"Just remember it pays to be polite and friendly on the phone."
I tried that the first three times I called and got nowhere. When I called this morning I was pissed. The response I recieved, 25% discount on the repair was like a slap in the face and were I not busy with another matter, I would have went through the roof.
I'm in parts sales and 25% is what we give loud customers with no real claim that we just want to go away.
Four different nikon service reps told me that there is no meter problem with the D2H. This is a bold faced LIE.
"Just remember it pays to be polite and friendly on the phone."
I tried that the first three times I called and got nowhere. When I called this morning I was pissed. The response I recieved, 25% discount on the repair was like a slap in the face and were I not busy with another matter, I would have went through the roof.
I'm in parts sales and 25% is what we give loud customers with no real claim that we just want to go away.
Four different nikon service reps told me that there is no meter problem with the D2H. This is a bold faced LIE.
Ya gotta wonder about those nice folks that take your calls . . ..
When I made the phone call to Melville about D2h metering, it took all of my powers of persuasion to convince the person that the 45mm P lens does meter on a D2 body.
And that it was a current product.
They turned my repair around in four days just before Christmas last year.
And no one I talked to claimed any knowledge of any other bodies with this problem.
I already hate Nikon service and I don't even have my D2x yet. The guy I'm getting it from has had his at Nikon Melville for something like 3-4 weeks to check focus accuracy...Super antsy...
get in touch with Al here at fm AKA ajacobs , and see if he can help , he has amazing powers of persuasion , hane in there and be polite but do Not take no for an answer
Well, I like Nikon and I had only 2 problems with them. The first one was in the 70's with a Nikkomat. They were very polite then and they fixed my camera out of warranty at no cost. I was treated like a king.
I had problems again in the early 90's with a 6000 model that was eating batteries as if there was no tomorrow. I had many discussions with them and they gave me all kind of explanations but it was not till I contacted one of the CEOs that my case was resolved.
I have said it before, Ehrenreich is not at Nikon any longer.
You are 100% right, the D2H has SERIOUS metering and focus problems. They know it, they have repaired hundreds of these cameras and still they deny it.
By the way, Phyllis Morris still says that nicotine is not addictive.
William Rodriguez
Miami, Florida.
And no one I talked to claimed any knowledge of any other bodies with this problem....
What I have learned:
A trace on board problem is the problem. It does affect the metering. A bad batch of boards from a NIKON supplier got in the mix and it seems it can go bad at any time. So the serial numbers games ( where we look for a pattern) really don't give us a clue as to which will go bad and which won't. The error like any trace crack can be smaller than the eye can see.
I now believe if I wanertd another one I would look for the B2 repair and that it was done.
Well, they have been fixing them after the warranty ran out. It might depend on first owner, second owner number of clicks etc. I can find out. But if name calling starts I'm reluctant to jump in.
MY opinion:
"I believe heat expansion can open or short (either /or) in other words trigger the problem. Some do it out of the box, some about six months so I started looking for a pattern contacting those with this problem. Then it dawned, it was more prevalent in the south during the winter months.... Now that it's hot all over, more are popping up. serial numbers didn't help, areas only effected by heat, I mean the clues are there.
Mine ( both D2H's (not D2Hs) plus a returned one all had the problem. I think I was the record holder. I may of been beat out by a newspaper who had four.
I had three and the problem showed on hot days on all three. Just covering the President and things turned to crapazola. They all functioned fine in the store, I prechecked in the house before I went off to work and everything was OK till I hit the outdoors and (he was late and being in the sun) they all went Kaput.
My trusty D100 saved the day. Of course this is Florida and stuff, melts here. It was about 90 plus 90% humidity and black bodies absorb heat. The second died while filming construction on a new ride at Busch Gardens (groundbreaking) a real scary thing... the ride. I threw away my collection of Black Nikon Towels with Gold Lettering and only use White towels to deflect heat with a Jacobs clip now. I make those clips.... $3.45 with postage.
As soon as the heat came the camera failed to meter in program mode (best way to check all circuitry). It defaults to the largest or widest aperture of the lens and about 1/15 of a second. It did work in speed mode however and out came the meter and we used it. That told us it was something in the boards. We had already tested the mounts etc.
The codes for this repair are 0010 Thats a B2 Rank. In English a board change. Clean and tune up.
Ya gotta wonder about those nice folks that take your calls . . ..
A nice voice, and others trained to answer basic questions. the guys on the bench don't take calls. Or nothing would get done. Most companies like Nikon, Canon and others script their answers. Oh and you were probably were talking to Canada where many of the calls get routed. REPs don't do repairs.
