Anyone familiar with Nikon DSLR's mirror chamber components?


avsquare

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Jan 26, 2012
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20130213_005818_zpsc22197b6.jpg


Anyone had any idea, what that little thing circled in red may be?

It moves together with the mirror during shutter release. When the mirror moves up, that thing moves down and vice versa.
 

it activates the aperture blades in the lens...
 

think you need to almost disassemble the whole camera to get to it, not somethign i would recommend doing yourself just cos things are so complicated an even if everything is back together they might not be properly aligned.. what seems to be the problem with it?
 

think you need to almost disassemble the whole camera to get to it, not something i would recommend doing yourself just cos things are so complicated an even if everything is back together they might not be properly aligned.. what seems to be the problem with it?

for D3s, you need to do something like this to access that part.

DSC_7679.jpg


There's quite a number of sequence of actions/movements in a shutter release.
You may notice something abnormal but it may not be the actual problem root cause.
By the way, it's normal for the lever to move down during shutter release
 

think you need to almost disassemble the whole camera to get to it, not somethign i would recommend doing yourself just cos things are so complicated an even if everything is back together they might not be properly aligned.. what seems to be the problem with it?

It appears that at random times, the lever failed to move back it it's full original position after a shutter release, resulting in a ERR message. Usually you just need to half press the shutter release button again, you will hear a sound almost like a shutter release and the ERR message is gone. The sound is caused by the lever when it finally moves back to it's full position.

for D3s, you need to do something like this to access that part.

DSC_7679.jpg


There's quite a number of sequence of actions/movements in a shutter release.
You may notice something abnormal but it may not be the actual problem root cause.
By the way, it's normal for the lever to move down during shutter release

Online, I've read that most of the time it's due to the pivot losing lubricant. Understand that most of the models need full disassemble in order to reach the mirror box but there's also a guy who taught a trick (and it seems to work for quite a few people), which is using a pin, dipped in light oil, pulling down the lever and drip a drop of grease in.

However, that was on a D40x he worked on. Do you think it would work on a D3S?
 

It appears that at random times, the lever failed to move back it it's full original position after a shutter release, resulting in a ERR message. Usually you just need to half press the shutter release button again, you will hear a sound almost like a shutter release and the ERR message is gone. The sound is caused by the lever when it finally moves back to it's full position.



Online, I've read that most of the time it's due to the pivot losing lubricant. Understand that most of the models need full disassemble in order to reach the mirror box but there's also a guy who taught a trick (and it seems to work for quite a few people), which is using a pin, dipped in light oil, pulling down the lever and drip a drop of grease in.

However, that was on a D40x he worked on. Do you think it would work on a D3S?

Oil may dry/burn out relatively quickly. It will be better if you can use grease. Why don't you let fatigue take a look at it for you?
 

Oil may dry/burn out relatively quickly. It will be better if you can use grease. Why don't you let fatigue take a look at it for you?

Contacted him earlier, but he's fully booked so I've got to wait until he's clear. ;p
 

bro something wrong with yr D3s?

It's operating fine - just that the aperture lever occasionally did not move back to 100% original position after shutter release if I've using the widest aperture setting. It can be immediately resolved by half press the shutter again for the lever to move back. Alternatively, I found that by using 1/3 stop narrower than the widest setting (ie f/2.8 lens, use f/3.2), it will not exhibit this problem.

After much research, it seems that the main and usual cause is the grease is running out at the pivot of the aperture control mechanism/lever. Waiting for bro fatigue to be free for him to have a look.

Don't suggest me sending to NSC though - I just went there earlier and their response is the same as what I've read at the net. NSC seems to be plain lazy, they will just replace the whole I-base plate + shutter unit at an exorbitant cost which is mostly unnecessary. A discussion in dpreview, a guy says that lubricating the mechanism will solve 80% of Nikon DSLRs having this issue.
 

It's operating fine - just that the aperture lever occasionally did not move back to 100% original position after shutter release if I've using the widest aperture setting. It can be immediately resolved by half press the shutter again for the lever to move back. Alternatively, I found that by using 1/3 stop narrower than the widest setting (ie f/2.8 lens, use f/3.2), it will not exhibit this problem.

After much research, it seems that the main and usual cause is the grease is running out at the pivot of the aperture control mechanism/lever. Waiting for bro fatigue to be free for him to have a look.

