For anyone who hasn't followed the saga of my over-exposure problem with a 60 Nikkor Micro....the folks here have helped me figure it out....the lens is broken on the inside..possibly from having stuck a sigma cap on the rear in haste....don't like changing lenses in the field....however, the lens has to take a trip with my wife to New York for repairs...the lens not my wife...she stills works great ...my advice from this:
Use the supplied rear cap that came with the lens when you bought it!!! If you have a different cap on yours that did NOT come with the lens, change it now if it's not already too late.
My thanks to all who sorted me out on this dilema...the current thread is here:
A Sigma or generic lens cap would not cause this problem. Having serviced these lenses for years I've seen this hundreds of times. This is commonly caused by mounting the lens on the camera body in the incorrect start position and then forcing the lens past the aperture control lever in the camera body. Most often damage is caused to both the aperture control mechanism in the lens and in the camera body as well. I would recommend having both checked even if your only experiencing obvious problems with the 60mm. I'd be glad to recommend a Nikon Authorized Service Center in your area. Sorry I did not catch your post last week, I was on vacation.
OOPS, I just noticed your in the Cayman's, sorry! The Nikon Service Center in Melville will do well for you. I also have friends that run a Nikon Authorized Service Center in Miami if that's of any help.
Thanks Dave, I wish I was going to NYC with my bride so I could have both checked....Since we live in the Cayman Islands, it will have to travel to get sorted out....
john
My friend's lens was almost certainly damaged by a Sigma rear cap - I checked it myself and this particular cap did foul on the rear of the lens (it wasn't the same as most Nikon fit rear caps as it was shorter - I've no idea what it came off) - my repairer too has seen many of these repairs and suggested that it might also happen when the lens is put down heavily without a rear cap on! Not what anyone would want to do..... and my friend is adamant that he never did this either.
I can't say for sure whether or not my sigma cap is the culprit...it has had a nikon cap on it for a while now...but a sigma cap has been on it in the past....all of my other lenses seem to function correctly on the D100 so I think I will just send the lens for repair...capturing wild blue iguanas in little cayman was hectic and a lot of lens changing going on...no telling how or when...we can put this to bed now and focus on repairs...thanks for the input guys....by the way Dave, can you email me the Nikon contact in Miami for future reference? We normally have to fly thru Miami to get to anywhere else from here...could come in handy in the future....I also have a freight forwarder there and they could send things back and forth for me!!!
Aurabest,
john
The service centers are in North Miami and Delray Beach, you can reach them throught their website at: Southern Photo Technical Service. Ask for Zack or Carl and tell 'em Dave Marsh sent you.
Thanks for the info Dave, I will record the contact info and next time up, will look in on them!
Going for a swim....flat out back!!
Get off the couch Giles!!!
john
I agree with Dave, having been a camera repairmen in the past, it seem to me unlikely that a lens cap would be the culprit, most likely that thin and highly exposed aperture lever on the lens got whacked without you noticing it, Moral ! whenever you feel youre in a rush to change lens is the good oportunity to take your time.
Cheers
Life is too short to harp on and be difficult BUT I reiterate that I DID check and this (Nikon fit) rear lens cap did indeed bear down on the aperture lever on the rear of the 60mm lens. It was a shallow cap and I'm pretty sure it was a Sigma (at least it had their Greek letter 'E' on it). I cannot recheck as it was consigned to the bin very quickly. Given that caps have been made for Nikon lenses since 1959 it is hardly surprising that there may be incompatibilities somewhere.
It also came from an excellent dealer who has an unbelievable amount of used stock but who is a bit haphazard with caps - often used lenses are supplied with caps which are not original. I don't know what this one was off but it certainly wasn't supplied the 60 as my friend had bought this lens new but had bought other used lenses from the dealer. Moral is to check that EVERYTHING is compatible and always to take care when changing lenses, etc., etc..
...my advice from this:
