Well! Poop!

[KmH]

I shot some time lapse this morning and the entire 200 frame series came out seriously over exposed.

It took me about 5 minutes to discover what the problem was.
The aperture mechanism in my Nikon AF 24-85 mm f/2.8-4D is binding and can't reliably stop down from wide open (to AF) to the smaller than wide open aperture I wanted to use.

For those that don't know:
The lens aperture is moved by a motor in the camera body (all Nikon DSLR bodies).

When a lens is not mounted on a Nikon DSLR the lens aperture is closed to as small as it can get by a spring.
When the lens is mounted on the body, the in-the-camera to lens aperture linkage opens the aperture as wide as it can go. That's so what we see in the viewfinder through the lens is a bright as possible and so the AF system doesn't have to wait to do it's thing when the shutter is 1/2 pressed.

I figure the repair will cost me about $250, which would be about $100 less than less than replacing the (bought it used) lens.

 

[astroNikon]

bummer

didn't you send that in a while back to get it cleaned and focus sharper too ?

 

[KmH]

Yep.
I had it serviced (just clean, adjust, calibrate) by Nikon a while back.
Like 2 years ago.

 

[KmH]

I got around to scheduling a repair for the lens.
Nikon's estimate, based on my checking Exposure Problem and description of the binding aperture, is $162 plus $16 to ship it back to me.
I'll be shipping the lens UPS Friday morning, which is when I will next be going to the town where the closest UPS Store is.
I'm west of the Mississippi, so it's going to Nikon Service on Wilshire Blvd in LA.

 

[KmH]

The lens is on the way back. It arrived at the Lenexa, KS UPS facility at 3 AM this morning.
Per the estimate the cost - B2 service rank - was $161.70 and $15.50 for return shipping (UPS Ground).

 

[KmH]

UPS delivered the lens a few minutes ago.

According to the Repair Invoice here is what they did:
General check and clean.
• Replaced the aperture lever.
• Replaced the lens mount.
• Replaced a retaining ring.
Checked:
Infinity Focus
Aperture operation
Exposure
Communication
Auto focus operation

I figure the retaining ring failed letting whatever it was intended to retain get loose which damaged (bent?) the aperture lever and the lens mount.
I suspect the lens mount damage was on the back side of the mount that can't be seen unless the lens mount is removed from the lens.

 

[astroNikon]

how does it shoot though ?

 

[KmH]

Like it did before it got fu'd.

 

[benhasajeep]

Like it did before it got fu'd.

Do they guarantee repairs? Maybe a call to NY will let you send it to the east coast for a look see (of course on their dime). Not betting on it. Would at least demand refund.

 

[KmH]

No! I mean they fixed it.
It was a good as it was when I got it back 2 years ago after they cleaned it and calibrated the focus.
That is my most used lens.

I haven't mounted my AF 80-200 mm f/2.8D for such a long time I'm probably going to offer it for sale in a couple of days.

 

[benhasajeep]

No! I mean they fixed it.
It was a good as it was when I got it back 2 years ago after they cleaned it and calibrated the focus.
That is my most used lens.

I haven't mounted my AF 80-200 mm f/2.8D for such a long time I'm probably going to offer it for sale in a couple of days.

Ah that's good. I can't bring myself to sell the 80-200 f/2.8d. Wife uses it now mostly. But it's a great spare lens if they fancy electric lenses ever fail.

 

[astroNikon]

My 80-200 and 24-85/2.8-4.0 are my 2 most widely used lenses.
Then my 150-600 and 18-35
I've sold most my other misc lenses that I rarely used.

 

[KmH]

I can't bring myself to sell the 80-200 f/2.8d. Wife uses it now mostly.

That's pretty much where I've been, couldn't bring myself to sell it.
I haven't had a wife since '84.

My oldest daughter followed in the old man's foot steps and is also a professional photographer.
She only got 1 thing wrong. She got enamored with Canon gear.