Nikon CoolPix 3100 failed expectations for battery latch l..

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

"Hong Ben Wu" <Hbenwu@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:LP4ze.1814$6%2.122@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com...
> I'm sure SOMEONE out there has a neat trick to fix or redesign this
> serious
> flaw in an otherwise well made Nikon camera.
>
> I really enjoy my Nikon CoolPix 3100 but the battery door latch broke
> almost
> the day the warranty expired.
>
> Does anyone know of a trick to fix this latch?
>
> I would think this latch would break all the time as it is as flimsy as a
> butterfly's wings (see this photo of the latch closeup):
> http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/NikonCP3100/Images/batt...


Hi.

I do not know this camera.

If the door or latch is as flimsy as you suggest, lots of other people will
have had the same problem. All the Camera Repairers, will have had lots of
requests for replacement doors, and will probably have a few doors in stock.
It only takes a very few minutes to replace a Batt. Comp. door.

However, if this is not a common problem, then the chances are you will need
to wait on a door being ordered.

Roy G

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

In article <ta9ze.1232$Dq.369@newsfe3-gui.ntli.net>, "Roy" <royphoty@iona-guesthouse.co.uk> wrote:
>"Hong Ben Wu" <Hbenwu@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>news:LP4ze.1814$6%2.122@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com...
>> I'm sure SOMEONE out there has a neat trick to fix or redesign this
>> serious flaw in an otherwise well made Nikon camera.
>I do not know this camera.
>It only takes a very few minutes to replace a Batt. Comp. door.

The problem is that it's the Nikon BODY that broke (not the door).
Can the defective Nikon body be as easily replaced as the door?

The latch lock on the Nikon camera is a fragile plastic catch molded into the
body as shown by the photo below.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/NikonCP3100/Images/batt...

I had expected more from Nikon and they let me down, but that isn't the
problem now. The problem now is how to repair the latch which is molded into
the Nikon CoolPix 3100 body.

Someone out there must have an intelligent fix to this problem that I haven't
thought of.

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Mine broke too. :-(

On Thu, 07 Jul 2005 14:05:53 GMT, Hbenwu@hotmail.com (Hong Ben Wu)
wrote:

>In article <ta9ze.1232$Dq.369@newsfe3-gui.ntli.net>, "Roy" <royphoty@iona-guesthouse.co.uk> wrote:
>>"Hong Ben Wu" <Hbenwu@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>news:LP4ze.1814$6%2.122@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com...
>>> I'm sure SOMEONE out there has a neat trick to fix or redesign this
>>> serious flaw in an otherwise well made Nikon camera.
>>I do not know this camera.
>>It only takes a very few minutes to replace a Batt. Comp. door.
>
>The problem is that it's the Nikon BODY that broke (not the door).
>Can the defective Nikon body be as easily replaced as the door?
>
>The latch lock on the Nikon camera is a fragile plastic catch molded into the
>body as shown by the photo below.
> http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/NikonCP3100/Images/batt...
>
>I had expected more from Nikon and they let me down, but that isn't the
>problem now. The problem now is how to repair the latch which is molded into
>the Nikon CoolPix 3100 body.
>
>Someone out there must have an intelligent fix to this problem that I haven't
>thought of.

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

I have the same camera, with the same problem. I ended up buying a Kodak
dx7590 yesterday to replace it. It is otherwise a great camera, and I'd
like to know about a fix so I can use it as a spare. Thanks in advance,
Ken

"armlance" <armlance(remove)@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:n9jqc116c55imnleuh1c31se3v1on0h6ok@4ax.com...
> Mine broke too. :-(
>
> On Thu, 07 Jul 2005 14:05:53 GMT, Hbenwu@hotmail.com (Hong Ben Wu)
> wrote:
>
>>In article <ta9ze.1232$Dq.369@newsfe3-gui.ntli.net>, "Roy"
>><royphoty@iona-guesthouse.co.uk> wrote:
>>>"Hong Ben Wu" <Hbenwu@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>>news:LP4ze.1814$6%2.122@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com...
>>>> I'm sure SOMEONE out there has a neat trick to fix or redesign this
>>>> serious flaw in an otherwise well made Nikon camera.
>>>I do not know this camera.
>>>It only takes a very few minutes to replace a Batt. Comp. door.
>>
>>The problem is that it's the Nikon BODY that broke (not the door).
>>Can the defective Nikon body be as easily replaced as the door?
>>
>>The latch lock on the Nikon camera is a fragile plastic catch molded into
>>the
>>body as shown by the photo below.
>> http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/NikonCP3100/Images/batt...
>>
>>I had expected more from Nikon and they let me down, but that isn't the
>>problem now. The problem now is how to repair the latch which is molded
>>into
>>the Nikon CoolPix 3100 body.
>>
>>Someone out there must have an intelligent fix to this problem that I
>>haven't
>>thought of.
>

