Nikon warns of custom DSLRs

Nikon reports that several of its cameras are offered with modified bodies, making them resemble more expensive versions. Nikon discovered the fraud after several service centers were offered modified products for repair.

This writes Nikon Europe on its customer service site. According to Nikon, it seems that the modified and imitation products are mainly sold through internet auctions. The company warns that these products are not warranted and that Nikon repair centers will not repair these cameras.

These include D800 cameras that look like D800E cameras. The outside of the D800’s is then replaced by the outside of a D800E. To find out whether a camera is really a D800E, the ‘overview’ function must be enabled in full playback mode. The camera’s name will then be in the top right corner. If it has a name other than D800E, the camera has been converted.

On the D7100 cameras, the nameplate has been replaced with that of a D610. To check whether it is indeed a D610, the user can use the same method as with the D800, although the difference in sensor is so great that this should already be clear without going into the menu.

The last camera where the nameplate has sometimes been swapped is the D4 which on the outside masquerades as the D4S.