So the technician confirmed the VR unit was bust and needed replacement. He can't do this so it would have to go back to Nikon. He also cleaned the inside of my D200 for me, at a total cost of TT$90 (about US$14). Nice chap.

I think I will not get it repaired and just use it without VR. I am considering upgrading to a FF (D700) soon and don't want to spend what I guess will be a lot of money fixing a lens that I can't then use on an FF.

You lucky, lucky people.

I eventually found a local technician who repairs Nikon equipment. He phoned me today to say he could find nothing wrong with the lens and thought the clunking was normal. I persuaded him otherwise and he is having another look.

Not confident.

Yeah, I had to send my 16-85 in a while ago for a VR issue as well. Came back like new.

Got my 18-200 back from Nikon repair and I thought at first it was a new lens. Better condition than the day I bought it. Not only did they repair the clunking and make it look like pristine new, it now holds the position at whatever zoom length that you set it at, even with the lens pointing straight down. I was impressed.

I was trying, and failing, to be tongue-in-cheek there. My D200 is getting a bit old in the tooth for me, and I had been considering upgrading to FX when (if?) the new DSLRs come out.

FX or DX no makes no difference to the lens as to if it will go bad, hopefully if can still work in manual mode, so you can have some use out of it.

"Moderate Repair with Major Part" - sounds expensive. My lens is more than 5 years old, so no chance of a warranty repair.

Maybe Nikon is telling me it's time to go FF.

My Nikon 18-200 VR (Original version) has the same exact symptoms. Since it is a US warranty (ie 5 years) it is currently being repaired for free by Nikon. It is listed as Moderate Repair with Major Part. I sent it in about a week ago and it is shipping out to me today.

If it is that much trouble to get it repaired, you should consider just leaving it alone: after all, if it just happens when you turn the camera on, and doesn't otherwise impact image quality, that you might just be better off ignoring it and hope it doesn't get worse.

sorry niko

did not think it was personal, it is the name and address of a camera shop that does repairs that may be able to help.

fyi : we cannot get uptodate Nikon equipment here in the west indies, nor do we have a Nikon service center.

the duties and taxes run at about 45%, so DSLRs are bought by people who are travelling.

Getting service or repairs, you have to take the equipment back to the US yourself, because if you send it out you have to pay duties and vat when it returns.

thought the info would be of interest to anyone in this part of the world, who would need repairs to their Nikon camera or lens.

I stated it was not personal information, and we are not children to be told to read the rules, I just misinterpereted the rules , however, the advice was given with the best of intentions to assist anyone who needed.

again, I am sorry for misinterperting the rules, and will try my best not to run afoul of the management of this forum.

Thanks casperwb - no need to send a PM.

Please do not share personal info (address, phone numbers)in the forum. It's against the forum rules. Use private messaging to share such information. Please read the forum rules.

David's Filmview
*Personal info and directions removed*

casperwb

Many thanks for the info. Do you have an address or any contact info for David's Film View? Google is not finding them for me.

Update on diagnosis.

If the switches on the lens are set to manual focus and VR off, the clunks do not happen when I switch the camera on. The four clunks happen when I switch either the VR on or the focus to M/A.

dormant

check David's Film View in Port of Spain,

they are the only people who might be able to help you, if they cannot, ask them who else could help.

There was a company in Westmall that used to clean fungus and service lens, however they have moved and I cannot remember the name of he company.

The people at Davids should be abe to give you their contact information.

hope this helps.

The lens isn't under warranty any more (it was a grey-market import to the UK). I now live in Trinidad and there is probably nowhere to get it looked at or repaired. Searching has only found one possible dealer, with such a poor web-site that I don't hold much hope for them:

It might have to wait until my next trip to Europe or the USA.

The image shifting up/down in the viewfinder seems indicative of a VR fault: I would have this looked at. Is your lens still under warranty?

Doesn't sound good.

I have a problem with my 18-200 AF-S DX VR - the original model, not the updated one.

When I switch the camera (D200) on, the lens creates four consecutive audible clunks, about half a second apart. In the viewfinder, the image shifts up when I switch on the camera, then shifts down at each clunk (shifting up immediately after each of the first three clunks).

I guess this is the VR at fault. The clunking happens when the VR is both on and off.

I have also noticed the occasional single clunk, but can't reproduce it.

This problem started a week or so ago. The VR and autofocus seem to work OK. Anyone else had this problem or any suggestions?