I have a strange problem when I'm using my Nikon D800 and the Nikkor 85mm 1.4 D. Often the camera looses the contact with the objective, the auto focus stops working and all the shots are black (I believe the aperture switch to 16). If I'm shooting a video, the recording just stops. When this happens, the camera displays this sign:ErrorTo make it work again I have either to turn off the camera (then it works properly again for a while) or to detach the lens and mount it again.When I'm using this same objective on Nikon D700 or on Nikon D7100 I don't have this issue at all. Either when I'm using the same D800 with any other objectives (I'm using 6-7 lenses all the time).Both the camera and the objective was at the official Nikon service twice, but they couldn't localize or fix the problem.I would be very grateful if anybody could share the thoughts or advice me how to resolve this very annoying problem. Many thanks!

Try borrowing or renting another lens like yours and see if it's the lens fault.  If you cannot do that, then there are too many variables.

Have you tried cleaning the contact points on camera and lens?

Actually there wasn't any problem with this same lens and the same D800 before. It's happening in last few months. But yes, definitely I should try another 85mm D as well and look what happens.

Yes, I tried that and I believe they cleaned those parts at the Nikon Service as well. It didn't fix the problem. And again, it works perfectly on other cameras, and all the other lenses works perfect on the same D800 body.

d4ni3l wrote:I have a strange problem when I'm using my Nikon D800 and the Nikkor 85mm 1.4 D. Often the camera looses the contact with the objective, the auto focus stops working and all the shots are black (I believe the aperture switch to 16). If I'm shooting a video, the recording just stops. When this happens, the camera displays this sign:ErrorTo make it work again I have either to turn off the camera (then it works properly again for a while) or to detach the lens and mount it again.When I'm using this same objective on Nikon D700 or on Nikon D7100 I don't have this issue at all. Either when I'm using the same D800 with any other objectives (I'm using 6-7 lenses all the time).Both the camera and the objective was at the official Nikon service twice, but they couldn't localize or fix the problem.I would be very grateful if anybody could share the thoughts or advice me how to resolve this very annoying problem. Many thanks!A couple of observations - a/ You didn't lock the aperture ring.  The white dot should align with orange mark.  b/ The camera was in manual mode, aperature f/7 and shutter speed 1/125 sec.  Could it be underexposure that your test shots were black?  Lock the aperture ring and have some test shots in aperture priority mode and see what happen.  If it doesn't fix it then I have no idea what the problem is.  I have not seen that triangle before.

Thanks for the ideas, you are right regarding locking the aperture. Unfortunately I don't think that is the case, usually it is locked. And even if it's not, I think it shouldn't produce this error. Regarding aperture I can use only 7.1 not 7, far as I know. When I use it in manual mode the auto-iso is turned on (just like on this shot), so the photos shouldn't be totally dark.

On page 417 in the manual you can find this symbol.Problem"No lens attached, or non-CPU lens attached without specifying maximum aperture.Aperture shown in stops from maximum aperture."Solution"Aperture value will bedisplayed if maximum aperture is specified"

I have tested it again, there is the error even if the aperture is locked. It's happening unpredictable, sometimes after few shots, sometimes after let's say one hundred shots.One more information: if I wait for a while and the shutter speed and the aperture informations disappears and I press a button again, it will function normally again (displaying the right aperture and AF working) for a short time.

Yes, thanks, I've founded the symbol in the manual as well, but the thing is this is not a non-CPU lens and also it worked fine before. I'm using the newest firmware as well..

As others have noted, sounds like a connection problem.  Make sure both the camera and lens contacts are clean.  Try jiggling the lens and see if the symbol changes back to the regular value.  If so, it's definitely a connection.Note that DF 7 does not mean an aperture of f/7.  It means it is the seventh setting from the lowest value. Since the camera cannot figure out what kind of lens is attached, it doesn't know that it is supposed to be f/7.1, which is why it's displaying DF 7.  Change the aperture and that value will go up or down by integer values.

Make sure that the lens is correctly mounted.When mounting lens turn as far to the anti clockwise direction as possible, then without touching the lens release button turn the lens in the clockwise direction until it stops.When mounting a lens you should hear a click as the lens release button finds the lens lock index.

I vote for a connection problem.

Yes, it's definitely a connection / communication problem. I've tried jiggling it to figure out when or why is it happening but it is totally unpredictable. The contacts are cleaned by me and by Nikon staff as well. When the symbol shows up its not possible to change aperture, only to switch off and on the camera, or to mount the lens again.

