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Nikon is ending is free D600 sensor “dust” repair service in January 2020

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Back in 2014, Nikon issued a technical service bulletin over “dust” issues with the D600 DSLR. It was an issue that Nikon initially seemed to deny existed but then replaced the D600 with the D610 less than 13 months later. But then, shortly after that, in February 2014, Nikon finally admitted there was a problem with the D600 and issued the service advisory offering free repairs – even if the warranty had expired.

Not too long after that, China even ordered Nikon to stop selling the D600 within the country. And later in 2014, Nikon was finally just replacing D600 bodies with D610s for many owners who had been involved in a class-action lawsuit. Now, Nikon is finally ending that free repair programme.

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Tearing down a $2,300 Sony GM lens for a DIY repair

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As a photographer, it’s one of the worst things that can happen. You’re away for three weeks travelling and shooting – for work – and right at the beginning of the trip you drop the only lens you’ve brought with you. That’s what happened to Pierre Lambert and his $2,300 Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 GM lens recently.

With part of the body of the lens twisted, there were obvious issues. Pierre chose to take the rather unconventional decision to attempt to repair the expensive lens himself. Fortunately for us, he shot video so the rest of us can see what’s contained inside this $2,300 lens.

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Nikon repairs may be invalidating your insurance and future warranty

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So, this is an interesting one and not something I’ve come across before. But a British photographer we spoke to reports having had serial numbers in his Nikon lenses changed after sending them in to be repaired by Nikon Professional Services in the UK.

He says that Nikon told him they sometimes have to replace the part which contains the serial number. However, this may invalidate your insurance or future warranty when numbers no longer match up. Especially if Nikon isn’t providing any documentation for the new number or even telling you that it has a new one.

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Watch a timelapse of craftsman replacing a Canon 6D shutter

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Have you ever wondered what it looks like when a technician repairs your camera? This timelapse will answer the question what happens when a shutter is being replaced. While it’s purely technical, it’s mesmerizing to watch. Not to mention I’m in awe when I see how many tiny, fragile parts the technician needs to deal with and leave them unharmed. In particular this case, the guy is working with Canon 6D. But I imagine it’s equally demanding with all DLSRs.

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This $11,000 lens is exactly why you don’t check camera gear when flying

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It should be pretty common knowledge by now that you don’t check your delicate camera gear when flying. Ok, sometimes, you might no choice, especially if you fly Delta. But if the ability is there to carry it in your hand luggage, then do it. This was an expensive lesson to learn for one lady who recently brought her Leica M10 & 50mm f/0.95 Noctilux to Leica Store Manchester for repair.

The $10,995 lens has been smashed, and the $6,895 camera now won’t even turn on. Leica Store Manchester told PetaPixel, “She had only had the camera and lens for 2 weeks”.

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This man repairs the cameras and lenses that no one else can

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Even when all repair services discard your camera or lens as “irreparable,” there’s still a way to repair it. Mr. David Hilos can fix all the gear others can’t (or won’t). This 49-year-old Filipino based in Singapore is communications engineer, but he is also a hobbyist camera repairman who can save your gear no matter what happened to it.

Photographers know him as “camera whisperer” and he is a miracle worker when it comes to repairing photo gear. He converts digital cameras to black and white, “transplants” pieces of one camera to the other, and even brings drowned cameras back from the dead.

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Microsoft’s Surface Pro scores 0 out of 10 on reparability test

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Microsoft’s Surface Pro laptop definitely has some good sides, but what can you expect when it breaks? Unfortunately, on the repairability test by iFixit, this stylish laptop scores far from impressive: zero. Seems that it would be pretty difficult (or even impossible) to open and repair it, and the guys from iFixit tear it down and demonstrate all the possible difficulties you may encounter if you want to repair this laptop.

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Canon puts out service notice for the 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM lens after autofocus issues detected

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Canon’s 24-105mm f/4L lens has become a staple amongst Canon users. Whether pro or hobbyist it’s the perfect balance between quality, versatility and price. Its successor, the 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM, though, seems to be having a few teething troubles. Imaging resource mentioned the service notice a couple of weeks ago. But it wasn’t corroborated by any other Canon sources, and was quickly removed from the Canon Philipines website

Canon USA have now announced that certain examples of this lens exhibit “an AF operation-related malfunction”. This isn’t quite a recall just yet, because Canon don’t seem to have come up with a viable solution to the problem. At the moment, they are making “preparations”, and as soon as they’re complete, they’ll tell owners what they need to do.

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This man has spent almost 60 years repairing analogue cameras

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On Via Paolo Lomazzo, in Milan, sits an unassuming shopfront. On the window are the words “Riparazioni Macchine Fotografiche” (“Camera Repair”) printed in simple bold letters. This is the workshop of 76 year old Gian Luigi Carminati, a man who has spent his entire working life repairing cameras.

Armed with little more than a set of screwdrivers and a lot of patience, Carminati has repaired countless cameras in his time. A technician more than a photographer, he has made some interesting observations on photography over the years. In this two minute short Master of Camera, from filmmaker David Drills, he talks about some of those insights.

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Tearing down the $2,200 Nikon 105mm f/1.4

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When I see the phrase “for those of you following along at home” in a teardown article, I know it’s going to be a good one. This is especially so when it’s the first public teardown of such a new and expensive lens. Nikon announced the 105mm f/1.4E back in July to much fanfare. Many photographers who managed to get their hands on one instantly fell in love.

So, what’s caused this teardown now? Is there an issue with these lenses? Nope, it’s simply maintenance and cleaning. For most of us, a few specks of dust aren’t an issue, but for gear hire company LensRentals, the equipment has to look like brand new each time it goes out to the next client. This means regular teardowns and cleaning of their equipment.

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