Nikon USA Will No Longer Focus Calibrate the F6

[NortheastPhotographic]

The reps at Nikon say they no longer adjust focus for the F6. They said that after they did it, people would sell the equipment and suddenly an F6 or a lens would not be working with another users suite of gear... It's still hard to know whether they're adjusting the F6 or the lens. The rep I spoke to today said it's a hardware adjustment so I suspect it's the camera.

I inquired about a specific lens that works well on my digital camera but is clearly back focusing on my F6. My 50mm 1.4D appears to focus normally so I suspect it's the lens and not by camera body.

My advice for F6 owners is to test every lens, and when you can buy a Tamron or Sigma lens that has the ability to be focus tuned with their respective lens docks. It's unfortunate because those newer lenses are not always to my taste, and they're quite large too, but you ensure good focus performance going forward.

 

[NB23]

I don’t understand. Nikon refuses to perform
(Paid) focus adjustments because the next owner will be needing their (paid) services?

Saying no to money?

 

[NortheastPhotographic]

I don’t understand. Nikon refuses to perform
(Paid) focus adjustments because the next owner will be needing their (paid) services?

Saying no to money?

If I had to guess they just don’t want to do it. Film cameras are probably just an irritant to them.

She did hint that private shops will do the service but did not say which...

 

[Huss]

The af unit on my F6 (perfect condition, never dropped, never abused) suddenly started to drastically front focus with all my lenses. These all focussed perfectly before. Nikon in Los Angeles replaced the defective hardware piece for about $220. This was maybe 5 years ago. And an official Nikon USA camera not grey market.
The F6 was a current production camera until maybe a month ago. So there may still be ones still covered by warranty. How will Nikon handle warranty repairs?
And refusing to work on recently discontinued cameras frankly is appalling.

 

[NortheastPhotographic]

The af unit on my F6 (perfect condition, never dropped, never abused) suddenly started to drastically front focus with all my lenses. These all focussed perfectly before. Nikon in Los Angeles replaced the defective hardware piece for about $220. This was maybe 5 years ago. And an official Nikon USA camera not grey market.
The F6 was a current production camera until maybe a month ago. So there may still be ones still covered by warranty. How will Nikon handle warranty repairs?
And refusing to work on recently discontinued cameras frankly is appalling.

Well I would assume that if your camera is mis-focusing every lens you put on it, they'll fix that. If however you are like me and you have one particular lens that is acting up, they are saying they won't custom calibrate it.

However, I bet if I really pushed them they would do it. The lens is +16 on my D4S. (To me that implies that it's front focusing on my D4S but back focusing on my F6, no idea what that's about).

 

[pentaxuser]

If I had to guess they just don’t want to do it. Film cameras are probably just an irritant to them.

What relationship has the Nikon in Los Angeles got with Nikon the manufacturer. If it is there to perform repairs and servicing as laid down by Nikon the manufacturer then how can they refuse to do this unless sanctioned by Nikon? The fact that they are refusing suggests that finding film camera as an irritant may well reflect Nikon the manufacturer's attitude as well. This only adds to the belief that manufacture of the F6 has ceased. Although even at this stage and with all the evidence accumulated, some clearly choose not to believe this is the case

We may or may not have a film revival but clearly Nikon does not rate this revival strongly enough to place faith in continuing to produce the F6

There is one further thing that puzzles me. Is there something about the focusing on an F6 which precludes certain lenses. I do not understand how this works and anyway if it does then would Nikon simply say that the F6 focusing will only work on the following lenses and other lenses are excluded from this list. It doesn't seem to have said this but I am confused as to what it is saying in specific terms

I suppose another explanation is that Nikon in Los Angeles has turned "rogue" and is deliberately not following the policy as laid down by Nikon. Only a statement from Nikon itself would clarify matters on this

pentaxuser

 

[C-130 Nav]

I just sent my brand new Nikon F6 (less than a year old, one of the last manufactured based on the serial number) off to Nikon Servicing (NY). Right out of the box it scratched the film base (back) in long streaks. As I do all my own work from camera to print, I did extensive testing of my development and printing process and isolated the scratches to the camera. Further, I use an Omega D-II condenser enlarger that exacerbates any artifacts on film. While Edwal's No-Scratch does eliminate the scratches in the printing process, it is messy and I'm pretty sure my little supply of vintage No-Scratch is not replaceable as I believe it too is no longer produced. So, I actually bought another barely used early F6 from a friend to use while mine gets fixed.

In my correspondence with Nikon, I received the impression that Nikon will continue to service the F6 until parts become unobtainable. It is very possible that the focusing unit parts are no longer available as the F6 has been reported discontinued on this site. Hopefully they will have parts to repair my camera, otherwise it is a very expensive disappointment.

