# 175 lbs and Plastic Lens Mounts DON'T MIX!



## iflynething (Nov 30, 2009)

Damn those plastic lens mounts.

Long story short, I ended up landing on my camera. I knew when I looked down and saw the lens parallel to the camera I had screwed up. It's like breaking your leg and it's sticking out....you're like CRAP!

Only 2 mounts/guide "rails" broke off and I was actually able to Krazy Glue them back into place just kinda like as new. It actually is still working fine, only difference is a tighter fit. Who doesn't like a tighter fit anyways.

Is it difficult to repair this. Could the part be ordered and me replace it or better just to send it back to Nikon. I have had a problem with my aperture ring and figure this is just another reason to send it back into Nikon. I'm hoping the aperture would be replaced under warranty but I'm not sure about the broke mounts!

I will say it could have been worse. It could have been a metal mount it broke from the body....that would have really sucked.

~Micahel~


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## PatrickHMS (Nov 30, 2009)

O - U - C - H !!!

That sux, hope it continue to work for you.

Glad you weren't hurt badly, a camera in the gut could have hurt you too, and you might be worth more than your camera gear.


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## iflynething (Nov 30, 2009)

PatrickHMS said:


> O - U - C - H !!!
> 
> That sux, hope it continue to work for you.
> 
> Glad you weren't hurt badly, a camera in the gut could have hurt you too, and you might be worth more than your camera gear.



Oh as soon as I felt it on me, I sucked everything in! The damage had already been done. It's still working, thank God, but I know if I continue to use it as is, I will be using it and NEED it and it'll crap out on me and that will suck greatly

~Michael~


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## PatrickHMS (Nov 30, 2009)

iflynething said:


> PatrickHMS said:
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> > O - U - C - H !!!
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Wonder if the "rail" has a Nikon part # that can be ordered?  As often as they break it should be.


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## iflynething (Nov 30, 2009)

PatrickHMS said:


> iflynething said:
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I'm sure that it does. I'd love to see a cutaway diagram of the 18-135 lens and see if I could do it. 

Just to be sure, we are talking about the same "rail" right?






Like I said, Krazy Glue is amazing!

~Michael~


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## PatrickHMS (Nov 30, 2009)

iflynething said:


> PatrickHMS said:
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I guess it is the same rail.  I can't see that much detail in your photo on my monitor, but I think I see enough.  Hard to get a clear shot with so much black in the image.

When I read the term "rail" it also got me to thinking about the thread where the guy was thinking about buying a used D90, but the 18-135mm lens that came with it had a broken "rail".

In the text of that thread, my thoughts were that the most common way to break a rail is to drop a camera with the lens mounted on it.  I was suspicious of that in that thread, suggesting to him the possibility that the camera he was interested in had also been dropped.

If you own a camera and drop it, nothing you can do, but I would never intentionally buy a camera that I knew had previously been dropped by someone else.

But these camera bodies are such that a camera could have been dropped and trashed inside, but still look like mint outside, so one has to be careful when buyibng a used camera.

Is there anyone here on TPF who could order the part (rail) you need from Nikon?


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## iflynething (Nov 30, 2009)

PatrickHMS said:


> iflynething said:
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That's very true. I don't _intend_ to sell my camera. I use it heavlily (think 60,000 exposures since Jan 09) and I'd be sure to tell someone what happened.

~Michael~


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## Photoform (Dec 1, 2009)

dang... hope that works out mickey capo!


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## iflynething (Dec 1, 2009)

Photoform said:


> dang... hope that works out mickey capo!



Yeah we will see what happens!

~Michael~


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## Derrel (Dec 1, 2009)

The rails being spoken of are called mounting lugs. "Lug" is the correct term. I heard the use of the term "rail" a few posts ago,and was puzzled by it, then when the one owner said the lens he had had to be held onto the body, I figured he meant the mounting lugs.

The lucky thing is this: a new lens mount ring assembly, complete with all three mounting lugs, is a really easy,quick repair for a camera repairman. The entire mounting ring is held on by either three or five screws in most cases, and the ruined one can be unscrewed and removed and a new one popped on, often while you wait if the camera repair guy is not too busy and he has an appropriate mounting ring on hand. It's like a 10-15 minute job.

Still, props to you for your excellent use of the Krazy Glue.


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## iflynething (Dec 1, 2009)

Derrel said:


> The rails being spoken of are called mounting lugs. "Lug" is the correct term. I heard the use of the term "rail" a few posts ago,and was puzzled by it, then when the one owner said the lens he had had to be held onto the body, I figured he meant the mounting lugs.
> 
> The lucky thing is this: a new lens mount ring assembly, complete with all three mounting lugs, is a really easy,quick repair for a camera repairman. The entire mounting ring is held on by either three or five screws in most cases, and the ruined one can be unscrewed and removed and a new one popped on, often while you wait if the camera repair guy is not too busy and he has an appropriate mounting ring on hand. It's like a 10-15 minute job.
> 
> Still, props to you for your excellent use of the Krazy Glue.



I will have to see about someone in NC that could possibly do it.

The Krazy glue is working so far, and it's going to have to until I can get it fixed.

Thanks for all the help

~Michael~


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