Nikon 300mm f4 AF-S ED

gilbouk

gilbouk

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Does anybody have suggestions on who could replace the AF motor for the above lens and roughly how much it might cost, time frame etc
 
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rob-nikon said:
Fixation would be another.
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Thanks @rob-nikon.

Considering buying one at a cheap price and using it manual, but trying to work out its value with a broken motor. Also unsure on whether a broken motor would effect using the lens in manual focus. I’ve read the manual ring can feel rough / seize up
 
I ended up picking up the lens - and although the front element had a slight scratch probably about 0.5cm long it seemed liked a bargain given it's overall condition and performance.

I've actually fallen in love with the way it renders - it just produces such a pleasing bokeh - particularly when taking photos of people. I particularly love how sharp these are too however as you can imagine I'm not getting a lot of keepers using MF as I'm very keen to achieve critical focus in my work. These are some birds I did achieve acceptable sharpness MF with my 300mm

JSC_8215 by Gilbo B, on Flickr
JSC_7969 by Gilbo B, on Flickr
JSC_7946 by Gilbo B, on Flickr

I got in touch with A J Johnstone who quoted £252 which seems quite reasonable. With the cost of the lens and the repair still coming to a saving of around £100 from the price of used lenses perhaps without the scratch on the front element though.

I'm thinking about going ahead with the repair, however wanted to ask if anybody had experience of such a repair? Would a replacement AF motor result in a lens that produces acceptable results? I'm just afraid of paying out, and ending up with a lens where the AF doesn't achieve the results I've been so far able to achieve with MF. What are people's experiences / recommendations? Will the dismantling of the lens potentially result in something that's not quite as good a copy as I have now?

toohuge said:
Also try:

http://www.cam-rep.co.uk/ I’ve had a ton of work done by Alan - super fast turn around and great value for money.
AF-S motors on these lenses are notorious - I’m sure he’s seen it before and can give you a very honest idea on the work and timeframe involved.
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Unfortunately Alan wasn't able to offer a repair option for me on this I think due to parts.

rob-nikon said:
Fixation would be another.
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It seems that fixation don't give quotes until they see the lens which is understandable, however I don't know if I'd want to send the lens off before having a rough idea particularly when the local place is more convenient and have quoted me.

Box Brownie said:
Nikon show here third party repairers and one is in Glasgow

https://www.nikon.co.uk/en_GB/service_support/repair_centre/arc.page

A J Johnstone & Co
395-399 Central Chambers
93 Hope Street
Glasgow
G2 6LD

Tel 0141 221 2106
Fax 0141 221 9166

www.ajjohnstone.net

HTH :)
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Thanks for the info :)
 
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toohuge said:
What camera body are you using ?

I can’t see a reason why a repaired af-s 300/4 wouldn’t give excellent results - providing you’re not experiencing back/front focus issues....

I use the older version and focus is bang on - no problems. Most af errors on fast tele’s are operator error imo over lens issues.
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I’ll be using it with my D750 and my recently acquired Z6.

I purchased a 85mm f/1.8 G on here once and found that it had a bad front focus issue. Even with lens calibration set to max to try and correct the issue it was found that the lens was either a bad copy or was faulty. I’ve also had lenses which are the same model but one maybe sharper than the other which I’m guessing is just variation between copies. Ive also heard of unhappy people sending lenses back to manufacturers for evaluation due to softness. I’m just worried that dismantling a lens and assembling it may turn a good copy into a bad copy.... or am I just worrying too much? If I’m able to achieve such sharp results with the lens now before repair would I be right in saying I should be able to do the same following repair? I’m sure given the results I’m getting with my 70-200mm using AF and because AF is more accurate for moving subjects and for hand holding I should be able to achieve similar results to what I’m already getting with the lens but more consistently with AF

How could I tell if I’m getting back / front focusing issues when using MF? I thought that was just a problem experienced when using AF? Cheers for your advice
 
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Sorry @gilbouk - I need to work on my grammar ....

