D800 lens mount broken

[Counter]

My D800 has always had a sticky lens release button - sometimes it works first time, sometimes I need to press it and press it again before feeling it release the lens. Today my 16-35mm didn't release properly and is now stuck on the mount. The lens spins both clockwise and anti clockwise but will not detach from the camera body and I don't want to force it. I can hear loose pieces of metal when I turn the camera upside down, its very obviously broken.

I am presuming that my warranty will cover this and Nikon will either repair the mount or replace the camera but if the lens mount is also damaged will they also repair or replace that? I am on holiday in the US at the moment so there is nothing I can do until I get back next week but I have emailed the dealer who will hopefully reassure me in the next few days but I am feeling really sick about this at the moment. I absolutely cannot afford to replace both the lens and the camera if the warranty doesn't cover it although it can only be a defective unit as I am always super careful when changing lenses and the grinding and cracking sound it made sounded like a massive failure. It's kind of put a downer on my vacation too!

 

[longzoom]

Looks like the body spring which making tension to the lens mount is broken. Not big deal for serviceman, but do not release shutter. Broken piece can damage mirror, shutter blades or even sensor.

 

[sako]

Doubt very much whether it's the lens mount. Sleep in peace, all will be okay.

 

[Counter]

The aperture on the lens isn't working properly so the mount on both the lens and the camera body are certainly damaged. I spoke to the dealer and both are under warranty so I will send the whole thing back to Nikon next week and hope for the best. I never had any problems mounting a lens on any camera before and should have sent this one back as soon as I noticed it didn't feel right.

 

[longzoom]

Good luck!

 

[microsnook]

What a bust, best of luck!

 

[sako]

That's bad luck. If the aperture on the lens isn't working then the aperture tab, where it protudes through the mount, is probably broken, not the lens mount itself. Still, at least it's under warranty.

 

[Counter]

That's bad luck. If the aperture on the lens isn't working then the aperture tab, where it protudes through the mount, is probably broken, not the lens mount itself. Still, at least it's under warranty.

If the lens release catch didn't work properly could that have caught on the aperture tab and damaged it? If I move the lens even a tiny amount now it feels like there is some grit in between the lens and the body - metal fragments perhaps.

 

[longzoom]

If the lens release catch didn't work properly could that have caught on the aperture tab and damaged it? If I move the lens even a tiny amount now it feels like there is some grit in between the lens and the body - metal fragments perhaps.

Do not move it to safe contacts.

 

[Counter]

As an update to this, I sent the camera and lens back to Nikon UK and I've now had an estimate to replace the bayonet mount unit and the contact unit on the lens. The camera doesn't need any new parts which is a relief although they still want to charge me to clean and check it which seems odd. The estimate is pretty low though so I'm going to accept and just get it done.
I was expecting a lot worse!

 

[soberle]

A friend had the same thing happen to her D800/14-24 combo. It is currently at Nikon service, estimated 4-6 week repair...

 

[sako]

As an update to this, I sent the camera and lens back to Nikon UK and I've now had an estimate to replace the bayonet mount unit and the contact unit on the lens. The camera doesn't need any new parts which is a relief although they still want to charge me to clean and check it which seems odd. The estimate is pretty low though so I'm going to accept and just get it done.
I was expecting a lot worse!

So it's the lens and not the camera; that's not so bad then. Thanks for the update.

A friend had the same thing happen to her D800/14-24 combo. It is currently at Nikon service, estimated 4-6 week repair...

That seems a heck of a long time for a repair. I had a lens shipped to Nikon in Japan, repaired and sent back in less time than that.

 

[Counter]

So it's the lens and not the camera; that's not so bad then. Thanks for the update.

I'm very relieved although the camera is still under warranty while the lens is not. They mention a missing 'stop pin' but I'm keen to find out exactly what went wrong, if they even know.

That seems a heck of a long time for a repair. I had a lens shipped to Nikon in Japan, repaired and sent back in less time than that.

Yes they've said a week to ten days for mine. Interesting to hear of the same thing happen to somebody else though.

 

[fidget]

There's a stop pin (screw) on the lens bayonet. If this drops out it allows the lens to over rotate and thus not detatch from the camera. I've seen a number of old lenses with the stop missing. Wiggling the lens about a bit usualy removes them.

 

[Counter]

There's a stop pin (screw) on the lens bayonet. If this drops out it allows the lens to over rotate and thus not detatch from the camera. I've seen a number of old lenses with the stop missing. Wiggling the lens about a bit usualy removes them.

Interesting, thank you Brian.