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by Larry Shuman on Mon Sep 28, 2020 4:42 pm
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I was at a drag strip meet this weekend. I was using my Nikon D3 and a SW AFS 80~200mm F:2.8D and a 80~200mm F:2.8 AF (push/pull). I also had a polarizer mounted. As the car would come out of the water box where they would raise the engine RPM and spin the tires to heat them up. This resulted in a good deal of tire smoke. Both lenses refused to auto focus with  density of tire smoke. Heavy or light. The camera registered EFF in the view finder. The shutter button went dead. The fix was I had to remove the lens from the camera. I realize the polarizer was partly to blame with its 2 stops of light loss. But yesterday it still happened. I was shooting on the LEFT and it was backlighted some what. Low contrast was there with the backlighting and the tire smoke added more difficulty. When I moved to the RIGHT side which was front lighted the problem was gone. Everything had good contrast as long  as I didn't try to focus thru the smoke.

I have never had this happen in all my years of shooting (48). Is there something in either lens that is so delicate in focusing? Has this happened  to anyone using Canon equipment? Will Canon's 80~200mm F:2.8 do the same thing.

I find this very interesting. On Saturday I used the polarizer, on Sunday I did NOT use the polarizer. 
 

by E.J. Peiker on Tue Sep 29, 2020 11:17 am
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The lens has an aperture ring right? EFF is the error code Nikon cameras throw if you are shooting such a lens in an auto mode and the aperture on the lens isn't in the full stopped down and locked position, It basically means that the camera is not able to select an aperture due to this.
 

by Larry Shuman on Tue Sep 29, 2020 12:24 pm
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E.J. Peiker wrote:The lens has an aperture ring right?  EFF is the error code Nikon cameras throw if you are shooting such a lens in an auto mode and the aperture on the lens isn't in the full stopped down and locked position,  It basically means that the camera is not able to select an aperture due to this.
I've checked that in the field Saturday when it happened.   The aperture ring was tight. I could not move it. I could correct the situation by removing the lens and instantly putting it back on. I just checked both lenses and the locks on both are locked tight. I was shooting in shutter mode.
 

by Larry Shuman on Tue Sep 29, 2020 2:15 pm
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Is it possible that the aperture switch might have enough play in it to not work with a low contrast area but work perfectly in all other areas?
 

by Ron Day on Tue Sep 29, 2020 5:15 pm
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Those Nikon lenses need adequate contrast to autofocus. Perhaps the heavy tire smoke on the left provided insufficient contrast for the lens to autofocus, particularly when you had no problem on the right with adequate front lighting. And, of course, the polarizer may have aggravated the situation.
 

by SantaFeJoe on Tue Sep 29, 2020 5:45 pm
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E.J. Peiker wrote:The lens has an aperture ring right?  EFF is the error code Nikon cameras throw if you are shooting such a lens in an auto mode and the aperture on the lens isn't in the full stopped down and locked position,  It basically means that the camera is not able to select an aperture due to this.
I’m sure that the code you are referring to is “FEE”, not “EFF”. There is also a “ERR” code, but I can’t find any “EFF” code. “ERR” sometimes means dirty contacts.

These are some common error codes:

https://www.stellarinfo.com/article/nikon-dslr-error-code-messages-and-fixes.php

Joe
Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.  -Pablo Picasso
 

by Larry Shuman on Tue Sep 29, 2020 6:48 pm
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That site enlightened me. As the tire smoke came across (breeze was in my face) the camera displayed ERR. That explained it was because of inappropriate exposure settings. There wasn't enough exposure so the ERR displayed. I was using shutter speed mode. So now it makes sense. Thank you very much.
 

by E.J. Peiker on Wed Sep 30, 2020 12:16 pm
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That means that the aperture stop down tab on the lens is broken, bent or stuck.  Or the aperture stop down mechanism in the camera's lens mount is broken.  Both should move freely with a spring action to bring them back to their original position.
 

by Larry Shuman on Wed Sep 30, 2020 7:32 pm
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I just checked the camera and lens and both work as designed. Spring action on both camera and lens are good. I unlocked the aperture and watched fEE appear in the display. Return it to a lock position and fEE disappears and camera functions normally. So I don't know what happened. I took the lens off to clear the ERR and put it back on right away and camera worked well. In the link above under ERR heading it says inappropriate camera exposure settings. Since I was in shutter mode and the camera could not change because of my fixed shutter thus inappropriate camera exposure settings.
 

by E.J. Peiker on Thu Oct 01, 2020 12:22 pm
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It may be that the two tabs are slightly misaligned and occasionally they don't engage with one another.
 

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