Nikon is Telling Distributors to Tug on the Z8's Strap Lugs: Report

PetaPixel recently reported that several Nikon Z8 owners have experienced broken or loose strap lugs. Since then, a new report says Nikon is asking retailers to test cameras before sale by yanking on the camera’s lugs with a strap connected.

When PetaPixel initially reported on the Nikon Z8 strap lug issue, Nikon provided a comment after the article was published, saying, “We recognize this matter and currently are looking into it.”

Since then, there has been no official word from Nikon to PetaPixel or any public statement to customers regarding a Nikon Z8 recall or special instructions to retailers to test Z8 strap lugs.

However, Nikon Rumors reports that the camera company has informed some distributors to test the Nikon Z8 bodies in stock. A separate, protected PetaPixel source in Europe confirms this.

Additionally, PetaPixel has confirmed with a source in the United States that the strap lug issue with the Nikon Z8 is a genuine, known problem.

“The only info I can give you is that Nikon informs the distributors to test the bodies. Aka yank the lugs with a strap connected. Kinda barbaric I guess. The distributors weren’t happy about any of it. I also heard Nikon intends to test units for this flaw specifically when they come back for the recall.”

PetaPixel cannot corroborate the report that distributors are “unhappy” nor that a recall is actually on the table, but a protected source close to the matter believes that this is a possible outcome.

While the idea of retailers and distributors yanking on Z8 camera strap lugs is fascinating, it is worth noting that only one of the two sources PetaPixel spoke to verified that Nikon has instructed them to test cameras by yanking on the lugs, and that source is located in Europe.

That said, alongside Nikon Rumors’ source, that still leaves two sources who have made that report, although it is not clear if both are from Europe.

It is conceivable that different arms of Nikon, such as Nikon Europe and Nikon USA, have issued different instructions to their respective distributors and retailers.

When reached for comment, Nikon tells PetaPixel, “We are still investigating.”

Back to the idea of yanking on camera straps, while this is speculation, it may be that Nikon wants to acquire a much larger sample size about the potential prevalence of the strap lug issue, which again, Nikon itself has acknowledged, although only in a limited fashion.

Armed with information from its trusted retailers and distributors about strap lug issue frequency, Nikon could be in a better position to make a more robust statement, or even establish a service program or recall as it has done with an issue with the Nikon Z8 lens mount. For that issue, Nikon has made a portal where customers can enter their Z8’s serial number to see if their camera is affected. Affected cameras are then serviced for free by Nikon.

If Nikon can zero in on precisely which cameras are susceptible to the strap lug issue, that would be a major benefit to photographers and a significant weight off their shoulders — and not the kind of weight relief that results from a broken strap lug.