Nikon 200-500mm confirmed AF Issue

[mongo]

Confirmation that the 200-500 Nikon DOES have and auto focus issue - http://nikonrumors.com/2015/10/06/some-nikkor-200-500mm-f5-6e-ed-vr-lenses-have-af-issue-must-be-sent-back-to-nikon-for-service.aspx/#more-98465


Mongo's lens' serial number is one of those affected.


In one way it is good to know Mongo and others who have tried his lens picked up that there was something wrong with it. In another way it is extremely disappointing that Nikon still do not seem to have their act together when introducing new equipment into the market. Nikon should learn to properly test its own products at its time and expense before boasting to the world that it has a great new product (that does not do what Nikon says it will do). Nikon should not be using its customers to be doing its product testing and development. One must seriously question how much real testing was done on this product before its released if customers noticed the problem virtually the first time they used the lens !! This is just one of a string of faulty issues Nikon products have had e.g D800 left side focus problem, D600 series oil/lubricant issue, 300mm AFS f4 tripod mount etc. Nikon should concern itself more with getting it right rather than getting it out to the market before it is right.

Subject to Mongo's lens being returned and operating completely as expected in relation to the AF acquisition speed and accuracy, Mongo thinks that the AF issue goes further than is admitted/described on the above link.

Irrespective of the outcome, this has left a very bad taste about buying new, untested Nikon equipment


Not happy Jan !!!

[ameerat42]

Am cmmiserates with Mongo.

[Cage]

The sad part of this latest Nikon farce is that they don't seem to be learning from past experiences.

Unbelievable !!!

R&D teams can spec a product to a desired level and hopefully the manufacturing process meets their criteria, but the proof of that pudding can only be confirmed in real life eating. There is obviously something very lacking in Nikon's post-production testing process, if indeed they have one.

They need to forget about secrecy and get their pre-release products into the hands of real life users, those who will test them in a wide variety of conditions, and with varying degrees of care.

I've had the other three products you mentioned, the D800, haven't noticed the LHS focus issue, my D600 had the sensor oil splatter issue, and my 300mm f4 has only been used at high shutter speeds for birding, so the reported wobbly foot problem hasn't reared it's ugly head, yet, but as I start to take long exposure astro shots it may well prove to be less than ideal.

When I buy high end gear, and pay high end price, I expect high end quality.

Not acceptable Nikon !!! Get ya' bloody act together !!!!

[J.davis]

Not a lens problem, but a Nikon one.
My D750 was due for recall, but didn't show signs of the fault, so I didn't send it in.
My D750 was due for a second recall, so I sent it in, even though it didn't show the fault.
Was in repair in Sydney for three weeks and Nikon did't contact me as to progress, so I contacted them. They couldn't find the Job #.
Made all sorts of angry statements over the WWW and any other means available.
Nikon called and said that they had broken the camera and was sending a new one to me, all good.
Nikon really sucks at the customer relations stuff and now their products aren't up to scratch - pity really.
PS. Sigma and Tamron delayed the release of their new lenses until they worked properly.

[cupic]

I just hope that any affected lens shipped to Australia shortly will not be affected
As my order is due before Christmas .... I dont want to be in the situation of bring my
300mm F/4 Vr and this one both for firmware updates

We will see and find out


cheers

[Gazza]

Bugger!

[arthurking83]

[FONT=Verdana]..... In another way it is extremely disappointing that Nikon still do not seem to have their act together when introducing new equipment into the market.

....


Not happy Jan !!!

AK83 also sympathises with the great M too, and there's the biggest problem Nikon have going forward into the future.

The other major thirdparty vendors of competing products have all picked up their game (from a relatively high standard to begin with too mind you!), and are either adding in unique features well above what was once expected .. (which I believe should be standard in ALL similar products) ... or of a high standard of output that puts the so called firstparty vendors to shame in many instances.

Of course I refer to Sigma in the main, but Tamron aren't far behind, and Tokina have always provided serious alternative lens products that Nikon should afraid of.

The major issue comes from those long standing hold outs that refuse to believe that any other brand other than Nikon's own is good enough.
For as long as there are enough of those folks around(and still holding out) .. Nikon will never learn 'the hard way', that in this day and age such ineptitude is not going to cut it.
If those that refuse to believe that Nikon is infallible, or produce products that of such superior quality, don't also join in on a pseudo boycott on the latest and greatest Nikon product .. Nikon will never change(they have no reason too!)

