Nikkor 80-200 f/2.8 backfocus only at 200mm

[benjaminm]

Hello!

 

My 80-200 f/2.8 lens (model with tripod collar) has some backfocus through all of it's focal length range. I've

adjusted the AF on my D300

body to maximum. The lens focuses well now from 80 to 135mm but at 200mm it has still quite strong backfocus. Is

it possible to mechanical adjust such a lens? How is it possible such a malfunction on this high quality lens?

 

Thanks in advance,

Benjamin

[nick_davis]

My 80-200mm F/2.8D quit focusing at all about 9 years ago so I had to send it to Nikon Repair. They charged me $600 to fix it even though it was only a month out of warranty.

[howard_owen]

The backfocus of the 80-200 F2.8 D on digital cameras is a well documented issue. Some copies seem to be worse than others, and some seem not to have it at all. Nikon even calls this behavior out in the D200 manual. According to Nikon, there is no adjustment that can be made to the lens. As I understand it, there is some adjustment that can be made to the camera body to tweak it to your specific lens, at the risk of upsetting the focus characteristics of your other lenses.

[morty_black]

Benjamin, I have a D200 and the same lens as you, and experience the same annoying backfocusing at ~200 mm. Especially on close focusing distances. It seems to do ok on longer focusing distances. I find this extremely disappointing and I can't believe such a otherwise great lens actually has such a flaw.

 

Does anyone know if this lens performes "as it should" on the D700 or D3? What about the latest version (AF-S, is it)?

[robert_hooper1]

Well, you folks got me worrying about whether or not my Nikon 80-200mm f2.8 would back focus at 200mm. I just tried it

on my D70 and D80 and see no problem. Must be a sample variation thing.

 

I bought this latest sample of the Nikon 80-200mm during that great rebate offer they had in 2005. Maybe production date

has something to do with it. By 2005 Nikon may have corrected compatibility issues of this lens with digital bodies.

However, this is the first post I have noticed that mentions any problem.

[howard_owen]

<i>By 2005 Nikon may have corrected compatibility issues of this lens with digital bodies.</i>

 

Nope, my lens is 3 weeks old and has the problem. Lots of discussion on DPReview and Nikonians about this and I would expect to find it here as well. Try a search and see what comes up.

[robert_hooper1]

Sorry to hear that, Howard.

 

Astonishing, that there is no lens adjustment possible by Nikon when samples exhibit varying degrees of the problem or

none at all. What is the root cause? Does anyone know?

 

I guess if I ever want to sell my Nikon 80-200mm, "no back focus issue with digital bodies", will be a great selling point.

[howard_owen]

Robert, I have not heard directly from Nikon that the lens can't be adjusted, but the comment was repeated more than once in the threads I read. Apparently the AF-S version *can* be tweaked in, so that's another option--as is the 70-200VR which looks a lot more attractive now than Nikon as released a firmware fix that addresses DBS for the D200.

 

I can use the lens as is, but having to resort to manual focusing is not something I care to live with for the long term (outside of macro work).

[robert_hooper1]

Since the Nikon 80-200mm f2.8 D is in Nikon's current lens lineup and is widely considered a professional quality lens, I would think Nikon would make the necessary adjustments to enable this lens to function properly on a Nikon digital body.

 

If my lens exhibited a back focus problem, I would demand that it be adjusted or replaced with a lens that does not have this problem. After all, the Nikon 80-200mm f2.8 D is not sold with the caveat that it may not work properly on some digital bodies, right? I see no information that came with my lens that even hints of a compatability issue.

[morty_black]

Actually, it seems like Nikon Europe has discontinued this lens. It's not in their current lineup any longer.

[Landrum Kelly]

This lens was always quite a performer for me, although I never had the AF-S, simply the ED version. Mine was always sharp at all focal lengths. (I almost always used it on the Kodak 14n. although it was used on the F100 before that.) The version that I had was the two-touch version, with separate rings for focusing and for zooming.

 

If this lens is no longer in the Nikon Europe lineup, I am sorry, because it was a very fast zoom and produced very sharp images. If it is being discontinued, I suspect that the success of the 70-200 has been more of a factor than any general failure in the 80-200.

 

I have just recently purchased another 80-200 at a very good price on eBay, this time the older one-touch version, but I have not tested it for backfocusing. I hope that I am not in for a nasty surprise. I bought it for use on the D80, the only Nikon body that I currently have, and one which I bought specifically for use with long lenses.

 

--Lannie

[robert_hooper1]

Let us know if you see backfocus problems with your lens, Landrum.