My initial message wasn't clear - what I was trying to say was... If you can achieve sharp results with MF then there's no reason why you shouldn't get sharp results with AF. The front / back focusing may happen depending on camera and body - although with a Z6 with the different focusing technology - you can expect bang on results. Otherwise - send it back to the person who repaired it...

As for whether repairing a lens may turn a good lens into a bad one.... It depends whether the SWM repair requires the lens element groups to be disassembled - I am not familiar with the exact construction of the lens - there are some Nikon tele's that require only one (or none) (usually the 5th ) of the element groups to be removed for SWM replacement. Others that require most of the elements to be removed.

I would say that if I were in your position (and my AF issues with my Nikon's (and Canon's for that matter) are well documented on here) I would not be too worried about sending the lens for repair - however I would be paying close attention to who and where I sent it too... I have not used AJ Johnstone and therefore do not have an opinion on their work. I have used Alan - who I see you have contacted and I have also used Fixation and Nikon themselves. I have nothing but excellent things to say about Fixation - brilliant and backed by WEX too - my point being, if I were to send a lens for repair and it came back less than 100% I would not have any issues sending it back to Fixation or Alan until it was correct.

I am not sure how much fixation would charge for the work you are requiring - however their request for the lens is fair and in your shoes - I'd rather fixation than anyone else to repair the lens.
 
toohuge said:
Sorry @gilbouk - I need to work on my grammar ....

My initial message wasn't clear - what I was trying to say was... If you can achieve sharp results with MF then there's no reason why you shouldn't get sharp results with AF. The front / back focusing may happen depending on camera and body - although with a Z6 with the different focusing technology - you can expect bang on results. Otherwise - send it back to the person who repaired it...

As for whether repairing a lens may turn a good lens into a bad one.... It depends whether the SWM repair requires the lens element groups to be disassembled - I am not familiar with the exact construction of the lens - there are some Nikon tele's that require only one (or none) (usually the 5th ) of the element groups to be removed for SWM replacement. Others that require most of the elements to be removed.

I would say that if I were in your position (and my AF issues with my Nikon's (and Canon's for that matter) are well documented on here) I would not be too worried about sending the lens for repair - however I would be paying close attention to who and where I sent it too... I have not used AJ Johnstone and therefore do not have an opinion on their work. I have used Alan - who I see you have contacted and I have also used Fixation and Nikon themselves. I have nothing but excellent things to say about Fixation - brilliant and backed by WEX too - my point being, if I were to send a lens for repair and it came back less than 100% I would not have any issues sending it back to Fixation or Alan until it was correct.

I am not sure how much fixation would charge for the work you are requiring - however their request for the lens is fair and in your shoes - I'd rather fixation than anyone else to repair the lens.
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Thanks for explaining to some extent what may be involved during the repair. Hopefully the examination of the lens will not require removal of the element(s) and should the quote be too high, I can get the lens back in it's original 'glory' albeit still in MF. I may very well go with your recommendation.

I'm going to wait until my z6 arrives, and try the lens using focus peaking to see if I can achieve more consistent results, but judging by how minuscule a movement on the focus ring can be the difference between a sharp and a soft subject - MF may just not cut it when shooting wide open to get that lovely bokeh and depth I'm looking for and that fantastic sharpness at the same time.
 
gilbouk said:
Thanks for explaining to some extent what may be involved during the repair. Hopefully the examination of the lens will not require removal of the element(s) and should the quote be too high, I can get the lens back in it's original 'glory' albeit still in MF. I may very well go with your recommendation.

I'm going to wait until my z6 arrives, and try the lens using focus peaking to see if I can achieve more consistent results, but judging by how minuscule a movement on the focus ring can be the difference between a sharp and a soft subject - MF may just not cut it when shooting wide open to get that lovely bokeh and depth I'm looking for and that fantastic sharpness at the same time.
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MF at that focal length is tricky - especially with a modern dslr. I have a mf 400 2.8 and that’s pretty difficult but it can be done!
I’ve tried my 400 2.8 on a Sony a7 riii and focus peaking isn’t as useful as I’d hoped!

