Nikon D3s dead after 1 month « Nikon Rumors Forum

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Nikon D3s dead after 1 month

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loveandlemonade

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(In my haste, I forgot to introduce myself...)

Hi, I'm Nina and I'm a photographer & freelance designer based in Los Angeles, Ca. I'm posting on this forum because I'm frustrated and sad...

My D3s died on me last week on our way to Vegas. I charged my 2 batteries and checked all my equipment the morning of our departure and everything worked fine. Two hours into our drive, my fiance suggested I take some shots of the mountains from the car. I reached back for my camera bag, grabbed my D3s, turned it on and NOTHING. Completely unresponsive. I called Nikon and they were just as shocked as I was.

The camera was ordered from J&R and it's barely been a month. I am going to the Nikon headquarters in El Segundo tomorrow. Has anything like this happened to anyone's D3 or D3s? It's upsetting that a camera like this would just die after a month.

Anyway, I just wanted to vent and see if maybe anyone else went through something similar.

Posted 2 years ago #
PB PM

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That is normal for electronic devices, they either die in the first few weeks or they last for years.

Posted 2 years ago #
Unitymind

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I would not take it for repair, I would want a full exchange for a new camera. Call J&R and get a return slip, run around - ask for a manager. To me if something that $$$ breaks within 90 days I want a full exchange. They can send it back to be refurbished, I want to take pictures not wait on my $5k camera to be repaired I just bought.

Posted 2 years ago #
studio460

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+1.

Forget El Segundo. Call J&R tomorrow and ask for a return mailer, and request a full refund back to your card. If under 30 days, they will do it. I just returned a new AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G to B+H because "I didn't like it," and felt it was, "a little soft." A prepaid return FedEx label was e-mailed to me immediately, and a full refund went back to my card after their receipt of the lens.

Posted 2 years ago #
spraynpray

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What PB PM said - it's called a 'bathtub curve' so you can imagine the failures are high at the begining and end of life. Manufacturers normally heat-soak the electronics so they die during testing rather than in the field.

Cameras now are complex items so I wouldn't feel bad about it if I were you. It may go on to last another 20 years once repaired or replaced.

Posted 2 years ago #
warprints

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My two cents - I agree with Unitymind - I wouldn't repair, I would replace - unless of course, the camera has any signs of abuse (even unrelated to the failure), you may have a harder time with a return/refund.

Posted 2 years ago #
loveandlemonade

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Thanks, everyone, for your replies and 2 cents. I completely understand that sh!t happens w/electronics (I've gone thru 7 Blackberries once in a span of 7 months) but it's disappointing nonetheless. Also, I've never dropped, banged, scratched, knocked someone out w/my D3s. It was my baby and I treated it as such.

So I spoke with J&R already and they won't do anything because it's past their 30 day window and all they could do was give me Nikon's phone #. So wish me luck when I go to El Segundo today. And thanks again. :)

Posted 2 years ago #
PB PM

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Considering the stock shortage of shipping D3s, it would most likely be faster to get it repaired anyway.

Posted 2 years ago #
loveandlemonade

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PB PM - Yes, that's what I'm worried about. I don't (and can't) wait months to get a replacement. Even though the Nikon rep informed me they have D3s's on hand for situations like mine and I could get a replacement in 7-10 days if it comes down to that...it seems unlikely.

Posted 2 years ago #
foofiebeast

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wow, that's pretty unlucky. However the one good thing is that I will definitely not buy through J&R. Most companies on purchases that big have a standard warranty of atleast 60 if not 90 days.

I'm sorry but a 30 day warranty on a 5000$+ camera is ridiculous.

hopefully Nikon will take care of you better.

Posted 2 years ago #
warprints

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loveandlemonade said:
Also, I've never ... knocked someone out w/my D3s.

Have you been reading my past posts??

Posted 2 years ago #
NSXType-R

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loveandlemonade said:
Thanks, everyone, for your replies and 2 cents. I completely understand that sh!t happens w/electronics (I've gone thru 7 Blackberries once in a span of 7 months) but it's disappointing nonetheless. Also, I've never dropped, banged, scratched, knocked someone out w/my D3s. It was my baby and I treated it as such.

