Serious Issue with the D90 and 70-200VR

[Restomage]

I thought I'd bring this to your attention since I have no idea what the problem with my camera is and I've never heard of this problem before. My D90 is still in very good condition and I've never had any issues with it at all. Well, I rented a 70-200VR from the local camera shop and it works however I was having some issues with it. One main one is the camera had difficulty reading the lens and every once in a while it kept on giving me an error or f-- message. Also, the camera's shutter would randomly close on me like it was trying to go into Live View mode and I had to turn off the camera to get it back to normal. I tried using my other two lenses, my 18-200VR and my 10.5mm, and I didn't have any issues whatsoever, it was only with the rented 70-200VR. I went back to the shop and explained the problem, and the rental guy said it was a brand new lens, and we tested it on the shop's D700 and D90 and it seemed to work fine, so I'm still really confused what the problem is. One of the shoppers said it could just be a contact error which was causing the camera to freak out, but I just want to get some other opinions and see if this has happened to anyone else before. Thanks for your time.

 

[Derrel]

The 70-200VR lens has had a history of electrical/contact issues. First off, the camera is supposed to be turned OFF when the 70-200 is mounted to the body, and it is supposed to be off when removing the lens, and VR is supposed to have been allowed to turn off before removing the lens.

The contacts on the lens must be clean, and the lens needs to seat tightly, without a lot of excessive "play" in the lens mount. Early on in the 70-200's life cycle, there were many thousands of lenses that developed Err problems; mine was one of them. Nikon had an issue with the lens's electrical grounding,and developed a "fix" for the problem within a few months of the 70-200's issuance.

Rental gear is often VERY badly used and abused,and if the mount is sloppy on your body, there can be problems with the lens-to-camera communications. On the early models, the lens would close down the aperture to minimum,and the AF system would stop working. The issue was with a grounding wire that had been connected to one of the lens mount retaining screws,which were made of a NEW alloy,and were not the type Nikon had been using for many years, and the grounding was not sufficient with the new screws, so the "fix" was to retrofit the lens with the old type screws. A small, white paint "dot" is applied inside the tripod socket hole by Nikon to show,externally, that a 70-200VR has been updated.

It might well be a new lens, but the announcement of the second generation 70-200 has probably prompted the sell-off of the last of the NOS or New Old Stock. You would not be the first person to have body/lens communication issues with a 70-200VR, and especially an old one that might have been siting around in a warehouse for a while before being sold.

 

[Restomage]

The 70-200VR lens has had a history of electrical/contact issues. First off, the camera is supposed to be turned OFF when the 70-200 is mounted to the body, and it is supposed to be off when removing the lens, and VR is supposed to have been allowed to turn off before removing the lens.

The contacts on the lens must be clean, and the lens needs to seat tightly, without a lot of excessive "play" in the lens mount. Early on in the 70-200's life cycle, there were many thousands of lenses that developed Err problems; mine was one of them. Nikon had an issue with the lens's electrical grounding,and developed a "fix" for the problem within a few months of the 70-200's issuance.

Rental gear is often VERY badly used and abused,and if the mount is sloppy on your body, there can be problems with the lens-to-camera communications. On the early models, the lens would close down the aperture to minimum,and the AF system would stop working. The issue was with a grounding wire that had been connected to one of the lens mount retaining screws,which were made of a NEW alloy,and were not the type Nikon had been using for many years, and the grounding was not sufficient with the new screws, so the "fix" was to retrofit the lens with the old type screws. A small, white paint "dot" is applied inside the tripod socket hole by Nikon to show,externally, that a 70-200VR has been updated.

It might well be a new lens, but the announcement of the second generation 70-200 has probably prompted the sell-off of the last of the NOS or New Old Stock. You would not be the first person to have body/lens communication issues with a 70-200VR, and especially an old one that might have been siting around in a warehouse for a while before being sold.

Thanks, that answers my question. Any thoughts of my camera's shutter locking?

 

[KmH]

Your shutter problem is likely directly related to the lens issue.

 

[Garbz]

As Derrel mentioned this is a contact issue. I had the same issue with my 80-200 on my D200 after a few years.

Here's a handy hint to getting contacts working well. Graphite is an excellent conductor. Take a pencil and scribble across the lens and camera body contacts. Probably often solved.

Or you could buy some expensive electrical contact cleaner.

 

[epp_b]

First off, the camera is supposed to be turned OFF when the 70-200 is mounted to the body, and it is supposed to be off when removing the lens, and VR is supposed to have been allowed to turn off before removing the lens.

That's a myth. The only thing that needs to be done is to make sure that VR is not active when you mount or dismount the lens (although, there's no reason VR should be active on a fresh-off-the-shelf lens). Just wait for the gentle "clunk" sound after you take your hand off the shutter button.

 

[KmH]

First off, the camera is supposed to be turned OFF when the 70-200 is mounted to the body, and it is supposed to be off when removing the lens, and VR is supposed to have been allowed to turn off before removing the lens.

That's a myth. The only thing that needs to be done is to make sure that VR is not active when you mount or dismount the lens (although, there's no reason VR should be active on a fresh-off-the-shelf lens). Just wait for the gentle "clunk" sound after you take your hand off the shutter button.

A myth? Says who? Besides you that is.

Nikon says to turn off the camera before removing a lens.

Page 19 of your Nikon D60 users manual.

Sorry, I thought you had a D60, page 8 of D40 manual

 

[Garbz]

Nikon says that about all their cameras, and all their lenses. It also says their cameras shouldn't be used in subzero or +40 temperatures or at humidity greater than 85%. (which effectively rules out Australia as a target market for much of the year)

It's called them covering their asses in case for some really really strange reason the lens or body gets damaged due to an electrical fault. However digital logic being the way it is you could probably safely short all the lens terminals without issue. I certainly don't turn my camera off when mounting any lens, it's a waste of time.

 

[JamesMason]

Page 19 of your Nikon D60 users manual.

Sorry, I thought you had a D60, page 8 of D40 manual

lol, sarcastic. But funny

 

[IgsEMT]

Contact Nikon Tech support. Contrary to popular belief they are very helpful. Also since the lens is rented, you don't know who used it before and HOW they took care of it. I've never rented my self, but from what I have heard, once shop gets the lens back, they don't do hardcore testing to make sure it is in the same condition as was given.