Fixing a VR problem

[AnA1995]

How many years of warranty? 1 year

During the "tak tak" sound, look though the viewvinder and observe if you can see abnormal movement inside. If it's moving up and down or sideways, something must be wrong.

For a normal condition: during the "tak-tak" sound the VR element will rotate a bit to lock or unlock. No abnormal movement inside the viewfinder.

During the unlock mode: the VR element will be "floating", seated on 3 ball bearings and can move freely in it's X-Y axis

Thank you fatigue for your reply and advise. Also thank you for starting this thread as all the postings were definitely helps if I decided to DIY. The len should be purchased some time ago, so no more warranty. Guess DIY maybe the way I am considering.

Ok, seem like "tak-tak" maybe normal as the VR may need to initialize itself? However, while the camera still at the "ON" state, it will happen again. Looking through the view finder before and the whole screen seem to shake upwards when it "tak-tak".

One thing to highlight is that the len seem to have something knocking inside when shake a little. Maybe is the "floating" element as you mentioned. Hope is normal. Thank you.

 

[fatigue]

Thank you fatigue for your reply and advise. Also thank you for starting this thread as all the postings were definitely helps if I decided to DIY. The len should be purchased some time ago, so no more warranty. Guess DIY maybe the way I am considering.

Ok, seem like "tak-tak" maybe normal as the VR may need to initialize itself? However, while the camera still at the "ON" state, it will happen again. Looking through the view finder before and the whole screen seem to shake upwards when it "tak-tak".

One thing to highlight is that the len seem to have something knocking inside when shake a little. Maybe is the "floating" element as you mentioned. Hope is normal. Thank you.

Try to turn off the VR. When the VR is off (or camera is off), the "floating" element will be set to lock position. There should be nothing knocking inside.
In fact, even when when VR is ON, the knocking should not be obvious, unless you shake the lens very hard. The floating element is held in place by 3 springs and 3 ball bearings so the movement is limited.

One important tip. If you notice the focusing does not reach infinity and shortest distance, stop using and send for repair immediately.

 

[AnA1995]

Try to turn off the VR. When the VR is off (or camera is off), the "floating" element will be set to lock position. There should be nothing knocking inside.
In fact, even when when VR is ON, the knocking should not be obvious, unless you shake the lens very hard. The floating element is held in place by 3 springs and 3 ball bearings so the movement is limited.

One important tip. If you notice the focusing does not reach infinity and shortest distance, stop using and send for repair immediately.

Thanks... I noticed that when pointing the len vertically toward the ceiling, there is no "Tak-tak" sound at all. Also, when set VR to OFF and MA to A, there is no more "tak-tak" sound too. I believe as you had advised, the "floating" element will be in lock position and thus no noise.

As for the focusing; it does reach infinity and shortest distance. Also, I noticed the previous sliding noise while "focusing" had been reduce.

BTW, notice the front len has some fungus growth. So, need some cleaning. However, need a special tool to open the "ring" thingy. Anywhere could purchase this tool? If not , maybe got to DIY the tool. Come to whose, go to NSC for servicing.

Anyway, will leave in my dry box for a few days and see how it goes. Maybe getting out the humidity will helps a little I hope. Thank you.

 

[AnA1995]

Went to a few shops and many recommended not to repair the VR element. As it is expensive and not worth. Many recommended just to clean the lenses to get rid of the fungus will do. And after cleaning, just use the len without the VR. Hummm....

If I decided to DIY and clean the lenses, may I know how many lenses are there in this VR? From fatigue pictures, it seem to be 2 or 3 pcs? I just want to get a feel of the level of difficulty. Any advise would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[fatigue]

Went to a few shops and many recommended not to repair the VR element. As it is expensive and not worth. Many recommended just to clean the lenses to get rid of the fungus will do. And after cleaning, just use the len without the VR. Hummm....

If I decided to DIY and clean the lenses, may I know how many lenses are there in this VR? From fatigue pictures, it seem to be 2 or 3 pcs? I just want to get a feel of the level of difficulty. Any advise would be appreciated. Thank you.

