The Long and Frustrating Journey to CANON via the NIKON Agents here in New Zealand .... TA MacAlister Ltd.
The whole truth about the Global D70 Fiasco, the ethics of T A MacAlister and the Company who service Nikon for them in New Zealand - Camera Service Ltd.
Beware of Nikon's D70 folks, they're actually only designed for 25,000 shutter firings!
Repair Number R21786
According to a Mr Frank Booth (from TA MacAlister, the New Zealand Nikon agents). The Nikon D70 is not a camera designed for professional use. He claims that after 25,000 shutter firings problems are to be expected.
This may well be the case, but as I pointed out to him if after 25,000 shutter firings my shutter failed, I'd probably reluctantly have a new one installed.
My problem however is that all the parts that apparently now need replacing are electronic components that had been working perfectly prior to my camera being repaired by the Nikon Service Company in Auckland - Camera Service Ltd.
After I received this camera back the first time, new faults suddenly appeared that had never happened before. They were a faulty CF Base Unit and a faulty Memory Compression board?
I had taken only eleven shots before these new faults became apparent!
The original no charge service on my D70 (R21384 23/2/06) sat for a couple of months at TA MacAlister simply because of two major blunders on their part.
When I had first taken my D70 to their building in Parnell I specifically asked them if they would ring me when the service was complete.
I continued my work as a Webmaster and returned to using FILM in my Nikon F camera with my manual lenses. I enjoyed this re-discovery of film.
Many weeks later I noticed a grubby, waterlogged envelope in my home letter box, it was from TA MacAlister but had been incorrectly addressed to some other number way up the street. That person or perhaps the Post Office had eventually located where I lived!
When I opened it, there was the job sheet (R21384 23/2/06) with information saying the camera was ready to be picked up.
I duly picked it up and was grateful that there was to be no charge for the service they rendered.
The following day was a Saturday and I was out of town taking photographs when the new faults suddenly appeared!
How can electronic parts fail so soon after a repair is done? Well, I have my theories.
The disturbing fact, and one of much greater concern to me, was the fact that one of TA MacAlister's Sales staff admitted to me that Technicians at the Nikon Service Centre had originally felt that the new faults were actually related to the original fault, but that unbelievably Mr Frank Booth had re-written the second job sheet, noting that the new issues were NOT related to the previous repair (Number R21786).
This of course left me with the NZ $700 bill!
Perhaps of equal concern was the incredibly dis-courteous manner in which I was treated by Mr Frank Booth on my arrival at TA MacAlister's new premises out in Mt Wellington.
While spending an incredibly long time trying to organize a printout of my invoice (the "estimate fee" for declined quotes ... you know, the fine print ...) we were also having a discussion in which I challenged him about his email statement that "The Nikon D70 camera is a very reliable camera, however your camera has had a lot of use and some sort of failure could be expected."
I quoted him the fact that all four of the Nikon D70's purchased by staff at the Company I work for, had been either replaced or serviced at least once. Two of them having had very little use compared with mine.
Not a particularly reliable record I would have thought ...
He responded parrot fashion with his "25,000 shutter firings" spiel.
I challenged him again saying that this information probably should be included in advertising for the Nikon D70. At this point he simply walked off, and I'd probably still be waiting out there in Mt Wellington to speak to him, except of course I needed to leave for food!
After my D70 was "repaired" - the printout of my first few files ...
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Herewith a transcript of emails concerning these events.
Names* in green have been altered to protect the innocent!
On 6/23/06, Frank Booth <frankb@macalister.co.nz > wrote:
Good afternoon Mark*,
The first repair to your camera (R21384) february 2006 was for the replacement of faulty metering FPC which Nikon Japan had advised Internationally as being prone to failure in some D70 camera's. The part was replaced free of charge regardless of whether or not the camera was still under its original 12month Nikon Service Warranty.
All servicing being classified as a free repair rather than a usual warranty repair.
At this stage it was noted your camera had fired 46210 shutter releases.
The second time the camera was received by us (R21786) the technicians reported to us that two
other components had failed, ie the memory compression board and cf base unit; neither of these parts have any connection with or to the metering fpc which was replaced in february 2006.
As the current shutter release count for your camera is now 47400, the present failure is deemed to be the result of eventual wear.
