Nikon Service Question

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BillW

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I recall reading on Thom Hogan’s site a few years ago that Nikon DSLRs — or was it Nikon lenses — sent to a particular Nikon USA service center generally came back requiring a significant level of focus tuning after servicing (even when they did not require it before the serivce). I do not recall whether it was the east coast Nikon USA service center (in New Jersey?) or the west coast one (in LA?). I tried some quick googling and did not find Thom’s article. I know I can email Thom and ask — he’s good about responding to questions. But I am also interested in the experience members here have had.

Has anyone had this problem? If so, which service center was it? Did you send in a lens or camera body?

I am thinking of sending my D500 and D850 in to be cleaned and checked out, as I won’t be doing any photo travel for a few months at best. But I would hate to find that meant I needed to focus tune my F mount lenses on the DSLRs — they don’t seem to need it now (at least to my eyes).
 
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It's all of them even the authorized service centers. I was told that the calibration machines were built with an error that is still there, ie, the focus calibration is about 7 AFFT units off toward front focus. This bias is applied to all bodies and lenses that are re-calibrated using Nikon calibration stations. (That means if they adjust AF you're getting the bias!) I asked why they just don't dial in the 7 units when the calibrate, would bring it back to factory settings, never got an answer. I was told the machines are too expensive to repair/replace so it should be corrected with the next round of calibration machines. Given the cost of these I don't think we'll see resolution anytime soon.
 
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Thanks for the reply. Disappointing that Nikon does not correct for this, as you would think they could do it without replacing the machines.

Would that mean if both a lens and camera body were serviced that the combination would be off 14 units to front focus?

Sort of discourages one from sending equipment in that is not having any current issues.
 
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No, actually if both units are serviced they will cancel each other out. The body goes 7 units FF, the lens goes 7 units BF. If you just have a lens AF adjusted and put it on a body with the factory AF setting, it will be off 7 units back focus.
 
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