// This 10 min video (in Thai language) shows you in details how to disassemble a Nikon D7000 camera. According to the narrator, only the top and back parts are magnesium alloy: Related posts: For more detailed coverage, follow [NR] on Twitter and Facebook Best Buy: Nikon D300 replaced by D300s in September NikonRumors turns 2 today Nauticam NA-D7000 [...]"/>

How to take a Nikon D7000 apart

By [NR] admin | Published: March 2, 2011

This 10 min video (in Thai language) shows you in details how to disassemble a Nikon D7000 camera. According to the narrator, only the top and back parts are magnesium alloy:

Related posts:

  1. For more detailed coverage, follow [NR] on Twitter and Facebook
  2. Best Buy: Nikon D300 replaced by D300s in September
  3. NikonRumors turns 2 today
  4. Nauticam NA-D7000 underwater housing for Nikon D7000
  5. NR was down
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  • Tom

    Why?

    • venancio

      maybe to show everyone how good he is at his work at the Thailand plant and how Q.C. can be screwed anytime…

  • Kevin

    Wow, did they put it back together in working order?
    …first?

    • Panfruit

      No, they put it back together afterwards, naturally.

      • zack

        :)

  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/friedtoast/ Fried Toast

    Dii maak maak, khrap.

    • Banned

      lol

    • jorgen

      hrhrhrhr

    • http://www.russbarnes.co.uk RussB

      lol. I’m sure he said “crap plastic” in there too :)

  • Jim

    Why in this world would anyone want to take one of these expensive things apart. Must have a lot of money to waste and then think of all the dirt and dust you would get into it.

    • PB PM

      Maybe the guy is a camera technician and wants to know how to take it apart?

    • stoikee

      He’s from Canon R&D.

      • gag

        hahahaha thats golden

    • ZZ

      He is a technician in a camera repair shop. Authorized distributor and service center in Thailand is expensive.

    • jk

      You act like a camera has never been taken apart before.

      Why do some people buy cameras and never use them? Same difference really…. if this is his hobby at least he is learning something.

    • SMD guy

      A car motor cost around 8K, and people still take it apart to rebuild it. So what difference does that make to taking a camera apart? You act like you never taken an electronic device apart.

  • L_hardy

    nothing new nikon say exactly this on their own websites

    http://www.europe-nikon.com/en_GB/product/digital-cameras/slr/consumer/d7000

  • take

    Vimolcamera is a camera sell and repair shop so they often take apart a cemara.

  • http://eleventhphotograph.com elph

    Only the back and top? I thought it was advertised as a full-body magnesium-alloy…?

    • http://nikonrumors.com/ [NR] admin

      maybe a native speaker can clarify?

      • GlobalGuy

        From Nikon’s own statements on D7K:

        “Durable design: boasts tough, yet light, magnesium alloy top and rear covers, and environmentally-sealed joints that protect the camera from dust and moisture.”

        = TOP & REAR covers only are magnesium.

        • http://eleventhphotograph.com elph

          Sounds radically different then the supposed images here http://nikonrumors.com/2010/09/14/nikon-d7000-new-39-points-af-and-magnesium-alloy-body.aspx

          Either way I still love my D7000, but I wish Nikon would hurry the eff up with my 60fps and manual liveview aperture firmware update.

          • WoutK89

            Is everyone so hyped about this magnesium stuff, that they keep thinking (even though clearly stated in the press releases) that the entire body was mag alloy?

            And Elph, do you see the front side of the camera on that picture? No, so that is all the mag there in the body.

            • Soap

              re: photo only showing back and top:

              Thank you. You are one of the few here who can actually read and apply logic to draw safe conclusions.

              I swear to frickin god the average poster here is 10.

          • AcquaCow

            No, that picture is correct.

            Google image search for “D7000 body” and you’ll see the front and back images of that same photo.

            Only the top and back are magnesium in those photos.

            – Dave

          • Joel

            As an owner of the D7000 as well, I’d also love to see something more than 24fps. Sadly tho this is an impossibility as the sensors design is physically limited to 25fps. You simply cannot pull data off it at a higher rate :(

      • Nikonia

        He said only top and back piece are metal.
        FYI vimoncamera is a respectable camera repair center in Thailand

      • verypong

        As a native speaker, in the clip, he said that the top and back plates are magnesium alloy. The side plate with microphone wiring is plastic.

