d800e's and zeiss 135 APO - 2x APO's have failed... (chips failed)

[orchidblooms]

last night i was shooting at 'jazzfest' in aperture mode with d800e / mb-12 grip zeiss 135 APO - fresh charged en-el-15 batteries and half way thru the evening i noticed the front wheel of the d800e was not changing the aperture value on the screen - turned d800e off and back on, thinking this was the camera. no change - then i unlocked and rotated the aperture ring on the lens - no ee warning on camera - and i continued to shoot the evening as if i was using the lens with no chip...

I have a friend - also in the twin cities - also a d800e shooter - also experienced failure of zeiss 135 as well as zeiss 15 zf.2 lenses

thoughts on why these lenses are dying?

huge thanks

[Hulyss]

You are a bit excessive with "thoughts on why these lenses are dying ?". Your lens aren't dying ...  Use it as a ZF lens and forget about the chip. Just set the lens in the D800 as a "no processor" lens and you good for the rest of your life.

We are some to not care about the chip of the ZF.2 line and I personally don't like the chip.

Good luck and keep cool

[orchidblooms]

You are a bit excessive with "thoughts on why these lenses are dying ?". Your lens aren't dying ...  Use it as a ZF lens and forget about the chip. Just set the lens in the D800 as a "no processor" lens and you good for the rest of your life.

We are some to not care about the chip of the ZF.2 line and I personally don't like the chip.

Good luck and keep cool

i am in your camp - that is exactly what i did for the rest of the evening...  but the lens is expensive - new and it should work as it is supposed to...



p.

[BernardLanguillier]

I understand your frustration, but shouldn't you call your retailer and use the warranty process?

I am afraid we won't be able to help you in case of material failure...

Cheers,
Bernard

[orchidblooms]

I understand your frustration, but shouldn't you call your retailer and use the warranty process?

I am afraid we won't be able to help you in case of material failure...

Cheers,
Bernard

my heavenly days....  yes i sent notice to zeiss usa last evening...  and will be headed to my local shop in the morning to show them the lens, have them order another - then exchange them when the replacement arrives...

the Help i am asking about would be for folks here to perhaps postulate their own theories as to why these lenses are failing 2 within 20 miles of each other when mounted to a d800e with the mb-12 grip...  my pal's also killed a 15 zf.2... in addition to his 135...

[uaiomex]

My personal experience is that the internet is the worst place to ask for sympathy. However, I admit that for technical questions it works really beautiful.

Hope you get your money's worth.

Eduardo

my heavenly days....  yes i sent notice to zeiss usa last evening...  and will be headed to my local shop in the morning to show them the lens, have them order another - then exchange them when the replacement arrives...

the Help i am asking about would be for folks here to perhaps postulate their own theories as to why these lenses are failing 2 within 20 miles of each other when mounted to a d800e with the mb-12 grip...  my pal's also killed a 15 zf.2... in addition to his 135...

[orchidblooms]

My personal experience is that the internet is the worst place to ask for sympathy. However, I admit that for technical questions it works really beautiful.

Hope you get your money's worth.

Eduardo

many thanks - yes the wheels are spinning already - local shop where i made the purchase,  is working on strategy for me with zeiss usa

the lens itself still works fine - has to be used as a chipless unit - as i did with most if this set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/iggyweb/sets/72157634412631586/

as a footnote i noticed this morning, a d800e also killed a zf.2 lens on the fm forum...

[BernardLanguillier]

as a footnote i noticed this morning, a d800e also killed a zf.2 lens on the fm forum...

How do you know the camera did it? How can you differentiate this possibility from that of a defective ship and problems with Zeiss quality control process?

Cheers,
Bernard

[orchidblooms]

How do you know the camera did it? How can you differentiate this possibility from that of a defective ship and problems with Zeiss quality control process?

Cheers,
Bernard

my point exactly - all i mentioned was i was using the d800e - literally camera in hand when failure occurred...

seems odd that me n my pal, each have had this lens fail on d800e with mb-12 attached...  strange coincidence perhaps...  could well indeed be quality control - zeiss usa however advised me they have had 'no complaints' on this lens until...  mine - hope these 2 failures on the 135 are indeed isolated and nor at all related to the camera

[BernardLanguillier]

my point exactly - all i mentioned was i was using the d800e - literally camera in hand when failure occurred...

