D200 problem

[stevesmith1]

I have had my D200 now for about two months and has performed faultlessly to

date, until this morning.

 

I use third party sigma lenses, throughout the focal length to 300mm, anyway I

attached my 24-70mm zoom this morning, went into the garden to capture some

strange bird and whilst attempting to focus in on the bird (using spot metering)

the lens appeared to be whirring away and struggled to focus at all. I

immediatley changed lens but the same thing, strange whirring noise and was

unable to capture anything. I put my third lens on and once again same problem.

 

Please tell me this is not a problem with the camera.

 

Many thanks

 

 

Steve

[Matthew Brennan]

Steve,

 

I initially thought you might have a broken AF drive screw but now I'm guessing that the 24-70mm lens you mention is an AF-S model and thus has it's own built in AF servo. If this is the case and your Sigma zoom to 300mm is also a HSM model then I'd begin with looking at the contact points on your D200 mounting ring, it maybe a poor / dirty contact between it and the lens bayonets?

[juan_parm_nides]

I think in a poor contact too. If cleaning the contacts do not fix this issue, send your camera to service.

 

Anyway, try to reset the camera to factory settings, replace or full charge the battery and if still you have problems, then send to service.

[ShunCheung]

The electronic contacts are always the suspect.

 

If cleaning doesn't fix the problem, I wonder your camera can fire at all. Set it to manual focus; see the M setting in the attached image. If your lens has an AF/MF switch, set that to manual too.

 

If the camera fires under manual focus, switch it back to auto focus and then check Custom Settings a1 and a2. If you have those on focus priority, the shutter would not fire unless the image is in focus, with the AF dot in the viewfinder on.<div></div>

[tom_luongo1]

I have a 28-70/2.8 that struggled with AF the same way. Nikon replaced the servo-motor.

[andreas_weber]

As Shun suggested, try if the camera fires with manual focus. If it does, take of the lens and flip the AF/MF switch on the camera body between M and S. Watch if the AF coupling extends and retracts (That's the little screwdriver thing in the bayonet flange). I once had it with my D200 that the coupling got caught underneath the flange and therefore wouldn extend and engage (The whirring noise would be the AF motor running without load). If you have a stuck coupling set the switch to AF and try to move the coupling in its hole (for example with a needle) until it comes out (it's spring loaded).