Bad luck!

[Akira]

Recently my D750 fitted with 50/1.8G dropped 50cm from the bench onto the wooden floor.  The camera worked flawlessly even after that.  Next day the camera/lens combo was checked at the Nikon service and turned out to be of no problem.

The lens was attached with the dedicated plastic hood which was loosened when it was dropped.  I think that the hood absorbed the most of the shock, and the monocoque construction with the kind of "floating" mirror box helped.  D750 body feels very solid.

Personally I never trust or use the strap attatched to the camera with any intermediate parts (screw, clamp, socket or whatever), no matter how convenient they are.  I use the eyelets fixed to the camera exclusively.  I never use the camera straps with detachable hook either.

[pluton]

I'm thinking I'll store my dSLR(s) only with short lenses, e.g. AF-S 50/1.8 G. Dose this seem too cautious? I don't own a camera with a plastic mirror box. I have frequently stored my D800 with an AF-S 105/2.8G ED VR Micro on it.

There's 'storage' meaning:  at home and not being used, in which case I don't think it matters.  Unless you live in an earthquake zone like me, maybe.
Storage while being carried, transported, or shipped is where the caution is needed.

[David H. Hartman]

Maybe I meant the to use "stow." I can't remember. Sometimes this phone gets too helpful and changes a word for me. Any way "stow" as in a camera back pack or bag.

I live on The Ring Of Fire maybe twenty miles (thirty kilometers) from the San Andreas Fault.

Dave

[pluton]

OK, that makes sense...sorry for the misperception on my end. 
I keep a "normal sized" lens on the D800's (so the cameras are ready to shoot), and the cameras sit face down in Lowe Pro Toploader AW padded cases, with those residing in a metal file cabinet drawer.  The padding will cushion the severe vibration possible in an earthquake (like the jagged, rough ride we had in the 1994 Northridge quake), and the metal cabinet will survive a partial collapse of the building. 

[JohnBrew]

Been following this a bit...I think it was mentioned somewhere else on the site but can't seem to locate, which Nikon bodies are all metal at the mount?
My D700 definitely seemed to be better built than the D800 & 810 which followed. I guess I should have stuck it away in a closet instead of moving it on.

[pluton]

Coming from the D3, I have the same feeling about the D800/E.  That's why I want...but cannot have, of course...a D800 sensor in a D3 body.

[Hugh_3170]

John, I kept my D700 and there is little doubt in my mind that it is a much tougher build than either the D810 and Df.

Given the price in my country of the new D5, I think that there is still a place for a built tough successor to the D700. 

Not that the D700 is perfect  -  its battery and its memory card doors are far far too flimsy IMHO.  I always liked the card door on the old D200 - a much nicer design; alas it also has the same battery door to that on the D700 and the D810 - same part numbers even.  Aargh!

Been following this a bit...I think it was mentioned somewhere else on the site but can't seem to locate, which Nikon bodies are all metal at the mount?
My D700 definitely seemed to be better built than the D800 & 810 which followed. I guess I should have stuck it away in a closet instead of moving it on.

[David H. Hartman]

Not that the D700 is perfect  -  its battery and its memory card doors are far far too flimsy IMHO.  I always liked the card door on the old D200 - a much nicer design; alas it also has the same battery door to that on the D700 and the D810 - same part numbers even.  Aargh!

The D800 memory card seems fine to me. One night while changing batteries my D800's battery door came off, damn! It popped back on fine as it wasn't broken. The SD card slot has never been quite right. The SD card doesn't pop out as far as it should.

I think Nikon may feel too much pressure to hold down the weight on cameras. A few more grams here and there would make a stronger camera.

Buying a D810 or D500 I might go for a drops and spills warranty given the plastic mirror box

Dave

[Alex Cejka]

Coming from the D3, I have the same feeling about the D800/E.  That's why I want...but cannot have, of course...a D800 sensor in a D3 body.

Exactly my thoughts!

My D3 holds its own meanwhile my D800 have had problems connecting with some lenses even after I clean both cameras and lens contacts (never a problem when switched to D3) and now the SD card slot spring stopped working. The D3 experienced lot of more work out compare to my D800 which is also several years younger.

[JohnBrew]

Some of you may remember I had a problem with my D810 not reading the contacts for manual focus lenses. This was several months after it had been in for a new shutter and CLA.
Nikon received my D810 for repair on Sept. 30. I didn't hear back from them. Returning home after the hurricane evacuation had ended I got curious what had happened to my camera. I went to the repair site and discovered that Nikon was waiting for me to approve a $280 repair "for impact damage". What a joke. If anyone dropped that camera it was Nikon. I suppose it is one of those "he said, she said" things. But I gotta pay the piper...

[pluton]

It'd be interesting for Nikon service to detail for you just exactly where the supposed 'impact' occurred and what parts were affected and how, but hoping for that level of communication openness from Nikon USA is a thin wish.  Even when I go in person to the L.A. facility, the technicians are kept behind several closed doors.
The only issues I had with warranty repairs at Nikon were handled without argument by the L.A. facility.  The problems were well-known, well-publicized focus and 10-pin socket issues with the D800.  I once had a lens service on the 17-35/2.8 that went bad 6 or 7 months after their repair, and they corrected that quickly and without charge. 

[Erik Lund]

Impact damage is not easy to find the exact root cause for, you just see that something is violently broken,,, 

[JohnBrew]

Received my D810 back from Nikon Service today. Invoice reads: replaced mount, replaced meter electrical circ & replaced eyepiece. Whatever.
But! Everything works as it should and I'm a bit pissed it took so long, but happy to have my camera back.
It will remain my chief camera but I have purchased an Arca-Swiss RM3di to play with. The Leica S is up for sale.

[Erik Lund]

Thanks for the update! Hope it performs to your satisfaction!

Arca-Swiss RM3di looks like quite a challenge, have fun! Looking forward to seeing images from that.

[JohnBrew]

Received D810 from Nikon Service. Invoice read: replaced bayonet mount, replaced focus module and eyepiece (!). The eyepiece is the stock one I screwed in to send to Nikon. I use the DK-17M.
Today I went out and shot five long exposures. Only one reached critical focus. Not sure if it is the lens or I need to do some fine tuning. For what it's worth I've attached it. 300 f4 @ f11 and 320 seconds. Lousy jpeg, but the TIF file at 100% the signs are perfectly readable and very sharp.

Erik, the Arca-Swiss represents quite the challenge with a rather steep learning curve. I'm probably going for an IQ160 digital back. I expect it will be several weeks before I have an image worth posting, but will post here for your perusal.