I have a problem with a Nikon 35-70/2.8 which I bought used. The lens is generally in a good condition, but sometimes the display of my F90X shows aperture 3.8 instead of 2.8 when the lens is fully open. The lens is a fixed aperture lens and I did not use the macro mode.

Does anybody know such a problem with this or another Nikon lens? Is it just a problem of the display or does it affect the metering (didn't get films back) ? I can not reproduce the effect, but I have seen it several times, the last time long enough to be definitely sure that it is not a halluzination.

thanx

-- Siegfried Boes (boes@first.gmd.de), June 13, 2000

Answers

Try using a pencil eraser to clean the electrical contacts on the lens and in the lens mount. Be gentle, and don't let "eraser crumbs" get in the camera body.

-- Paul Staton (pstaton@houston.rr.com), June 14, 2000.

Are you shure is the lens? I had a similar problem but was the ring in the back of the lens mount of the camera body geting stuck

-- Cali Fuentes (c_fuentes@rcmaxp.upr.clu.edu), June 15, 2000.

I agree with Cali. I have had the same problem with my 8008 and an F4. You may only notice it with the 35-70 if this is your fastest lens. This information is not transferred electronicaly, it is a mechanical interface. You can see if tab, on the ring around the back of the lens mount, is flush with the tab on the lens, when the problem occurs. A simple cleaning should resolve the problem, although it is possible that the tension spring might have to be replaced.

-- Ed Farmer (photography2k@hotmail.com), June 15, 2000.

Thanks for the replies, unfortunately they did not help.

I do not think that it is a mechanical problem (I have several faster lenses). The problem occurs when I zoom back and forth, not only at aperture 2.8 but for all apertures, 2.8 is going to 3.8, 4.0 to 5.6, 5.6 to 8.0 etc. The 3.8 is only visible in the F90X, the rest also in the F801. I have the impression that the meter works with the correct aperture, automatic shutter time in A-mode seems unaffected, but I am not 100% sure.

I do not agree that the aperture information is only transfered mechanically, for example with a variable aperture lens you can see several readings between two-full stops (as the 3.8). Additionally I can see the aperture readings including the 3.8 in data which the PC interface stores (that is impossible mechanically).

-- siegfried boes (boes@first.gmd.de), June 20, 2000.