Also consider that the F6 internal focusing algorithms/programming may not match newer lens programming. As lenses have become more complex, it is possible they are less/not backward compatible with the F6's focusing programming. Adjusting the F6 to these new specifications may be possible but Nikon might have made a blanket decision not to do work due to the difficulty or return on investment.

While those of us who appreciate Nikon's decades of interchangeability, it appears that such long standing policy might be sidelined for economic realities. Nikon's investment into mirrorless and Z lenses in the past couple of years signals a break from that. Whether they will completely shelve the F-mount in favor of the Z sometime in the future remains to be seen. We can only hope that Nikon will see there remains a market for the F6 will issue a modernized version that can handle the newer lenses and incorporates newer capabilities. Hope is not a good battle plan.

This is largely speculation on my part so take this as opinion and a grain of salt. To paraphrase Mark Twain, "For a trifling investment in fact, you have received a wholesale return in conjecture."

 

[beemermark]

If I had to guess they just don’t want to do it. Film cameras are probably just an irritant to them.

She did hint that private shops will do the service but did not say which...

Any authorized Nikon repair shop listed on the Nikon web page will do the work. I gave up dealing with Nikon USA direct years ago. The authorized are nicer to deal with and do it fast.

https://www.service-center-locator.com/nikon/nikon-service-center.htm

 

[Oren Grad]

There is one further thing that puzzles me. Is there something about the focusing on an F6 which precludes certain lenses. I do not understand how this works and anyway if it does then would Nikon simply say that the F6 focusing will only work on the following lenses and other lenses are excluded from this list. It doesn't seem to have said this but I am confused as to what it is saying in specific terms

Calibration problems are a fact of life for SLR phase-detect autofocus systems due to the limits of the technology and the limits to how fine manufacturing tolerances can get in a product designed to be affordable for consumers. This is not a problem specific to the F6 or to particular lenses used with the F6, it's true of all AF SLRs and lenses.

 

[MattKing]

What relationship has the Nikon in Los Angeles got with Nikon the manufacturer.

Nikon USA are the authorized US distributor and importer.
Any warranty is supplied by them, not the manufacturer.
The purchaser of a properly imported Nikon has no contractual relationship with the manufacturer, and only has a relationship with the distributor because the warranty is purchased along with the camera.
The terms of their deal with the manufacturer probably require them to provide a warranty and may require them to provide and/or authorize service resources. But that contract is between them and the manufacturer.
There really is no connection between purchasers and manufacturers, except when items are purchased directly from manufacturers.

 

[ic-racer]

..
There really is no connection between purchasers and manufacturers, except when items are purchased directly from manufacturers.

One might not come to the same conclusion reading the Nikon Worldwide Warranty which states:

... repairs or adjustments will be made free of charge with the presentation of the Nikon Worldwide Service Warranty Card together with sales receipt.
The actual Nikon Worldwide Service Warranty Card is a 3 part form which is included with each Nikon product by the factory

 

[pentaxuser]

There would seem to be a number of unanswered questions which need more clarification that spring from Northeast's post. Something just doesn't sound right.

Mind you I have just watched a programme on the BBC 4 channel about the mystery of D.B. Cooper airplane hijacking where there is absolute certainty as to who it was and even whether he could possibly have survived after bailing out ( he definitely not could not according to one backwoods man).

Each of the certainties are different A bit like the certainties that surround pre-wetting, RA4 being only possible in the dark etc

pentaxuser

 

[MattKing]

One might not come to the same conclusion reading the Nikon Worldwide Warranty which states:

And that only applies because of the contract between the manufacturer and the distributor. As many people have learned, despite that, you will not be able to obtain warranty service in the USA if you bought a camera "grey market" - from an importer other than Nikon USA - or imported it yourself.
As I understand it, the Nikon USA service facilities won't service your camera - under warranty, or for a fee - if it wasn't imported through them.
Even a visitor to the USA can't obtain any service from them - under warranty, or for a fee - if the camera wasn't imported through them. And Nikon USA is perfectly entitled to take that position, even if it might result in poor customer feedback.

 

[larfe]

Even a visitor to the USA can't obtain any service from them - under warranty, or for a fee - if the camera wasn't imported through them. And Nikon USA is perfectly entitled to take that position, even if it might result in poor customer feedback.

Would this policy apply to NPS customers as well?

