Problems with lens mount on D200?

[Hotfoot2]

I thought I had an anomaly with one of my '200s in that there were times when I would go to shoot a photo, and have the camera just go 'off'...After a number of different tries at different solutions, I found that the lens had a little play in it, which would make all the displays blank out when I rocked it. Thinking a problem with the lens, I switched lens' and, while the problem was better, it still existed. So, thinking I would be down one camera, I ordered a new 200 to use while mine went to Nikon repair on vacation (this, the day BEFORE the 300 and D3 were announced! But that's ok; the 200 is great)
Now, yesterday, another of my 200s has started the same thing, different body, different lens, same seeming problem with the mount.
Anyone else with this?
Both problem cameras a year and a half old + (Jan 05), one with 60K and the other with 40K actuations, the first with Nikkor 28-70 2.8, the other with Nikkor 17 - 55 2.8. All lens' do this on both bodies. No, I do not switch out lens' often -- Like once in 6 months; no, they have not been dropped or bounced around.
Ideas!

[Greg_Halinda]

Hi, please read "D2X lens/camera disconnect issues" further down the list of threads in this discussion board. My D200 only began acting up after I had it a year or so; Nikon Canada seemed to get it right the second time they looked at it, replacing the aperture indexing ring. That didn't make sense to me, as it only happened with my Nikkor VR zoom 24-120 mm, which doesn't use the ring to communicate aperture to the camera.

I met a D70 owner who said Nikon claimed it was dirty CF card socket contacts inside the camera that caused a similar problem. If you research other discussion groups, you may well find other potential causes. Bottom line, send the unit in to Nikon service and be patient, it may take several return trips!

Greg

[Robert Lunak]

Try to clean the lens contacts with some alcohol and also the contacts on the cam, let it dry out and try again... If you do not switch often maybe they got corroded...

Batteries were full?

hope it helps

best regards

robb

[Hotfoot2]

Yes, batteries were full. All checked out, and the camera operated nomally after I simply 'rocked' the lenses as if I were going to remove them, but did not use the lens release button. I notice that some others on DP Review have had similar problems with the 200 and long lenses. The lenses I use are relatively heavy, not the prosumer plastic units, such as the 28 - 70 2.8 ED, and the 17-55 2.8 ED, so that may be part of the problem...It is possible that there is a design glitch that causes flex at the mount, thus loss of contact when using a heavy lens.

[Marc]

I had the same problem, just last weekend, while shooting football.

I had a 70-200 on the d200, very weird, it even changed shutter speed on me.

I have spoken directly to nikon ny, they are aware of some contact issues, i would send my camera to ny.

have them check all contacts, let them know the camera losses power or does other weird things in the middle of a shoot.

[Daniel_Terpstra]

You may notice my post about "dropping lenses" which is essentially a much worse extension of the same problem (I believe).

One associate has two D200s that have experienced similar issues to mine and another two associates have described your exact issue. I shot with one of them one day and she thought it was a problem with over three lenses (all manual aperture rings) and when we put her lenses on my D2x and D200 we had no problem while when she had my lens on hers it reacted the same way.

We found that by cleaning it there was no help and if you torqued it or wiggled it you'd have a tiny bit of success but I really believe this is a D200 problem!!!! NPS has promised to resolve my body's issue since it's been in two or three times for the same issue but I strongly believe there's a larger issue. Start speaking up about these problems with Nikon so they can see just how problematic it is.

I love these cameras but have to admit that sometimes there can be problems!

[EricC]

My D200 arrived in Mellville on Monday for the same issue. Just had the shutter replaced in August so I'm thinking that the mount may have loosened up. The sad thing is that my NPS loaner is doing it too.