Nikon AF-S 70-200 G Will Not Autofocus

Whiskeyman

Senior Member
Since I'm supposed to go out on a shoot this Thursday, I started checking my gear today and found that my 70-200 AF-S will not autofocus on either of the two cameras I tried it on. I got two other lenses to autofocus without any issues at all, so I'm fairly certain that it is the lens that is the problem. I checked and reset the AF/M switch on the lens multiple times and used an eraser on the contacts of the lens to see if I could get it to work, but without success. (Whenever I depress the shutter button, I hear the camera and lens respond to the focus attempt, but the focus doesn't budge. I can, however, manually focus the lens.)


The estimate for a fix from Nikon is $495, but it would never be possible to get it done in time for the shoot on Thursday. So, now I'm looking at purchasing a new E-model of this lens (~$2800) or the Nikon 200-500 f/5.6 (~$1400) since both are locally available.

Before I break into my piggy bank, does anyone have any ideas or tricks to get my lens focusing again?

WM
 

Bikerbrent

Senior Member
Another option would be to rent a 70-200mm lens for your shoot. This would save you money in the long run. Also, do you have a good local independent repair facility? If so, they might be able to fix the lens to meet your time frame and possibly save you money and time over Nikon repair.
 

Whiskeyman

Senior Member
Renting is an option, but logistically problematic. I'll contact a lens rental company tomorrow or Monday. I've got no local repair shop in this area; nor one in the area around my destination.

WM
 

Needa

Senior Member
Challenge Team
Had a friend in the same situation. Checking his 70-200 no auto focus worked when put away. Fortunately NPS was able to get his returned in time. It was the af motor.
 

Whiskeyman

Senior Member
Had a friend in the same situation. Checking his 70-200 no auto focus worked when put away. Fortunately NPS was able to get his returned in time. It was the af motor.

I'm also confident that the issue with mine is the AF motor as well. It is the second time in five or six years that the AF motor has stopped working on this lens.

To make the decision making process easier is that the lens is now on sale at $650 off regular price. I can more easily tolerate this price. I can also get the old lens fixed and give it to my son for lees than the regular price of the E FL version of the lens.

Hmmmm,... What to do?

WM
 

spb_stan

Senior Member
I would like to complicate matters...try the Tamron 70-200 2.8 G2. Excellent build and sharpness. I have been trying one and it clearly better than my 70-200 2.8 VR Nikkor. I only tried the G2 because I was so impressed with my 15-30 2.8 G2. I never considered Tamron before but after enough people suggested they are really well made I compared the 15-30 to the Nikkor 14-24 2.8 at over $400 lower price. It was sharper and had less distortion than what is often cited as the best wide zoom. It feels great in the hand. The 70-200 2.8 G2 is also $1199.
 

Danno

Senior Member
I will add my two cents. I have had my Tamron 70-200 f/2.8 G2 for a while and I do love it. I use it quite a bit. It would not be a bad choice.
 

jfairman

New member
I've just discovered what seems to be the same symotoms with my nikkor 70-200. I've taken many thousands of photos with it over 4+ years, and when i picked it up today .. nothing. Pressing the focus select button on the D750 does not present options in LCD as it should, and i get no illumination of focus points in the viewfinder when pressing the shutter release. These symptoms don't occur with other lenses in my bag.

Is this failure "normal" for this lens based on age or use? Is there any care/use issue that would have caused the problem?
 

Dangerspouse

Senior Member
Is this failure "normal" for this lens based on age or use? Is there any care/use issue that would have caused the problem?

I don't know if this will help, but earlier this year I ordered a Nikkor AF-P 70-300 ED from B&H Photo, and they shipped it out in a box with no packing materials. The lens was rolling and banging around inside an empty box the entire trip to my house. When I attached it to my D5500 I experienced the same autofocus problem as you're describing. B&H was very apologetic - horrified actually, that someone in shipping slipped up like that - and immediately rushed me a new one (wrapped in about 8 feet of bubble wrap, lol) which worked fine.

So I'm wondering if that might be something that happened to your lens. Did it get knocked, dropped, or generally banged recently? Other than the contacts corroding or otherwise going bad, that's the only thing I've had personal experience with when it comes to this issue.

I hope you manage to get it resolved soon. Suddenly being without a standby lens has got to be frustrating.
 

Marilynne

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
I'm also confident that the issue with mine is the AF motor as well. It is the second time in five or six years that the AF motor has stopped working on this lens.

To make the decision making process easier is that the lens is now on sale at $650 off regular price. I can more easily tolerate this price. I can also get the old lens fixed and give it to my son for lees than the regular price of the E FL version of the lens.

Hmmmm,... What to do?

WM

So, what did you wind up doing Wayne
?
 

Whiskeyman

Senior Member

So, what did you wind up doing Wayne
?

Hi, Marilynne,

I ended up purchasing a new Nikon 70-200 E lens. I got it for about $2050 - $2100 and financed it for 24 months at 0% interest.

I'll get the old one repaired by Nikon (if it doesn't cost too much) and give it to my son. I was in a used camera store today and they had about 7-8 VRII models of the lens. According to them, the newest lens model is good enough to cause a lot of people to get rid of their old ones.

Wayne
 

Whiskeyman

Senior Member
I don't know if this will help, but earlier this year I ordered a Nikkor AF-P 70-300 ED from B&H Photo, and they shipped it out in a box with no packing materials. The lens was rolling and banging around inside an empty box the entire trip to my house. When I attached it to my D5500 I experienced the same autofocus problem as you're describing. B&H was very apologetic - horrified actually, that someone in shipping slipped up like that - and immediately rushed me a new one (wrapped in about 8 feet of bubble wrap, lol) which worked fine.

So I'm wondering if that might be something that happened to your lens. Did it get knocked, dropped, or generally banged recently? Other than the contacts corroding or otherwise going bad, that's the only thing I've had personal experience with when it comes to this issue.

I hope you manage to get it resolved soon. Suddenly being without a standby lens has got to be frustrating.

I've ordered online and received two packages lately that were shipped without any cushioning material within the box. When I called customer service the first time, they acted surprised and asked all sorts of questions and had me send a copy of the shipping invoice to them.

The second time it happened, there wasn't even an invoice in the box. I called customer service and they slipped in a line that they were seeing a lot of complaints like this. A few days afterward, I read a news report about online companies were having issues with their employees deliberately sabotaging their products with inferior or no protection for the items within shipping containers.

So, I'm curtailing my online shopping. Hopefully, if enough people other than me also do this, the employees that get dismissed will be the ones that are responsible for the bad packaging.

WM
 

Dangerspouse

Senior Member
I've ordered online and received two packages lately that were shipped without any cushioning material within the box. When I called customer service the first time, they acted surprised and asked all sorts of questions and had me send a copy of the shipping invoice to them.

The second time it happened, there wasn't even an invoice in the box. I called customer service and they slipped in a line that they were seeing a lot of complaints like this. A few days afterward, I read a news report about online companies were having issues with their employees deliberately sabotaging their products with inferior or no protection for the items within shipping containers.

So, I'm curtailing my online shopping. Hopefully, if enough people other than me also do this, the employees that get dismissed will be the ones that are responsible for the bad packaging.

WM

Wow, I'd never heard that before! I thought my experience was a real anomaly. What online site did you have this problem with, if I might ask. I'd like to steer clear of it!

I sure hope that one experience with B&H was an anomaly and not part of a recent trend in the industry. I've been ordering from them since before there was an internet, and would hate to give them up as a source. Do you have a link to that news story? As a news anchor myself, I'd be curious to read it, see their sources, etc.

Thanks for the info!
 
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