HOW-TO: Fix Broken Nikon DSLR Lens Mounts.

**Steve** · 11-06-2009, 08:28 AM

Might as well add this to this site as well:

If you have a Nikon DSLR camera, you most likey have one or both of these lenses.

The 18-55 and 55-200 Nikon lenses have plastic mounts. Where the lens mounts to the camera body, the 3 tabs are plastic, and it's common for them to break if too much stress is placed upon it, it gets pushed around too much while in a camera bag, or if some dingbat drops the camera (as in my case).

In these photos you can see where the 3 plastic tabs have broken off:

So with the 3 plastic tabs broken off the mounting part of the lens, the lens will not stay on the camera. The lens is still fully functional, it just will not stay on, unless you are firmly holding it in place.

Most camera "experts" say repairing them cost more than they are worth, which is not true, (I was told $65 for parts and labor at a well known Los Angeles camera shop, they have done it a lot and a new 18-55 VR lens is about $170 or about $90 for a Nikon reconditioned one, the 55-200's are even more). But really this is a simple do-it-yourself repair, and the part is very cheap (Nikon sells it for $9.45).

I went over to Nikon and got the part:

It is called the"bayonet mount unit" (the part # for the 18-55 VR lens can be seen on the box in the photo above).

The part is available directly from Nikon:

Nikon Parts Department

7AM - 3PM (Pacific)
Monday - Friday

841 Apollo Street, Suite 100

El Segundo, CA 90245-4721

1-310-414-8107

**Steve** · 11-06-2009, 08:29 AM

Now here's a "How-To" on replacing the part:

(First off, I wanna say that I was not planning on doing a write-up on this, I was just taking photos of the fix for my own use, like in case I forgot what part went where, I could just look back at the photos. So these are not the greatest photos as I was just using an old P&S camera that I had with me at the time.)

You will need the new mounting unit and a tiny screw driver. There will be a total of 9 tiny screws to remove/put back on on the lens and 1 on the new mounting unit to remove.

1- Look at the new part, so you know what you will be taking off the lens.

2- Remove the following piece, one screw holds it in place:

Now on to the lens:

3- There are 2 parts that are attached to the mounting unit. In the following photo, they are are numbered 1 and 2 in RED.

The YELLOW numbers are where the screws are. Numbers 1-3 hold the mounting unit to the lens body, 4 and 5 part #2 and 6-8 hold part #1 to the mounting unit.

Close up shot of the screws that attach the 2 parts to the mounting unit:

Remove all the screws.

4- Lift off part #1 only:

5- Let part #2 tilt inward, it is attached to the lens body:

6- Look at the following photo:

The mounting unit is still connect to the lens by the part circled in yellow. So you will need to carefully lift it up just enough so the long tab part (look at the new unit) comes out and you can flip it over like in the photo.

Also, as the RED ARROWS point out, remember how those metal rings are placed, there are a total of 4 that sit on each other. They are loose now.

7- Just like you did on the new unit, remove that screw:

Now the old mounting unit is free from the lens.

8- Screw that piece to the new mounting unit:

9- Flip the new mounting unit on (RED ARROWS), then flip up part #2 back into place (YELLOW ARROWS). Make sure the 4 metal rings are back in the proper position first.

10 - Screw the mounting unit to the lens body (3 screws), and screw that part to the mounting unit (2 screws).

11- Place the last part back on and screw it on:

Finish.

**Onimun** · 11-07-2009, 11:49 PM

Good stuff.

**travy** · 11-08-2009, 02:50 AM

Thanks, bro.

**tony8512** · 02-04-2010, 03:31 PM

I did the repair as mentioned and everything was great. I called nikon Canada and they sent me the part. I think it was 14.00 cdn and 15.00 shipping. Very easy to do and a big thank u goes out to the poster. The repair at a local repair shop would have cost the same as buying a new lens figure that one out. The bayonet conecter in my opion is really cheap quality.

**xJuice** · 02-05-2010, 08:49 AM

Totally cool. My sister and myself both have those lenses, so this could come in handy soon.

**Steve** · 02-06-2010, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tony8512

I did the repair as mentioned and everything was great. I called nikon Canada and they sent me the part. I think it was 14.00 cdn and 15.00 shipping. Very easy to do and a big thank u goes out to the poster. The repair at a local repair shop would have cost the same as buying a new lens figure that one out. The bayonet conecter in my opion is really cheap quality.

Yeah, the bayonet is pretty low quality material, but when I was getting the part from the guy at Nikon, he said it's better that this piece breaks instead of the glass breaking. Which is kinda true, I rather have that part take the brunt of the force (from dropping the camera) instead of the glass or camera itself.