Initially I do have doubts about users fault or a design issue, but after doing my own analysis and investigation, I can now quite confirmed that there was no impact damage after all. Impact damage requires compression force which will not cause crackline directions like the 2 pictures shown. Only tension force will cause those kinds of cracklines, and this can only happens through the tripod mount when the user is hanging the camera upside down with a heavy lens or having a heavy lens mounted on a tripod using the camera\'s tripod mount.
The finding was that there were 2 screws from the base plate that were tightened to the thin weak section of the chassis that shows the cracks. This section should not affect either the lens mount or the sensor alignments that caused the left focus issue. So Nikon is still responsible for the repair for the left focus issue and should not void the warranty.
The other problem is the chassis breakage which is actually a design issue which Nikon should also take responsibility because they have shaved too much material and weight by leaving too little load allowance for that section that requires to bare all the load of the camera, lens and accessories when it is mounted on the tripod mount.
Unless they have changed the design for the D810, all D8x0/E series will have the potential of this breakage if a heavy lens and accessories are mounted on the camera on a tripod.
I really think that this is a potential class action suit if more data are gathered from ACTUAL users that have this problem.
All one needs to do is to perform a x-ray and UV scan like we do for turbine plates to locate the weak spots or casting flow marks for a number of parts to confirm the potential breakage.
Initially I do have doubts about users fault or a design issue, but after doing my own analysis and investigation, I can now quite confirmed that there was no impact damage after all. Impact damage requires compression force which will not cause crackline directions like the 2 pictures shown. Only tension force will cause those kinds of cracklines, and this can only happens through the tripod mount when the user is hanging the camera upside down with a heavy lens or having a heavy lens mounted on a tripod using the camera\'s tripod mount.
The finding was that there were 2 screws from the base plate that were tightened to the thin weak section of the chassis that shows the cracks. This section should not affect either the lens mount or the sensor alignments that caused the left focus issue. So Nikon is still responsible for the repair for the left focus issue and should not void the warranty.
The other problem is the chassis breakage which is actually a design issue which Nikon should also take responsibility because they have shaved too much weight by leaving too little load allowance for that section that requires to bare all the load of the camera, lens and accessories when it is mounted on the tripod mount.
Unless they have changed the design for the D810, all D8x0/E series will have the potential of this breakage if a heavy lens and accessories are mounted on the camera on a tripod.
I really think that this is a potential class action suit if more data are gathered from ACTUAL users that have this problem.
All one needs to do is to perform a x-ray and UV scan like we do for turbine plates to locate the weak spots or casting flow marks for a number of parts to confirm the potential breakage.