You haven't search enough. :bsmilie:
Not necesaary to send it to a shop. Some individuals can clean and fix for you at a reasonable price

There are a few elements inside.
This part is just only the VR module

The usual fix is to replace the entire VR module if fungus is located inside the lens of the module. That's the reason why it cost a lot to clean this part.
Let's just say I'm a bit adventurous and brave enough to open up and clean the optics.

 

[AnA1995]

You haven't search enough. :bsmilie:
Not necesaary to send it to a shop. Some individuals can clean and fix for you at a reasonable price

There are a few elements inside.
This part is just only the VR module

The usual fix is to replace the entire VR module if fungus is located inside the lens of the module. That's the reason why it cost a lot to clean this part.
Let's just say I'm a bit adventurous and brave enough to open up and clean the optics.

Thank you for your advise. Yes, totally agreed, I have not search enough. :embrass:

Most shops only offer half the solution. They just clean the lenses without getting the VR to work. For me, I would prefer to get everything working. The "tak-tak" sound is annoying and I would like to eliminate it totally.

Anyway, looking at your pictures, the lenses seem to be only on the front and the VR module itself. So, it only few lenses and may not be too difficult to clean. However, if there is any faulty parts need to replace, it maybe difficult to get.

Yes, in term of adventurous and bravey; you are the man. Also you have a kind heart to share. Thank you.

 

[daredevil123]

Thank you for your advise. Yes, totally agreed, I have not search enough. :embrass:

Most shops only offer half the solution. They just clean the lenses without getting the VR to work. For me, I would prefer to get everything working. The "tak-tak" sound is annoying and I would like to eliminate it totally.

Anyway, looking at your pictures, the lenses seem to be only on the front and the VR module itself. So, it only few lenses and may not be too difficult to clean. However, if there is any faulty parts need to replace, it maybe difficult to get.

Yes, in term of adventurous and bravey; you are the man. Also you have a kind heart to share. Thank you.

Have you thought of just asking fatigue to fix for you? His rates are very reasonable, and his service is awesome.

 

[bluebear]

I bought a 18-200mm in 2007. After ~2 years, the VR function seemed to stop working, focusing became inconsistent and there was an odd plastic rasping sound when turning the zoom ring (the picture of the disintegrated flexible cable clears the mystery now). Nikon service center quoted ~S$800 for a long list of parts and repairs. I declined, reasoning that for over half the price of a brand new replacement (at that time) I could not be sure I would get another 2 years' life out of it, and vowed to stick to simple primes and zoom lenses from then on. At that time, I was really angry and disappointed with the reliability of Nikon's new products - how come my 20-year old manual lenses are still working? (Answer: it has minimal electronics...)

Anyway, what do you all do with your scrap equipment? I still keep it, as it seems a shame to throw out stuff that looks fine physically - at least from the outside.

Fatigue, do you think my lens is still worth repairing? What is your advice on criteria for writing-off equipment? Lens has fungus on it now, though. If not worth repairing, I can pass it to you for spare parts... complete with box

 

[ahandre]

David is the man .... fixed my Nikkor 18-200..... excellent job !

 

[Ansel]

Great job fatigue! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

I always admire people who are willing to share knowledge. I'm sure this thread will be read by many people from around the world!

 

[fatigue]

Great job fatigue! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

I always admire people who are willing to share knowledge. I'm sure this thread will be read by many people from around the world!

Thank you Ansel.
You're right, people around the globe visit clubsnap
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/kopitiam/1049666-thanks-clubsnap.html#post7743635
Once in a while i receive email inquiries from other parts of the world.

 

[Henry Han Oo]

Does anyone know where to find the service manual for Nikon 18-105 lens..I hv opened up to focusing ring but can not continue to remove zoom ring..Need help..Thanks

 

[fatigue]

Does anyone know where to find the service manual for Nikon 18-105 lens..I hv opened up to focusing ring but can not continue to remove zoom ring..Need help..Thanks

Caution: do not remove the last element group. It requires alignment to reassemble and requires a special tool. be careful not to touch the SWM body and the GMR

To remove the zoom ring, you need to remove the zoom rubber grip and a thin plastic cover to access a screw. There are 2 screws, it's the one in the vertical slit.

