I am Nikon repair service : I am the one who repaired my Nikon D800!
Nikon service returned me my broken D800, the verdict being “Total loss: water infiltration or condensation caused oxidation in the camera circuitry: the camera cannot be repaired” (although still under warranty). I could not accept it: I asked around what to do against oxidation on circuitry boards. This is what I did:
1) I unscrewed the D800 plastic covers
2) I localized the oxidized areas on the main boards.
3) I unplugged the oxidized contact wires with eyebrow tweezers
4) With a 12.70 € fiberglass brush (ECOBRA 760 300 Made in Germany) I removed the oxidation from contacts, plates and boards (see pictures below and compare to these ones)
5) With ethanol 70% I cleaned the parts I touched to remove fingerprints and oxide powder
6) I closed back the camera body, turned the camera on and …
… it worked again! With 12.70 € I saved my mostly beloved 2700 € equipment. Below the first picture series shot with Niki, showing the three phases of these terrible days.
Overwhelming issue Sitting on pins and needles Finally unthorned!
Click on each picture to enjoy the clarity of my 16-35 mm f/4 on Niki, my reborn Nikon D800
Great!
I’m really happy for you!!!
What do you think now of the Nikon repair service? 🙂
I thought you are more interested in knowing I already ordered a rain cover for you as I lost my bet 😀
🙂
you should pay yourself a nice dinner (or even holidays!) celebrating the rebirth of your professional camera for the small fee of just 13€! bravo!!
Thank you Afif! It was a 3 hour-long job to repair it, so I will go for a quite luxury restaurant tonight 🙂
I have a nikon d 800. Nikon advised that the camera is beyond repairs. It’s water damaged. I’m not sure if your process will work on my camera. The only problem, I’m unable to obtain a copy of the nikon d 800 repair manual. So I’m not if I would be able to open and proceed with your process in repairing it. It would be appreciated if you could advise.
Hi Michael. I did not have any manual. You can open the camera: just remove battery lid (careful to the jumping spring and the yellow stopper), and remove the rubber on the bottom of the camera. By doing so, you will see the screws you need to remove. Careful they have different lengths: map them as you unscrew them. I drew the camera on a piece of paper and taped the screws on it. Take your time for doing it, it will require patient to avoid loosing screws, braking flat wires that connects the boards inside and so on. I did not have to open the top: I just unscrew the bottom and the back LCD lid, if I remember correctly there were also screws beneath the rubber on the back LCD panel (and on the sides of the camera, top and bottom sides). Like this I could scratch the oxidation on the LCD panel and close to the shooting button. After after closing it back I filled the useless (for me) mic holes with cold wax. From those mic holes I god water into the camera. Let me know if you need more help and good luck!
Hi Lorenzo,
Thanks for your prompt reply. I forgot to mention that I can only use the camera in Manual Mode. None of the top buttons are useable. To change any function I have to go through the Menu.
Anyway, I’ll have a go and see what happens.
regards
Then probably you got water/condensation through the shooting button. I did not open the top, just be sure to find all the screws hidden by the glued rubber parts. Good luck!