If the product in question were a very cheap lens in the kit lens category .. no one would really care.
And even tho this lens is in the very high value for money category(unusual for a Nikon lens) .. they still can't get it right!

I had this lens in mind as a purchase in the next few months, as an option to the Sigma 150-600S. But as I'm the worlds greatest procrastinator, I've been holding off till news of this calibre surfaced(which I knew it would at some point). I believe it was inevitable at some point.
But now my mind is made up(and more so as a boycott of Nikon's products as much as fear of another Nikon dud product) .. Nikon have assisted me in a definitely positive decision, and the Siggy 150-600S is now a foregone conclusion
(my 50/50 decision was basically down to a matter of the slightly smaller size of the Nikon vs the USB dock capability of the Siggy .. but that changed and now it's simply a matter of the superior overall quality of the Sigma lens )

[mongo]

Thanks for your thoughts Arthur. Believe it or not, they are very much in line with Mongo’s. What Mongo did wrong was break his own rule of NOT buying new Nikon products until they had been in the market place for some time (i.e time for serious people to test them first). Mongo has now made this mistake twice - once being one of the first to get the D800 and now being one of the first to get the 200-500mm. In both cases, there has been serious disappointment and time and trouble spent; all courtesy of Nikon’s lack of interest in developing its products properly and to a saleable standard.


Mongo had gone out to buy either the Tamron or the Sigma but heard about the 200-500mm virtually the same day he had gone to buy one of the other alternatives. He thought that, given its specs re MTF chart, weight and cost that it should be a reasonable bet. The Sigma sport is possibly its best parallel but it is 1 kilogram heavier and about $700 more. Believing that Nikon had some semblance of pride in its product and all the hype about the product, Mongo decided go with it. Again, breaking his own rule and paying the consequences. Mongo should have known better (as he now unshakeably does) particularly when he considers that he loves the sheer quality , performance and value of his Sigma 35mm f1.4 - he should have gone with the other brand alternatives.


Even if the lens is “fixed”, there can be no going back on the view that Mongo has now firmly formed about Nikon.


Mongo expects the lens back in the next day or two and we shall see. Either way, he will never feel good again about his experience with this product and Nikon. The bad taste is here to stay.

[arthurking83]

Actually!

I wouldn't mind if the product I purchase fails on me due to an obvious design manufacturing fault .. even if it happens on multiple occasions.
As long as the manufacturer quickly acknowledges the issue without hesitation and allows the purchaser to simply return it to the store it was bought from and get a new one that is known to have the issue sorted .. no questions asked, no ifs or butts!
I'm betting Nikon won't pay for the postage of the lens to them either!
I see that Nikon USA are accepting responsibility for the postage charges for returned items, so at least Nikon USA have the right attitude towards their customers.

From everything I've heard about Nikon Aus .. it's always the customers responsibility to get defective items back to Nikon to fix!

And again .. it brings me back to the Sigma issue.
That is, Sigma's use of their docking system.
I'm sure that this is probably another issue that could easily be fixed with a firmware update or something like that!
Remember the 300PF VR VR issue?
Apparently the lens had to go back to a repair centre to have the firmware updated!

Such an annoyingly simple issue that could easily be sorted by even a uneducated user at the local store they bought it from!
And a mildly educated user could have done it themselves at home .. with no inconvenience to themselves!
How many thousands/millions of $'s would that have saved Nikon in terms of lost service hours as well as the cost of shipping to and from .. etc.

Yeah that nearly 1 extra Kilo and the much larger diameter of the Sigma have haunted me for many months now .. even after the rumours and subsequent announcement of the Nikon 200-500.
My bag is just already too over stuffed with clutter and glass to fit any more in it ... let alone the Sigma monstrosity.
I have to forgo too much of what I already carry(or like to carry) to fit it.
(but that won't stop me from having one in a few months time )

[Leaping Lupo]

Yes, I waited nearly 10 months for the Nikon version of the Sigma 150-600 S lens, I was about to order a Sigma 150-600 S when Nikon anounced the 200-500. Had a long hard think about it and decided that low price (the get what you pay for scenario), rumors of some sort of Tamron collaboration, (the only lens I have had to have repaired due to quality issues is a tamron), lack of weather sealing were issues more than I could bear. I ordered the Sigma 150-600 S and am please to report it is a gorgeous lens. No regrets about not getting the Nikon 200-500.

