to GO Official or not to go Official?

[Rudy TASLIM]

I have been wondering about this for a while now.

Say if one has some very good cameras and equipments.
Good in two probable sense:
1. good model and make (camera models worth keeping)
2. good condition

And one experiences a bit of technical problems.

Is it better to go back to Official service Centers to get it
repaired/ serviced at a high price , or is it safe to go to third
party shops to get it repaired/ serviced?

From where I come from, I have heard of stories where
third party shops performing harvesting of the better parts
and fixing it with lower quality ones.

A friend of mine went to get his F3 viewfinder cleaned. He
didn't go back to Nikon. He thought he can save some money
from getting it repaired from other third party shops.

But when he got back his camera, he realized that the shutter
curtain 'looked a bit different'. Of course he didn't want to offend
the shop owner, and his camera is still working till this day.
But he still suspects that it was switched.

But what are the chances that these things do happen, and how
can we protect ourselves from such exploitation?

 

[longkangman]

But what are the chances that these things do happen, and how
can we protect ourselves from such exploitation?

Send in to the original mfg and let them tell you if it being swap. :dunno:
they can only tell u if this is original part or not. From here is your action against the 3rd party.

Best peace of mind is go back to the original source.

 

[catchlights]

if you worry, than you should use official service centre only,

btw, the official service centre will not repair a (old) camera if there do not keep/have the parts anymore, other camera repair shops will just salvage parts from other scarp cameras and sell it to you.

 

[catchlights]

Send in to the original mfg and let them tell you if it being swap. :dunno:
they can only tell u if this is original part or not. From here is your action against the 3rd party.

Best peace of mind is go back to the original source.

don't think have any company make 3rd party shutter unit for a Nikon F3, if TS's friend bring it back to Nikon service center, they will tell him that is original F3 shutter, can also tell him the shutter counter but can't prove the shutter has been switched.

 

[longkangman]

don't think have any company make 3rd party shutter unit for a Nikon F3, if TS's friend bring it back to Nikon service center, they will tell him that is original F3 shutter, can also tell him the shutter counter but can't prove the shutter has been switched.

True True.

Only thing can do is avoid liao.

 

[Rudy TASLIM]

Yup, that was what I thought so. They (Nikon) can only tell you if it is original or not.

I think that it is a risk that we have to take when we choose to bring our camera system to third party shops for repair and servises, that they will be as ethical as they can be.

An avenue for the prevention of such incidents is forums such as this one, where people are actively participating in dialogues for the overall betterment of consumers at large through the exchange of knowledge and experience.

Thank you and have a good one =)

 

[GavinTing]

Personally, I don't dare...

I prefer to be 100 percent official, as I want to avoid the problems and risk altogether..

 

[fatigue]

It's a common impression that a third party shop may harvest the parts of your camera.
But so far, I have not seen or heard of imitation parts for camera specially the F3 shutter.
Since you mentioned that your friend's camera is still working, I don't think the shop would totally dismantle two cameras just to swap two working shutters. It's not easy to swap shutters but it's easy to swap the casing.

If you really need to send to a third party shop(or repairman), ask if you can watch while your camera being fixed. I know somebody willing to to that

 

[synapseman]

To me, this is quite a no-brainer - Go to the official service centre to get it fixed.

The only time I'd consider a 3rd party repair service is if my camera is old, or a collectible, and the agent doesn't carry spares for it anymore.