 
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Geoff_G said:
Hopefully they have a go-no-go gauge to test the camera quickly and efficiently. And even more hopefully, many don't need repairs. We'll start to get some feedback from users getting their cams back later this week...could be interesting to see how many actually needed repair.
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i suspect this is the case. this may be be the same problem as the z9 service advisory, or if not the same, similar, so they likely have a pretty good idea how to deal with it
 
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Warren D said:
I do not agree with the OP. Nikon has given an appropriate amount of information on this issue. It's a problem where the lens may not lock to the body. They have offered to fix it and it costs you nothing to send it in. I don't see a need for Nikon to give us a step by step procedure of what they will do to fix it. I would surmise it's something in the mount but does it really matter? They will replace whatever they need to insure the camera is within their specifications.
This type of thing can happen when you rely on outside vendors for parts.

I disagree. There have been a few instances of issues but it seems you are implying that it happens much more than it does. I've owned first or second shipment D100, D200, D300, D500, D4, D5, D6, D850 and Z9 and none have had mechanical issues. There have been a couple that had a firmware glitch that was quickly corrected but even those were either very obscure or only were apparent when the camera performance was pushed to the limit or beyond. The only ones I can recall that had serious issues (my definition of serious is something that renders the camera unusable or fails to allow the camera to perform to specification for the average shooter) are the D600 and D2h.
I suspect the biggest problem with parts is vendors. Prototype parts are carefully made (as compared to mass produced) and tolerances are within Nikon's specs. Once the vendor has a large order and production starts, there can be lapses in the specs, and may affect batches.
I don't envy Nikon, they have a lot to consider. If they took the time to test production units people would be complaining they are taking too long to release. If they release and there is an issue, people complain they are rushing to market. I've seen a decay in quality materials and workmanship for many years now (in all areas, not just cameras) and I suspect it will continue if not get worse.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure why you feel the need to defend Nikon, especially since I was actually giving them a pass on this. As you know the D600 had problems with oil on the sensor, my D7000 had a defective turning knob (I missed out on Nikon repairing it free), my D810 had a defective 10-pin (again I was not paying attention and missed out on the repair), my D850 has a small lever on the back that turns way too easily, thus locking the camera focus. There's probably more that I've forgotten. My comment was based on my experience and on the experience of others where I've read about their problems, but again, I'm giving them a pass on these issues and I still own and buy Nikon. And, it's ok if we disagree, we all don't have to agree on everything and we all get to have an opinion, no matter how valid it may or may not be to others.
 
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