So I spoke with J&R already and they won't do anything because it's past their 30 day window and all they could do was give me Nikon's phone #. So wish me luck when I go to El Segundo today. And thanks again. :)

That sucks. I guess your only bet now is to send it in for repairs.

I've had a PS3 die on me twice. That was annoying.

Posted 2 years ago #
loveandlemonade

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warprints said:
Have you been reading my past posts??

Haha, no but maybe I should... I'm a petite girl so people always comment how I can use it as a weapon if need be.

Posted 2 years ago #
loveandlemonade

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I dropped off the camera at Nikon and hopefully they can repair it or replace it asap. Dropped off all my Nikon equipment for inspection and cleaning since I was down there anyway and now I'm completely dSLR-less. :(

Posted 2 years ago #
NikoDoby

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Are you sure it was the camera? I mean you checked both batteries on another camera perhaps? Maybe the batteries weren't charged up or maybe your charger didn't actually charge them properly or at all. Seems very strange it would die on you like that but at least it's happening now with warranty. Please keep us up to date on what Nikon tells you.

Posted 2 years ago #
PB PM

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Hope you get it back quickly. Last year I turned my gear in for checking during February, big mistake because that is when Nikon does inventory, and I had to wait three weeks for a focus adjustment and cleaning. I need to take my 300mm F4 in for a cleaning (some nasty big pieces of dust inside that I think is messing up AF), and I hope they don't take that long this time around!

Posted 2 years ago #
loveandlemonade

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NikoDoby said:
Are you sure it was the camera? I mean you checked both batteries on another camera perhaps? Maybe the batteries weren't charged up or maybe your charger didn't actually charge them properly or at all. Seems very strange it would die on you like that but at least it's happening now with warranty. Please keep us up to date on what Nikon tells you.

Yes, I did check both batteries and Nikon checked my batteries, as well. Thank God this happened within the warranty period if it was going to happen at all. I will def. keep you posted.

Posted 2 years ago #
NikoDoby

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Good luck loveandlemonade and welcome to the forum.

Posted 2 years ago #
loveandlemonade

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PB PM said:
Hope you get it back quickly. Last year I turned my gear in for checking during February, big mistake because that is when Nikon does inventory, and I had to wait three weeks for a focus adjustment and cleaning. I need to take my 300mm F4 in for a cleaning (some nasty big pieces of dust inside that I think is messing up AF), and I hope they don't take that long this time around!

God, 3 weeks...that's awful. Apparently if you're a professional (or tell them you are) they rush it and they're not supposed to take more than 7-10 business days. Or so they told me. The guy was pretty nice so hopefully he was telling the truth. Or else I am gonna have to knock someone out w/my D3s after all. ;)

Posted 2 years ago #
warprints

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loveandlemonade said:
Or else I am gonna have to knock someone out w/my D3s after all. ;)

I'm gonna stay out of YOUR way !!

Posted 2 years ago #
loveandlemonade

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NikoDoby said:
Good luck loveandlemonade and welcome to the forum.

Thank you, NikoDoby! :)

Posted 2 years ago #
JorPet

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That would really be a bummer. With the electronics, I would think they would simply pull the electronics and replace them all. Easier, faster and cheaper than trying to actually find a bad chip and replace it.

Good luck with all of this.

Posted 2 years ago #
mishima

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Hello Nina!

That's one of worst case scenarios you could predict it'll happen. I definately go all out to complain to the retailer for the defect. I can understand that some electronic goods are tend or rather have the possibility to be faulty but not the acclaimed - ISO KING Nikon D3s !! =P

I wish you all the best of luck and pray they'll give you 1-1 exchange in view of customer satisfaction.

Posted 2 years ago #
PB PM

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loveandlemonade said:
God, 3 weeks...that's awful. Apparently if you're a professional (or tell them you are) they rush it and they're not supposed to take more than 7-10 business days. Or so they told me. The guy was pretty nice so hopefully he was telling the truth. Or else I am gonna have to knock someone out w/my D3s after all. ;)

Yeah, not fun, but as I noted it was during inventory, which was the cause of the delay. They said it normally would take 7 business days. Nikon Canadian ships most of its goods through the Vancouver location so they had a lot of work to do.

Posted 2 years ago #
loveandlemonade

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warprints said:
I'm gonna stay out of YOUR way !!

Haha I'm usually not this angry, I swear. :)

Posted 2 years ago #