Lens service recommendations (Nikon)

[_dobbo_]

Hi folks. My Nikkor 28-70 f/2.8 is starting to play up a bit when focusing - as in occasionally it won't. Suspect some dust or gunk has built up over the past 12 years.

So, pack it up for a service, but who to? Should I just send to Nikon or would someone else like Fixation be a better option? Calling upon your experiences to help me because my google-fu wasn't finding anything that helpful.

Ta!

[Simpo Two]

I've only needed a repair service once; chose Fixation and they were very good. Maybe talk to both and see who sounds the most helpful?

[ian in lancs]

Nikon or fixation. Used Nikon a few times and no complaints. All transactions / comms done on line. Very efficient

Edited by ian in lancs on Friday 15th January 16:44

[CVP]

I've used Fixation before with good results for heavy cleaning of my old Nikon gear after lots and lots of dust from 3 weeks in the back of a truck in Africa. Despite my best endeavours, the dust just got everywhere. Lenses and camera came back from them spick and span and they'd even done a bit of work for free regluing some of the rubber bodywork surrounds which was starting to peel off. Location used to be a bit dodgy but service was excellent.

[K12beano]

I've used Nikon a few times, easy to book in on line, should provide estimate for you, top notch work as you would expect.

Happy.

[_dobbo_]

Thanks everybody! Will bash the serial number into the Nikon site to start with and see what happens next. If necessary can move on to fixation.

[K12beano]

Side thought, while you're bashing your serial number into the Nikon site....

Do you keep all your gear serial numbers (including secondhand stuff) registered on the Nikon UK site? Can't remember if that makes it easier to log stuff for repair or service - but at least I know I've got all the numbers in one place if stuff gets lost, stolen of damaged. (Last I looked - I think I had about 16 items on there!!! )

[Pickled]

K12beano said:

Side thought, while you're bashing your serial number into the Nikon site....

Do you keep all your gear serial numbers (including secondhand stuff) registered on the Nikon UK site? Can't remember if that makes it easier to log stuff for repair or service - but at least I know I've got all the numbers in one place if stuff gets lost, stolen of damaged. (Last I looked - I think I had about 16 items on there!!! )

If you own certain items it qualifies you for their NPS

https://www.nikon.co.uk/sites/NPSApplication/benef...

https://www.nikon.co.uk/sites/NPSApplication/produ...


Back O/T have you tried cleaning the contacts on the lens with a pencil eraser?

[NiceCupOfTea]

Timely thread.

I'm in the market for an older 35-70 f2.8, but most of the ones on ebay seem to have dust or fungus(!) on them. I've been avoiding them, but as they are a bit cheaper, would it be worth buying one and getting it cleaned/serviced? What sort of ball park figure would I be looking at? £50 or less and it might be worth it but any more than that and I will hold on for a decent one.

Missed a nice one a week or so ago when ebay decided to log me out as I was bidding and by the time I had logged in the auction had ended

[K12beano]

Cup. Avoid fungus like the plague, and avoid the plague like fungus!

Feel free to embrace a bit of dust. You can get an awful lot of dust inside a lens before it inhibits photons as they're quite persistent little buggers.

On older lenses, I'd only be wary that once the AF motor fails, even Nikon will not have the part (so, for example, those big secondhand telephotos eventually become nice manual lenses - just with extra ballast!). So a decent (i.e. from a well-built series that's had an easy to even a relatively hard life with poor cosmetic condition) can still be an optical bargain. You might be AF / AF-D and not have the latest coatings or AF-S, of course.

And if you get fed up with it or want to move to something "better" it can always go back on Bay of Fleas...

[NiceCupOfTea]

So fungus is a nono? Can't just be cleaned at a service?

[ExPat2B]

NiceCupOfTea said:

So fungus is a nono? Can't just be cleaned at a service?

You don't want lens fungus spores in your house/bag ever. Some repair shops will refuse to even take fungus infected lenses in for repair.

Secondly, the damage is permanent, they are eating the coatings and it leaves behind a kind of etching on the glass.

[_dobbo_]

Pickled said:

Back O/T have you tried cleaning the contacts on the lens with a pencil eraser?

Yeah tried that - there is a definite problem with the lens - point it down and the focus mechanism starts sort of "grinding" a bit. Point it up and it stops. So I'm working on the assumption it's in need of some TLC...

[ian in lancs]

after a gazzillion photos my 24-70 f2.8 wasn't so smooth - focus and zoom. Back to Nikon for an overhaul in Jan '15. An o/h plus parts was £120inc vat after a quote of £266. It came back after 13 days sweet, smooth and sharp. The average turnaround time from estimate (that you approve) to invoice (you pay before despatch)is 10 calendar days; add a week or so to that.

Edited by ian in lancs on Friday 15th January 17:03

[ian in lancs]

_dobbo_ said:

Pickled said:

Back O/T have you tried cleaning the contacts on the lens with a pencil eraser?

Yeah tried that - there is a definite problem with the lens - point it down and the focus mechanism starts sort of "grinding" a bit. Point it up and it stops. So I'm working on the assumption it's in need of some TLC...

that's how mine became. Seems as if the lube has dried out.

[K12beano]

ian in lancs said:

that's how mine became. Seems as if the lube has dried out.

My 17-35 (secondhand, eight years ago!) AFS has a squeak about the magnitude of the drum kit on LZ's "Since I've Been Loving You"....for the last five years ...... Should I be worried yet?

[ian in lancs]

K12beano said:

My 17-35 (secondhand, eight years ago!) AFS has a squeak about the magnitude of the drum kit on LZ's "Since I've Been Loving You"....for the last five years ...... Should I be worried yet?

Nah!

[gck303]

ExPat2B said:

NiceCupOfTea said:

So fungus is a nono? Can't just be cleaned at a service?

You don't want lens fungus spores in your house/bag ever. Some repair shops will refuse to even take fungus infected lenses in for repair.

Fungus spores are everywhere! In every breath you breath, even.

Many modern lenses have so many internal elements that the fungus is so time consuming to remove. However, older lenses can often be cleaned and the lens elements re-polished and coatings replaced, but neither of these are cheap processes.

Which lens repair shops refuse lenses with fungus in?