No hope for a broken Nikkor 105/1.8?

[Jesper]

I have just received word from a Nikon repair shop that they are not interested in having a look at my 105/1.8 Ais since there are no parts available.

The problem is that the focus ring is no longer connected to the focusing mechansim.
Focusing worked but was a bit stiff so I exercised it a bit back and forth when it became loose.

Just wondering if anything can be done or if it is a lost cause.
I would hate throwing it away.

 

[Jeff Kubach]

You might try other repair shops.

Jeff

 

[Ian C]

Seek a COMPETENT repair shop. The shop you described can’t be competent.

There is usually only a simple 3-screw clamp at the front just under the filer/name ring that connects the focus ring to the driver helicals. Somehow the screws lost their grip on the clamp. How the screws loosened is puzzling. Nikon applies a dab of lacquer to the side of these screw heads where they meet the clamp. When it hardens, it immobilizes the screws so that they cannot loosen unless forcibly turned with a screwdriver.

If the lens is used, it might have been disassembled by someone who failed to reapply the securing lacquer allowing the screws to eventually loosen. This is really a simple job. Since the clamp has loosened, the infinity focus will be lost. That has to be re-indexed just prior to tightening the clamping screws and securing the screws with the lacquer.

On a few lenses the clamping screws are under a rubber gripping ring on the barrel. I’ve had no reason to disassemble my 105/1.8 so I’m unsure of the location of the screws for this particular lens.

This should be utterly simple for a camera technician worthy of the title. Look elsewhere for competent service. If the focus is stiff, this might be the time to have the helicals cleaned of old, dry lube and fresh helicoid lubricant installed.

 

[Jesper]

Thanks for the tips.

The repair shop that turned me down was one out of two authorized Nikon repair shops in Sweden.
I'll try to find another one.

 

[perkeleellinen]

If you don't mind sending it overseas, you could contact Newton Ellis in Liverpool:
http://www.newtonellis.com/repairs.html

 

[mgb74]

As I understand your post, they wouldn't even bother to check out the lens. What they're saying is that since parts are no longer available from Nikon, they don't want to take the chance of investing time when there may not be a repair possible.

Given that many repairs don't require parts, I'd not only find another shop for this repair, but avoid this shop in the future.

 

[R gould]

I would suggest Newton ellis in Liverpool, if you don't mind sending overseas,http://newtonellis.co.uk They are, in my mind, possibly the best photographic repairers in the U.K., and would almost certainly sort it out, I use them a lot for my collection of classic cameras and they have never yet been unable to repair/service anything I have sent them,
Richard

 

[John Koehrer]

As I understand your post, they wouldn't even bother to check out the lens. What they're saying is that since parts are no longer available from Nikon, they don't want to take the chance of investing time when there may not be a repair possible.

Given that many repairs don't require parts, I'd not only find another shop for this repair, but avoid this shop in the future.

That's exactly right.
Open the box. Ooops it's discontinued, send it back.

 

[John Koehrer]

Day late and a dollar short? The connection between the focusing ring and collar is usually three ~1mm set(grub) screws. Roll the rubber grip off and they should be visible.
Set the focus and the ring to infinity and tighten them.