 

[Deleted member 88956]

@MattKing I was actually wondering for along time how World Wide warranty applies to servicing in US. Never looked into it, but from your understanding it appears there are two worlds to Nikon (and many other makers), the world of USA and the rest of the World. While at it, how would that work out backwards? A US warranted product brought to be serviced outside USA. I don't think a Nikon service in Europe would have a legal leg to stand on to reject an essentially out-of-warranty service (so chargeable) of their equipment. It would depend on how far one would want to go to get that straightened out, but if your understanding is correct, this is not a good PR affair for Nikon.

 

[pentaxuser]

@MattKing I was actually wondering for along time how World Wide warranty applies to servicing in US. Never looked into it, but from your understanding it appears there are two worlds to Nikon (and many other makers), the world of USA and the rest of the World. While at it, how would that work out backwards? A US warranted product brought to be serviced outside USA. I don't think a Nikon service in Europe would have a legal leg to stand on to reject an essentially out-of-warranty service (so chargeable) of their equipment. It would depend on how far one would want to go to get that straightened out, but if your understanding is correct, this is not a good PR affair for Nikon.

Yes that is what struck me about Matt's statement on Nikon U.S. policy. As I read it I was shocked by what appears to be a perfectly legal restraint of trade on the part of Nikon U.S. which seems to state that if the product wasn't bought from the U.S. then Nikon will have nothing to do with it.

On that basis if Matt buys a Ford from a Canadian dealer under manufacturer's warranty and it breaks down just over the border then he has to arrange for it to be transported to Canada to be fixed?

Seems incredible to me. The part of your quote I have put in bold is an understatement in my opinion of what this policy does for Nikon

pentaxuser

 

[Deleted member 88956]

Yes that is what struck me about Matt's statement on Nikon U.S. policy. As I read it I was shocked by what appears to be a perfectly legal restraint of trade on the part of Nikon U.S. which seems to state that if the product wasn't bought from the U.S. then Nikon will have nothing to do with it.

On that basis if Matt buys a Ford from a Canadian dealer under manufacturer's warranty and it breaks down just over the border then he has to arrange for it to be transported to Canada to be fixed?

Seems incredible to me. The part of your quote I have put in bold is an understatement in my opinion of what this policy does for Nikon

pentaxuser

Yes, although I think there are US users that will never notice the difference.

I'm not sure, if things have been like this for as long as there was grey market for US side. Back in the days when I lived in the States, price difference between grey and not-so-grey (although looking charcoaled now) was one to consider, if budget was an issue, but I recall other far more serious issues with sellers who offered grey market. B&H and few others always made it loud and clear they were not selling grey and "the-price-you-see-is-the-price-you-pay" on every page of B&H catalog (bought my Minolta X700 from B&H in 1989) .

This Nikon bit though is indeed almost shocking, if not unbelievable.

 

[NortheastPhotographic]

There would seem to be a number of unanswered questions which need more clarification that spring from Northeast's post. Something just doesn't sound right.

Mind you I have just watched a programme on the BBC 4 channel about the mystery of D.B. Cooper airplane hijacking where there is absolute certainty as to who it was and even whether he could possibly have survived after bailing out ( he definitely not could not according to one backwoods man).

Each of the certainties are different A bit like the certainties that surround pre-wetting, RA4 being only possible in the dark etc

pentaxuser

Re your first post and this one, I think you are slightly mistaken. Huss was dealing with Nikon LA, I am dealing with Nikon in NY. Maybe the two are different? Frankly I thought all Nikon repairs went to the service center in NY. I'm in Maine and when you use their online entry system, that's where it tells you to send the stuff. Also as I said to Huss, if his F6 was failing to focus every single lens, that's a bit different than my situation. I have one lens among a few that back focuses on my film camera. If the F6 does not have a firmware AF fine tune, they may have to do hardware changes to it that would then effect it's performance with my other lenses. At least, that was the scenario that she laid down to me.

However, I suspect that with enough cajoling they may do the repair. However, I may just sell the lens and take my own advice. A Tamron or Sigma lens that can be calibrated via software at home for any camera. That 35mm 1.8 SP with image stabilization would probably be pretty lovely with Ektachrome.

 

[NortheastPhotographic]

Another thing the gal told me on the phone is that Nikon no longer has authorized service centers?

Re grey market items, it was my understanding that recently Nikon did start repairing certain grey market items. These were mostly the pro stuff like the D850, but I think the F6 was on that list. I'm pretty sure my F6 is grey market. I bought it from another forum and the seller told me he got it through Japan Camera Hunter.