The Nikon D70 camera is a very reliable camera, however your camera has had a lot of use and some sort of failure could be expected.
Regards,
Frank Booth
Service Manager.
From: Mark Fountain*
Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 206 10:23 PM
To: Frank Booth
Subject: Re: Nikon D70 Quote Repair R21786
Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 206 10:23 PM
To: Frank Booth
Subject: Re: Nikon D70 Quote Repair R21786
Hi Frank,
Apologies for the delay in getting back to you, a few health issues at my end, plus I might add, the glorious rediscovery of FILM ...
Ah, Fuji press comes with such a beautifully wide colour gamut.
Now, I'm totally stunned to hear that you feel some sort of failure can be expected in my Nikon D70 after only 16 months! What sort of product is this?
I have in my possession a Nikon F manufactured in 1963, a Nikon FE manufactured in 1978 and ten manual Nikkor lenses: 15mm f5.6, 20mm f4.0, 28mm f2.0, 35mm f2.0, 50mm f1.2, 55mm f3.5micro, 85mm f1.8, 105mm f2.5, 180mm f2.8, and 500mm f8, all purchased between about 1965 and 1977. Many of them directly from TA MacAlister. All were AI modified in the UK in 1978. The 15mm f5.6 was the first ever such lens imported into NZ by your company.
All of the equipment mentioned above and numerous Nikon film camera accessories are still functioning perfectly for me. I'm a dedicated Nikon user.
How is it that Nikon Digital cameras have such a short life span?
It's curious too, in the golden days of film, TA Mac's didn't need an in house repair department!
I understood from information found on the Internet that the shutter in the D70 was tested to 100,000 exposures. Why is it then that electronic components in this camera are not able to last at least as long as the mechanical shutter? They're just sitting there, doing nothing!
Is this planned obsolescence perhaps?
Should I be looking towards Canon? There's a large amount of anecdotal evidence out there suggesting that hoards of professionals have, or are moving in that very appealing direction ...
You obviously have some judgment about the number of exposures I've taken, but can I point out that when my D70 was finally returned after it's first repair, the original fault and new ones appeared after I had taken only eleven additional exposures.
It was the weekend and I was out of town on a photographic job for a Website at the time, so I really had no choice but to continue shooting as best I could, taking shots until often, when it became necessary, due to one fault or another, I'd have to turn the camera off, remove the CF card, replace the CF card, turn the camera on, and so on. It was incredibly tedious, time consuming, and very frustrating. I was working like this for 10-12 hrs so this would explain the additional 1200 odd exposures that you've noted.
The new faults that I experienced occurred throughout the whole time I was on this job.
I did come by your premises early the next week but from memory it was at about twenty to five in the afternoon and I'd forgotten that TA Mac's enjoyed 'Gentleman's Hours' and so of course you were closed.
When I eventually got the camera to your premises, I told Greg (?) the person at the counter that the original fault was still present and I also described in some detail what the new issues were, however none of the pertinent points I raised seem to have made it as far as your job sheet, a copy of which you've attached?
The wildly swinging white balance, for example, had never happened before, and I fail to see how a mere eleven exposures could produce such a fault?
I had a CD with me containing images showing the dramatic shift in white balance between adjacent shots, all taken at slightly different focal lengths. Greg seemed disinterested in my evidence though, and declined to keep the CD.
You may be interested to know that I have worked professionally in electronics since 1963, initially for Radio NZ in Auckland as a radio technician, then later at the NZBC's Head Office Engineering Section in Wellington, installing Microwave equipment and Band I and Band III high power TV Transmitters throughout the North Island. Subsequently I worked at TVNZ in Shortland St as an audio and lighting technician and TV Engineer.
From my experience, new faults that occur immediately after some electronic repair has been made are more often that not due to some damage or disturbance that occurred during that first repair.
I am interested to know therefore what safety procedures your staff take in replacing delicate electronic components and parts in Nikon cameras. For example, do you have an air filter system? Are your camera repairs carried out in a positive air pressure environment? What brand of anti-electrostatic wristbands are used by your technicians? Do they always use them?
At the company I currently work for, two of the Directors each purchased D70s when they first landed in the country and subsequently one of the Directors purchased a further D70.
