Semibroken 80-200 mm f/2.8 lens: what to do?

[OreoCookie]

In 2008 I bought a used Nikon 80–200 mm D f/2.8 lens (the last push-pull version), and I love the images it gives me. I tried to take good care of it, had it serviced once in the early 2010s by Nikon and stored it safely in my camera bag. Unfortunately, recently, the AF failed. I gave it to another shop and I just got a call this morning that there are no parts available that are necessary to have it fixed. Furthermore, some of the lenses have fungal growth on them (I live in Japan now, so it is very humid and mold is an issue for clothing, books, etc.). I'm a bit gutted. I have tried taking photos in manual, but I am not good enough to capture e. g. my kids as the depth of field is really thin.

Of course, I could look into replacing it like-for-like, but I am not sure if it is wise to invest into dslr equipment at this point. I have a D7000, which after 10 years is still working perfectly. However, given the age of the body, I don't know whether it'll continue working for another year or 5.

What should I do, any ideas?

 

[mollyc]

While it's true many manufacturers are phasing out dSLR gear, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a dSLR mount lens if it filled a specific need.

I've been very happy with the Nikon Z line, and with an adapter you can use most F mount lenses. In your case, if you aren't looking for a full body switch, I'd fine a suitable F mount lens and just make sure it's compatible with the FTZ adapter and then use it on your existing camera until you feel the need to upgrade bodies. Whenever that happens, you can move to a Z mount and use the adapter.

 

[OreoCookie]

The prices for used dslrs have plummeted here in Japan, so I could pick up a full frame body for very little, too. If I had a lot of money to spare, I’d invest into Fuji’s X-mount system. Or get another X100-series camera — the one I had gave up the ghost. Ugh. But the latest iteration of the X100 has gotten really expensive, about $1,600 here.

 

[bunnspecial]

I have that lens, and as much as I like it, I hate to say that mine hasn't been touched other than an occasional comparison since I got the 70-200mm f/2.8 AF-S VR(1). Although I like push-pull zooms, mine always creeped like crazy(hard to make an f/2.8 tele zoom that doesn't that's also not uncomfortably stiff) and of course AF is both loud and slow. Speed is okay on something like an F5 or D1 where Nikon took the in-body motors seriously, but I've noticed that newer cameras seem to have lost some oomph from them(guessing because screwdriver lenses are less common now) although the single digit bodies with their big batteries and higher voltage focus motors do better than others.

Even if it could be fixed, I'd suggest that the money is still better put toward one of the three 70-200s. All three versions have their ups and downs(first version better center performance, second more consistent edge-to-edge but not as sharp in the center, 3rd version $$$$$ plus no aperture control on film bodies if you care about that) but in my testing edge performance on the first 70-200 is still better than center(wide open) on the 80-200 push-pull, and of course contrast goes to heck wide open on the push-pull. The 70-200s work really well on the FTZ, and of course your push-pull will never AF on it.

I do understand too, though, if you are tied to push pull(which I personally especially like for tracking in manual focus). If you need an aperture ring but can live with a 2-ring zoom, the non-AF-S 80-200 f/2.8D(revised) is there and the AF gearing is such that it will generally focus faster. The one I would avoid of all of them is the 80-200mm f/2.8 AF-S, as like all the first-gen AF-S motors I'm aware of, it will likely fail sooner rather than later and put you back to where you are now.

 

[BrianBaughn]

Wow…if you can't get a Nikon camera lens fixed in Japan it really must be the apocalypse.

 

[Fishrrman]

If no one can fix it (no parts), then... no one can fix it.
Time to move on.

Either pick up a used copy or look for a suitable replacement.

 

[bunnspecial]

Wow…if you can't get a Nikon camera lens fixed in Japan it really must be the apocalypse.

