70-200VRII does yours rattle?

[MartynD2oo]

HI guys

A quick question to 70-200vrII owners.

Does your lens have a rattling/loose type of sound at the camera mount end when shaken? I have just noticed mine does and not sure if this is normal stuff, never noticed it before.

Before I send it in to be looked at thought i'd ask here...

Thanks in advance.

 

[Island Golfer]

Switch the VR off before you switch off the camera. See if that isn't the issue.

 

[overniteman]

Mine has no rattle at all. Tight as my ex-wife's wallet.

 

[mikephotos23]

Mine has no rattle at all. Tight as my ex-wife's wallet.

I was reading this on my iPhone and hadn't scrolled down far enough initially so did not see the "wallet" at first. I was thinking (before wallet appeared) so why did you leave her lol okay somewhat nsfw

Just to stay on topic, I asked a friend who owns the VRII and he has also confirmed, no rattle.

Mike

 

[mikemsphoto]

HI guys

A quick question to 70-200vrII owners.

Does your lens have a rattling/loose type of sound at the camera mount end when shaken? I have just noticed mine does and not sure if this is normal stuff, never noticed it before.

Before I send it in to be looked at thought i'd ask here...

Thanks in advance.

 

[Island Golfer]

Think of VR this way. Imagine small gyros that are detecting lens motion; and a little computer in the lens tube that interprets this motion; and drives small electric motors to move a specific group of elements in the lens to stabilize the image. To make this happen, you must turn on the VR function. When you turn on VR, it sets this process in motion inside the lens tube. When VR has not been turned on, it sits dormant; and no groups of lenses are moving around to achieve stability. If you turn the camera off without first turning the VR function off, it allows these elements to float freely inside of the tube (and, thus, simulate a rattling sound). A rather crude analogy; but perhaps illustrative.

 

[Lance B]

Think of VR this way. Imagine small gyros that are detecting lens motion; and a little computer in the lens tube that interprets this motion; and drives small electric motors to move a specific group of elements in the lens to stabilize the image. To make this happen, you must turn on the VR function. When you turn on VR, it sets this process in motion inside the lens tube. When VR has not been turned on, it sits dormant; and no groups of lenses are moving around to achieve stability. If you turn the camera off without first turning the VR function off, it allows these elements to float freely inside of the tube (and, thus, simulate a rattling sound). A rather crude analogy; but perhaps illustrative.

 

[Island Golfer]

Like I said, a rather crude analogy. The point is that there are moving parts that move when VR is activated. Thom Hogan references this in an article he wrote on the subject. He states that VR is an element group in the middle of the lens that is controlled by a motion detection mechanism. Nikon has an explanation that illustrates how VR works. http://www.nikon.com/about/technology/rd/core/software/vr_e/ Hogan's article is here http://www.bythom.com/nikon-vr.htm

 

[hikerdoc]

Think of VR this way. Imagine small gyros that are detecting lens motion; and a little computer in the lens tube that interprets this motion; and drives small electric motors to move a specific group of elements in the lens to stabilize the image. To make this happen, you must turn on the VR function. When you turn on VR, it sets this process in motion inside the lens tube. When VR has not been turned on, it sits dormant; and no groups of lenses are moving around to achieve stability. If you turn the camera off without first turning the VR function off, it allows these elements to float freely inside of the tube (and, thus, simulate a rattling sound). A rather crude analogy; but perhaps illustrative.

 

[Lance B]

Think of VR this way. Imagine small gyros that are detecting lens motion; and a little computer in the lens tube that interprets this motion; and drives small electric motors to move a specific group of elements in the lens to stabilize the image. To make this happen, you must turn on the VR function. When you turn on VR, it sets this process in motion inside the lens tube. When VR has not been turned on, it sits dormant; and no groups of lenses are moving around to achieve stability. If you turn the camera off without first turning the VR function off, it allows these elements to float freely inside of the tube (and, thus, simulate a rattling sound). A rather crude analogy; but perhaps illustrative.

 

[Island Golfer]

Here's how the "Nikon Hacker" site puts it:

HOW TO PROPERLY MANIPULATE CAMERA WHILE USING VR LENS (VR - VIBRATION REDUCTION LENS)

When using VR lens in ViewFinder mode, every time you press the Shutter button half way the VR "motor" will "spin up" (you can hear its whizzing sound)

This means the electromagnets are constantly moving the VR lens piece inside your lens by using the data from the accelerometers/gyroscopes in order to compensate for camera shake/vibrations/movement. If you RELEASE the shutter button OR take a photo, the VR will reset and go into "STAND BY" state. You can clearly hear this when releasing the shutter button after pressing it HALF WAY. You will hear a LOCK/CLICK sound and the whizzing sound from your lens is gone. This means the VR lens piece is LOCKED into position, and you can safely turn off/power off your camera and detach the lens.

