The bitter truth about spare parts: Aliexpress vs Original

The workshop often brings bolt blocks purchased by clients on AliExpress for **4,000 - 6,000 rubles** with words: * “Master, I bought the part myself, just supply it to me!”*. After 2-3 thousand frames, these Chinese replicas the lamellas are knocked out or jammed.

Why does this happen and where can I get normal spare parts?

3 Categories of valve blocks on the market

1. Chinese fakes / Noname replicas (AliExpress / Ebay)

• What's the catch:The slats are stamped from cheap, thin aluminum instead of titanium or carbon. The guide springs are unevenly hardened.
• Resource:They rarely nurse more than **5,000 – 15,000 frames**.

2. Used valves from donors (Disassembly)

Shutters removed from sunken or broken cameras. Service technicians check them under a microscope. If the slats do not have output, and the springs are elastic - this is an original Nikon unit. It easily passes its 100k+ frames.

3. New original Nikon Service units (OEM)

Supplied in branded antistatic bags with factory seals and batch barcodes. Cost **14 000 – 22,000 rubles**, but they provide a 100% guaranteed factory resource.

Comparison table of spare parts types

Part type	Average part price	Expected resource
Chinese copy (AliExpress)	4,000 – 6,000 rub.	5,000 – 20,000 frames (Lottery)
Original from disassembly (Donor)	7,000 – 10,000 rub.	80,000 – 150,000 frames
New OEM factory assembly	14,000 – 22,000 rub.	150,000 – 300,000 frames (Factory)