Broken AF-VR Nikkor 80-400mm HELP!!!

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filibence

Senior Member
Hello all, first post.

Long story short, I dropped my D80 with the 80-400 on it, and the lens split in two pieces at the aperture ring (close to the lens base). Although all the glass is still fine, Nikon Repair estimated $600 from selecting the "Drop Damage" option.

Need some help here deciding whether or not to fix, or if anyone wants to buy it for repair...just open for some help right now really. Thanks.


View Picture (968 x 648 pixels) @PicResize.com

View Picture (968 x 648 pixels) @PicResize.com
 
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Sambr

Senior Member
filibence said:
Hello all, first post.

Long story short, I dropped my D80 with the 80-400 on it, and the lens split in two pieces at the aperture ring (close to the lens base). Although all the glass is still fine, Nikon Repair estimated $600 from selecting the "Drop Damage" option.

Need some help here deciding whether or not to fix, or if anyone wants to buy it for repair...just open for some help right now really. Thanks.


View Picture (968 x 648 pixels) @PicResize.com

View Picture (968 x 648 pixels) @PicResize.com
Click to expand...

LOL you are a "semi pro" with a D80???( I hope that is your backup) best laugh I had all day :) Sorry I couldn't help myself. Depends on how much you use & like that lens? A new one would cost you $2300.00 + the one you have, used I have seen them for as low as $900.00 Only you can make that decision
 
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TedG954

Senior Member
I paid $1200 for mine. It is brand new VI. I've seen used ones on eBay for hundreds less. If you have any thoughts about the VII, use the $600 towards that purchase. If it's a VI, bought it new, and you're happy with it, I'd have it repaired.


If $600 doesn't include all repairs for everything and anything, I'd pass on the repair.
 
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filibence

Senior Member
Sambr said:
LOL you are a "semi pro" with a D80???( I hope that is your backup) best laugh I had all day :) Sorry I couldn't help myself. Depends on how much you use & like that lens? A new one would cost you $2300.00 + the one you have, used I have seen them for as low as $900.00 Only you can make that decision
Click to expand...

According to this forum, a "Semi-Pro" is considered someone who gets paid for their work from time to time, and I have been paid for my work more times than I can remember. There is a saying in spanish that translates to "it is not the arrow, but the hunter." I'm glad I made you laugh, but I came here for help, not to get cynicism from some old fart. Yes I would love a better camera body, would you like to buy me one???
 
Marcel

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
filibence said:
Hello all, first post.

Long story short, I dropped my D80 with the 80-400 on it, and the lens split in two pieces at the aperture ring (close to the lens base). Although all the glass is still fine, Nikon Repair estimated $600 from selecting the "Drop Damage" option.

Need some help here deciding whether or not to fix, or if anyone wants to buy it for repair...just open for some help right now really. Thanks.


View Picture (968 x 648 pixels) @PicResize.com

View Picture (968 x 648 pixels) @PicResize.com
Click to expand...


Contact your home insurance broker and see if by any chance you wouldn't be covered for this kind of thing with a "new replacement value" clause. You might have to pay some deductible, but you could get a new lens. This is why insurance is useful. We always say it won't happen to me until it does...
 
D

Dave_W

The Dude
I would advise you to not put any more money into this lens. There is an abundance of issues with it to the point that Nikon has completely revamped it. Below is an excerpt from Nasim's review that compares the old VR1 lens with the newer VRII lens. Given these issues, I would sell it for scrap and buy the newer copy.

Nikon did a very good job with completely redesigning the aged 80-400mm lens, which was plagued with many issues: from mediocre optical performance and noisy / slow autofocus motor to a badly designed construction that could hurt your fingers. The new AF-S Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G VR addresses most of those issues and delivers much better performance in comparison. It has better colors, better contrast and sharpness throughout the zoom range and has a very solid construction. No more finger pinching problems and loud motor noises, thanks to Internal Focus design and AF-S Silent Wave Motor. Because the lens is optically superior than its predecessor, Nikon allowed the use of teleconverters with the lens, which can expand its reach beyond 400mm. The new Vibration Reduction II system is very effective in low-light situations and the difference in stabilization performance between the new 80-400mm and its predecessor is especially noticeable on high resolution camera bodies such as Nikon D7100 and D800.

