Author |
Message |
Jersey Jeff
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 06:47 pm: |
|
Just bought a Nikon FE2 at a garage sale today for $3 US (really!!). Everything seems to work, but having a problem with the lens. It's a Micro-Nikkor 55mm, f2.8. The problem is that I can't change the aperture - it stays wide open. Maybe I'm not doing something right? |
Haig Hovaness
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 10:58 pm: |
|
If you remove the back of the lens, you should be able to see if there is a simple problem with the diaphragm mechanism. Worst case would be a gummed up diaphragm requiring major disassembly. For what you paid, you can afford a CLA on the lens and you will still be way ahead. |
Jerry Thomas
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Monday, June 07, 2004 - 11:02 pm: |
|
Have you removed the lens and adjusted the aperture ring to see if the blades close? If not then most likely you will need to have the lens cleaned as the iris blades are stuck together most likely with old lubricant. Thats my best guess. |
Ed
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 06:55 am: |
|
Any lens has the possibility of getting a sticky diaphragm. Especially one that sits more than it gets used. There is no lubricant on the blades, but somehow some gets there from other areas of the lens. Migrates, vaporizes--who knows. The only solution is the clean it--the blades and associated area. For some reason it seems that the lens in question is more prone to this than others. |
M. Currie
Rating: N/A Votes: 0 (Vote!) | Posted on Wednesday, June 09, 2004 - 08:36 am: |
|
I seem to recall reading that this particular lens is notorious for oily diaphragms. On a Nikon lens, the automatic diaphragm lever is pretty easy to spot. If you set it to minimum aperture, a spring should pull it to minimum, and moving the lever will open it. When the lens is on the camera and you're viewing, the camera's aperture lever holds it open. When the camera's shutter fires, its lever goes out of the way, and the spring in the lens pulls the diaphragm closed - the camera doesn't help it along. Thus even a little stickiness can cause a problem. You might just try moving the lever back and forth on the lens and see if it limbers up. If you're lucky, it might free up, at least for a while, though if it's oily it might work but still not close down fast enough. These lenses aren't horrifically expensive used, so it might be worth comparing the price of another against the cost of repair. |