Posted by David Schoen on January 29, 2018 at 1:45 PM
This is a word of caution for those of you who purchased a Nikon D 850 and the MB-D 18 battery pack. I purchased both my camera and the battery pack from my local brick-and-mortar camera shop. This is a small business that I have supported for about 20 years. They were quite fortunate to get the D 850 within two months of its release and the MB-D 18 battery pack about another month later.
The MB-D 18 battery pack failed within two weeks of its use, only with Nikon EN EL 18 batteries used. It shorted out when I initialized the onboard camera controls on the battery pack for the first time. The camera LCD simply did not recognize the battery pack and worked fine with the Nikon EN EL15a battery.
Those of you who own this camera and battery grip are already aware that the larger EN EL 18 battery lasts a lot longer than the smaller battery and provides one with the opportunity for increased shooting rate.
I called Nikon to report the failure and they had me send it to their Los Angeles repair facility. Nikon promises a 7 to 10 working day turnaround. However, this is not my experience. Nikon received the battery grip on the 29 December 2017 yet did not even check the camera in for a service order request until 9 January 2018. It is now exactly one month later and they have not yet begun repairs stating that they do not have the parts to complete the repair. I suggested that they simply replace it as it has been more than a reasonable amount of time for the repair. This suggestion was refused stating that they must first try to repair it before replacing it. They suggested that I would not see it for another 7 to 10 days.
Perhaps Nikon Professional Service members receive better support. And I’m not sure that Canon users are any better off.
Posted by Basil Greber on January 30, 2018 at 12:48 AM
I've been unhappy with Nikon's repair department more often than not, and I would guess with the camera totally sold out for months, things aren't exactly better. Good luck with the repair, hopefully you'll get it all back in a timely fashion.
Posted by Keith Bauer on January 30, 2018 at 9:50 AM
I'm a Canon shooter and am a member of Canon Professional Services. Last year I sent in my 500mm f/4 for some maintenance and a checkup. From the time it left my house to having it back was 5 days and 4 of that was transit time. Canon turned the service in 1 day. I'm not at the top level in the CPS system either.
So sorry to hear about this. I have had nothing but positive dealings with the Nikon-authorizes repair place I use in Sacramento. Give them a call- Precision Camera. I believe they honor all warranties and work on all cameras. Plus 10% off if one is a member of the Nikon Pro group.
Good luck
Sandy
Posted by David Schoen on January 30, 2018 at 11:38 AM
Despite being a Nikon owner, having 12 Nikon lenses and having 10 Nikon camera over 50 years, I do not qualify for Nikon professional services. Yes, NPS members get better service but I am an amateur. The MB-D18 grip is so new, the parts are not available in the US and had to be ordered from Japan and were shipped by boat which slows down the process.
Discussion
4 repliesThe MB-D 18 battery pack failed within two weeks of its use, only with Nikon EN EL 18 batteries used. It shorted out when I initialized the onboard camera controls on the battery pack for the first time. The camera LCD simply did not recognize the battery pack and worked fine with the Nikon EN EL15a battery.
Those of you who own this camera and battery grip are already aware that the larger EN EL 18 battery lasts a lot longer than the smaller battery and provides one with the opportunity for increased shooting rate.
I called Nikon to report the failure and they had me send it to their Los Angeles repair facility. Nikon promises a 7 to 10 working day turnaround. However, this is not my experience. Nikon received the battery grip on the 29 December 2017 yet did not even check the camera in for a service order request until 9 January 2018. It is now exactly one month later and they have not yet begun repairs stating that they do not have the parts to complete the repair. I suggested that they simply replace it as it has been more than a reasonable amount of time for the repair. This suggestion was refused stating that they must first try to repair it before replacing it. They suggested that I would not see it for another 7 to 10 days.
Perhaps Nikon Professional Service members receive better support. And I’m not sure that Canon users are any better off.
Good luck
Sandy