Lens problem

[Elizabeth1]

I have a nikkor lense that came with our camera, and it's having a problem. Whenever we put it on the camera, it takes the first photo (focus is fine etc.) - then it will just hunt for a focus and refuse to take a photo - and when you look through the viewfinder it appears darker. Is this a lens fault or camera fault? We sent it away to a service centre but they said it wasn't the lens.....but our other lens (tamron) works fine?
Anyone got any ideas? When you take lens off and reattach it (and turn camera on/off of course), it works fine again for that first photo..?

[Geoff]

I have a nikkor lense that came with our camera, and it's having a problem. Whenever we put it on the camera, it takes the first photo (focus is fine etc.) - then it will just hunt for a focus and refuse to take a photo - and when you look through the viewfinder it appears darker. Is this a lens fault or camera fault? We sent it away to a service centre but they said it wasn't the lens.....but our other lens (tamron) works fine?
Anyone got any ideas? When you take lens off and reattach it (and turn camera on/off of course), it works fine again for that first photo..?

Hi Elizabeth1 - firstly welcome to the forum! We may be able to help you a little more if you can tell us what type of camera and what specific lens you are having a problem with. Once you are able to give us some more info then we may just be able to help problem solve this issue for you. Look forward to your reply. Cheers,

[birddog114]

Elizabeth1,
Hi and welcome!
Pls. tell us more about camera brand? type?etc...
Another important thing, please add or update details of your location, we might have some of our members living nearby and can assist you more with your needs.

[gstark]

Elizabeth,

Welcome.

As others have said, what body, and what lens?

And what is the Tamron lens that works fine?

As Birddog has said, you need to update your profile to include your suburb and city in your location. This is a requirement of your membership here and needs to be fixed ASAP. Moreover, once we have a feel for where you are, there may even be the possibility of somebody being located proximate to where you are being able to help you resolve this problem: that is one of the unique benefits of membership here.

So ... more information, please, and then we'll see how we can help.

[greencardigan]

Sounds like the apature blades are staying closed for some reason?

[Elizabeth1]

Sorry have changed profile

Body is a D70 - tamron lense (100-300 I believe or something similar..) works 100% fine. The lense is an 18-70mm nikkor AF-S DX - the camera place in adelaide that services Nikon said it was fine, but I keep having this problem ?

Also when I press the lever thingie (geez I'm techical) and look through the lense on its own , it doesn't looklike the aperture blades (if I'm saying this right) are getting stuck after the first shot, so I have no idea..unless it's something to do with my camera?

[PiroStitch]

Is the camera on continuous shot focus or on single shot focus? On the lcd, it should tell u AF-S or AF-C.

Can you post samples of the first and second pics?

If you look through the front element of the lens, does it look like the aperture blades remain closed (while still attached to the camera)?

[Elizabeth1]

Have tried it with AF-C and AF-S with little success - I don't have before/after photos as it hunts around continually for a focus after it's first shot and refuses to take one - has that E-07 type msg you get...

It doesn't really look like the aperture remains closed - I wonder, we keep the tamron (300mm) lense on the camera a lot, could it have affected the camera contacts?

[greencardigan]

Try putting it on manual focus and compare the exif data for the first and second images.

[Antsl]

Hi Elizabeth,


It sounds like you have a sticky aperture.

What is happening is that the aperture is open right up until you take your first image, then the aperture shuts down for the photo and refuses to open again to its maximum aperture after the exposure, therefore reducing the amount of light entering the camera. As soon as this happens the AF system decides not to work properly simply because not enought light to work properly.

Remove the lens from the camera and flick the small lever that is located between the rear element of the lens and the rear rim of the lens... as you do this the aperture should open and close rapidly.... if it does not the lens needs and overhaul.

Hope this is a help!

[Elizabeth1]

It does sound like it would be that Antsl - but when I flick the lever and look through it, it seems fine and not sticky at all....and then there is the msytery of the nikon guy saying it was fine. ARGH...lol

[robw25]

elizabeth
i had same problem with my d70 when looking in the viewfinder it appeared darker, so i sent it to adelaide technical camera service and they replaced the aperture control unit

cheers rob

[Elizabeth1]

robw75 was that on the camera or the lense Thanks

[robw25]

elizabeth

was on the camera

cheers rob

[Elizabeth1]

adelaide tech were the ones who said the lens was ok - so sounds like they might be right - just weirdly my other lens is working with the D70 - if I knew someone else here with one I'd get them to test it but oh well! Bugger.

Thanks rob, sheds some light and sounds like that might be it..poor camera gets a lot of abuse (bumped around on dirt roads, taking pics in a horseriding arena) so its hardly surprising if it was the camera (we barely used the little lens)

[robw25]

yep i tried it with another lens and it worked a couple times but was hunting too bad, anyway cause of prob's with the d70 upgraded to a d2x but i still use my d70 for my sport pics, it seems to focus better .... good luck

cheers rob