Nikkor 18-200mm VR flawed? Version: rumors

[ryan112ryan]

I have been talking to alot of people about Nikkon's 18-200mm VR lens. a few people have mentioned that the lens would go hay-wire about every 50 pictures and the metering was way off. people have said they think thats why its such a hard lens to get, because Nikkon is actually trying to fix it in a hurry.

anyone heard this or know anything? 18-200mm owners? :confused:

[jcon]

I dont own this lense and dont plan on ever getting one but If what you say is true, about Nikon trying fix the problem in a hurry, wouldnt they make a public recall like they did with the battery?

[coldrain]

I dont own this lense and dont plan on ever getting one but If what you say is true, about Nikon trying fix the problem in a hurry, wouldnt they make a public recall like they did with the battery?
The battery was a safety risk, the lens surely is not. Also, do not expect a recall of any product before they really can provide a fix.

So... if there indeed is a problem (Eric on here has this lens and it stopped functioning correctly, that is 1 in 1 on here that I know of that broke), then Nikon first has to develop the fix, only then they will want to see lenses coming back in mass.

[Jason25]

I haven't seen anything about this on Nikonians, or anywhere else. I have seen a couple stories of the lens breaking rather easily, though.

[erichlund]

I have been talking to alot of people about Nikkon's 18-200mm VR lens. a few people have mentioned that the lens would go hay-wire about every 50 pictures and the metering was way off. people have said they think thats why its such a hard lens to get, because Nikkon is actually trying to fix it in a hurry.

anyone heard this or know anything? 18-200mm owners? :confused:
Mine started not focusing beyond about 70mm (I don't recall the exact focal length.) What I was told by one store was that the early 18-200s had a bad chip that would eventually break down and cause this behavior. Nikon is replacing the chip under warranty. I sent mine to Nikon through my dealer, so I don't know what they actually fixed, but it works perfectly now. Furthermore, my understanding is new lenses are fine and should not have this problem.

There are several reasons for lack of availability. First, this has been an incredibly popular lens. Secondly, I was told when Nikon determined that there was a problem, they pulled the lenses at the dealers to limit the number of lenses that they would have to have returned by customers. As far as I know, Nikon's policy on lenses and cameras is to fix problems that are sent in by customers. It is very rare that they will recall anything that is not a safety issue. I actually had the lens back a lot sooner than my dealer thought I would, and like I said, it now works perfectly. The failure was just in time for my vacation, so I ended up getting a 17-55DX and a Tamron 70-300 to cover the range (and then some). While it was costly, I did get two lenses that I probably would not have gotten otherwise. So, I'm not complaining.

[Esoterra]

Mine started not focusing beyond about 70mm (I don't recall the exact focal length.) What I was told by one store was that the early 18-200s had a bad chip that would eventually break down and cause this behavior. Nikon is replacing the chip under warranty. I sent mine to Nikon through my dealer, so I don't know what they actually fixed, but it works perfectly now. Furthermore, my understanding is new lenses are fine and should not have this problem.

There are several reasons for lack of availability. First, this has been an incredibly popular lens. Secondly, I was told when Nikon determined that there was a problem, they pulled the lenses at the dealers to limit the number of lenses that they would have to have returned by customers. As far as I know, Nikon's policy on lenses and cameras is to fix problems that are sent in by customers. It is very rare that they will recall anything that is not a safety issue. I actually had the lens back a lot sooner than my dealer thought I would, and like I said, it now works perfectly. The failure was just in time for my vacation, so I ended up getting a 17-55DX and a Tamron 70-300 to cover the range (and then some). While it was costly, I did get two lenses that I probably would not have gotten otherwise. So, I'm not complaining.

This is why it is sometimes a good idea to wait a few months before you buy the latest gear out there. The question is, can you miss having the item for that "vacation" or "event". Maybe sending it back for repair isnt such a bad thing if you got what you wanted it for.