Don't suggest me sending to NSC though - I just went there earlier and their response is the same as what I've read at the net. NSC seems to be plain lazy, they will just replace the whole I-base plate + shutter unit at an exorbitant cost which is mostly unnecessary. A discussion in dpreview, a guy says that lubricating the mechanism will solve 80% of Nikon DSLRs having this issue.

Won't suggest you going to NSC if the issue is small and it's worth to explore(with certain risks) alternative options for repairs since the unit is out of warranty. Been to NSC to service before (DSLR / Lens) and I know how ex the repair cost can be. In fact the bulk of the cost at times is attribute to the labour charges involved. Towards most Service centres(including NSC) they will only do modular replacement and not down to component level servicing. And in general, the parts costs is usually 1/3 or at best 1/2 of what they are selling to you.
 

Won't suggest you going to NSC if the issue is small and it's worth to explore(with certain risks) alternative options for repairs since the unit is out of warranty. Been to NSC to service before (DSLR / Lens) and I know how ex the repair cost can be. In fact the bulk of the cost at times is attribute to the labour charges involved. Towards most Service centres(including NSC) they will only do modular replacement and not down to component level servicing. And in general, the parts costs is usually 1/3 or at best 1/2 of what they are selling to you.

Based on your years of exp with NSC, do you have instances where the final costs they charge you is actually significantly lower than quoted price?

And yes - the actual part, including the unnecessary change of shutter unit (I highly doubt the shutter is faulty at all) is less than 50% of the overall cost due to the high labor cost.

And with some horror stories about NSC I've seen online, I'm a bit afraid with them somehow.

Since you've mentioned "most" service centres, I just want to share abit of my experience with CSC (no flame war intended okay) - they hardly charge me any labor cost. In fact, my few trips there, they only charge me parts cost, and the labor costs and general serving costs are always waived to me.

But since I'm new to Nikon, I'm not sure how NSC works over here.
 

In all fairness, if you use a service, expect to pay. You can always get them to have a look at the fault, provide a quotation before deciding if you want to proceed with the repair.

My experience with NSC had been ok. So far, the only generosity I've gotten from them was that they couriered a replacement lens to my house without additional charge.
 

In all fairness, if you use a service, expect to pay. You can always get them to have a look at the fault, provide a quotation before deciding if you want to proceed with the repair.

My experience with NSC had been ok. So far, the only generosity I've gotten from them was that they couriered a replacement lens to my house without additional charge.

The thing is, I asked them why the shutter must be replaced, they just tell me that they need to replace everything although the fault lies with the jammed aperture lever at times which doesn't make sense to me.

Further, they can't explain and confirm what the need to do and what parts they need to order until they dismantled it in the workshop which may take up to 4 weeks.

Personally I don't mind paying if they could give me a clear explanation of the fault, what they need to do exactly and why, and let me know the lead time they required, not some agar agar timing.

I can't be sending something in without a clear idea of what they are going to do, how long my unit is going to be hanging there and the price I have to pay ultimately. Everything they told me today, was "agar agar" and to be honest, I was pretty turned off. I mean, I came down to NSC for a more expert advise but in the end, I probably knew the fault more that what they told me today..
 

It's operating fine - just that the aperture lever occasionally did not move back to 100% original position after shutter release if I've using the widest aperture setting. It can be immediately resolved by half press the shutter again for the lever to move back. Alternatively, I found that by using 1/3 stop narrower than the widest setting (ie f/2.8 lens, use f/3.2), it will not exhibit this problem.

After much research, it seems that the main and usual cause is the grease is running out at the pivot of the aperture control mechanism/lever. Waiting for bro fatigue to be free for him to have a look.

Don't suggest me sending to NSC though - I just went there earlier and their response is the same as what I've read at the net. NSC seems to be plain lazy, they will just replace the whole I-base plate + shutter unit at an exorbitant cost which is mostly unnecessary. A discussion in dpreview, a guy says that lubricating the mechanism will solve 80% of Nikon DSLRs having this issue.

They are not lazy la. They, being the official SC of the brand, will have to follow the service operating protocols to the tee... and more than often means replacing the entire part, and not tearing them down to fix the problem.
 

Based on your years of exp with NSC, do you have instances where the final costs they charge you is actually significantly lower than quoted price?