    • http://dundermifflin.com michael scott

      I can still remember from the very beginning, it wasn’t going to be completely magnesium alloy.

      http://a.img-dpreview.com/news/1009/nikond7000/D7000_Mgbody_2_l.jpg

    • JorPet

      Somewhere I have seen a breakout of the camera on the Nikon website and it shows that the magnesium alloy is only on the top and down the back. On this model that should be enough to get the desired stiffness and strength while minimizing cost and weight.

      • JorPet

        Found it. Go to B&H and look at the D7000 page and then more images. That last two images lets you make no mistake as to what is magnesium alloy and what is not. I still think that there is plenty there to make this a darn tough/stiff camera body.

  • take

    There are two motors different from D90 for what?

  • Public_Enemy

    He is mechanic and he said he wanna compare inside between D7000 and D90.

  • http://www.kishorephotography.com Kishore

    wow

  • http://nengphotography.com Putti Tiasuwan

    He is just talking how to rip off D7000 but he mentioned front and back are magnesium alloy but has not mention about the other parts

  • mshi

    There is lot of copper inside.

  • AP

    This is just a show case from a locally well-known independent camera service shop in Bangkok.

  • Matt

    Is there a way to make Google cache go back further than 1 day? I know last week the D7000 page on Nikon USA’s site said full magnesium alloy body and now it says “Compact but durable with magnesium-alloy top and rear covers, superior weather and dust “

    • Anonymus Maximus

      use http://www.archive.org you will be able to get the old versions of a page.
      However it takes some time untill the archived pages get added.

    • scurvyhesh

      I remember this being discussed before the camera came out, and I thought it was pretty clear that the camera was a magnesium/polycarbonate composite. the camera is way too light to be all metal anyways.

    • WoutK89

      I have always read since the announcement that its only top and rear… Is that why so many people didnt need to see a D400, they thought the D7000 was already full mag alloy?

  • Banned

    Wow this guy is hardcore.

  • carlgo

    He only took apart about half of it! A computer with a shutter to which you can attach a lens. Obviously a proficient repair guy.

  • bleah

    I have taken a D7000 down as well (I’m a camera technician)and i can confirm that the top and the back are the only magnesium-alloy. it is completely different from the D90.
    If i was to compare the insides, I would say it looks like a D300s with more wiring.

  • http://adaircreativegroup.com Ron Adair

    All I know is she’s got some serious man hands.

    • ja

      pmsl

    • Diego

      I was thinking that too…or maybe his hands have manicure, or maybe is a transexual…

      • http://adaircreativegroup.com Ron Adair

        They may look a little feminine, but I do have to say they look darn handy when taking apart cameras. Ten spudgers in one.

        Then again, these almost look like they could be used as weapons in a sneak attack. Think—severed arteries?

        Note to Thai Mafia: Please don’t kill me.

  • Tony

    so that is why it costs 1200 dollars…

  • AlOn

    Me want the same electric screwdriver with the magnetic head.

    Where can I get the same one?

  • camaman

    I don’t know why you guys a re surprised.
    You can feel metal only on those parts on a cold winter day…

  • camaman

    MAN that’s a LOT of screws!
    That Canon lens cap is laughing and saying: Hey Nikon, you sure got screwed by that repair guy! :-)

    • http://www.flickr.com/photos/manarianz5/ manarianz5

      lol…

  • http://photo.plantae.sk miso

    why top and rear parts are magnesium alloy? more important should be bottom and front part stronger. bottom because of tripod mount and bottom part is usually most worn-down and threatened and front part should be stronger because lens mount should be more stable when heavy lenses used.

    • WoutK89

      Buy the battery grip, it IS full mag alloy, so you have a mag alloy bottom part.

    • Soap

      Top and back have the greatest number and area (percentage wise) of penetrations. That is where a more expensive material is warranted to provided the necessary stiffness.

      The front also has a large number of contours perpendicular to the primary plane, giving stiffness, again, without the use of more expensive materials.

  • D400?

    You better not do this to the D400 when it comes out.

    • ja

      you can’t give the consumers pro treatment otherwise its no longer consumer but you can let them have a little teast of what its like in the pro sector
      but does it really matter whats mag and whats not its the end result that truly counts,
      the D400 D800 D4 will be super cameras, im really looking forward to these cameras………..the clock is tiking

    • Xanadu AW18

      Instead do it then we all know what is real inside and than make your personal choise. to buy or not to buy or wait and wait for the D4

  • http://micahmedia.com Micah
  • Me

    It has always been advertized that the D7000 top and back parts were magnesium alloy.

