On Wed, 3 Feb 1999 17:42:59 -0500, "Redjac" wrote:

>Two of my lenses--50 1.4 AI and 24 2.8 AI--seem a little loose to me.
>Meaning that the front element (to which attaches the filter ring) seem a
>bit sloppy. I can wiggle the filter ring juuuuusst a teeny-tiny tad, and I
>can see in the viewfinder that the frame moves a touch when doing this. Are
>my pictures suffering because of this??? They're both nearly 20 years old
>and been batted around a bunch. I can't say for sure, but enlargements from
>these two don't seem as sharp as they could be...I can't say for sure, maybe
>i'm imagining it.
>
>Can a local repair place tighten things up... or must they go to Nikon...
>or what...is it something that's not repairable?? Or is it not even worth
>the trouble???? Any thoughts??????????????

Well-worn MF lenses *can* get about as loose as new AF
lenses...! ;-) Try wiggling the front of any non-IF AF
lens, if you want to see what lens looseness is...! ;-)
This movement will not cause a sharpness loss, icky
as it feels. A relube and adjust of the focus can
improve the feel, but may not be worth it (the local
shop [if they do the work themselves!] may be much
cheaper than Nikon-repair). BTW, one difference between
most non-zoom MF "AIS" lenses and "AI" lenses is the
use of two hold-back pins in the focus mechanism
instead of one, giving a bit more stable control over
the movement of the lens when the mechanism is worn.