Read more: Nikon 80-400mm VR Review - Page 6 of 8
 
F

filibence

Senior Member
Dave_W said:
I would advise you to not put any more money into this lens. There is an abundance of issues with it to the point that Nikon has completely revamped it. Below is an excerpt from Nasim's review that compares the old VR1 lens with the newer VRII lens. Given these issues, I would sell it for scrap and buy the newer copy.

Nikon did a very good job with completely redesigning the aged 80-400mm lens, which was plagued with many issues: from mediocre optical performance and noisy / slow autofocus motor to a badly designed construction that could hurt your fingers. The new AF-S Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G VR addresses most of those issues and delivers much better performance in comparison. It has better colors, better contrast and sharpness throughout the zoom range and has a very solid construction. No more finger pinching problems and loud motor noises, thanks to Internal Focus design and AF-S Silent Wave Motor. Because the lens is optically superior than its predecessor, Nikon allowed the use of teleconverters with the lens, which can expand its reach beyond 400mm. The new Vibration Reduction II system is very effective in low-light situations and the difference in stabilization performance between the new 80-400mm and its predecessor is especially noticeable on high resolution camera bodies such as Nikon D7100 and D800.

Read more: Nikon 80-400mm VR Review - Page 6 of 8
Click to expand...

Thanks this is a great help! Do you know where would be the best place to sell it for parts? eBay? or here on the forums?
 
C

carguy

Senior Member
Good tips in this thread if you sift the junk out.

Consider the lens is more than likely damaged beyond what you can see with your eyes.
Compare the cost to repair agains replacement cost.
Is there a camera repair/store within decent driving distance? If so, take it there for an estimate. They will likely need to send it out within the USA for that.
 
M

Mike D90

Senior Member
carguy said:
Good tips in this thread if you sift the junk out.

Consider the lens is more than likely damaged beyond what you can see with your eyes.
Click to expand...
That

There is a good point. What if you spent $600 or more repairing it and it never works right again? If you count on this lens then probably best to replace it and just cut your losses. Sell that busted one for parts on eBay. Youmight get enough for it to upgrade your D80 to something better.
 
D

D200freak

Senior Member
Hi. New guy here, first post right here. I found this forum by searching specifically for a broken 80-400mm lens as I have one that I'm fixing.

I want to get another for spare parts.

I believe my repairs on this lens will be fully successful but it has required microsurgery on the torn in half control flex circuit (which I'm qualified to do) and total disassembly of the lens all the way to stripping the internal frame down to a bare frame, and then having all four broken pieces TIG welded back on and remachined as needed. I will be picking up the rewelded frame in a few days.

Fortunately, there appears to be no other damage and I do have the lens service manual and I exhaustively documented the disassembly process with photos of every single step.

In medical terms, this lens repair is like stripping all the meat off the patient's skeleton, repairing the skeleton, putting all the meat back on, and repairing a cut spinal cord along the way. Really it could not be a more involved job but I'm crazy enough to do it and good enough to succeed at it, thanks to so many years spent forever unscrewing the inscrutable, then repairing it and putting it back together again.

Life is no fun without a challenge!
 
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Whiskeyman

Senior Member
Old thread resurrected!! I wish you success with your rebuild. Please let us know how it goes in the end, although a lot of photos of the process as it goes would be really interesting! Please do post if you can.

WM
 
B

Bill16

Senior Member
Welcome to our Nikonites family! I hope your lens comes out working great!:)

D200freak said:
Hi. New guy here, first post right here. I found this forum by searching specifically for a broken 80-400mm lens as I have one that I'm fixing.

I want to get another for spare parts.

I believe my repairs on this lens will be fully successful but it has required microsurgery on the torn in half control flex circuit (which I'm qualified to do) and total disassembly of the lens all the way to stripping the internal frame down to a bare frame, and then having all four broken pieces TIG welded back on and remachined as needed. I will be picking up the rewelded frame in a few days.

Fortunately, there appears to be no other damage and I do have the lens service manual and I exhaustively documented the disassembly process with photos of every single step.

In medical terms, this lens repair is like stripping all the meat off the patient's skeleton, repairing the skeleton, putting all the meat back on, and repairing a cut spinal cord along the way. Really it could not be a more involved job but I'm crazy enough to do it and good enough to succeed at it, thanks to so many years spent forever unscrewing the inscrutable, then repairing it and putting it back together again.

Life is no fun without a challenge!
Click to expand...
 
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