Don’t be too hard on yourself re manual focus with a fast tele. It’s hard .... also the 300 f4 from nikon is in my opinion a hugely underrated lens. I believe it’s very close in sharpness to the 300 2.8 at equivalent apertures and I believe it’s ‘forgotten’ due to the lack of vr....

Anyway - I’d definitely consider getting the lens repaired - I love my 300 af-d - has a great look to it and produces some great results
 
If you can get it up and running on a.f it’s worth doing , I had one and it was superb they also work well with the 1.4 and 1.7 tc ‘s the latter turning it into a hand holdable 500 mm lens with stunning close focus ability , look back through my flickrstream for sample images. heres one from it with the 1.7 tc = 500mm hand held
the green green grass by jeff and jan cohen, on Flickr
 
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toohuge said:
Sorry @gilbouk
I am not sure how much fixation would charge for the work you are requiring - however their request for the lens is fair and in your shoes - I'd rather fixation than anyone else to repair the lens.
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toohuge said:
Don’t be too hard on yourself re manual focus with a fast tele. It’s hard .... also the 300 f4 from nikon is in my opinion a hugely underrated lens. I believe it’s very close in sharpness to the 300 2.8 at equivalent apertures and I believe it’s ‘forgotten’ due to the lack of vr....

Anyway - I’d definitely consider getting the lens repaired - I love my 300 af-d - has a great look to it and produces some great results
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Many thanks for your help @toohuge. In the end the MF was still too difficult, even with the focus peaking on the Z6. I found that the movements required, on the focus ring, were just too small, and the ring just not quite smooth enough to achieve positive results. That and trying to hold the lens completely still, and the subject moving just had too many factors working against me, and any sharp photos at 100% were just fluke tbh!!

In the end I sent my lens to Fixation who were fantastic at sending me a quote on examination within hours of receipt today. The only problem is that the cost of the repair is quite high. Compared to the quote from the local firm of £252 all in (parts and labour and VAT), the cost of the parts alone comes in at the same price with a further £135 + VAT for labour bring Fixation's price to £410 + postage. That's a difference of £158 - 62% more. From the quote from Fixation - it would appear that the parts are directly from Nikon, and I'm expecting it might take a while before they get them (I've sent them an email asking).

I now have to decide on whether the repair would be worth it, based on how much I paid for the lens, and the value of a second hand lens with functioning AF. Saying that, having the lens repair would mean less likely hood of the AF failing on me in a short time. All in with the cost of the repair, and what I paid for the lens initially, the total will be just over the £550 mark. Is it worth it - does that sound a good prospect. I just love the photos I've taken with it so far, and I'm really considering getting it repaired with Fixation.
 
ZSC_0083 by Gilbo B, on Flickr

Probably the once in a lifetime shot that ultimately made me decide I wanted the AF repaired!! A bar-headed goose which arrived along with a large group of greylags. Gutted it's not tack sharp :-(. I did get a few keepers, but none as good as what this would have been had it been in focus!!
 
gilbouk said:
ZSC_0083 by Gilbo B, on Flickr

Probably the once in a lifetime shot that ultimately made me decide I wanted the AF repaired!! A bar-headed goose which arrived along with a large group of greylags. Gutted it's not tack sharp :-(. I did get a few keepers, but none as good as what this would have been had it been in focus!!
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Nice one ... we had a Bar-headed along with a group of Barnacle Geese down here a few months ago, wonder if it could be the same individual. :)
 
gramps said:
Nice one ... we had a Bar-headed along with a group of Barnacle Geese down here a few months ago, wonder if it could be the same individual. :)
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It could well be!! Such an exciting experience, and such a nice looking bird. I may go back and see if I can get some more opportunities
 
gilbouk said:
Many thanks for your help @toohuge. In the end the MF was still too difficult, even with the focus peaking on the Z6. I found that the movements required, on the focus ring, were just too small, and the ring just not quite smooth enough to achieve positive results. That and trying to hold the lens completely still, and the subject moving just had too many factors working against me, and any sharp photos at 100% were just fluke tbh!!