It also hasn't been made in over 25 years, and a lot of those lenses were used by pros who beat them up pretty hard and consequently probably hit the parts stash hard(especially given that the AF system gets stressed a decent bit on these)

 

[OreoCookie]

I have that lens, and as much as I like it, I hate to say that mine hasn't been touched other than an occasional comparison since I got the 70-200mm f/2.8 AF-S VR(1). Although I like push-pull zooms, mine always creeped like crazy(hard to make an f/2.8 tele zoom that doesn't that's also not uncomfortably stiff) and of course AF is both loud and slow. Speed is okay on something like an F5 or D1 where Nikon took the in-body motors seriously, but I've noticed that newer cameras seem to have lost some oomph from them(guessing because screwdriver lenses are less common now) although the single digit bodies with their big batteries and higher voltage focus motors do better than others.

Yeah, I have the impression that the screw motor on most bodies these days is just an afterthought included for compatibility. It certainly isn’t the fastest lens and the razor thin depth of field makes it very hard to focus even with AF. I learnt the hard way that if the person’s face isn’t coplanar with the sensor, it really matters what eye you are focussing on. And I am not good enough focussing manually (and with the standard screen on my D7000) to get good pictures reliably.

Even if it could be fixed, I'd suggest that the money is still better put toward one of the three 70-200s.

Yeah, I guess I will have to save up to that. Although I am tempted to switch to mirrorless (Fuji X-mount … ?)

I do understand too, though, if you are tied to push pull(which I personally especially like for tracking in manual focus). If you need an aperture ring but can live with a 2-ring zoom, the non-AF-S 80-200 f/2.8D(revised) is there and the AF gearing is such that it will generally focus faster. The one I would avoid of all of them is the 80-200mm f/2.8 AF-S, as like all the first-gen AF-S motors I'm aware of, it will likely fail sooner rather than later and put you back to where you are now.

I wasn’t tied to push-pull, I just love that lens. AFAIK they also made a non-push-pull version with the same optics in between my lens and the first-gen 70-200 mm. I’m just emotionally attached to it, I think most of my favorite photos were taken with that lens.

 

[tcphoto1]

There are shops like KEH in Atlanta that work on just about anything, Nikon won't likely touch it but those Independents will.

 

[bunnspecial]

Trust me, I TOTALLY understand the sentimental value on something. It's why I still have my first camera even if I rarely use it!

With that said, even an independent that had the parts to repair it might charge you 1/3-1/2 the cost of a 70-200mm. I can virtually promise that you won't regret that purchase when you go to use the lens. Even the first version, which is what I have, is so quiet, VR is wonderful(even if it's louder on this version than on newer ones) and it's great wide open.

Of course your push-pull does have its own unique rendering especially wide open, and as long as MF still works(I seem to recall that sometimes the AF going also takes out your ability to engage MF on it or jams the AF/MF selector ring) you could use it for the times where you want that look.

 

[Clix Pix]

There are shops like KEH in Atlanta that work on just about anything, Nikon won't likely touch it but those Independents will.

Actually, didn't a year or several months ago Nikon announce cessation of support and then actually stopped providing parts to independent repair shops? If those shops now don't have the parts they won't be able to do much with a broken Nikon lens or camera body.....

 

[bunnspecial]

Actually, didn't a year or several months ago Nikon announce cessation of support and then actually stopped providing parts to independent repair shops? If those shops now don't have the parts they won't be able to do much with a broken Nikon lens or camera body.....

I do think the independents are mostly gone.

With that said, KEH MIGHT manage a repair if they hold back ones too damaged to sell even in "UG" grade and can pull parts from them, but on a lens with a known weakness I don't know how I'd feel about fixing with used parts.

 

[tcphoto1]

Actually, didn't a year or several months ago Nikon announce cessation of support and then actually stopped providing parts to independent repair shops? If those shops now don't have the parts they won't be able to do much with a broken Nikon lens or camera body.....

Just trying to help, all you can do is try to find someone that can repair it.

 

[Clix Pix]

With luck, since this is an older lens, maybe one of the (formerly) authorized or independent repair shops will still have the necessary parts. Certainly worth asking around, anyway!

 

[OreoCookie]

Actually, didn't a year or several months ago Nikon announce cessation of support and then actually stopped providing parts to independent repair shops?

Spot on.
They had someone willing to do the repair, but warned me that they might not get the parts. When they called back, they gave this as their reason for not being able to repair it.