Nikon SLR Cameras

Black chips INSIDE my dropped lens! How to fix it?

Guest
Guest

I accidentally dropped my Nikon D80 with lens on (Nikkor 18-135mm), it dropped from my desk and landed on the floor (on the camera body with the lens facing upward), no chips or visible damage on the outside at all. But when I look inside my lens, I see 3-4 shutter-shaped (or shark fins shape) black pieces inside, they are whole pieces, unbroken, like the shutter loosened or something! I can still turn on my camera, but it'll only keep trying to focus, the shutter won't close, I can't take any pictures with it.

Can I take apart my lens and put the pieces back into place? I looked all over the internet for solutions but I haven't found anything useful yet. Best if I can fix it myself, I really can't afford to have pros repair it or get a new one.

Any help would be MUCH appreciated, thanks in advance!

Added (1). I tested the camera again just now--there are still loosed blades inside the lens--but it's working, I can take pictures with it just fine!

Jim A
Jim A

You can't, your camera is a paper weight, done, toast, trash. Replace it and next time use a strap.

John P
John P

Extremely unlikely that you have the skills, tools, or patience to fix it, unless you are a watch maker or similar precision worker. If you fiddle with it you will probably make it worse, and you will disturb the many lens elements, making the picture unsharp even if you manage to re-install the diaphragm blades.

Sorry, it's a job for someone who knows what to do, so take the lens to a shop and get an estimate for the price of repair. Take the camera in as well for a check-over - silly to get the lens checked then to find the camera body does not work properly. Have you got any household insurance that might pay for some of thr repair?

As another answer says, it might be cheaper to replace the whole outfit.

keerok
keerok

Bring your camera and lens back to the store. Ask for service. Obviously the lens is broken. I'm pretty sure the camera is damaged too. You can't fix it. You don't even know the parts. The shutter is in the camera. Those fin shape black chips are the iris blades that control aperture size.

BriaR
BriaR

The pieces sound like the aperture control blades. You may get images with it but you are limited to whatever aperture you have with half the blades in place.
The lens is history -, may be worth repairing but that may cost more than a replacement.