Nikon 500mm f4 - cleaning the elements problem: I took the above lens to the Amazon for a few months, and when I returned I noticed some fungus rings on the elements. My experienced...

dmdpeterdmd

I took the above lens to the Amazon for a few months, and when I returned I noticed some fungus rings on the elements.

My experienced Nikon repair guy is having difficulty removing the the last inner ring which retains the final lenses inside. It is stuck. We tried a few things, such as penetrating oil around the ring to loosen it but to no avail - we are unable to get to the last elements to clean.

Any suggestions? Thanks.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

dmdpeterdmd wrote:

I took the above lens to the Amazon for a few months, and when I returned I noticed some fungus rings on the elements.

My experienced Nikon repair guy is having difficulty removing the the last inner ring which retains the final lenses inside. It is stuck. We tried a few things, such as penetrating oil around the ring to loosen it but to no avail - we are unable to get to the last elements to clean.

Any suggestions? Thanks.

Sounds like you need an experienced Nikon repairman.

dmdpeterdmd

if you read the statement, i have one - do put your glasses and hearing aid on

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

dmdpeterdmd wrote:

if you read the statement, i have one - do put your glasses and hearing aid on

Pretty sorry excuse of an "experienced" Nikon repairman if you have to ask here to bail him out!!

orrie smith Loc: Kansas

RWR wrote:

Pretty sorry excuse of an "experienced" Nikon repairman if you have to ask here to bail him out!!

:thumbup:

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Does Nikon offer factory refurbishing?

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

dmdpeterdmd wrote:

if you read the statement, i have one - do put your glasses and hearing aid on

OK, is he an AUTHORIZED experienced Nikon technician or some guy that has worked on Nikons for thirty years. Is your lens at an AUTHORIZED Nikon repair facility or is somebody's spare bedroom? If he is an AUTHORIZED experienced Nikon technician at an AUTHORIZED Nikon repair facility (which I doubt if he used penetrating oil), he or the next higher echelon of repair will figure it out. If he is NOT an AUTHORIZED experienced Nikon technician at an AUTHORIZED Nikon repair facility, I suggest you send the lens forthwith to an AUTHORIZED experienced Nikon technician at an AUTHORIZED Nikon repair facility! A clarification of your situation would be appreciated.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

rgrenaderphoto wrote:

Does Nikon offer factory refurbishing?

I'm sure Nikon is no different than Canon. The op does not state that the lens is a VR lens. If it's not, it may be out of service life at Nikon and they no longer make parts for it. If they don't have parts, I'm sure Nikon won't touch the lens.
So his only alternative is probably the independent repair places. Just thinking, I really have no idea!!
I don't dare tell the OP to find a guy that knows what he's doing!!!! :lol:
SS

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

dmdpeterdmd wrote:

I took the above lens to the Amazon for a few months, and when I returned I noticed some fungus rings on the elements.

My experienced Nikon repair guy is having difficulty removing the the last inner ring which retains the final lenses inside. It is stuck. We tried a few things, such as penetrating oil around the ring to loosen it but to no avail - we are unable to get to the last elements to clean.

Any suggestions? Thanks.

Have him reassemble it and send it to Nikon.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Mogul wrote:

OK, is he an AUTHORIZED experienced Nikon technici... (show quote)

AUTHORIZED or NOT, stuck is still stuck. This is not a high tech problem that needs special training or tools. A Nikon facility will have more people with more ideas, and they would probably not give up on it. It would be nice to see how this plays out. It's possible that they will return it as "unrepairable."

In a related situation, I was unable to remove a wheel from my car because it was rusted in place. Nothing I tried would work, so I took it to the local gas station. They also had trouble with it, and it eventually took them over half an hour to remove it. "Stuck" can be a major repair problem. Now I use an anti-seize lube on my wheels and lug nuts.

dcampbell52 Loc: Clearwater Fl

dmdpeterdmd wrote:

I took the above lens to the Amazon for a few months, and when I returned I noticed some fungus rings on the elements.

My experienced Nikon repair guy is having difficulty removing the the last inner ring which retains the final lenses inside. It is stuck. We tried a few things, such as penetrating oil around the ring to loosen it but to no avail - we are unable to get to the last elements to clean.

Any suggestions? Thanks.

Does this experienced Nikon repairman actually work at Nikon, at some other camera repair facility, or a camera shop. If you are East of the Mississippi River send the lens to Melville NY and let Nikon themselves to the repair. If they can NOT get it to release, they will replace it. If you are west of the Mississippi River, then the lens will go to the Nikon Los Angeles repair facility (also Nikon USA owned and not a secondary camera repair place that happens to be Nikon authorized). Again they will fix it or replace it. There are several places around the country that repair Nikons and some that have experience with many different issues but the high end professionals and members of Nikon Professional Services (Nikon professional photographers that have met certain employment standards and have been recommended by other NPS members) all use Nikon Melville or Nikon Los Angeles for their major repairs.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

jerryc41 wrote:

AUTHORIZED or NOT, stuck is still stuck. This is not a high tech problem that needs special training or tools. A Nikon facility will have more people with more ideas, and they would probably not give up on it. It would be nice to see how this plays out. It's possible that they will return it as "unrepairable."

I'm not sure we'll hear how this plays out. The OP hasn't bothered to say which version of the lens it is, no detailed physical description of the part that's stuck - heck, we don't even know which section of the Pennysaver he found this repairman! Sounds more like two monkeys and one football.

SirAlistair Loc: Gingin Western Australia

On the Canon's L lens, they glue the len's locking ring's together, no amount of oil will unglue the lens, you may need the correct socket to force the glue apart, and not just the tool's your repairman is using.....

JimBart Loc: Western Michigan

Send it back to a Nikon facility If they break it it's their problem not yours Who knows you may even get a new one

Mark7829 Loc: Calfornia

dmdpeterdmd wrote:

I took the above lens to the Amazon for a few months, and when I returned I noticed some fungus rings on the elements.

My experienced Nikon repair guy is having difficulty removing the the last inner ring which retains the final lenses inside. It is stuck. We tried a few things, such as penetrating oil around the ring to loosen it but to no avail - we are unable to get to the last elements to clean.

Any suggestions? Thanks.

Yeah, send it to NIKON!!! Fungus is serious.. can eat away at the lens coatings. Such a lens needs care and store with those gel packs that absorb moisture. I would have never sent the send to a "nikon guy".