 

[fatigue]

For those who asked what tape I used to reattached the new flexible cable, here it is:

This double-sided tape is also great for reattaching rubber grip. You may need to trip the rubber grip a bit if the rubber has expanded

 

[Squiddly]

Hi folks, Andy from the UK here.
Dropped by for a couple of reasons, the first of which is to thank Fatigue for his awesome, awesome thread. Thanks to this guide, I was able to take my 18-200 with poor zoom, poor AF and no VR, and fix the zoom and AF.
The step by step pics gave me the confidence and the guidance I needed to work on the lens myself, so again, THANKS!!!

The second reason, if I may be so bold, is to ask for a bit of advice.
I've followed this procedure from end to end, having removed the shredded VR cable and replaced it with a nice new one, and now when I press the shutter halfway, I can hear the VR elements clicking as they "unlock", and then clicking as they "lock" again when I release the shutter.

However, when I look through the viewfinder, the VR elements aren't actually moving in response to movement of the lens. They do move, but only when unlocking and locking again. I've checked by taking multiple images with the vr on and off, and there's no difference between the two, so it seems vr is also not working when the shutter is open .

Do you think there could be a bit of cable trapped in the VR assembly itself? Is there any way I could have a check to see if the VR assembly itself is damaged in any way?

Many thanks in advance, I'm hoping coming here could save me from having to pay (what for me is) a month's wages getting the lens looked at.
Thanks again!

 

[ijnek]

Not sure if I'm right,but I dun think I will c vr movement through view finder...mayb,jus mayb,if u set vr to active,it might b more prominent .in normal mode,vr is activated when shutter button is depressed....correct if I'm wrong...

 

[fatigue]

Hi folks, Andy from the UK here.
Dropped by for a couple of reasons, the first of which is to thank Fatigue for his awesome, awesome thread. Thanks to this guide, I was able to take my 18-200 with poor zoom, poor AF and no VR, and fix the zoom and AF.
The step by step pics gave me the confidence and the guidance I needed to work on the lens myself, so again, THANKS!!!

The second reason, if I may be so bold, is to ask for a bit of advice.
I've followed this procedure from end to end, having removed the shredded VR cable and replaced it with a nice new one, and now when I press the shutter halfway, I can hear the VR elements clicking as they "unlock", and then clicking as they "lock" again when I release the shutter.

However, when I look through the viewfinder, the VR elements aren't actually moving in response to movement of the lens. They do move, but only when unlocking and locking again. I've checked by taking multiple images with the vr on and off, and there's no difference between the two, so it seems vr is also not working when the shutter is open .

Do you think there could be a bit of cable trapped in the VR assembly itself? Is there any way I could have a check to see if the VR assembly itself is damaged in any way?

Many thanks in advance, I'm hoping coming here could save me from having to pay (what for me is) a month's wages getting the lens looked at.
Thanks again!

Try to use a slower shutter speed to compare the photos taken with VR on and OFF.
If you used a high shutter speed, the difference may not be obvious.
Yes, the VR oeration is not easily seen at the viewfinder
There's another thread here in Nikon where they discuss how to check the VR. Sorry, I can't remember the thread title.

If your lens VR is not working, I suspect there's electrical connection on the cable.
Did you use those ordinary flexible cables from ebay? Best is to use the original cable.
To improve the connection using ordinary flexible cable, you can try adding a thin layer of solder on the cable's contacts

 

[degolar]

Hello Fatigue

Thank you for sharing this. My 18-200 VR also got this problem, can you fix it for me? And kindly let me know (may be PM) how much you charge for this service, thank you.

How many years of warranty? 1 year

During the "tak tak" sound, look though the viewvinder and observe if you can see abnormal movement inside. If it's moving up and down or sideways, something must be wrong.

For a normal condition: during the "tak-tak" sound the VR element will rotate a bit to lock or unlock. No abnormal movement inside the viewfinder.

During the unlock mode: the VR element will be "floating", seated on 3 ball bearings and can move freely in it's X-Y axis