In the end I sent my lens to Fixation who were fantastic at sending me a quote on examination within hours of receipt today. The only problem is that the cost of the repair is quite high. Compared to the quote from the local firm of £252 all in (parts and labour and VAT), the cost of the parts alone comes in at the same price with a further £135 + VAT for labour bring Fixation's price to £410 + postage. That's a difference of £158 - 62% more. From the quote from Fixation - it would appear that the parts are directly from Nikon, and I'm expecting it might take a while before they get them (I've sent them an email asking).

I now have to decide on whether the repair would be worth it, based on how much I paid for the lens, and the value of a second hand lens with functioning AF. Saying that, having the lens repair would mean less likely hood of the AF failing on me in a short time. All in with the cost of the repair, and what I paid for the lens initially, the total will be just over the £550 mark. Is it worth it - does that sound a good prospect. I just love the photos I've taken with it so far, and I'm really considering getting it repaired with Fixation.
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Thanks for updating the thread Gil.

That repair cost sounds about right - afs motors are expensive and you are correct, the part will be coming from Nikon directly.


Anyway....

It's a tough decision to make on that particular lens. The following is only my opinion - The motor used in that period of lenses (17-35, 80-200, 300 f4, 28-70) are notorious for SWM issues and it's an inherent design issue, so those motors are prone to going bad with time. The 300 f4 you have is still a current lens so no part availability issues.

Now we are down to whether or not it is worth it.... Here are your options for fast AF 300mm lenses for Nikon:
300 F4 AF-D
300 F4 AFS
300 F4 PF VR

300 F2.8 AF-D
300 F2.8 AF-I
300 F2.8 AFS (and a number of variants some with VR)

As you're planning on adapting this lens to the Z system, you'll need an AF-S lens, so that narrows your choice to:
300 F4 AFS
300 F4 PF
300 F2.8's etc.

The 2.8's are awesome, but heavy and awkward to travel with etc. I love the 300 PF as it's tiny and has VR which may come in useful for your applications.

The 300 F4 AFS is a lovely lens, but I feel the market for these lenses (with the notorious AF motor issues) is getting pretty scarce now and 550 is strong money for this lens - however if you go for this lens, at least you'll have a new AF motor that should last.
I can't make the decision for you - however if the focal length and speed suit your applications, there are few other options out there at that price.... that give the same quality. It comes down to whether you were planning on spending close to 600 on a fast tele for the nikon system...

In your shoes I would not be replacing the motor in that lens for an all in cost at 550. I'd either go for a new one on the grey market for circa 650 or consider holding out for a PF to keep the Z6+lens combo nice and compact.
 
toohuge said:
Thanks for updating the thread Gil.

That repair cost sounds about right - afs motors are expensive and you are correct, the part will be coming from Nikon directly.


Anyway....

It's a tough decision to make on that particular lens. The following is only my opinion - The motor used in that period of lenses (17-35, 80-200, 300 f4, 28-70) are notorious for SWM issues and it's an inherent design issue, so those motors are prone to going bad with time. The 300 f4 you have is still a current lens so no part availability issues.

Now we are down to whether or not it is worth it.... Here are your options for fast AF 300mm lenses for Nikon:
300 F4 AF-D
300 F4 AFS
300 F4 PF VR

300 F2.8 AF-D
300 F2.8 AF-I
300 F2.8 AFS (and a number of variants some with VR)

As you're planning on adapting this lens to the Z system, you'll need an AF-S lens, so that narrows your choice to:
300 F4 AFS
300 F4 PF
300 F2.8's etc.

The 2.8's are awesome, but heavy and awkward to travel with etc. I love the 300 PF as it's tiny and has VR which may come in useful for your applications.

