Any ideas why my camera wont autofocus?

[mike_brierley1]

<p>I just purchased a Nikon F501/N2020 with Nikkor 35-70 lense from KEH. For some reason it will not autofocus though. I'm reading the manual and the settings are set correctly (P DUAL mode, S focus mode). The LED was not working for about an hour until I wiggled the lense a bit and it finally displayed an x. Now when I turn it off and on, the LED does not come on until I wiggle the lense again (the light meter is working fine). Does this seem like a problem with the lense or the camera body? I'm going to call KEH tomorrow morning, just wondering if anyone has any ideas. <br>

Thanks in advance,<br>

Mike</p>

[scott_ditzel1]

<p>Sounds like there is a problem with the contacts making good contact. Do you have any other AF lenses to try?If so, mount it & see. That way we can narrow it down to either the lenses contacts or the ones on the camera body...</p>

[craigd]

<p>No offense, but are you sure it's an AF lens? There was an older 35-70mm manual-focus lens.</p>

[Michael R Freeman]

<blockquote>

<p><em>The LED was not working for about an hour until I wiggled the lense a bit and it finally displayed an x. Now when I turn it off and on, the LED does not come on until I wiggle the lense again (the light meter is working fine).</em></p>

</blockquote>

<p>As I expect you know, the 'x' is a "autofocus not possible" indication, i.e. too dark or not enough subject contrast. The focus indicator / electronic rangefinder (i.e. the x, right/left arrows and green dot) should all work with <strong>any</strong> lens, regardless of whether it is an autofocus, manual focus or defective autofocus lens. Try manually focusing the lens in bright lighting. If you can't get focus confirmation (green dot) with manual focus, then something is amiss with the camera autofocus module.</p>

<p>You can try cleaning the CPU contacts in both the camera and on the lens with a cotton cloth dampened with isopropyl alcohol. If that doesn't cure the problem, and it probably won't with the symptoms you describe, then you may have a dud N2020 with a failed autofocus module.</p><div></div>

[lou korell]

<p>The 2020 was a very early autofocus camera. It is possible that you have one with a failing autofocus mechanism. You can try cleaning the contacts but you may need to have a repair shop look at it. At a certain point I think if I were buying a "vintage" camera it would be an all manual model. The reliability of very old autofocus models is questionable after so many years.<br>

Check back with KEH to validate the model of the lens. They are a reputable company and should help you determine if you have purchased a bad camera or the wrong lens. I have bought a lot of used gear from them over the years with no issues.</p>