This is the STANDART SAFE PROCEDURE for TURNING OFF NIKON CAMERAS WHILE USING VR LENS!!!

You must wait for the VR to go into IDLE / STAND BY mode (you will not hear the VR "motor" sounds anymore, or any other mechanical noises from the lenses/camera. You can then turn off your camera.

BUT

If you go into LiveView, VR "motor" will "SPIN" ALL THE TIME!!!! You will hear the whizzing sound all the time no matter if you just hold the camera without doing anything!!! So if you turn off your camera after that, the VR lens piece WILL NOT BE LOCKED INTO POSITION INSIDE YOUR LENS!!!

You will then hear it click/shake/hit the sides of your lens' inner hull and this MAY cause damage to the lens.

SOLUTION: you can go OUT of Live view (go into viewfinder mode) and wait for the CLICK sound and make sure no more mechanical noises are heard from your lens, this means VR lens piece is LOCKED and returned to its position and you can safely shut down/power off your camera.

SOLUTION 2: you can turn off VR using the switch on your lens, wait for the mechanical sound to go away and after that hear the click locking sound, and then power off your camera.

Again, you DO NOT need to switch off VR on your lens using the switch, you can just have to make sure no more continuous mechanical noise is heard from the lens, this means VR is in standby and you can safely turn off your camera.

 

[hikerdoc]

Thanks for the fleshed out description of what I was trying to say.

Of interest, Sigma version of OS seems to function differently. I am accustomed to the sounds of Nikon VR as you describe. I had the Sigma 24-105 f/4 which emitted a buzzing sound continually whenever camera was switched on; unrelated to AF, unrelated to OS activation, unrelated to OS switch even being in ON position. Sigma told me the lens was normal and that was the normal sound of the continually electrified OS magnets in that lens.

D

 

[Di2tri]

I have the new 70-200 FL model and also had a heart attack -- as I heard the rattle. Found this thread and immediately powered down my camera, started it up and then switched VR to off. Then powered down camera, then removed lens... no more rattle.

Thanks all!

 

[Leonard Shepherd]

I have never turned off the VR before turning off the camera and my VR doesn't rattle.

The specific issue is turning the camera off while VR is running.

This is less of an issue for those using back button focus on a DS.LR

VR on a DSLR stops running within about 1 second of removing first pressure on the shutter - and "parks" before the lens is usually removed.

--
Leonard Shepherd
In lots of ways good photography is much more about how equipment is used rather than anything else.

 

[AWG_Pics]

I have the new 70-200 FL model and also had a heart attack -- as I heard the rattle. Found this thread and immediately powered down my camera, started it up and then switched VR to off. Then powered down camera, then removed lens... no more rattle.

Thanks all!

I have this lens and many other VR lenses. I never give a thought to when I turn them or the camera on and and off. Been doing that for tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousand of images and never had an issue. Don't sweat it.

 

[Lance B]

I have the new 70-200 FL model and also had a heart attack -- as I heard the rattle. Found this thread and immediately powered down my camera, started it up and then switched VR to off. Then powered down camera, then removed lens... no more rattle.

Thanks all!

I have this lens and many other VR lenses. I never give a thought to when I turn them or the camera on and and off. Been doing that for tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousand of images and never had an issue. Don't sweat it.

Same here.

 

[WildlifePhotog]

So I just checked my 70-200FL and it has a “rattle” of the VR Grouping even after turning off the VR properly and I’m a back button focus guy. Maybe I’m shaking the lens harder than you are? LoL I don’t know or really care too much, the lens works flawlessly and is very sharp, very fast, etc, etc. It’s by far the best 70-200 in the world and by a good margin in my opinion. Not just because it gets one or two things right...it has it all. So although I too feel and sort of hear the VR group of elements move when shaken hard, it’s not something I’ll lose sleep over. I’m not sure how others have been able to stop this or fix this “issue” as I did everything correctly as instructed here. I even tried multiple times to achieve this “fix” with no luck whatsoever. Maybe if you have an 70-200FL, try shaking it harder than normal, tell me if you don’t still feel or hear something moving. Maybe I’m crazy or maybe I’m just stronger or better at rattling my VR Group?

 

[AWG_Pics]

If you were responding to me, mine rattles and it does not bother me.

 

[Leonard Shepherd]

mine rattles and it does not bother me.

My FL rattles a little as well.

As an aside, as in lens VR runs constantly (when switched on) on an IBIS body, the IBIS body might be better switched off before removing the lens.

I have no way of knowing as I am not a Nikon repair technician though I presume if a VR lens has a serious impact the VR mechanism is less likely to be damaged by the impact if in the locked position.