One of these Directors had the same focus issues I'd had but as he knows someone at TA Mac's further up the feeding chain than I do, he managed to get his D70 completely replaced! The other Director here has shared with me recently that both of his D70's have similar focus problems to mine.
This makes four out of four D70s that have failed in some way, and all within an 18 month time frame. Not particularly impressive statistics I would have thought, even though you calmly claim that "The Nikon D70 camera is a very reliable camera."
I'm totally disillusioned now by this D70 product made by Nikon.
Perhaps the most surprising and deeply disturbing fact though was being told by staff at TA MacAlister that two of the technicians in the Service Centre felt that the new problems WERE somehow related to the original fault or faults, and they filled out the quotation form accordingly. You apparently then changed the paper work noting that there was NO connection ... Thus leaving me with your $700 bill.
Obviously without seeing a D70 Service manual for myself I can't really comment either way. I can however repeat what I said above, and that is that problems occurring immediately after work is done on electronic equipment, is generally the result of that work done ...
Do not proceed with this repair. For the money you are asking, I can stroll into Camera House, buy a Sony CyberShot digital camera with a brilliant Zeiss zoom lens, get absolutely stunning 8 Megapixel pictures, and still have change in my pocket for lunch!
As a loyal Nikon user and consumer for over 40 years I intend to write to the CEO of Nikon in Japan detailing my deep concerns about their D70, moreover, I will also be relaying the manner in which I have been treated by TA MacAlister here in New Zealand.
I'm bitterly disappointed, but I will delay sending the letter to allow you a chance to respond.
Mark Fountain*
+ 64 1 234 567 cell
+ 64 1 234 5678 DDI
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Frank Booth <frankb@macalister.co.nz>
Date: Sep 14, 2006 10:27 AM
Subject: RE: Nikon D70 Quote Repair R21786
To: Mark Fountain*
From: Frank Booth <frankb@macalister.co.nz>
Date: Sep 14, 2006 10:27 AM
Subject: RE: Nikon D70 Quote Repair R21786
To: Mark Fountain*
Good morning Mark*,
I have arranged for your Nikon D70 camera to be returned to us unrepaired as you instructed.
Good to hear your Nikon (Professional Level ) F2 and manual lenses are still functioning well.
Your Nikon D70 camera is not and was never sold as a professional level Digital camera such as was the D1, DIH and DIX which have a proven shutter endurance of 100,000 exposures as against the approxiamate 25-30,000 for the D70.
The current number of shutter firings on your D70 camera is 47,400 which equates to 1316 rolls of 36 exposure film!
The original no charge service on your D70 camera (R21384 23/2/06) was to replace a faulty metering FPC which was a Nikon recognised fault in some D70;the component concerned was not made by Nikon but by an electronic sub-manufacturer.
The latter problems which occured in your camera in April 2006,R21786 are indicative of a high useage and are not either mechanically or electronically connected to the previously replaced metering FPC.
Our Nikon trained technical staff are not based in house but operate as a private and independant company (Camera Service Ltd of 60 M t Eden Road) their workshop standard complies with Nikon factory requirements for all type of mechanical and electronic repairs.
Please note any repairs booked in at T.A Maclister Ltd is by sales staff who prepare initial job sheets in good faith and forward same with camera to the technical staff who on examination provide us in turn with a detailed diagnosis of the fault.
The formset used for repairs is a multipurpose document which is used for receipt of item,repair details, part requirements,quotes and gst receipt.Accordingly the original entry is alway added onto.
Insofar as your reference to the focus problem with D70s camera's is concerned our records show that this has not been a problem with the Nikon D70s.
I trust this has clarified the repair situation for you.
Regards,
Frank Booth
Service manager.
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Concluding:
This dispute is far from resolved as at January 2008.
I'm calling on Mr Google for help!
I have a $5000 Nikon D70 kit (the original cost!) with two lenses, including a wide-angle zoom and 77mm polarizing filter. I am currently unable to use them:
I flatly refuse to pay for the repair of a D70 body fault that I had no part in creating.
I have been impressed by the new Nikon D300 but ...
A CANON EOS is now looking particularly attractive.
Mark Fountain* January 2008
This web address has now been submitted to several Search Engines ...
e. & o. e.