Hello everyone,
I am seeking help with an issue my lens is having. The lens is an AF-S 80-200 2.8D.
The lens jumps/jitters back and forth past the focus point. Sometimes it settles on the focus point, other times it doesn't.
I bought the lens second hand and it's been working perfectly since. Then yesterday I picked it up and it had this issue.
The AF motor does squeal a bit sometimes, but the focus works through the whole range and the ring turns smoothly by hand.
The issue seems worse the more the focus range varied. For example, going from close to very far, or vice versa.
If I use the lens in live view, it seems to focus without jumping around. However, it focuses very slow (I know live view is slower due to a different process). I'm not sure if it was always this slow because I never use live view.
So far I have tried the following:
1. I have tried different lenses on my D750 - They all work perfectly.
2. I have tried the lens on a different body (D5500) - Same issue and symptoms.
3. I have tried cleaning the contacts on both the camera and lens.
4. I have checked to ensure that the ribbon cable below the focusing gauge has not popped up (seems to be a common issue, if you look on youtube you will see).
Since it's a bit difficult to describe I have created a short video demonstrating the issue: https://youtu.be/Y0fxJm2fJKY
I am trying to avoid sending the lens to Nikon since I cannot get an estimate online and I would have to ship it across Canada. I have also heard there may not be any parts available for this model. I may take it to a local camera repair store, but obviously I'd like to avoid that if I can. The lens is pricey, but won't be worth a $400-$500 repair. I would probably buy an 80-200 AF-D at that point and sell this one 'as is'.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my issue. I appreciate any thoughts you may have.