The plastic latch on the Nikon F100 door is notoriously fragile. For years I’ve had an extra Nikon F100 sitting a drawer after the latch snapped during a shoot. I couldn’t figure out how to repair the door to keep it closed. Sure, you could tape it shut, but that’s a recipe for disaster (and light leaks). Because the Nikon F100 is no longer manufactured, it’s not like coming across a new door is easy either.
A good door (left) and one with a broken hinge (right). Let’s fix it!
Thankfully, there’s a fix. People have started making new ‘teeth’ for the door latch out of metal that can replace the old broken plastic ones. My buddy Jeremy Mudd turned me onto this. He’s already applied this fix to Nikon’s other great-but-also-cursed-with-fragile-door-latch cameras like the Nikon N80.
Let’s break fixing the Nikon F100 door latch down into some simple steps, because it’s actually quite easy for even repair beginners to do.
Some of the items you might want to pick up for repair
1. Get Supplies
First, you’ll need to order a latch repair kit. These days there are a bunch on eBay. At Jeremy’s recommendation, I bought mine from the store in the link here: https://ebay.us/ipEDsA (if the link is broken the seller is listed as plutoniusx). This kit comes with two things – the new metal latch and a filing guide.
In addition to the latch repair kit, you’ll also need a file, a clip, and superglue, three things you probably already have. Some places will recommend grease to help the latch last longer, but I think it’s overkill.
Finally, you’ll need a Nikon F100 with a broken door. But you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t already have that, right?
2. Remove Door
Once you have your parts, you’re ready to begin. So you don’t fill your camera with dust, you’ll want to completely remove the broken door from the F100 camera body. Thankfully, this is super simple on a Nikon F100.
Open the back door all the way. On the upper portion of the inner hinge, you’ll see a tiny silver circle that kind of looks like a flathead screw top. Push down on that silver piece of metal with your finger and the door will pop right out. There’s no ribbon cables or anything to worry about since the F100 communicates with the back door through metal prongs.
3. Attach Guide
Attach the file guide to the damaged latch prongs. It slides down right on top of the old prongs and fits snugly. Make sure you have it in the correct orientation. The damaged plastic will poke through, giving you a clear idea of what needs to be removed.
4. File Down Old Plastic Prongs
File down all the plastic that sticks up above the file guide, which will mostly be the remains of your broken plastic hooks/prongs/teeth/(whatever you call these things). Make sure you completely file away all plastic that sticks out above the file guide or the new metal teeth will not fit in correctly. Don’t worry about taking off too much, that’s what the guide is there for.
An example of the new metal not fitting because not enough plastic was removed
5. Test New Metal Latch
Take the guide off and try seating the new metal hooks/prongs/teeth. It should fit there perfectly snug and flush with the camera. If it doesn’t, check to make sure you have it in the correct orientation. You may need to file down the plastic more (I had to go back and file more because I was a bit timid the first time).
New metal in place
6. Glue New Metal Latch
Once you’re happy with how the new metal hooks/prongs/teeth sit on the door, you’re ready to glue. A word of caution with superglue, use gloves, be safe, and a little goes a long way. Also be sure to put down something on your surface that protects it from any stray glue. Put a dot of glue on the door and sit in place, making sure it’s exactly aligned how you want it. Super glue sets extremely fast, so move quickly. It may help to use a clip to hold pressure on the metal piece and keep it in place. After a few minutes, the clip shouldn’t be necessary anymore.
7. Give Glue Time to Set
Even though the glue will dry in minutes, to be safe, give it a few hours to dry before putting pressure on it. Once you’ve given it a little time, clear out any excess glue with your file and/or sandpaper.
8. Reattach Door and Test
The door is ready to go back on! Put in the bottom pin first, then pull down the top one until it snaps back in place. With the new metal hooks, the door should fit closed exactly like it did before it broke.
If there is a gap or it doesn’t quite fit, check to make sure there isn’t any excess glue gumming up the works. If you’re still having trouble, you may have attached the bracket slightly off. Finally, you can make sure there isn’t any plastic debris from the broken teeth/prongs lodged in the camera body that’s blocking the new ones from inserting correctly.
With this fix, your Nikon F100 is tougher than ever and should (fingers crossed) work for years to come. The metal latch is a great fix, but wait until you have a broken door before you make this change. I don’t want people filing down perfectly good plastic prongs to ‘upgrade’ their camera.
Anytime we can keep a piece of gear working and out of the dump that’s a win for repairability!
If you found this article helpful, check out my full guide to the Nikon F100.
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