[Morgo]

That's a shame to hear, even as a Canon shooter I was keen for this 200-500 to be a great lens.

[mongo]

That's a shame to hear, even as a Canon shooter I was keen for this 200-500 to be a great lens.

thanks Morgo - it might still be but it is an irrecoverable shame about its tainted birth.

BTW got the lens back this afternoon. Due to lousy weather again, Mongo has not had any real opportunity to see how good a job they have done on it. They ran the new firmware through it and also adjusted the AF oscillators. Sounds all so very intriguing but on quick static first impressions, the lens is a little sharper and seems a bit more responsive. However, Mongo needs to try it out on moving birds to see if the slow AF acquisition speed has been overcome. Hope to do this tomorrow if the weather is favourable. It is sharp and works well with a 1.4 and a 1.7 converter on Mongo's D4s (different result with the D800E). Crazy as it sounds, it seems to be faster with the 1.7 than with the 1.4 and just as sharp (on D4s). However real testing required tomorrow.

regards

Mongo

[Warbler]

Geez mongo, you should have bought the Sigma 200-500 instead.

[mongo]

Geez mongo, you should have bought the Sigma 200-500 instead.

very cute Warbler ! but why stop there...? Mongo should just make his own ideal leans from Sigma/Nikon parts....the 300-600mm f5.6..... This may sound like a fanciful joke but such a lens would sell like hot cakes (and be more than thoroughly tested before inflicting it onto the public).

PS- or second best ....a straight 500mm f5.6

[Warbler]

Sigma have already done it for you mongo. They have a 300-800 f5.6. I've not seen one in the wild, but I've seen some birding images from one. Cheaper than the Sigma 200-500 as well. Commiserations anyway.

[mongo]

Sigma have already done it for you mongo. They have a 300-800 f5.6. I've not seen one in the wild, but I've seen some birding images from one. Cheaper than the Sigma 200-500 as well. Commiserations anyway.

thanks Warbler - 300-800mm - nice lens but far too big and heavy. Don't forget that we are talking about long lenses that are lighter and sensibly priced

[Warbler]

I thought you already had a couple of long Nikon primes anyway?

[mongo]

I thought you already had a couple of long Nikon primes anyway?

Mongo had a 200-400 f4 VR and sold it because he did not think it worked well enough over long distances and with converters.

He then used (and still uses) an AFS 300mm f4 which is very good and works well with converters up to X1.7 ( x2 with some effort)

He also has an AFS ii 600mm f4 which is very good but too big and too heavy to carry around into the bush but great in situations where you do not have to walk around with it - ergo the drive to purchase one of the smaller tele zooms like the Tamron, Sigma or now, Nikon 200-500

[JimmyCat]

Not good Mongo!

But just a word of caution on the Tamron - fantastic lens and very impressed with it's performance in all respects on the D800 - particularly in good light. It's also a very good performer on the D3200 but the AF can be a bit slow at times.

The only downside (and very minor at that) has been the lack of support by the dealer and distributor in terms of knowledge re firmware upgrades and dust issues. When Maxwells finally understood that there was a firmware upgrade available (to resolve VR/panning issues) there only solution was for me to send it to Perth (at my cost each way). Any internal dust removal is to be at my cost as this is not considered a warranty item.
Given that neither of the issues are show-stoppers, I haven't bothered but it just brasses me off that once the product leaves the shop you seem to be on your own.

Notwithstanding the above, bottom line for me is - would I buy another lens from Tamron - absolutely. This lens is fantastic value for money, easy to hand-hold and with good technique I believe it matches my Nikon 30mm for IQ.

Cheers

[mongo]

good to hear from you Jimmy. All a bit late for Mongo - he is now commited to this lens and hoping for the best. Mongo's comments are as much to inform others in advance of the possible down sides before commiting. today's brief testing of the lens showed some improvement on the keeper rate re the AF but Mongo thinks it is still quite short of what it should be. Will be taking the results to Nikon in due course and expecting better.

PS - not sure where the Sigmas are in relation to the AF issue compared to nikon and tamron ??