The 300 F4 AFS is a lovely lens, but I feel the market for these lenses (with the notorious AF motor issues) is getting pretty scarce now and 550 is strong money for this lens - however if you go for this lens, at least you'll have a new AF motor that should last.
I can't make the decision for you - however if the focal length and speed suit your applications, there are few other options out there at that price.... that give the same quality. It comes down to whether you were planning on spending close to 600 on a fast tele for the nikon system...

In your shoes I would not be replacing the motor in that lens for an all in cost at 550. I'd either go for a new one on the grey market for circa 650 or consider holding out for a PF to keep the Z6+lens combo nice and compact.
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Your advice is very much appreciated. Would I be right in saying that a replacement motor won't solve the design flaw which will likely resurface with the lens again at some point in the future?

Perhaps you're right about avoiding the repair. I did see a excellent condition 300mm for £500 and mine does have a small scratch on the front element. That being said it's hard to judge whether a second hand lens would last as long as mine with the replacement motor fitted. You could be unlucky and have the second hand lens fail quite quickly.

At this stage the repair locally by the Nikon approved agent seems attractive, but I can't imagine it's genuine Nikon parts unless Fixation have big overheads to cover!!

I have been using the lens for portraits and just love the results at f4 with the beautiful bokeh and compression. Does the PF have these same beautiful characteristics?
 
I used a af-s for years and was always pleased with the results and swapped my af-s for a pf, purely to save weight. The images from the two are very similar, both have good close focus ability and both work well with 1.4 and 1.7 tc. The PF does have a few quirks when used against strong backlights, typically a slight loss of constrast, but I see this more in the 500pf. I use mine purely for wildlife and have not in three years found a setting where the diffactive optics have caused any signifciant issues. All in all the 300 pf is my favourite Nikon lens and the one lens I can always reply on.
 
The other option would be to look for a used one on somewhere that offers 12 months warranty . Giving you at least that long peace of mind ,or for a little bit more get a sigma 150-600 C new ones often have 3 warranty and give equivalent I.q due to I.s
 
the black fox said:
The other option would be to look for a used one on somewhere that offers 12 months warranty . Giving you at least that long peace of mind ,or for a little bit more get a sigma 150-600 C new ones often have 3 warranty and give equivalent I.q due to I.s
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The 150-600 is too long, too heavy and not fast enough. I love how compact the 300mm f4 is.
 
gilbouk said:
Your advice is very much appreciated. Would I be right in saying that a replacement motor won't solve the design flaw which will likely resurface with the lens again at some point in the future?

Perhaps you're right about avoiding the repair. I did see a excellent condition 300mm for £500 and mine does have a small scratch on the front element. That being said it's hard to judge whether a second hand lens would last as long as mine with the replacement motor fitted. You could be unlucky and have the second hand lens fail quite quickly.

At this stage the repair locally by the Nikon approved agent seems attractive, but I can't imagine it's genuine Nikon parts unless Fixation have big overheads to cover!!

I have been using the lens for portraits and just love the results at f4 with the beautiful bokeh and compression. Does the PF have these same beautiful characteristics?
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You are correct an replacement motor will not solve the design flaw as the motor, and lens design for that matter, have not been updated since the original. The only difference with this lens compared to the others that I have mentioned, is that it is still a current production lens so part availability is not a problem.

I suppose it comes down to your particular use case and what is important, with the prices of the 300 pf holding real strong - you could buy a 300 f4 used with a 12 month warranty and trade it after 11 months etc. or in your shoes - and bare with me, a used 70-200 2.8 fl e is spectacular in every way and much more versatile, with fantastic bokeh, super fast AF a stop faster when you need it and excellent performance with a 1.4 teleconverter. If shooting portraits, a 200 2.8 will give you similar subject separation as a 300 f4.
 
toohuge said:
You are correct an replacement motor will not solve the design flaw as the motor, and lens design for that matter, have not been updated since the original. The only difference with this lens compared to the others that I have mentioned, is that it is still a current production lens so part availability is not a problem.

