The vibration reduction function on my D700 and Nikkor 70-300mm VR lens has been unreliable for many months.

As it could be useful to Nikon DSLR users, I am posting this.

Revised 29/06/2012: {page references to D700 manual} etc.

Researching the subject I found that someone had sold a professional grade VR lens on eBay, but it had been returned due to claimed faulty VR operation. The seller then re-advertised the lens for sale together with a free F80 (N80) film camera body to prove that the VR worked reliably, assuring bidders that the lens was good but the original buyer's camera must have been faulty!

As I have an F80 and a D1x (but no other VR lens) I was able to test the lens I suspected, but it worked reliably on both those bodies. The fault was obviously in my D700.

By experimenting with various alternatives I discovered an interim fix for the D700. Cycling the VR switch from ON to OFF to ON with the camera ON restored VR operation, usually until I switched the camera off again.

Extensive internet searches found nothing about this VR fault, but I found a Nikonians forum posting about how to cure faulty autofocus on a D300. I decided to try this before taking my camera and lens to the local Nikon agent, and luckily it worked. Based on the D300 poster's experience this might have saved me a repair bill with "no fault found" but the camera still not working properly.

That posting says a Nikon technician explained that the "two green button" restore is not enough to fully reset the camera's digital electronics {D700 manual p196 refers}.
A procedure analogous to a computer cold-boot is required.

*****************
The cold-boot procedure (revised) is:

1. Save the camera settings on a CF card (Setup menu, spanner icon){p344}.
2. Turn camera OFF, remove the lens and CF card {p42}.
3. Turn camera ON. Hold down the two green buttons for 3 seconds. Control panel LCD turns off briefly. This resets some camera settings {p196,197,418}.
4. Go into the Custom Settings menu (pencil icon) and click Reset Custom Settings - YES {p282}.
5. Switch OFF.
Remove the battery.
Switch to ON.
Hold down the shutter button for 20 seconds (to discharge capacitors).
Switch to OFF.
6. Replace the battery.
Replace the CF card.
Switch camera ON.
Load the settings (Setup menu) {p344,345}.
Remember to switch off before refitting the lens {p37}.

*************
This fixed my D700, and VR now works reliably (so far anyway).

NOTE: It is probable that the fault was caused by removal and refitting of a lens with the camera switched on (contrary to the instructions).

Any comments?

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The post referred to above is at:
http://www.nikonians.org/forums/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=149&topic_id=168027&mesg_id=168027&page=7

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Giles,

Thank you for posting this information. I have not experienced the same problem but could well do so in the future. It is a very useful addition to our collective body of knowledge.

Regards,

John

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Thanks for your kind comment. I have revised my OP with references to pages of the Nikon D700 Manual shown in {brackets}.

Although the cold-reboot appeared at first to have solved the problem, I sometimes still need to cycle the VR ON-OFF switch to restart VR, so I could still need to visit my Nikon dealer.

I have tried cleaning the contacts and wiggling the lens to make sure it is correctly seated. Any other suggestions?

Giles

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The mystery deepens. Although VR is behaving much better since the cold-boot, there is still an intermittent fault:

Immediately I switch the camera ON with the VR lens fitted, either

a. It operates normally, or

b. VR operates for about 1 second after switching the camera ON, independent of whether the VR switch is ON or OFF (the image in the viewfinder twitches briefly).
* If I touch the shutter during that period, VR will subsequently operate normally.
* If I leave the shutter during that period, VR will not operate subsequently, but I can restore VR operation by cycling the VR switch.

Has anyone had a similar experience? Is it something I am doing wrong, or is it a known fault?

Meanwhile I have been using my 70-300mm VR lens recently in difficult circumstances, and am really getting to like it used with the D700's amazing 3D autofocus mode.

Giles

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Another surprise is that cold-reboot does not reset the camera clock, or even seem to affect its time which I had recently set quite accurately.

Nor does it affect the shutter counter, which is just as well.

This shows that even this procedure does not reset absolutely everything.

Any comments?

Giles

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Those are some odd problems.

I have printed out those reset and keep them in my camera cabinet. I have used them once or twice.

Another thing that you may try is to reinstall your cameras firmware.

I had an odd AF problem last summer. Nothing I tried helped including a cold-reset. As a last ditch effort I downloaded the most recent firmware and ran the firmware update procedure and the camera has worked fine since.

You can do this even if your firmware is up-to-date. Running the update procedure will overwrite the installed firmware so if there is a bit of corrupted data hiding in there it will be corrected.

I hope this helps.

Dave
Quad Cities, USA
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Thanks Dave
I have just updated the firmware as you suggest, well worth doing, but it does not seem to make any difference to my VR problem.

Come to think of it, now that I know how to get VR to work it is no longer a problem, it is a factor.

I will now be able to discuss it intelligently with my favourite used camera shop and repairer (Cameratics in Edinburgh), and see what they say.

Giles

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