msmoto said:
@ ben_v3.... Yes, I think for what they did....that is a deal. You may have a better body now than when it was new....

I was thinking that also since someone actually took the time to tune it up versus it coming off the mass production line.

@ ben_v3.... Yes, I think for what they did....that is a deal. You may have a better body now than when it was new....

I got my baby back! Here the list of things they did to her.

Replace Front Body
Replace Mirror Box
Replace Reflex Mirror
Adjust Mirror Angle
Adjust Body Flange Back
Adjust Auto Focus Operation
Checked Meter Accuracy
General Check & Clean

Im still feeling so lucky that only cost me 250 bucks.

The camera is finally shipping back. Should be here Tuesday. Cant wait to get my baby back.

@ f8pikker

To post photos from flickr, please upload to flickr an image of at least 2000px or full size if you like. Then, from your photostream, click the photo and you will see at the upper left a "Share" tab. Click this, select "Medium 800" as your size for the HTML code, copy this HTML code and then paste it into your post.

There is some concern about the plastic mount on the D600, when using lens such as the 70-200mm (quite heavy). One thing I use on my D200 camera with a 70-200mm is to use a 5 to 6 inch. quick release plate mounted on the bottom screwed on to tripod screw and tripod ring on the lens. It fits very well and gives me a sense of security when I walk around. I have a photo of it but I don't know how to upload the photograph.

ericbowles said:
I just got through a repair to my 24-70 which fell out of my camera bag. The repair to my lens to repair the zoom and check everything was $475, so your experience is quite inexpensive. The Nikon El Segundo Repair facility does a good job.

I've found the high end lenses are made to be repaired. It's not always cheap, but they can be fixed. In my case the local Nikon Authorized shop had all the parts on hand and turned it around in just 4 days. The lens is better than new.

Thats great to hear. Hopefully they're as good on bodies as they are on lenses.

I just got through a repair to my 24-70 which fell out of my camera bag. The repair to my lens to repair the zoom and check everything was $475, so your experience is quite inexpensive. The Nikon El Segundo Repair facility does a good job.

I've found the high end lenses are made to be repaired. It's not always cheap, but they can be fixed. In my case the local Nikon Authorized shop had all the parts on hand and turned it around in just 4 days. The lens is better than new.

kavehmz said:
Can you send me the address of Nikon service centre you send you camera to? :) I might try it as I dont trust the one send to.

Nikon Inc. El Segundo
841 Apollo Street #100
El Segundo, CA 90245

Can you send me the address of Nikon service centre you send you camera to? :) I might try it as I dont trust the one send to.

I just got the estimate back from Nikon. Someone is looking out for me.

$243.26

Im in shock. So much stress and worry has been lifted from my shoulders its amazing.

First thing I do when it gets back is insure the hell out of all my gear.

What bugs me about this whole situation are the things that WE as consumers do not know. We don't know and will probably never find out if Nikon used a different polycarbonate formula for the front of the D600 vs. older cameras. These cameras are getting lighter and lighter as the years go by. The D4 is lighter than the D3S, the D800 is lighter than D700, even the D600 is lighter than the D7000 - and that's FX vs DX!! I'm sure the weight of some of the electronic guts has decreased over the years but how are we to know that some engineer isn't figuring up how many grams they could shave off the weight of the camera by making the housing just a bit thinner.

Unfortunately, this sometimes comes down to the bottom line. "If we could decrease our use of xxx pounds of raw materials we could save xxx amount of money - and still charge xxx amount for the product."

*** reference to weights of the mentioned cameras is only used to make a point - I know that the D3S, D4, D700, D800 all have mag-alloy fronts.

@ spraynpray....+1

It is always sad when we drop one, and luck is what determines the damage. A lens hood which can self destruct when it hits is helpful. A front filter can absorb some energy as it fractures or the ring deforms. But, if the camera hits just right...horrible damage can result. And, this was a fall on to grass...must either be a problem in the mount on the D600 or it landed so as the lens was at on top and at an angle causing the most kinetic energy to be absorbed by the mount.

R8R said:
I was thinking about why the heck they have the magnesium on the top and back, and not on the top and FRONT. It would seem you would want the strongest material where the lens mount is.

Our D7000 took a tumble the other day. My wife went to get up at a restaurant, and the bag wasn't secured shut. Camera fell out and bounced off the tile floor. (35mm f/1.8G attached)

Picked it up...not a scratch. Weird.

Not weird but lucky - it is a matter of how it landed and the inertia of the lens. A pro weight lens is more likely to break the mount than the 35mm 1.8 G which may be the lightest lens of all.

msmoto. interesting idea! I might try.

I got my body and it is with me now:)

El_Pickerel, You might be right if no other option works I will put it in ebay :).

Your best bet now is probably to sell the camera for parts... since Nikon stopped selling parts to independent repair shops, you might be able to recover a good bit of your loss this way.

I was thinking... if it is some non-metalllic part of the body which broken, does not involve any lost connections, i.e. broken circuit boards, it may be possible to epoxy back the part of the body which is fractured. This is done in addition to watchmaker's screws to hold things as well.

Now this is the solution only if the body is of no value. And the critical issues of flange measurements is most important. Properly prepped, drilled and screwed one may be able to repair the body for less than a hundred dollars.

For those who are laughing.... do not forget, this is of absolutely mo value and could be repaired and function as good as new. One might talk with a watch maker who is also a handy man and understands epoxy issues.

I was thinking about why the heck they have the magnesium on the top and back, and not on the top and FRONT. It would seem you would want the strongest material where the lens mount is.

Our D7000 took a tumble the other day. My wife went to get up at a restaurant, and the bag wasn't secured shut. Camera fell out and bounced off the tile floor. (35mm f/1.8G attached)

Picked it up...not a scratch. Weird.

The insurance on equipment needs to be "all risk" to cover accidental breakage. I think the yearly rates in the USA are about USD $100-150 per $10,000 of value for an amateur.....about double for a professional earning money with the equipment. But, we all can have this happen, or it is stolen from our car, hotel room, etc. and the insurance somehow is very inexpensive at that point.

Nikon told me it is beyond economical repair! :(
I didn't look so bad. I hope the guy didn't re-act because I called them each day to get some estimates.

Is it possible to send it to another Nikon centre! I am in Malaysia.

Double post. Sorry.

Side note. I'm kind of hoping that UPS runs over the package or something.. Haha. I insured it fully when I shipped it.

@kavehmc it should arrive at Nikon on Thursday so I have no idea what the cost is going to be.

@DaveO Ill certainly be looking into coverage after this. I'll be giving my CC company a call also. Thanks for the tip.

@TaoTeJared I certainly hope you are wrong about it being totaled. :( I called my insurance company and my homeowners won't cover it. I didn't add it as an asset so ill be looking into that as well soon.

I'll update this thread when I hear back from Nikon.

TaoTeJared said:
I think $1,000+ unless Nikon has a soft heart.

$2000 then!

I also feel for you guys. Good luck, I hope you get them sorted OK.

It pains me just to read these posts.

I'm so used to having my strap around my neck or shoulder that during one portrait shoot where I took the strap off the camera just to get it out of my way, I almost let the camera go from about waist high thinking the strap would catch it. I was standing on concrete. Strap stays on now!

Best of luck to the 2 of you.

Camera is probably toast - homeowners insurance will probably cover it if you have it.

A search on this same thing of a D80,d90,d7000 (if they did fix it) will probably give a ballpark of the cost. I think $1,000+ unless Nikon has a soft heart.