When it comes to my F6 overall, I'm very pleased with it. In fact this is my 2nd. When I heard they may or did discontinue them, I had to buy another. It's just the best way I know of to make an absolutely perfect 35mm chrome. That's partly why I was comfortable selling my MZ-S and two FA Limited Pentax lenses. I'm actually keeping my LX and 43mm because that combination is so lovely to work with But for an AF camera, the F6 is just right. Prices have come down a lot too! I suspect that'll change if they fully axe them worldwide.

 

[beemermark]

@MattKing I was actually wondering for along time how World Wide warranty applies to servicing in US. Never looked into it, but from your understanding it appears there are two worlds to Nikon (and many other makers), the world of USA and the rest of the World. While at it, how would that work out backwards? A US warranted product brought to be serviced outside USA. I don't think a Nikon service in Europe would have a legal leg to stand on to reject an essentially out-of-warranty service (so chargeable) of their equipment. It would depend on how far one would want to go to get that straightened out, but if your understanding is correct, this is not a good PR affair for Nikon.

Nikon manufactures and markets Nikon cameras world wide EXCEPT in the US. When Nikon approached a US camera distributor in the '50's the distributer would not market the camera for Nikon but entered into an agreement were Nikon USA became the sole seller of Nikon equipment in the US. So Nikon USA buys cameras from the Nikon manufacturer and then sells them (with warranty) in the US only. For all practically purposes Nikon and Nikon USA as two separate companies.
And no, Nikon USA will not repair a Nikon item unless you have the sales receipt. But any Nikon authorized repair shop listed will.

 

[Oren Grad]

Nikon manufactures and markets Nikon cameras world wide EXCEPT in the US. When Nikon approached a US camera distributor in the '50's the distributer would not market the camera for Nikon but entered into an agreement were Nikon USA became the sole seller of Nikon equipment in the US.

EPOI (Ehrenreich Photo-Optical Industries Inc.), an independent company founded by Joe Ehrenreich, was the exclusive distributor of Nikon cameras in the US from 1954 until 1981, several years after Joe Ehrenreich's death. At that point Nikon acquired the remaining shares of EPOI and took over sole ownership of what became Nikon USA. So it is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nikon and has been since 1981.

 

[pentaxuser]

Calibration problems are a fact of life for SLR phase-detect autofocus systems due to the limits of the technology and the limits to how fine manufacturing tolerances can get in a product designed to be affordable for consumers. This is not a problem specific to the F6 or to particular lenses used with the F6, it's true of all AF SLRs and lenses.

So did other manufacturers when they made AF film cameras refuse to calibrate as well? Did all cameras using phase-detect AF systems? I wonder why this problem that NorthEast has with Nikon and his F6 doesn't seem to have arisen in the past with other cameras and lenses.

Is it as simple as the fact that no-one here on Photrio has ever asked for lenses to be calibrated and had they asked they too would have been refused as well?

In effect and unknowingly NorthEast has misguided us with the phrase "No longer" in the thread's title. It is not an applicable phrase because Nikon would never have agreed to calibrate?

pentaxuser

 

[Oren Grad]

So did other manufacturers when they made AF film cameras refuse to calibrate as well? Did all cameras using phase-detect AF systems? I wonder why this problem that NorthEast has with Nikon and his F6 doesn't seem to have arisen in the past with other cameras and lenses.

I don't know what's going on in this instance. I suspect there's a communication problem and that we're getting a confused account of what Nikon USA's policies with respect to F6 focus calibration actually are. The OP has already acknowledged that he most likely has a gray market camera, which means that on the face of it it's not entitled to be serviced by Nikon USA at all.

 

[MattKing]

Never looked into it, but from your understanding it appears there are two worlds to Nikon (and many other makers), the world of USA and the rest of the World.

There may very well be other countries that have local exclusive distributors that operate the same way as Nikon USA.
I know that Nikon in Canada has closed all but one service centre, with the remaining centre being 5000 km away from here. I don't know if they will service US originating cameras there. And I don't know if Nikon and Canada still makes parts available to independent service people.
If I buy a Ford here, it is easily serviced in the US, but unless the repair was due to an emergency, our legislation used to make the entire car dutiable upon return to Canada. Most likely that has changed.
It is all related to the agreements between the manufacturer and the local distributor. After all, if the local distributor is going to do a warranty repair, someone has to pay for that - it doesn't seem fair that a camera purchased in the USA should be repaired at the Canadian distributor's cost.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

@MattKing I may have misunderstood, but we're talking about a camera sold in one market, and Nikon refusing to take it in for repairs outside of that market while getting paid for the repair. That is not logical nor fair to a user, who may have crossed the border, then needed repair done quick, and manufacturer says not here, go back home. Maybe I'm reading too much into this and I'm unlikely to be in a position like this anyways.