And yes - the actual part, including the unnecessary change of shutter unit (I highly doubt the shutter is faulty at all) is less than 50% of the overall cost due to the high labor cost.

And with some horror stories about NSC I've seen online, I'm a bit afraid with them somehow.

Since you've mentioned "most" service centres, I just want to share abit of my experience with CSC (no flame war intended okay) - they hardly charge me any labor cost. In fact, my few trips there, they only charge me parts cost, and the labor costs and general serving costs are always waived to me.

But since I'm new to Nikon, I'm not sure how NSC works over here.

To answer your question - Even though they have mentioned that they will review the actual fault and will update me if the cost is lower. End of the day I will be informed that I will be paying what I'm being quoted initially. In all fairness like what DD123 has mentioned, they do have their own SOP to follow and it's up to us as consumers how we perceive it and accept it. A few cases where I did accept the charges (eg $500 for my 17-55) because its my revenue generating equipment and I do see the ROI returns. There are also cases where I did not agree ($450+ for D300) as I do not see the benefit of repair and a change of camera sounds more practical.

Just to share with you some insights to how some SCs operate. Some are actually wholly owned subsidiary of the brand itself or could be from a different business division or they could be an appointed service provider. So when coming to parts servicing they do not get the parts directly "free". They actually have to buy the parts in for servicing and then sell it a price that is at least 50 or even 100% of their cost in order to cover all aspects of the service part. Labor charge is another revenue as they will also need to pay for the staff's salary and the daily operating costs to keep the business sustainable.

CSC has their own SOP and in this case it does win the customer's heart because they can be flexible. NSC in this case will loose out if we compare them just on this. But there are times when I hear complaints on CSC and claims that NSC can do it better. It all boils down to individual's experience and perceptions of how acceptable that particular service is to him/her.

As for me, my experience with NSC has been good even though the service rates are exp (btw I'm not qualified for NPS services so I dun enjoy perks like those NPS people do). I will accept their quote and make my own judgement whether if the repair is worth it or not. But one think I do like is the CSOs in NSC. The experience they give me is friendly and courteous when I go there for servicing. At times I do crack a few jokes with them so it makes the whole experience better ^^
 

They are not lazy la. They, being the official SC of the brand, will have to follow the service operating protocols to the tee... and more than often means replacing the entire part, and not tearing them down to fix the problem.

Yeah.. So I'm sending it to bro fatigue next week, and his lead time is very good, in time for me to go for my Japan trip :D

To answer your question - Even though they have mentioned that they will review the actual fault and will update me if the cost is lower. End of the day I will be informed that I will be paying what I'm being quoted initially. In all fairness like what DD123 has mentioned, they do have their own SOP to follow and it's up to us as consumers how we perceive it and accept it. A few cases where I did accept the charges (eg $500 for my 17-55) because its my revenue generating equipment and I do see the ROI returns. There are also cases where I did not agree ($450+ for D300) as I do not see the benefit of repair and a change of camera sounds more practical.

Just to share with you some insights to how some SCs operate. Some are actually wholly owned subsidiary of the brand itself or could be from a different business division or they could be an appointed service provider. So when coming to parts servicing they do not get the parts directly "free". They actually have to buy the parts in for servicing and then sell it a price that is at least 50 or even 100% of their cost in order to cover all aspects of the service part. Labor charge is another revenue as they will also need to pay for the staff's salary and the daily operating costs to keep the business sustainable.

CSC has their own SOP and in this case it does win the customer's heart because they can be flexible. NSC in this case will loose out if we compare them just on this. But there are times when I hear complaints on CSC and claims that NSC can do it better. It all boils down to individual's experience and perceptions of how acceptable that particular service is to him/her.

As for me, my experience with NSC has been good even though the service rates are exp (btw I'm not qualified for NPS services so I dun enjoy perks like those NPS people do). I will accept their quote and make my own judgement whether if the repair is worth it or not. But one think I do like is the CSOs in NSC. The experience they give me is friendly and courteous when I go there for servicing. At times I do crack a few jokes with them so it makes the whole experience better ^^

NPS is rather tough to get, unlike CPS :bsmilie:
 

I never bother myself with those.

Well, for people who had backup bodies, I don't see the need lah. But I think the main benefit for 1-DSLR people like me, is able to get a loaner.