Oil on aperture blades - 35 mm f/2 AF-D

I just found deal on a used 35 mm F/2 AF-D. The lens is in perfect condition

cosmetically and optically but the owner says it had the oily blades problem a

couple of months ago. He had the lens repaired and no problems since.

What I wonder is what's possibility of the problem repeating. If it repeats, is

it expensive to fix it? Is there certain solution for this problem? I just want

to know if this problem is certainly chronic. BTW buying a new one is out of the

question right now.

In the US, it costs under $100 to clean the lens and restore it to like new operation. The 35/2 is a good lens, and probably worth the dough. Have it done by Nikon or a Nikon authorized facility. It will be cheaper and faster than through a camera shop, and done right the first time.

 

Some lenses have a propensity to bleed oil on to the diaphgram blades, including the 50/1.4 AIS and 55/2.8 Micro. It is exacerbated by leaving the lens in the sun or an hot car.

Some people report that Nikon has an actual fix, not merely a cleanup, so that if it was taken care of recently the issue might not re-appear at all. It's also been reported that storing the lens on its rear cap helps (to the point where the issue might disappear in a few weeks after it appears), that storing on the side can make things worse, and that heat can make things worse.

I had the same problem on my 35 f/2 AFD and I had it fixed by Nikon. 2 months later the problem happened again. I don't think that they had a "fix" at that time (1999). I did love my 35.

 

If they do in fact have a "fix", I'll have to have mine repaired again.

 

C Painter

Apprently the "fix" appeared in 2001.

I had a 35mm f/2.0 AF-D a few years back that developed oily blades. Nikon fixed it under warranty. The problem reappeared with the lens a year or so later and Nikon gave me a new lens.

 

 

The 35mm f/2.0 AF-D is not a particularly expensive lens, retailing at $320 U.S. Given my prior experiences, I would only buy the lens new with Nikon's five-year warranty.

I own the same lens with the same problem. I bought it new in 1999 or 2000. If I send it to Nikon today for fixing, will it be fixed forever? Joe Smith

"I own the same lens with the same problem. ... If I send it to Nikon today for fixing, will it be fixed forever?"

 

 

No. Again, I had a 35mm f/2.0 AF-D a few years back that developed oily blades. Nikon fixed it under warranty. The problem reappeared with the lens a year or so later and Nikon gave me a new lens.

 

 

I would note that Nikon may have replaced the lens the second time around because I'm an NPS member. From posts I've read, Nikon is not always as charitable to owners of oily-bladed 35mm f/2.0 lenses.

One other thing, the second time the problem appeared, I dealt directly with the head of the service department in Melville. He told me that he was totally unaware of this oily-blade problem having occurred on other 35mm f/2.0 AF-D lenses, which was a total crock of $&!#.

The problem occurs on 35mm F2D is a old problem... by the way if I buy this lens new today, the problem still exsits?

Leon, Nikon has supposedly cured the problem so that it should not appear in new lenses. I'd still want the 5 year warranty as insurance.

Skip the "deal" unless it's for $20. Wait for another one with no oil. They always come up for sale. If you don't have the cash for a new one, you're probably not under pressure to purchase it. Patience, why waste your time with buying a lens with a problem when you can get one without trouble?

Thanks to all for the responses.

I think I'll be waiting for an opportunity to buy a new one.

My 35mm f2 AF-D had oily blades in 2000 (purchased in 1999). It ruined many of my pictures on my vacation to Paris. Nikon fixed it under warranty. (My 20mm f/2.8 also suffered the same fate in 2000) Just two weeks ago, while visiting Machu Picchu in Peru, the same lens s*^t the bed with oily blades and a stuck aperture.

 

I brought it directly to Nikon in El Segundo, CA (I live nearby) and they gave me a nasty response of "we don't have to fix it because its out of warranty." They want $132 to fix it and I asked for a service appeal. If they choose not to fix it or replace it Nikon can eat my socks for the rest of their existence. While it is true that the warranty has expired this lens (the manufacturing run as well as my specific unit) has a history of problems due to their design, not user abuse, neglect etc...

 

Nikon has produced a faulty product in manufacturing and it is a shame that they do not stand behind their product beyond their standard warranty.

 

I would not buy another 35mm f/2 with Nikon's name on it.