Nikon repair shop (85/1.4 AIS)

[EmilGil]

I recently acquired a Nikon 85mm 1.4 AIS which has turned out to be slightly wobbly and "un-smooth" when I adjust the aperture. The ring runs along the full scale and the lens will stop down just fine but the slightly cracking noise when turning the aperture ring worries and annoys me. I seem to remember reading somewhere about the construction being a couple of small steel bearing balls that fit into small creases that eventually will wear out so I'm thinking this is what has happened. Since I want to keep the lens as a portrait lens for my D300, I'm thinking about having it fixed but I don't know where. There is only one acknowledged repair shop in Sweden that I know of and I'll give them a ring tomorrow but meanwhile, do you have any ideas about knowledgeable repair shops?

I have three demands:
1) It must be in the EU. If I send the lens out of the EU, I will have to pay VAT to get it back in.
2) They must know how to communicate in English. No Polish, Hungarian or Portuguese, just remember "the dirty Hungarian phrase-book" by Monty Python!
3) I can't spend a fortune.

 

[nikon_sam]

If you are feeling up to it you might be able to fix this yourself...
With a small Phillips screwdriver you should be able to remove the back piece that will allow you to access the Aperture Ring...Most likely there is a very small ball bearing along with a small spring that are either worn or just dirty...Carefully taking this apart, making notes or taking photos of every step, you should be able to clean out these parts, grease & reassemble them...
If you don't want to risk this lens try it on another one you don't really care about just to get a good idea on what to expect when disassembling a lens...
Good Luck...

 

[Paul T.]

Fixation is the one everybody seems to cite.

Funnily enough I have a 85/1.4 I need to drop off for exactly the same problem...

http://www.fixationuk.com/Fixation/Fixation - Home/Fixation - Home.html

 

[nikon_sam]

I have the Nikon 85 1.4 AF that needed the contacts repaired...It would focus but not send any info to the camera's meter...I took it to Calumet for service...hasn't given me any problems since...
I did work on a Vivitar Series 1 (135mm 2.3 lens) that had a sticky aperture linkage...I was able to get it back in great shape...You just have to take your time and pay close attention to what's going on...

 

[Vickko]

Just be careful with Nikon lenses, the screws at the lens mount are glued in. Heat them to loosen them up, and use screwdrivers of the precise fit. PRECISE fit.

The 85mm f1.4 is an expensive lens; you don't want to damage it.

Vick

 

[Shac]

Emil - can you get a free estimate from Nikon before deciding?

 

[EmilGil]

Thanks for your replies, it seems I'm going to Stockholm on a business trip next week so I should be able to drop by the repair shop and get an estimate then. I just spoke to the shop owner who said that there were no steel bearing balls inside so it couldn't be that. I'm not really keen on doing it myself, I saw an exploded view diagram of the lens yesterday and that put me off the DIY idea big time! The close-range correction system (CRC) is apparently pretty darn sensitive to proper alignment and adjustment.

I'll let you know how it turns out!