"Jumpy" 18-200mm VR


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marsulein

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Jul 12, 2005
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I have a copy of Nikkor 18-200mm VR (first gen) lens of about 3 years old. Recently I noticed that the time it takes to focus is longer/slower. Besides that there are times where pictures will "jump" when viewed through viewfinder. It will also make some noise as if some elements are shifting inside the barrel. To add on to the agony, while twisting the barrel to zoom in/out it feels, er... how should I say, resistive? It's not as smooth anymore.

Anyone with this experience before? Any idea how much roughly I expect NSC to charge me if I am to send in for service?
 

for the jumpy thing, i believe its the VR assembly. its dying.

time to send it in for a VR replacement. but its gonna be costly... at the same time i believe they will fix the zoom for you, as they will have to disassemble the lens, to a certain degree...
 

When you say "costly" roughly how much do you reckon it can be?
 

What do you mean by the pictures "jump"? It is quite normal for the image in the viewfinder "jumps" as when you shift the camera the VR will try to compensate, and when it reaches the limit it will release and start over, which would make the image appears to jump from one spot to another. If on the other hand your camera is relatively stationary and yet the image in the viewfinder keeps jerking around then it is another story.

And there are indeed lens elements shifting inside the barrel. That is how the VR works - by detecting the movement and shifting the angle of the lens elements so that the projected image remains stationary. The noise that you mentioned comes from the operation of the VR tilting the elements.
 

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i will believe that TS had this lens for 3 years, and there is a difference from then and now, hence this thread.

does the VR activate, but when you disengage it (take your finger off your shutter release button) it will hum for a 2-3 sec more, before ending with a "tiak tiak tiak tiak" sound? the viewfinder should appear to jump and stabilise when the VR is engaged, if it doesnt disengage properly, then its all wrong.

last time i heard someone did a VR replacement, it was in the region of high 300s.
 

Mine is the 1st generation 18-200 VR.
I had the same jumpy problem. If you turn on the camera while looking through the view finder the image will jump a couple of times before settling down.
Had it repaired for $380. Nikon also did something to stop the lens creep and added a rubber ring (to prevent dust I presume; i stand corrected here though).
 

The problem with your lens is a defective flat cable. Common weakness of modern lenses.

Root cause:
The glue that holds the cable in place gives way, then the focusing arm rips the cable
2-2.jpg


1-2.jpg
 

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Why jumpy?

There are 2 types if lines in the cable. 1 group of wire (thick traces) carries the power, the other sends the control.. If one of the control lines is damaged, the VR mechanism will be unstable when power comes in.
DSCN9001.jpg
 

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Solution:

1. Send to NSC- they will replace it with a new cable with a few months warranty
2. Remove the cable- cheapest and will solve the jumpy problem but no more VR function
3. Order the parts overseas - the cable cost 4 times than NSC but you can save on labor charges. ( order one extra and I will fix it for you, I can send you by PM the part number :bsmilie: )
4. We can order a customized cable from a flexible cable maker. Will cost around $4 to $5 but minimum order quantity (MOQ) is 100pcs! :( Let's Mass Order!
5. Another kind of fix. Requires some soldering skills

DSCN890803290007-2.jpg


Then cover with insulation
6-2.jpg


Note: I'm not convincing the TS to send the lens to me. I'm fully booked for the next few weeks.
 

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Hi fatigue, I tried to send you a PM but your inbox is full. I would love to get my 18-200 fix. Please let me know the detail on how best I can accomodate you. Thanks.
 

I just repair mine at NSC, $341.35 to be exact. It has exactly the symptoms you describe. After the servicing and repair, it is as good as new and can focus faster. Oh..it comes with 6 months warranty after repair (some consolation).
 

I just repair mine at NSC, $341.35 to be exact. It has exactly the symptoms you describe. After the servicing and repair, it is as good as new and can focus faster. Oh..it comes with 6 months warranty after repair (some consolation).

Thanks a lot for the info. I'll see how I can sort this out with bro fatigue before walking over to NSC. It's just 10 mins walk from home but yet my feet are so heavy they refuse to move. :sweatsm:
 

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