Odd issue with Nikon 200-500

gramps

gramps

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Out this morning testing the hired Nikon 200-500 on my D500 ... I used it on Monday in grim light and was as pleased as I could be in the conditions.
Today was bright and sunny but other than that the testing was much the same, I tested in Manual, Shutter Priority and Aperture Priority and during the morning I noticed an odd occurrence several times.
I had my D500 AF set to Group Area-AF with Single-Point AF override by pressing button fn1.
Most of the shots were taken with the lens resting on a beanbag and the rest were hand-held, the camera body had a battery grip attached.
The oddity is that the AF would momentarily switch from Group Area-AF to Single-Point without any input or action from me ... I am also 99.9% certain that nothing activated the fn1 button without my knowledge.
My initial thought was maybe dirty/damaged contacts on the lens but could this actually alter AF rather than stop it working?
Any other thoughts?
 
•


Your body, Roger, can recognize if your shooting H or
V frames and maybe, once in V frame, it is preset to
go to single point operation and last point remembered.
 
Kodiak Qc said:
•


Your body, Roger, can recognize if your shooting H or
V frames and maybe, once in V frame, it is preset to
go to single point operation and last point remembered.
Click to expand...

I don't think it is set to do that Daniel but even so all shots were taken in landscape mode (H).
 
never experienced anything like that !!
contact the hire company and complain maybe get the cost of the hire compensation
 
holty said:
never experienced anything like that !!
contact the hire company and complain maybe get the cost of the hire compensation
Click to expand...

Bit premature to complain about the lens as I don't know for sure it is the cause of the problem ... and I did get 12 days for the price of 3! :D
 
gramps said:
Bit premature to complain about the lens as I don't know for sure it is the cause of the problem ... and I did get 12 days for the price of 3! :D
Click to expand...
Yeah a bit tough on them to complain - intermittent fn1 button contact or issue perhaps? I guess if the same happens on another lens, you'll know it's the body
 
Gil Bev said:
Yeah a bit tough on them to complain - intermittent fn1 button contact or issue perhaps? I guess if the same happens on another lens, you'll know it's the body
Click to expand...

Never had it happen before Gil and it's been used with a number of different lenses ... hopefully out again tomorrow so I will be more aware of it. :)
 
Hi @gramps

I hired a 200-500 from them last year and it had to go back as the AF was faulty and pretty much unusable and the lens hood wouldn't stay on properly.

On closer inspection to the front element, it looked pretty certain that the lens had been dropped on a previous hire. Could this be the same sort of problem do you think?
 
wezza13 said:
Hi @gramps

I hired a 200-500 from them last year and it had to go back as the AF was faulty and pretty much unusable and the lens hood wouldn't stay on properly.

On closer inspection to the front element, it looked pretty certain that the lens had been dropped on a previous hire. Could this be the same sort of problem do you think?
Click to expand...

I can't really fault the non-adjusted AF in the conditions I've had to use it in Wez and although the hood is a bit 'iffy' (almost all the reviews I've read on this lens complain about it) I've no reason to think the lens has been dropped. Most of the time the AF works as I expect it to, it's just this occasional switch to Single-Point without me doing anything that is puzzling ... and of course may have nothing to do with the lens. :)
 
I only ever use single point so i'm afraid i can't help.
 
Oops misread...
 
Not a problem I've come across using mine gramps, do you use a body protection case if so could it be that, that is a bit tight on the button ?, also I have mine set up for two bbf , af-on button single point and multi selector/joy stick 25 point area, it's easy to switch between the two while using he camera, the joy stick takes a bit of getting used to, as you use the centre press and I tend to be a bit ham fisted :-)
 
wanilson said:
I have mine set up for two bbf , af-on button single point and multi selector/joy stick 25 point area, it's easy to switch between the two while using he camera, the joy stick takes a bit of getting used to, as you use the centre press and I tend to be a bit ham fisted :)
Click to expand...

I have a lot of trouble with the centre press. Always end up moving the focus area instead :(
 
gramps said:
I tested in Manual, Shutter Priority and Aperture Priority and during the morning I noticed an odd occurrence several times.
...
The oddity is that the AF would momentarily switch from Group Area-AF to Single-Point without any input or action from me ... I am also 99.9% certain that nothing activated the fn1 button without my knowledge.
My initial thought was maybe dirty/damaged contacts on the lens but could this actually alter AF rather than stop it working?
Any other thoughts?
Click to expand...
I'm not a Nikon expert myself, and unfortunately all my staff who are Nikon experts are on holiday this week. But still I don't see how the lens could be causing that..... except for one remote possibility which I'm not able to evaluate intelligently.

Some Nikon lenses (eg 70-200 E-type, 200-400, big primes from 200 f/2 upwards) have a button that allows them to control certain focusing functions. On the D500, what this button does is set by menu item f1 - see page 301 of your user manual and pages 97-103 of your menu guide. I know the 200-500 doesn't have the focus control button, but I wonder if the communication between the camera and lens is glitching and the camera thinks it's getting a signal from the lens that this button has been pressed?

As I said, I'm not an expert and I have no idea how likely this is. What I'm describing might not be physically possible. But just to be safe, if you disable the L-Fn button on menu f1, that should stop it.
 
StewartR said:
I'm not a Nikon expert myself, and unfortunately all my staff who are Nikon experts are on holiday this week. But still I don't see how the lens could be causing that..... except for one remote possibility which I'm not able to evaluate intelligently.

Some Nikon lenses (eg 70-200 E-type, 200-400, big primes from 200 f/2 upwards) have a button that allows them to control certain focusing functions. On the D500, what this button does is set by menu item f1 - see page 301 of your user manual and pages 97-103 of your menu guide. I know the 200-500 doesn't have the focus control button, but I wonder if the communication between the camera and lens is glitching and the camera thinks it's getting a signal from the lens that this button has been pressed?

As I said, I'm not an expert and I have no idea how likely this is. What I'm describing might not be physically possible. But just to be safe, if you disable the L-Fn button on menu f1, that should stop it.
Click to expand...

Thanks for taking the time Stewart, I know what you mean about the lens button, I have them on my 500 f4 VR.
I have checked menu item f1 and L-Fn was set to AF-Lock (default I assume as I don't remember setting it) and there appears to be no option to switch it off altogether.
I wiped the contacts last night and it only happened once today but I have no idea if that has any bearing on the issue.
One more opportunity to use it on Monday, will probably remain one of life's small mysteries :)
 
wezza13 said:
How are you finding the lens so far, Roger?
Click to expand...

Had a good day with it today Wez, used mainly on a monopod and that seemed to work well.
AF seems solid with the D500 and the ability to zoom in and out a little was a reminder of just how useful that is ... is it good enough to give up my 500 f4? ... I don't know.
Monday I'll get out with it on the D7200 and see how that does.
 
gramps said:
Had a good day with it today Wez, used mainly on a monopod and that seemed to work well.
AF seems solid with the D500 and the ability to zoom in and out a little was a reminder of just how useful that is ... is it good enough to give up my 500 f4? ... I don't know.
Monday I'll get out with it on the D7200 and see how that does.
Click to expand...

That's good to hear, look forward to your final review (y)
 
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