I suppose it comes down to your particular use case and what is important, with the prices of the 300 pf holding real strong - you could buy a 300 f4 used with a 12 month warranty and trade it after 11 months etc. or in your shoes - and bare with me, a used 70-200 2.8 fl e is spectacular in every way and much more versatile, with fantastic bokeh, super fast AF a stop faster when you need it and excellent performance with a 1.4 teleconverter. If shooting portraits, a 200 2.8 will give you similar subject separation as a 300 f4.
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I know it was a hefty price tag, but I decided to go for the repair of the 300mm with fixation. I was considering a 300mm at £499 in excellent condition before purchasing my faulty one, so I can live with paying an extra £50 all in knowing that the motor will be in the best possible condition being new. I'll hopefully get more longevity out of the AF compared with buying any other second hand lens - plus I'll have the 6 month guarantee.

The main reason I decided to fork out is that I've taken my best photos with this lens, I love it's size and weight, and can't afford the other options - (I'm keen on getting a 20mm f/1.8g and a 85mm too).
 
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One I took where I again missed focus - but not by much

JSC_7926 1 by Gilbo B, on Flickr
 
gilbouk said:
I know it was a hefty price tag, but I decided to go for the repair of the 300mm with fixation. I was considering a 300mm at £499 in excellent condition before purchasing my faulty one, so I can live with paying an extra £50 all in knowing that the motor will be in the best possible condition being new. I'll hopefully get more longevity out of the AF compared with buying any other second hand lens - plus I'll have the 6 month guarantee.

The main reason I decided to fork out is that I've taken my best photos with this lens, I love it's size and weight, and can't afford the other options - (I'm keen on getting a 20mm f/1.8g and a 85mm too).
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Thanks for updating the thread Gil.

If you were looking to spend circa 500 on a tele - then this is the most sensible option. Plus the lens will be fully calibrated and tested etc. and if it's not 100% you have some come back with fixation! It's a great lens and I'm sure you'll enjoy it when it's returned!
 
toohuge said:
Thanks for updating the thread Gil.

If you were looking to spend circa 500 on a tele - then this is the most sensible option. Plus the lens will be fully calibrated and tested etc. and if it's not 100% you have some come back with fixation! It's a great lens and I'm sure you'll enjoy it when it's returned!
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Although they had estimated a repair time of 12-15 working days, they did the repair in just 1 working day which is fantastic!! They have already arranged return for me, and I have had an email from ups saying it will arrive back tomorrow!! Astonishing service when I only sent it last week. Can't wait to AF fine tune and give it a go tomorrow night on the D750.

I'm not sure if using it with Eye AF on the Z6 is such a good idea with the heavy use on the AF motor when in this mode. Perhaps I should stick to single spot? Perhaps use only on D750 since it's an older lens, or should I just go for it on the Z6?
 
gilbouk said:
Although they had estimated a repair time of 12-15 working days, they did the repair in just 1 working day which is fantastic!! They have already arranged return for me, and I have had an email from ups saying it will arrive back tomorrow!! Astonishing service when I only sent it last week. Can't wait to AF fine tune and give it a go tomorrow night on the D750.

I'm not sure if using it with Eye AF on the Z6 is such a good idea with the heavy use on the AF motor when in this mode. Perhaps I should stick to single spot? Perhaps use only on D750 since it's an older lens, or should I just go for it on the Z6?
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That's good to hear about fixation - I have always found them excellent and do recommended them both frequently and highly.

I would definitely use it on the Z6 and simply enjoy the lens - I'd be curious to hear how good the eye af is with an f mount lens on the mirrorless cameras, especially the focal lengths. Although the motor is 'vulnerable' there's very little evidence that usage patterns affects longevity - it's really potluck.
 
toohuge said:
That's good to hear about fixation - I have always found them excellent and do recommended them both frequently and highly.

