Nikon NPS have found my D800 body damaged.

I have to disagree with you Stewart.

"If something is really out of alignment, then based on my usage of the camera, it wouldn't have been down to a knock, but faulty assembly / part"

Neither the lens nor the camera have been dropped, the camera should clearly be able to support the weight of the lens - it would be absurd to suggest otherwise.

Xavier goes on to say

"The apparent randomness of it made it even more frustrating as I couldn't analyse my actions and pinpoint what I was doing wrong to then learn and correct."

This is exactly the frustration that I suffered. As I said, the camera was returned to me functioning perfectly but no mention of any work was made on the report.

I'm not stupid enough to suggest that Nikon are blaming apparent impact damage on causing the same symptoms that mine suffered - that would be a conspiracy theory and some members may be caused to go off on a major flounce!

What I am trying to do is share my experience in the hope that it gives some support to Xavier in a "one way or another it'll all work" kind of way.

cheers, cw
 
The trouble is you can see it both ways. As an owner who's taken care of their kit, yet feel thes something wrong, it's disconcerting to hear its got damage that you've no Ida how it's got there.

As the repair centre, you've a damaged camera, suspect it has taken a knock to damage it and the owner may argue otherwise to avoid a costly repair.

Trouble is, now it's broken, its warranty is void and it needs to be repaired. It's probably one of those things that will have to be paid for. If lucky you may get a reduced payment if you put your point across.

Stewart, any comment on Camera mounts are deliberately weaker than lens mounts? Or is that hearsay?
 
I have to disagree with you Stewart.

"If something is really out of alignment, then based on my usage of the camera, it wouldn't have been down to a knock, but faulty assembly / part"

Neither the lens nor the camera have been dropped, the camera should clearly be able to support the weight of the lens - it would be absurd to suggest otherwise.
Well, yes, but...
The engineer is sure that this kind of mis-alignment is only possible after a knock or drop or picking up the camera with a heavy lens without supporting it, which is something I've never done. So unless a friend did it, I'm not quite sure how it happened.
The way I read it, the OP cannot be 100% certain that the camera has not been picked up in such a fashion as to strain the mount.
 
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Stewart, any comment on Camera mounts are deliberately weaker than lens mounts? Or is that hearsay?
No comment. No specific knowledge.

And I've never even heard the suggestion that it's a deliberate design decision before today, so I wouldn't even class it as hearsay!
 
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Cheers Stewart. I thought it was something I saw on here once after a camera was dropped with a big lens on and it broke the body mount rather than lens
That's entirely likely. But it's a long long way from "I saw on here once" to "camera mounts are deliberately weaker than lens mounts".

For what it's worth, I've had it happen to me once (one of my lenses, out on hire - not to me personally) and in this case it was the mount on the lens which broke. But one or two examples isn't enough of a sample to draw any conclusions. And we certainly shouldn't draw conclusions about whether it's deliberate without some insider knowledge from the manufacturers or some plausible explanation based on the engineering of the mount.
 
I find it almost impossible to imagine that today a renowned and experienced camera manufacturer should not be able to calculate the strength of the camera front appropriately to ensure that normal use cannot damage it.

It is however a fact that magnesium alloy is light but not very robust. It may require special care. On the other hand I assume that if the body of a camera which has been sold in such quantities as the d800 would have a structural problem supporting one of the lenses which I assume is very often used with this camera, we'd be hearing more reports about it.?
 
I assume that if the body of a camera which has been sold in such quantities as the d800 would have a structural problem supporting one of the lenses which I assume is very often used with this camera, we'd be hearing more reports about it.?
Yes we would. And it isn't happening. Therefore there is no such problem.
 
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