  • http://www.lhp-online.com Leroy

    At the risk of stating the obvious, someone needs to say it.

    Taking your camera apart will likely void your warranty. This should not be done by the average consumer, only by Nikon or a Nikon authorized repair center.

  • verypong

    I’ve talked to Khun Vimon’s assistant. She said a dealer sent him the new d7000 to fix something in the viewfinder. That’s why he disassebles it and post pics on his website.
    Anyway, I’m not sure it’s the same one in the clip.

  • http://www.joeythephotographer.com joey

    I don’t care what the hell it’s made out of, my D7000 just survived a 5 foot drop. The kit lens, not so much.

    • http://eleventhphotograph.com elph

      Then the drop was worth it, now go get that 35mm 1.8! ; P

  • Sensor

    this is what people will be doing to their cameras if the d800 comes with a swapable CMOS; then, they will send all the parts back to Nikon.

  • Iorick

    I was reading and was quite surprised that nobody spoke about the D800 or the D400!?… till I reached the middle of the post… lol About the questions of the guy beeing taking the D7000 apart, he’s just looking for those hot pixels. After several firmware upgrade attempts… the only way you can really get rid of them… is to find those bastards and kill them! :-)

  • tbscope

    Maybe I’m naive, but, is this really how they take apart a camera when they repair it?
    Or even: is this also the way they build Nikon camera’s?

    If so, I have serious doubts I will ever buy Nikon material from now on.

    There’s so much disrespect for the product :-(
    I only hope that good repair shops and I seriously hope that the manufacturing plant handles the camera more delicately.

    • repair

      That is how it’s done everywhere, with every manufacturer.

    • SMD guy

      Go inside any repair shop, TV’s repair , laptops/computer repair, cars shop, its done like this everywhere. Once you done it enough, you develop trust and confidence in your hands to perform the job. AKA skills

  • http://davidandstella.wordpress.com/ David

    hmm.. can he build a digital FM?

  • madmagnus

    I think he has to cut their nails

  • http://www.homphophotography.com Som

    @ tbscope – How else do you think they do it?

    • tbscope

      With care?

      He uses the screwdriver like he’s stabbing the camera to death.
      A little bit care is what I would like to see.

      For me these things cost a lot of money. And I can assure you that not every repair shop handles a delicate thing like that because I have worked at a repair shop.

  • Joe Bodego

    who cares???

  • R R

    that is a Canon spy at Canon´s HQ!

  • camaman

    If he cuts his nails, he gets fired!
    Its all about speed! Taking it apart fast! Especially in Asia! :-D

    • SMD guy

      long nails help in removing the ribbon cables.

  • MrCameraman

    Magnesium alloy body….bullshit!

    I still prefer my D5000 ALL PLASTIC.

    • CTLG

      Then you’ve never used or even held the D7000. I have both, the D5000 is a toy in comparison . Not to mention performance wise.

      P.s. still love our D5000. Great camera, just can’t be compared to the D7K.

  • Eric Pepin

    I could have told you about the not all metal part a long time ago… Nikon rep informed us before the camera was released. And people wonder why i still prefer a d300.. which i have to carry in a lightly padded bag 5 or more days a week.

  • Rob

    I did this to my 9 year old Sony Mavica that would only work while plugged in to the wall. THERE WERE NO SURVIVORS.

  • Doug L.

    After all this he reassembled it (minus a few screws but included some added dust), put it back in the box and now it sits for some unsuspecting camera buff on a shelf at a local camera store.

  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/ilovewalkman Abhinav

    thanks for sharing :)

  • p2studio

    (Yikes!! I was hoping for part 2 to follow!)/

  • SteveM

    having been a camera tech it was fun to watch the D 7000 being taken apart. It appears to be fairly well made/constructed. several comments were made regarding the technicians fingernails-how do you think we pickup all those small parts? if you watched the movie slowly you’ll see how he used his nails to uncouple the wire bus connectors where they attached to the circuit boards. and yeah i wish i had 1 of those electric screwdrivers too ! some days I wish i was still on the bench fixing cameras- put on some good music and headphones and work with your hands ! ah- those were the days :-)

  • http://www.alwekelo.com AL

    I usually like your post, but this one about taking apart the Nikon D7000, was not your best day!

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