I would definitely use it on the Z6 and simply enjoy the lens - I'd be curious to hear how good the eye af is with an f mount lens on the mirrorless cameras, especially the focal lengths. Although the motor is 'vulnerable' there's very little evidence that usage patterns affects longevity - it's really potluck.
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Yes, so far I've been impressed with Fixation's service. Will let you know how it feels when I get it back, and how it performs with the Z6

So far I've found that eye AF is actually quite good on F glass mounted via the FTZ adapter. If you have one subject in the frame is probably the only time I would use it though. For cats it's been great at catching them in motion and achieve pretty good results although it does sometimes gets their spots mis-identified as eyes. I do have to admit, it's not as reliable at focusing as placing the single spot on the D750 for example - it's more likely to get it wrong with the selection of the eyes, but when it gets it right it which is quite often - it enables you to get shots you wouldn't get without worrying about placing the centre spot at all - so it has it's pros and cons. My next purchase will be a native z lens, but that's a little away with all the spending I've been doing lately!! Will be interesting to see how AF performance compares and whether it gets it right more often.
 
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gilbouk said:
Yes, so far I've been impressed with Fixation's service. Will let you know how it feels when I get it back, and how it performs with the Z6

So far I've found that eye AF is actually quite good on F glass mounted via the FTZ adapter. If you have one subject in the frame is probably the only time I would use it though. For cats it's been great at catching them in motion and achieve pretty good results although it does sometimes gets their spots mis-identified as eyes. I do have to admit, it's not as reliable at focusing as placing the single spot on the D750 for example - it's more likely to get it wrong with the selection of the eyes, but when it gets it right it which is quite often - it enables you to get shots you wouldn't get without worrying about placing the centre spot at all - so it has it's pros and cons. My next purchase will be a native z lens, but that's a little away with all the spending I've been doing lately!! Will be interesting to see how AF performance compares and whether it gets it right more often.
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Thanks for the honest feedback on eye af. I’ve been toying with a z mount camera for a while - think I’ll get a d5 instead ...
 
Got my 300mm f4 back today from Fixation. Fantastic to have AF working!! The AF seems super sharp and much more snappy than I imagined. It is also rather noisy in AF-C particularly on the Z6, but I'm expecting this is normal.

JSC_9208 by Gilbo B, on Flickr
JSC_9221 by Gilbo B, on Flickr
 
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Hi Gil
i always use AJ johnston in hope street
had them replace my focus motor on my nikon 70-200 2.8
found there prices much better than fixation
it means the lens doesn't run the risk of getting damaged during being posted never trusted the post office
and there service second to none
 
Shouldn‘t be noisy ..that’s not normal
 
holty said:
Hi Gil
i always use AJ johnston in hope street
had them replace my focus motor on my nikon 70-200 2.8
found there prices much better than fixation
it means the lens doesn't run the risk of getting damaged during being posted never trusted the post office
and there service second to none
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That's true although UPS's service was flawless, 1 day delivery and the convenience of having it collected and delivered to work made it painless as opposed to getting on public transport / driving into the city.

I'm sure AJ Johnston offer a great service too but from the advice I received here and weighing things up I decided to use Fixation and I haven't been disappointed.

the black fox said:
Shouldn‘t be noisy ..that’s not normal
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View: https://youtu.be/9oGNyvYOKno


It seems the noise I get is similar to the youtube video, (4.34) it's the clattering as the motor reverses direction which can be heard at the extreme ends of the range in the video. This reversing direction of the motor is more frequent when you are in AF-C as it's constantly making small adjustments to keep the subject in focus. I'm expecting it to be just the crispness of the new motor / a character of this lens.

It's been so sharp without the need to AF fine tune, which seems a rarity with the lenses I've had and the attention to detail with the smoothness of the focus ring considerably improved and the lens being much cleaner than it was, and the turnaround time and level of service has been fantastic from Fixation albeit the higher price tag.
 
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It turns out that older lenses make a lot of noise on the Z6 - and Nikon has recommended z lenses for video recording for this very reason. It seems that the z6 makes more frequent adjustment requests to the lens AF motor when in AF-C resulting in more focusing noise than on a conventional DSLR. I've decided to use my 300mm on my D750 over using it on the Z6 due to the more strenuous wear on the motor.

Loving the results with this lens - one taken this evening

JSC_9349 1 by Gilbo B, on Flickr
 
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