Nikon Lens repair, wish me luck

[matthewo]

well first time, im learing a lot, here is a video break down.

 

[Dinardy]

Good luck with the repair! I'll be following you on YouTube

 

[squirrels]

Wow. Good luck and keep us updated.

I love that you stalked the lens to its FM sale.:thumbup:

 

[matthewo]

received the barrel, now the lens can be used as a manual focus lens with no electronics. here are a few sample photos shot with the lens





. I just need one more part to make it autofocus, hopefully the motor is still good.

 

[Dinardy]

What a tack sharp piece of equipment. Nice Work!

 

[matthewo]

thanks, for what I have heard this lens actually has 1 more ED glass element over even the new ones. while im sure the IQ isn't any better, I doubt its any worse. but only problem is the new one is like 9.5 lbs, and this one is 14 lbs, LOL

 

[Dinardy]

What I wouldn't give for a piece of massive glass like that. All 14lbs of it lol, What kind of setup are you using to lug it around?

 

[matthewo]

Monopod, but i haven't really used it much as the autofocus doesn't work. I usually use a 500mm instead. This lens i bought locally as a project.

 

[Dinardy]

Ah I see

 

[Aloicious]

cool! I've wanted to do a project like this sometime either with a 400 2.8 like this or perhaps a 200 f2 or something. those manual focus shots came out excellent, worst case scenario you've got a really nice manual focus 400 2.8.

 

[matthewo]

Its really one of the kings for subject isolation.

The 200mm f2 is a nice lens, i borrowed a vr1, it was great. But really a 70-200 is so much smaller and cheaper that i couldn't use a 200 f2 enough to justify it. At f2 DOF is insanely shallow. Then if you stop down to 2.8 its better, but you can just use a 70-200, and while the 200 f2 is sharper, i both a sharp enough

 

[Aloicious]

oh yeah, I've already got the 70-200, I was just referring to a 200f2 as a fun project lens, I couldn't justify spending the amount for a new or used one in good shape for the same reasons you mentioned, but I think it'd be a fun project if I could find a really cheap one that needs repairs or something. same thing with the 400, I really don't need a 400 2.8 for anything, but it would be a fun project lens.

 

[matthewo]

yeah, I think the why the these broken high end lenses don't come up too often is, if the lens can be repaired, most of the time the person is just going to send it in for repair. and if Nikon says they don't have parts then, good luck, cause your probably not going to be able to find the parts anywhere else.

there are really not many places that sell a good deal of Nikon lens parts. there are only a couple stores that have inventory on a decent amount of actual internal parts. older lens parts are few and far between. I may have to have a custom FPC built for this as I cannot find one.

 

[Aloicious]

hmmm...so its only the flexible printed circuit that you need at this point? yeah a custom made replacement maybe your only option if nowhere has a replacement one available.

 

[matthewo]

I will probably have it hard wired by someone good a soldering. Its only 10 conductors and its not space limited, so no real need to be a flex cable