# Coolpix P7000 - faulty by design ?



## zrx8 (Dec 13, 2012)

Hello, I'm new here, and registered to ask your opinion about my case:

Searching the net it is obvious that the Coolpix P7000 has issues both
with the jamming lens cover and with poor dust protection of the optic.

My P7000's lens cover started to stuck 
when the cam was 5 months old. They changed the 'barrier unit' 
in the warranty repair, but not much later the problem 
reappeared. Plus, after the repair the lenses started to
become dusty _on_the_inside_. I suspect some dust protection
part was not reinstalled correctly during the repair.
Then some weeks later the lens cover problem went away for
months, to appear again a few weeks ago. Now, some 2-3 weeks
remained from the warranty period, and the service says
they don't repair the camera for free (as a warranty repair), because
it is too dusty, and we probably used it in extreme 
conditions (which is completely false, I also purchased the model 
specific Nikon case for it, and always held in it). There are quite 
big particles inside as well, which - I think - should have been 
filtered out by a working dust protection. 

My question: is it a general problem with this model, that
dust can enter the sealed/filtered lens room during average
usage conditions ? Looking at the many complaints on the net,
the lens cover problem must be a design fault. Nikon, however doesn't 
confirm it. Is there maybe a consumer class action in this subject ?
Unfortunately I can't find a way to communicate with Nikon HQ,
and the local subsidiary is quite ignorant, knowing that an average 
comsumer doesn't have too much means of defiance around here.

As far as I know, the P7000 was Nikon's first high-end compact of
the P7xxx line, and I feel myself like an experimental rabbit,
who paid to become a beta-tester of a failed pilot product.

Thanks in advance


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