Lens problem causes battery failure

[camdenphoto]

I have a D200 that when I put my Nikon 70-200 on it the batteries work for a couple of photos and then shows the batteries are dead. When I put my 80-200 on the same camera the same batteries work fine.
Has anyone else had this problem and are there any suggestions short of sending the lens in for check up and repair?
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Ron

[David_Buzzard]

There's probably a short in the wiring of the 70-200 that's causing a battery drain. If there's too much draw on the batteries, then youy will get a dead battery reading.

There were a lot of problems in the wiring of the early 70-200's. I had to send mine back twice to get the autofocus repaired (been working great for 2 years now that they fixed it).

David Buzzard's Technical Blog

[EricC]

Ron,

I had a similar problem with a 70-200 and a D2X. When the VR was mounted the camera would show a dead battery and F-- along with a triangle. Switching to a non AF-s type lens allowed me to use the camera, with the 'dead' battery. The issue was with the camera and not the lens. NPS replaced the AF system in my D2X twice and replaced the camera with a D2Xs the 4th time it went back for the same issue.

Does your lens work on another body?

[camdenphoto]

Eric, yes it does and today the lens seems to be working fine on the D200. I was at a hockey rink yesterday and it was cld, but I have shot at this rink numerous times this season with no problem.
I guess I will just have to wait and see.
Thanks for the input
Ron

[kennyg92]

Yesterday I had the exact same problem with my D200, although I was using a non-Nikon lens at the time.
I wasn't even shooting, just testing the focusing speed of the lens (Sigma 120-300 2.8).
Turning the camera off and on helped for a little bit, but the problem still kept recurring.

I got on the phone with Nikon Digital Tech Support and was told in no uncertain terms that Nikon would do nothing about it unless the problem could be recreated with a Nikkor lens.
The tech I spoke with also said he'd never heard of this problem. I about started laughing.
Check the other Nikon forums and you'll find dozens of posts about this very problem with the D200.

Well when putting a Nikkor lens on the D200 I couldn't get the problem to surface, at least not yet.

This has especially been a problem when using the MB-D200 vertical grip/battery accessory.
Unless you torque down the thumbwheel mount it has a nasty habit of coming loose from the power contacts in the camera and giving the same indications.

-Ken

[camdenphoto]

Kenny, after using the camera all day yesterday morning with no problems, I went to shoot three basketball games last night and five minutes into the first game it started happening again. I switched to my 80-200 lens and had no problems what so wver. I then switched to my D70 with the 70-200 lens and used it the rest of the night without incident. It is definitely the camera and mine is going back to Nikon soon.

I will call them and see f they want both the camera and the lens with the grip.

I have checked the grip and it is tight. I even took it off with the 70-200 on the D200 and had the same problem.

Ron

[EricC]

Ron,

I wish you the best of luck. Nikon tried 4 times to track down the problem and never got a repair to last more than a few months. If that camera is still within the return period DUMP IT and get a new one. If it isn't then pray over it when you get it back. In either case don't delay getting it to Nikon and keep track of all your repair dates.

If you are a member of NPS get in touch with them, I was told by the Melville NPS manager that they would honor the D200 as a pro body for the purpose of expediting repairs and issuing loaners. He told me this face to face at the PDN Expo this past November. I don't envey the road you are about to take. NOTHING was worse than wondering if 'today' was the day that my D2X was going to crap out. The new body that Nikon finally did send has worked 110%.

Best of luck!