70-200 VR woes

UT ScottUT Scott Registered Users Posts: 175 Major grins
edited December 6, 2006 in Cameras
Well last saturday I was shooting a football game with a 70-200 vr, I normally love this lens, quick focus, sharp, looks cool :wink. But saturday the AF decided to stop working. Every once in a while the AF wouldn't work (happened to be every time there was a big play) but then it would start working again.

What I can't figure out is if this is something with the lens or something with my camera (d50), my other lenses seem to work fine so I think it's probably the lens. It also seemed to happen after I was moving from one side of the field to the other. Could the movement be causing the contacts to seperate or something? I've tried dismounting the lens, putting it back on and all that fun stuff but it still goes in and out.

One good thing did come out of the problem though, I got to practice manual focus in sports :huh by the way, this lens isn't mine, it belongs to the school, so I don't have access to it to try stuff out right now. Just want to know if anyone has had this problem before and how it got fixed. Thanks!
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Comments

  • PhyxiusPhyxius Registered Users Posts: 1,396 Major grins
    edited November 28, 2006
    Eek! I hope you get some replies, I'm looking at this lens right now too. I just bought a new dressage saddle ($2500) and so I can't actually get it for a few months until I pay off the saddle.

    Was this the first time you had a problem with it?
    Christina Dale
    SmugMug Support Specialist - www.help.smugmug.com

    http://www.phyxiusphotos.com
    Equine Photography in Maryland - Dressage, Eventing, Hunters, Jumpers
  • HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited November 28, 2006
    Since the other lenses work on your camera body the problem would appear to be with the 70-200. The first thing you want to do is take a lens cloth and give the contacts on the lens a good cleaning.

    It that doesn't work clean the contacts with lens cleaning fluid.

    If it still ain't working after that give the friendly Nikon folks a call.
    Harry
    http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
    How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
  • UT ScottUT Scott Registered Users Posts: 175 Major grins
    edited November 28, 2006
    Ok, I'll try that. I was thinking about cleaning the contacts while shooting the game but didn't have a cloth and I figured my sweaty shirt wouldn't be a good choice rolleyes1.gif. I'm really hoping that it's just dirty contacts, I love playing with this lens! Simply amazing to use! (Only wish I could afford one of my own mwink.gif)
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  • ballentphotoballentphoto Registered Users Posts: 312 Major grins
    edited November 30, 2006
    UT Scott wrote:
    Ok, I'll try that. I was thinking about cleaning the contacts while shooting the game but didn't have a cloth and I figured my sweaty shirt wouldn't be a good choice rolleyes1.gif. I'm really hoping that it's just dirty contacts, I love playing with this lens! Simply amazing to use! (Only wish I could afford one of my own mwink.gif)

    An eraser from a pencil can also clean the contacts as well.
    -Michael
    Just take the picture :):
    Pictures are at available at:http://www.ballentphoto.com

    My Blog: http://ballentphoto.blogspot.com
  • xtnomadxtnomad Registered Users Posts: 340 Major grins
    edited December 1, 2006
    Have you tried turning off the A/F - Assist illuminator ? I all so have a D-50 and big hands and have incountered the same problem. The only thing I have come up with is I get a finger in front of the A/F Ill. and the CPU can not tell what to do. Or should I say what to foucus on and have to turn the power off and back on and I am shooting again with the kit lenes and others. After using the 70-200 I just leave it off and have less of a problem with lossing the shoot on focusing problems. Just My Two cents. Rod headscratch.gif
    xtnomad :wink
  • UT ScottUT Scott Registered Users Posts: 175 Major grins
    edited December 1, 2006
    Well I got the chace to play with this lens again today. I wiped off the contacts on the lens and it seems to be working great now! :ivar Thanks for all the replies! thumb.gif
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  • HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited December 3, 2006
    UT Scott wrote:
    Well I got the chace to play with this lens again today. I wiped off the contacts on the lens and it seems to be working great now! :ivar Thanks for all the replies! thumb.gif



    clap.gif
    Harry
    http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
    How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
  • wolfwoodswolfwoods Registered Users Posts: 16 Big grins
    edited December 6, 2006
    Any more experience here?
    I have had a similar problem with my 70-200 VR and no other lens in my bag. It happened on both cameras I own (D2H and D200) and a friend of mine mounted it on his D70 - no luck. I've tried everything I can think of, remounting, cycle power, VR off and VR on, etc! I have cleaned the contacts on the camera and the lens. At the last game I decided to use manual focus for a while, switched back to auto during a time out and it worked fine for the rest of the game. I just never know when it wil quit again.
    Good Shooting!
    John

    http://www.imagengineer.smugmug.com/
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