I know this doesn't help, but I was just thinking I've never experienced ANY wiggle (play) in my Nikon camera bodies and lenses. Once they click together they are absolutely rigid. I would have thought that 2 metal mounts locking together would always produce this result. By the sounds of things I've just been lucky. Hope you get your problem sorted elvishefer.

I'd send both into Nikon Melville and have them work on it. . .that sort of tolerance is unacceptable, the contacts have to touch for the AF!!

@Bernard - Your post didn't surprise me at all. I live in France and when I found a fine black line appeared from the left hand of my two focus point brackets I instinctively knew that to send it to the French service department was just going to result in more problems. Fortunately I am moving back to the UK in July.

Thanks Tao!

Didn't someone have have a similar issue in another thread but with a D7000 or another body - same lens I think. If I recall he actually pushed or didn't push the release button while putting the lens on or something like that. I think everyone assumed that that action of pushing the button reset something. We were all scratching our heads at that one. Thought it might be worth mentioning.

Still waiting until I have a second body to fall back on. I'm supposed to contact the dealer to see about a loaner D700 but I've been too busy with the day job.

I've figured out how to hold the lens and camera to minimize the occurrence of the problem, so for now, it's half-assed 'worked around'.

Still annoys me though. ;)

So...

I wonder if he ever solved his issue?

Yes I have just experienced this issue on my D90. I didn't get an error message but I couldn't take any photos as the lens simply couldn't focus. I remounted it and after a few attempts it finally started working. It does have quite a bit of wiggle on the D90; it has a very slight wiggle on my D700.

@NSX - the error message the camera gives is 'non-cpu lens detected'

@studio - because the plot thickens...

I took it to the dealer on Saturday hoping to trouble shoot a bit and avoid a lengthy fix.

Tried the 70-200mm on a D90 and a D7000 body and could not reproduce the error.

I was kinda hoping it happened on other bodies because, since other lenses work on my D300s without the problem, it seems to be something about my lens and my body together.

So both go back to Nikon to figure out as soon as I can manage to part with the camera.

Two fun aspects of my trip to the camera store:

1) I had them create a pre-order list for the D800 (whatever it will be called) and put me at the top of it. How's that for optimism? ;) I'm sure I'll be thrilled in one or two year's time when it finally ships.

2) D7000 + 70-200mm is very, very much lighter than D300s, grip, RRS L-plate + 70-200mm. It's neat how used to something one can get. My combo didn't feel heavy before...

Did you check if you got an error message?

elvishefer said:
. . . yeah, I've cleaned the contacts a few times now. Sadly, not a solution.

Elvis--I feel so sorry for you. Thankfully, mine at least, appears fully functional. Why haven't you just returned it to the dealer?

@Gareth - yeah, I've cleaned the contacts a few times now. Sadly, not a solution.

My big lenses have wiggle, but it doesn't affect there use. Did you say you cleaned the contacts?

Yes, I was VERY disappointed too, especially considering that I had to take my D300 back to Nikon 6 times to get it fixed !
The thing is that in France, the workshop guys are not employed by Nikon. They're sub-contracted, and they don't seem to care much. We all used to be able to take the sick gear to them and discuss the problem with the technician in charge of the repair. Not any more… They stopped that about 5 years ago, but the complaints coming from the professional retailers who had to follow the same rules grew so high lately, that they recently re-started this facility for them, but not for the public…

This would never happen in Japan I promise you !…

elvishefer said:

While I'm a disappointed that my 'pro' combo has such a flaw, I'm surprised how many of you have similar issues.

I'm surprised myself at the number of similar responses. I totally thought it was a simple mechanical adjustment of some sort which Nikon may even perform on the spot. Weird.

Okay, upon cursory inspection, it seems as if the "notch" which locks the lens into its bayonet would seem to be simply too large. I don't see why a simple replacement of the flange on the rear of the lens wouldn't solve the problem. It appears to be attached by five machine screws around the perimeter, and two side-screws. Not sure if the flange is shimmed during assembly or not. If not, it should be a five-minute repair.

I just tested my 70-200 VR I on my D7000 body. There is about a one- to two-degree wiggle. As I wiggled, thankfully, there was no loss of electrical contact and the lens appears to function fine.

So Nikon wants both camera and lens, which was to be expected.

While I'm a disappointed that my 'pro' combo has such a flaw, I'm surprised how many of you have similar issues.

@thomas, bernard - I tried the lens on my TC203 III and it's not as bad, but it still happens.

@NSX - I haven't confirmed the error code yet, but I'll check.

@Monty - I'm not sure I'm comfortable trying a fix myself, but there would have to be some way to minimize the free play. I'm not much of a handyman so I'll let the Nikon folks try it.

@Mike - Nikon said 24h response on the email, and they responded with all of 30 min to spare. Talk about just-in-time customer service ;)

Thanks for your input folks, your ideas helped get me thinking about things I normally wouldn't have thought of or tried.

Cheers,
Jeremy

My D300 goes all out of what when I try to use the 70-200 with a TC11.
The same combo on my D700 works just fine.

I have had the very same problem with my D300 + TC 1,4 + 70/200 VR, resulting in black pictures.

It took 2 years and 6 visits to Nikon to get it right. I even had to tell the Nikon guys myself what the problem was ! :o(
Excessive play was obviously in the TC 1,4 since I had no problem with the 70/200 alone.
The first 5 times they just said they cleaned and adjusted the camera exposure system (Whatever that means). Fortunately I had bought an extended warranty, so it did not cost me a thing except some nervous peaks !

SO, send your camera AND the lens back. It will make sure that they do mend whichever is the culprit.

At least I'm not the only one! I'll report what Nikon says when I take mine in (I live real close to a Nikon depot).

My 70-200 VII has had a "Wiggle" since day 1 too. None of my other lenses have this issue.

I guess you could clean the camera contacts before you send it off.

But on my D40, I've had such issues with my 18-135 lens. Sometimes the camera wouldn't take a photo because the lens would "detach" from the lens- the camera can't sense the lens.

I turn it off, turn it back on, rotate the lens, since there's a little play, and everything's fine. A minor issue, but it has caused me to miss a shot once in a while. I notice it when the shutter release doesn't go off.

The body, however, will show an error message, however, like err, lens not attached.

So I don't think your issue is the same with my issue.

It might be because my lens has a plastic mount. The same issue hasn't happened with my 35mm 1.8 or my 105 macro, and I've been changing lenses quite often between the two.

Hope you find a solution to your problem.

Just curious, does your camera ever say that it cannot detect the lens?

Have on occasion borrowed a 70-200 VR with the same problem. It has had the problem since new. I think that the simplest way of fixing is a DIY thin rubber seal. All the camera-lens data should be passed through the contacts, right?

Hi Jeremy and Studio,

Clearly you're going to have to get it fixed. Call Nikon support, too, they are weak on answering email, it's _possible_ that there's nothing more than giving it a good hard twist to ensure it's on (not likely, but hoping). ;-)

If it is just one lens - and you have a fairly high number of lenses 7-10 or so - it would seem to be a lens and not the body. You might also look at the lens flange connectors carefully - something you probably already have done.

If the lenses are 'loose', there should be some 'wear marks' on them from where they were a bit loose, that should give some clue to where they are slipping.

Hope this helps and my best,

Mike

I have noticed some telephoto lenses have a wiggle like that, I know my AF-S 300mm F4 does, but I've never had the lens lose electronic contact with the body.

@spraynpray - excellent point, I think I will.

@studio isn't it a weird problem? I'm hoping that because of your similar experience it's the lens, not the body. I can go without it while they fix it!