Problem with 300mm f/4E PF ED VR lens with Nikon Z8

[Alan Jones]

My lens is in for Nikon service for the third time within a year! So far they have replaced diaphragm blade and electromagnetic aperture unit. I use the 300mm lens with the adapter and with either a 1.4x or 2x teleconverter. Everything works initially but eventually when I turn the camera on I get a whining noice followed by an ERR message. Has there been a compatibility problem with using teleconverters with F-mount lens on Nikon's digital cameras?

 

[Nimi]

My lens is in for Nikon service for the third time within a year! So far they have replaced diaphragm blade and electromagnetic aperture unit. I use the 300mm lens with the adapter and with either a 1.4x or 2x teleconverter. Everything works initially but eventually when I turn the camera on I get a whining noice followed by an ERR message. Has there been a compatibility problem with using teleconverters with F-mount lens on Nikon's digital cameras?

No.

 

[DRwyoming]

My lens is in for Nikon service for the third time within a year! So far they have replaced diaphragm blade and electromagnetic aperture unit. I use the 300mm lens with the adapter and with either a 1.4x or 2x teleconverter. Everything works initially but eventually when I turn the camera on I get a whining noice followed by an ERR message. Has there been a compatibility problem with using teleconverters with F-mount lens on Nikon's digital cameras?

I've been using my 300mm PF since it was released, first with DSLRs and then with the Z6 II, Z8 and Z9 and haven't had any problems nor have heard of any problems from others who use this lens. There's no compatibility issue with Nikon Z cameras via either of the FTZ adapters.

I suspect you either got a bad copy or something happened to it along the way as I don't know of any general problems with the durability of this lens.

 

[AlanB313]

Here's hoping it comes back and works for you! Do you have another camera body to try it out on? Just for comparison...
Good luck.

 

[Patrick M]

The FTZ is simply a spacer… to make the distance from the lens to sensor correct for the F mount. Only the connectors might get dirty and almost impossible for anything to go wrong.
It definitely sounds like a lens issue. You say with the two TCs. Do you get the issue with the lens without the teleconverters?

 

[Krümelkraft]

I feel like I read exactly that error description before (somewhere in this forum).

Short answer to your question: No (as Nimi said).

Looks like Nikon service simply haven't found the exact problem.
I guess this time they may replace the VR unit.

Can you rule out that one of the TCs is causing the problem?
In fact, the FTZ does have a motor. It's the motor that moves the aperture-control-lever (for non-"E"-lenses). This motor does something everytime you switch the camera on, even when your lens has electrically controlled aperture blades.

 

[dabhand16]

Wasn't there an issue with some 300Pf lenses before a certain serial number? Can't remember the details now but it was, IIRC, well publicized at the time.

 

[Nasos Kosmas]

I feel like I read exactly that error description before (somewhere in this forum).

I reported a whining noice with no error message from my 500pf with 1.4III TC / Z8 randomly, some months ago, I tried to replicate without the TC but no the issue was only with the TC connected, it was not the AF system maybe the VR.
Its just disappeared as it comes, everything works fine now.

 

[DRwyoming]

Wasn't there an issue with some 300Pf lenses before a certain serial number? Can't remember the details now but it was, IIRC, well publicized at the time.

Some folks reported VR issues at certain shutter speeds with low serial number lenses, it was an issue with steadiness and image quality but not complete lens failures or loud noises.

 

[ElenaH]

I had the same problem with Nikon 300mm f4 IF-ED lens with 1.4x TC III . Because IF-ED is older type of lens it can olny work with older TC II and not III.
I assume, you have a newer TC?
But anyway.. I think it is also dependent on a particular camera variant or lens variant (I mean production variant, series, particular piece of equipment)

 

[Alan Jones]

I had the same problem with Nikon 300mm f4 IF-ED lens with 1.4x TC III . Because IF-ED is older type of lens it can olny work with older TC II and not III.
I assume, you have a newer TC?
But anyway.. I think it is also dependent on a particular camera variant or lens variant (I mean production variant, series, particular piece of equipment)

Thanks, I have used both the 1.4x TC III and TC II but I'm not sure which one was used when the lens failed. This last time it failed with an old 2x teleconverter.