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Hong Ben Wu wrote:

> The problem is that it's the Nikon BODY that broke (not the door).

Wow, THAT's unexpected. The battery doors feel quite flimsy, you'd
think they'd be the first to break, especially wiht the battery pressure.

(FWIW, my experience with such doors is with the Nikon Coolpix 7600,
which so far hasn't broken).

> Can the defective Nikon body be as easily replaced as the door?

Probably not. It looks like the whoel assembly is one piece, and I
don't think that putting a new shell on it will be so easy without
sending it in for service.

> The latch lock on the Nikon camera is a fragile plastic catch molded into the
> body as shown by the photo below.
> http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/NikonCP3100/Images/batt...

Well, I can tell you this much: it seems like Nikon may have figured out
that the catch design on the olded plastic body was
a problem, because they changed the design on later models with a
similar body design. As an example, I offer my 7600:

http://tinyurl.com/exyq3

Note that in place of the 3100's "suitcase handle" shape, the catch is
now a solid mold with some reinforcement. It's still plastic, though,
so we'll see how long this lasts.

> I had expected more from Nikon and they let me down, but that isn't the
> problem now. The problem now is how to repair the latch which is molded into
> the Nikon CoolPix 3100 body.

I'd give Nikon tech support a call. Given the latch design change, they
might be willing to admit a problem and perhaps offer some sort of
remedy. At the very least, you'll get an idea of how much it might cost
out of pocket to fix. How old is your 3100?


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Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Good to know that such obviously poor technical solutions do occur.
One more thing to check out when handling a camera in a shop.

On Thu, 7 Jul 2005 13:14:13 -0400, "Ken" <slackerrr@yahoo.com> wrote:

>I have the same camera, with the same problem. I ended up buying a Kodak
>dx7590 yesterday to replace it. It is otherwise a great camera, and I'd
>like to know about a fix so I can use it as a spare. Thanks in advance,
>Ken

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Isaiah Beard wrote:
> > The problem is that it's the Nikon BODY that broke (not the door).
>
> It looks like the whoel assembly is one piece, and I
> don't think that putting a new shell on it will be so easy without
> sending it in for service.

Mine broke in the same way!

I have the Nikon Coolpix 2100 and the little plastic u thing on the
body broke rendering the Nikon useless.

I always thought Nikon made good stuff but this is really bad. I don't
think I'd ever recommend a Nikon to anyone as their engineers don't
even know how to properly design a camera battery door!

The only ones using Nikons are the pros who have their company fix all
their broken down Nikon cameras. We don't have an expense account so
the Nikon Coolpix series is just not worth it to we consumers IMHO.

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

Deedee Tee wrote:
> Good to know that such obviously poor technical solutions do occur.
> One more thing to check out when handling a camera in a shop.

If the Nikon engineers don't even know how to engineer something as
trivial as a working battery door, can you imagine how badly Nikon
designs the hard stuff?

Best to buy a brand which is reliable. Nikon isn't, if my real world
experience is worth anything to you.

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

rustydustin@yahoo.com wrote:
> Deedee Tee wrote:
>
>>Good to know that such obviously poor technical solutions do occur.
>>One more thing to check out when handling a camera in a shop.
>
>
> If the Nikon engineers don't even know how to engineer something as
> trivial as a working battery door, can you imagine how badly Nikon
> designs the hard stuff?


I think you're jumping to conclusions a little too much. Basing your
assessment of Nikon's quality based on a single product is a little
presumptuous. Even the best designers and engineers make mistakes
sometimes. And as I've illustrated, they seem to have learned from
their mistake in similar designs going forward.

Have you even tried contacting Nikon to see if they'll repair it?


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