Ah, that's what you meant by "a d800e also killed a zf.2 lens"?   

When exactly could you identify a lens failure except when it is mounted on your camera?

Per the same logic, cars always fail because of their driver and TVs always fail because someone turned them on, right? 

Cheers,
Bernard

[heinrichvoelkel]

Ah, that's what you meant by "a d800e also killed a zf.2 lens"?  

When exactly could you identify a lens failure except when it is mounted on your camera?

Per the same logic, cars always fail because of their driver and TVs always fail because someone turned them on, right?  

Cheers,
Bernard

We all know, Bernard, you love your Nikons very much, but you're a little overprotective in this case. The OP stated, he used a Nikon 800 to shoot (and fry the chips of the) the Zeiss lenses. Nothing more. Your exaggeration is not needed.

[heinrichvoelkel]

Would be interesting to know, what a repair of the chip will cost and if this could be done DIY to avoid shipping the lens back and forth.

[BernardLanguillier]

We all know, Bernard, you love your Nikons very much, but you're a little overprotective in this case. The OP stated, he used a Nikon 800 to shoot (and fry the chips of the) the Zeiss lenses. Nothing more. Your exaggeration is not needed.

I frankly couldn't care less if the D800 killed the lens and the neighbor cat's as well.

This is not the Nikon+Zeiss user speaking here, it is the engineer with extensive trouble shooting experience.

I am just preaching for a bit of rigor when making assumptions. I would have written the exact same answer had the supposed killer been a 5DIII.

Cheers,
Bernard

[Kyle Kielinski]

If Zeiss finds that it's a defect in the manufacture of the chip, I'd gladly buy a new 135 with a bad chip for a few hundred dollars less than the current MSRP.   

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

I presume that Nikon lenses work just fine with Nikon cameras?

Best regards
Erik

I frankly couldn't care less if the D800 killed the lens and the neighbor cat's as well.

This is not the Nikon+Zeiss user speaking here, it is the engineer with extensive trouble shooting experience.

I am just preaching for a bit of rigor when making assumptions. I would have written the exact same answer had the supposed killer been a 5DIII.

Cheers,
Bernard

[orchidblooms]

Hi,

I presume that Nikon lenses work just fine with Nikon cameras?

Best regards
Erik

i have no idea - i do not own any...

hope you are having a 'bangn 4th...

[hsteeves]

unfortunate you didn't have some Nikon lenses to see if it was a camera issue or a lens one.  If it is the chip in the lens, that would be a Zeiss problem, not Nikons's,.

[orchidblooms]

unfortunate you didn't have some Nikon lenses to see if it was a camera issue or a lens one.  If it is the chip in the lens, that would be a Zeiss problem, not Nikons's,.

i have 5 zeiss lenses 15 2.8 25 .2.8 35 2 100 135

last nite the 15mm zf.2 stopped working - took it off and remouned... worked again my, other 3 still seem to work...

could indeed be a camera problem...

thx...

[Michael Erlewine]

My new APO Zeiss 135mm f/2 also failed. Has to be a bad chip, since my Nikons and other non-Nikon lenses were just fine. Iget an "Err" message. I just declared that lens a non-chip lens and it works fine, but am waiting for a replacement. Should be today. Then I will see if the new copy is as good as the one I have here that failed, which is very, very sharp. Some images shot with it here. The butterfly image is full-res.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/98006906@N05/

[orchidblooms]

My new APO Zeiss 135mm f/2 also failed. Has to be a bad chip, since my Nikons and other non-Nikon lenses were just fine. Iget an "Err" message. I just declared that lens a non-chip lens and it works fine, but am waiting for a replacement. Should be today. Then I will see if the new copy is as good as the one I have here that failed, which is very, very sharp. Some images shot with it here. The butterfly image is full-res.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/98006906@N05/

ERR???  you must lock the ap ring at f22  the highest f stop for that lens...

there is nothing wrong with the lens....

if you get no err ap ring out of place... and no aperture adjustment with the camera wheel...  then chip is out...

i would urge you to read the docs that came with the lens

http://lenses.zeiss.com/camera-lenses/en_de/website/photography/what_makes_the_difference/camera_mounts/zf2_lenses.html

phil