In the corporate structures today REPS are party line people. Not technicians so the chance is four reps...(my Goodness you must like being on hold) knew nothing because a smart manager tells them nothing. Answers are in the book. Just common sense or think of the can of worms that would open.
Jim, to help this guy after the fact might be futile. I need to know date of purchase, first owner or not, and the serial number and his correct name and address. He can email me privately at [email protected]. If he "unloaded" on them already, it's a mote point. You have to be firm, rude doesn't help. And we know nothing about the camera. New used etc.
Al Jacobson
By the way, Phyllis Morris still says that nicotine is not addictive.
"Phyliss", oh OK it was a gender change.. thats acceptable today.........
"The guy I'm getting it from has had his at Nikon Melville for something like 3-4 weeks to check focus accuracy"
I took mine in to Torrance myself and it was turned around in 4 days. My previous experience with them as taking the D2H for a wild meter problem, it was turned around in less than a week.
I am a demanding customer, but I can't say Nikon has done bad with me during the last 6 years / 6 visits or so. Prior to that I never took anything in for repairs. Come to think of it all my visits have been after I started using DSLRs
I just took my D2x to Torrance yesterday (Wednesday) for focusing issues and they told me they were running 7-10 days for repairs. I am an NPS member and that does not sound like expedited service to me.
Al, I am just about to send in my D2H as the meter is jumping all over the place. I assume this is the problem that we are speaking of? In fact I just sent my D2X back so I am without a camera for the first time in years. No wait I have an F5 somewhere, now if I just had film .
Anyway, I think my D2H might be out of warranty or darn close, how should I handle Mellville, should I call ahead or should I just send in?
It sounds like they are starting to backup, being an NPS member 7-10 days is a long time.
When you ask the lady at the counter how many D2Xs have come in for service she says "not many" she is a well trained employee.
I must say that I was really dissapointed at that kind of time frame when I have read of others getting such fast service. I hope it is due to the the fact that they are moving into a new place in El Segundo and everything shifts there next Tuesday the 19th.
I checked today and it said "in service". I'm going to leave it at that because I need my camera back. My backup is broken as well(my fault).
By the way Al, the body is a factory demo, has less than 5K actuations and I'm in Venice. I shoot a lot in Tampa, well Lowry mostly... nice to meet you.
I sent mine to Mellville, without calling. The D2H is 1.5 years old. I tossed a polite letter in the box and requested 'warranty consideration, as this is an apparent on going problem' hoping to get a free repair (meter died). My quandary is if it cost for repair, should I pay it? I happen to be one of those guys that will not keep questionable gear, so the D2H is on a short road with me anyway. If I was not loaded with costly fast big lenses, I would toss out the Nikon and move on to another brand. I was anxious for a D2X, but have decided to wait a good while before tossing any more cash at Nikon. I sold a damn good D1X a few weeks ago to a friend leaving on a month vacation. Perfect timing on that.
Meanwhile I bought a D70 to use and am pleased with the images. Wimpy feeling camera missing a lot of finder information, but I will live with it. Also, it will not focus well with my 400 2.8 AF-S lens, as it hunts for accurate focus. All other lenses focused will, fact is the 300 2.8 AF-S and TC14-EII converter focus fast and lock on solid. Odd that the 400 will not focus with this D70, I use it often.
Sorry to ramble on, lots on my mind about Nikon. Been using it for 30 years.
Charles Loy wrote:
I sent mine to Mellville, without calling. The D2H is 1.5 years old. I tossed a polite letter in the box and requested 'warranty consideration, as this is an apparent on going problem' hoping to get a free repair (meter died). My quandary is if it cost for repair, should I pay it? I happen to be one of those guys that will not keep questionable gear, so the D2H is on a short road with me anyway.
Sorry to ramble on, lots on my mind about Nikon. Been using it for 30 years.
No WAY! Say I won't pay and offload the questionable puppy as fast as you can!!
Oh yeah ... let me know when you are taking offers
Well I picked mine up this morning from Torrance. I brought it in Wednesday around noon and they told me 7-10 days. Then they called me around 3:30 Thursday afternoon to say that it was ready. Needless to say I was surprised.
And so far, so good. Just a quick test and it was spot on in focus. Before it would focus in front of the subject almost every time.
Hope you others can get yours turned around and fixed in a timely manner to your satisfaction.
Edited by Craig B. on Jul 16, 2005 at 06:00 AM GMT
I hope it is due to the the fact that they are moving into a new place in El Segundo and everything shifts there next Tuesday the 19th.