Hi all,

I know the question I'm going to ask is weird - but will owners of this lens please tell me that if the sample I bought is ok.

I just purchased the 80-200 AFS over the weekend and I'm a bit concerned about the amt. of noise that it makes. It makes a 'swooshing' noise(about as loud as a whisper)that is quite perceptible in a quiet room - it also clicks softly when changing focus in Continous mode. Is this normal?

I don't expect it to be dead silent but it seems louder than other samples I've tried - although there were different factors at play when I tested the others (muzak in the bkgrd and high ambient noise). I can't and haven't tested mine with other samples side by side unfortunately. I've been told by a collegue that mine is only slightly louder than his USM L series lens but the same(noise wise) as his non-USM 80-200 L lens! But that doesn't help me.

TIA for any info.

-- Shannon (shong@lhc.qld.edu.au), December 06, 1999

Answers

Shannon, I think the only way to resolve this for yourself is to compare your lens with another in the same environment. The clicking when in continuous mode is typical if you're moving the sensors around the target and lets you know that the mode is working. Unless your lens has a problem, I think you will be very happy when you see your first pictures.

-- Robert Smith (glle@rcn.com), December 07, 1999.

Shannon,

The 80-200 AF-s is not dead silent---I would be quite bothered by that...

The Af-s should be a 'hollow rolling sound.' Sometimes there is a 'hollow thump' when it bounces back from focal extremes. I've never heard a "soft 'clicking' sound" out of mine...no matter what late model af body is used--(n70, n90, n90s, f100, etc)

I've tried the USM L 80-200 and it is no louder.

Your Af-s should not disturb people (even in the quietest of circumstances).

testing side by side always lets you smell the lemon, --Scott

-- Scott Kennedy (skennedy@acalanes.k12.ca.us), December 13, 1999.

The "swoosh" sound is completely normal, and is present in all the AF- S lenses that I've tried. The 80-200 is slightly louder than the 28- 70f/2.8 or 17-35f/2.8, but no louder than the 300 f/2.8. The clicking sound in focus tracking is also normal. It's the sound of the autofocus motor starting and stopping in rapid succession as the lens adjust for subject motion.

-- chuck fan (chaohui@msn.com), February 21, 2000.

Sounds normal. I own one.

The real thing to worry about is shitty quality control. If you can still return it, shine a flashlight through the lens. It took me four samples untill I found one without haze and GRINDING MARKS on the internal lens elements. I looked at three USA lenses in two stores and one mail order grey version.

Watch it: the AFS has a bogus PLASTIC filter thread. Cross thread it once and you'll be having to duct-tape filters on. A lot of the lens barrell, as well as the focus and zoom ring, is also plastic. Tap it or pass it through an x-ray machine and (not) see it for yourself.

Good news is that it's the sharpest 80-200 I've ever used. it's a little sharper at 105mm than my 105 AF micro at far distances.

-- ken rockwell (ken@powerinter.net), April 05, 2000.