$520 to repair my Nikon 200-500 lens
Mar 1, 2022 11:34:08 #
billnikon
Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont
alandg46 wrote:
$520 to repair my Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 seems a little excessive to me. The problem was a small screw had come out and it would no longer zoom.
Try midwestcamerarepair.com, they may be lower priced. They are very good and do repair Nikon lenses.
Mar 1, 2022 11:36:29 #
larryepage wrote:
I mentioned appliance repair earlier. We serviced ... (show quote)
I want to know why the price jumped 200 bucks.
Mar 1, 2022 11:37:27 #
billnikon wrote:
Try midwestcamerarepair.com, they may be lower priced. They are very good and do repair Nikon lenses.
Nikon already has it. I should have sent it to KEH.
Mar 1, 2022 11:43:04 #
larryepage
Loc: North Texas area
alandg46 wrote:
I want to know why the price jumped 200 bucks.
Sorry. I didn't (and still don't) see that detail mentioned anywhere.
That's a question for Nikon. Was the first estimate in error? Did they find bigger problems when they got into your lens?
Mar 1, 2022 11:51:40 #
speedmaster
Loc: Kendall, FL
It is not how long or how easy is to replace the screw... is how much it costed to know how to do it correctly.
Mar 1, 2022 11:51:49 #
Our technician tradesmen earned $84.00 per hour when I retired in 2017. We charged $140.00 per hour to cover our business expenses and net 5%. We invested in training and the special tools and instruments needed to service our clients.
A zoom camera lens is a technical, as well as precision, piece of equipment, and taking it apart for repair, cleaning, lubrication, re-assembly, and re-calibration must be performed in the cleanest of spaces and it would not be for the faint-of-heart.
Imagine what a fellow that owns a Ferrari thinks when he takes it in for its scheduled maintenance. Of course, he could go to the local Jiffy-Lube where they pay the employees $12.00 per hour and charge $80.00 to change five quarts of oil and a filter and try to up sale you other services.
A zoom camera lens is a technical, as well as precision, piece of equipment, and taking it apart for repair, cleaning, lubrication, re-assembly, and re-calibration must be performed in the cleanest of spaces and it would not be for the faint-of-heart.
Imagine what a fellow that owns a Ferrari thinks when he takes it in for its scheduled maintenance. Of course, he could go to the local Jiffy-Lube where they pay the employees $12.00 per hour and charge $80.00 to change five quarts of oil and a filter and try to up sale you other services.
Mar 1, 2022 12:26:17 #
No one LIKES a big bill, but I think the answer lies in what their policy requires them to do inn order to repair, bring to spec and guarantee the work they did. My experience is with Canon and their policy seems to bee if they take it in, it has to be brought up to spec, which usually requires disassembly , cleaning and testing the lens.
They often don't communicate that very well, and they should, because it often leads to the impression you have that they charged $500 bucks for a screw. It is probably one of a number of different 'Flat Rate' repairs in many different categories. They don't 'repair' parts that are out of spec, they replace whatever 'module' covers the problem.
They probably do provide a guarantee , and should it happen again you probably would not be charged.-----all that goes into the $500 bucks. I don't think Nikon is any worse than any other company in that regard.
My experience over many years with Canon is "Not Cheap, but very good" -evenn as a member of CPS with a substantial discount.
They often don't communicate that very well, and they should, because it often leads to the impression you have that they charged $500 bucks for a screw. It is probably one of a number of different 'Flat Rate' repairs in many different categories. They don't 'repair' parts that are out of spec, they replace whatever 'module' covers the problem.
They probably do provide a guarantee , and should it happen again you probably would not be charged.-----all that goes into the $500 bucks. I don't think Nikon is any worse than any other company in that regard.
My experience over many years with Canon is "Not Cheap, but very good" -evenn as a member of CPS with a substantial discount.
Mar 1, 2022 12:45:47 #
Jwshelton
Loc: Denver,CO
I assume you got a quote before the work was performed.
If you felt it was too much at that time you could have had the lens returned.
As others have shared, it is not just replacing a screw.
This is a good problem to have compared to many others.
If you felt it was too much at that time you could have had the lens returned.
As others have shared, it is not just replacing a screw.
This is a good problem to have compared to many others.
Mar 1, 2022 12:51:08 #
cahale
Loc: San Angelo, TX
alandg46 wrote:
$520 to repair my Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 seems a little excessive to me. The problem was a small screw had come out and it would no longer zoom.
The cost is not for fixing the lens. The cost is for you not knowing how to do it yourself. Happens a lot in many different fields of merchandise.
Mar 1, 2022 12:52:05 #
CHG_CANON wrote:
Canon screws are half the cost ...
I disagree. I've bought Canon screws and Sigma screws and the Sigma screws were way less expensive than the Canon screws.
Mar 1, 2022 13:02:51 #
larryepage wrote:
Sorry. I didn't (and still don't) see that detail mentioned anywhere.
That's a question for Nikon. Was the first estimate in error? Did they find bigger problems when they got into your lens?
That's a question for Nikon. Was the first estimate in error? Did they find bigger problems when they got into your lens?
Apparently, they didn't find anything different. The first estimate was an online estimate. The other I received before the lens was taken apart. I'm still waiting to find out if there are going to be further charges. If there are, I probably will not repair it and will purchase a different lens.
Mar 1, 2022 13:09:24 #
alandg46 wrote:
$520 to repair my Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 seems a little excessive to me. The problem was a small screw had come out and it would no longer zoom.
looks like you got screwed, along with the lens
Mar 1, 2022 13:25:46 #
Mar 1, 2022 13:27:41 #
alandg46 wrote:
$520 to repair my Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 seems a little excessive to me. The problem was a small screw had come out and it would no longer zoom.
If your lens was less than 5 years old, it should have been a warranty repair, assuming you are the first owner. After all the lens has been on the market less than 7 years.
Mar 1, 2022 13:35:25 #
UTMike wrote:
The breakdown is $20 to replace the screw and $500 for knowing which screw to replace.
Exactly. And knowing how to put everything back together after taking it apart to find the screw.
I play a little bit of saxophone and clarinet and the cost of repair work for musical instruments is similarly shocking. Even minor adjustments, the kind that are required every year or two, is beyond the ability of most DIY guys. I pay then I'm glad I did when I get it back and it works better than new.
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