Getting camera internal parts

[realspeed]

As my Nikon D810 is going back for a small repair job I decided to have a look for new/ refurbished parts in the UK . Out of interest and cost of parts.

Could I find them? No!


Thought about doing the repair myself if the insurance company said no. Spoke to the accesssors this afternoon and they are arranging pickup and delivery. Next will be the repair company getting hold of the parts which should not be hard for a newish camera


Even getting tools like micro magnatic screwdriver bits in a kit I had to really search hard for, that would do the job for repairing a camera.
Eventually found almost what I was after but even then go to another company for specialist tweezers for camera repairs

On the internet auction site I can get the parts I need from the USA-China- Japan- Taiwan -Hong Kong to name but a few countries.

This is just for one make of camera. What on earth is wrong with the UK doing the same? must be a thriving business if all these other countries are doing it

Just a quick note
I use Eversure insurance company who are first class. Used them for repair of the Nikon D800 a couple of years ago. Can't fault them so far

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

What on earth is wrong with the UK doing the same? must be a thriving business if all these other countries are doing it

There need be nothing "wrong" with the UK for no one to move into a particular market. Setting up a business is a matter of having knowledge of the industry; information on the size of the market; sufficient capital to obtain premises, stock and marketing. If there is no one doing this then either there is a gap waiting to be filled or people have looked at the potential and walked away.

Of course, there may be one or more companies doing this in the UK but you simply haven't found them yet.

 

[realspeed]

I would have thought it would not need much room to strip down a camera and recover usable parts. More of a home project in a spare room. Storage and labelling maybe and the chance the parts are not needed, still a good sideline to make a bit of extra money. Doing just one make say like a Nikon would attract interest in part finders

 

[toohuge]

I would have thought it would not need much room to strip down a camera and recover usable parts. More of a home project in a spare room. Storage and labelling maybe and the chance the parts are not needed, still a good sideline to make a bit of extra money. Doing just one make say like a Nikon would attract interest in part finders

I agree - I have always found this odd, but some of the repair guys I have used seem to get parts ok. For example, I was looking for some rubber grips for the 80-200 two touch and it's pretty difficult at times, not to mention some other parts I was looking for, even for a current production. It is really strange.

 

[Retune]

I doubt there's money to be made in acquiring and stripping down non-functional cameras unless you are a repairer, in which case you're doing it because you want the parts for your own business. Anyone else would probably be better off shifting the whole thing on ebay with a description of the fault. The manufacturers, of course, sell mainly or entirely to professional repairers who know what they are doing. This can be irritating when the repair is something really trivial. For tools I'd probably start here:

Micro-Tools Europe Tools | Home page | Miniature Tools for Camera and Watch Repair

Tools and Miniature Tools for Camera Repair, Watch and Optical Repairs. Spare Parts and Supplies.

www.micro-tools.de

 

[realspeed]

I was thinking of getting a camera with a part not working and getting a good one from a well known internet auction site and replacing the faulty part

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

I was thinking of getting a camera with a part not working and getting a good one from a well known internet auction site and replacing the faulty part

If you think that's a profitable business model, why not go for it yourself?

 

[Suvv]

I did replace the lens mount on a Nikon zoom lens once.
The tricky bit was balancing the magnet from an old hard drive on my metal jeweller's screwdriver to make it magnetic

 

[realspeed]

If you think that's a profitable business model, why not go for it yourself?

AtT 75 years old and retired, sold one highly successfull business built up over 20 years or more I will leave it to younger folk

 

[ScottT]

I was thinking of getting a camera with a part not working and getting a good one from a well known internet auction site and replacing the faulty part

The obvious question is why not just buy one thats working to start with? But if you are doing this because you fancy having a play and taking time to see if you can fix it, why not buy 2 non working cameras and make a good one from them, that might be more fun.

 

[Mr Badger]

In addition to obtaining parts, there's the potential issue of gaining access to the specialist kit needed to test and recalibrate modern electronic equipment after fitting the part. Years ago I'd think nothing of removing the cylinder head and carbs from my car and reconditioning them, decoking the head and regrinding the valves on the kitchen table (much to my mother's disapproval - even after putting newspaper down first!). These days I lift the bonnet of my car and see nothing but a 'don't even think about it!' plastic cover over the engine, and I know I'd need a laptop, the right connector lead, the right software and the right training to stand a chance of sorting out an engine fault.

It's the same with a modern day camera. So other than risking checking and very gently cleaning the electronic contacts, visually checking for any obviously lose screws, etc. then perhaps do yourself a favour and leave it to those with the necessary training and kit. It's a specialist job, and you're not in the union.