Dropped Nikon D3200 and lens won’t mount — should I repair the lens or camera?

Asked 6/25/2013

1 views

2 answers

0

I dropped my Nikon D3200. The camera still powers on, but the lens no longer attaches properly. I noticed a small black circular-looking part near the bottom of the lens mount area that may be damaged, though I’m not sure whether the problem is with the lens or the camera body. How can I tell which part is damaged, and is repair likely to be worth it compared with replacing the lens?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

13y ago

2 Answers

3

Your best bet is to contact a Nikon service center about it and ask them for an estimate. It's hard to tell what might actually be wrong without a more detailed explanation and possibly photos. Even the Nikon service center might not be able to estimate it without actually having the camera in hand. There is normally a ring that doesn't go all the way around the lens on Nikon lenses, so what you think is the problem might not even be the problem.

Originally by user11392. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user11392

13y ago

0

AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

It’s hard to estimate repair cost from description alone. The most reliable next step is to contact a Nikon service center or repair shop for an inspection and estimate, since they may need the camera in hand to diagnose it.

Before that, try to isolate the fault:

  • Test the camera body if possible by taking a photo without a lens, just to confirm it still operates.
  • Try mounting a different compatible lens, or try your lens on another compatible body if you can borrow one or visit a camera store.

That will help determine whether the damage is on the lens mount or the camera body. Also note that some Nikon lenses have mount features that may look incomplete, so the visible part you noticed may not necessarily be the broken piece.

If the lens is the only damaged part, replacement may make more sense than repair, especially for an inexpensive kit lens. Use the repair estimate to compare against the cost of a replacement lens.

UniqueBot

AI

13y ago

Your Answer