Had this problem once with my 180mm f/2.8 AF-D lens. What triggered it was mount it on a F100 & then remounting it onto a D700. I figured the chip got short circuited due to age. If no longer under warranty, change of the CPU chip expensive but obviously the service charges will be of greatest concern.Possibly the lamest thing about AF-D lenses, they are screw driven AF which is supposed to be mechanical, but then the weakest link is that there is still a CPU! Haha!

d4ni3l wrote:Thanks for the ideas, you are right regarding locking the aperture. Unfortunately I don't think that is the case, usually it is locked. And even if it's not, I think it shouldn't produce this error. Regarding aperture I can use only 7.1 not 7, far as I know.I think people are right that it's a connection issue, and I tend to think it is the D800 since you never had a problem with your other cameras. According to this website, a triangle withF7 is7 stops away from the maximum aperture which isf/16.Nikon DSLR Error codes[Triangle with F0 (or another number, i.e. F6)The number next to the letter F is how far from maximum aperture the non CPU lens is – so F6 would mean 6 stops from max aperture.]I would ask Nikon to check both camera and lens again.  I see no reason why they can't reproduce the problem.When I use it in manual mode the auto-iso is turned on (just like on this shot), so the photos shouldn't be totally dark.I don't use auto ISO but I found this from Nikon's website.Auto ISO[Manual ModeIn Manual mode, the aperture and shutter speed values are fixed by the user. ISO Auto will change the ISO when the light levels change.*When using the ISO Auto function in manual exposure mode the electronic analog exposure display of the camera will continue to indicate correct shutter speed and aperture settings when light levels change within afour-stop range. The ISO Auto system increases or decreases the ISO value to maintain the correct shutter speed and aperture value the user has chosen.]I tried it with my 85D and D610 indoor with the light turned on, manual mode, 1/125s, f/16 and auto ISO. ISO6400 is recorded. The photo is really dark. With the settings unchanged, I pointed my camera towards the light to take another photo. The meter fluctuated between ISO160 and ISO320. The photo is brighter, but still underexposed a lot. So if what Nikon says is true, the ISO used may actually be 2500.

aus4ever wrote:d4ni3l wrote:Thanks for the ideas, you are right regarding locking the aperture. Unfortunately I don't think that is the case, usually it is locked. And even if it's not, I think it shouldn't produce this error. Regarding aperture I can use only 7.1 not 7, far as I know.I think people are right that it's a connection issue, and I tend to think it is the D800 since you never had a problem with your other cameras. According to this website, a triangle withF7 is7 stops away from the maximum aperture which isf/16.Nikon DSLR Error codes[Triangle with F0 (or another number, i.e. F6)The number next to the letter F is how far from maximum aperture the non CPU lens is – so F6 would mean 6 stops from max aperture.]I would ask Nikon to check both camera and lens again. I see no reason why they can't reproduce the problem.When I use it in manual mode the auto-iso is turned on (just like on this shot), so the photos shouldn't be totally dark.I don't use auto ISO but I found this from Nikon's website.Auto ISO[Manual ModeIn Manual mode, the aperture and shutter speed values are fixed by the user. ISO Auto will change the ISO when the light levels change.*When using the ISO Auto function in manual exposure mode the electronic analog exposure display of the camera will continue to indicate correct shutter speed and aperture settings when light levels change within afour-stop range. The ISO Auto system increases or decreases the ISO value to maintain the correct shutter speed and aperture value the user has chosen.]I tried it with my 85D and D610 indoor with the light turned on, manual mode, 1/125s, f/16 and auto ISO. ISO6400 is recorded. The photo is really dark. With the settings unchanged, I pointed my camera towards the light to take another photo. The meter fluctuated between ISO160 and ISO320. The photo is brighter, but still underexposed a lot. So if what Nikon says is true, the ISO used may actually be 2500.I did another test in aperture mode, pointing at the light source, same aperture (f/16) and auto ISO. Shutter speed used by camera is 1/1600s and ISO is indeed 2500.I did another test with the maximum ISO increased from 6400 to Hi2. In aperture priority mode, ISO used by camera is still 2500 but shutter speed now 1/1000s. That's exactly 4 stops down from 1/1600s.

Many thanks for the very useful links and thoughts. I will certainly mention these at Nikon next time, to provide them with some addicional informations.

d4ni3l wrote:Many thanks for the very useful links and thoughts. I will certainly mention these at Nikon next time, to provide them with some addicional informations.Pleasure.  You have helped me to learn something too.  I hope Nikon can identify and fix the problem soon.

Since it sounds like a connection issue...You have cleaned the contacts, and Nikon has cleaned them.   How?   It's so easy to do, that unless you tried a good contact cleaner, I'd try that again.   I recommend Deoxit, available at Radio Shack.Are you using a grip?  And perhaps an aftermarket battery?   Does the battery charge condition have any correlation to the issue?I ask because in past cameras, the battery was sometimes related.   When the D300 came out, a lot of people were seeing 'Dead Battery Syndrome', which actually was a lens/body contact issue.   Cleaning the contacts usually helped a lot, but eventually a firmware revision made the camera less sensitive to impedance issues with the lens contacts.   (Also, this issue tended to happen more often with VR lenses).Some people with aftermarket batteries in their grips also reported issues.Anyway, as long as you're cleaning contacts, do all the contacts, including batteries.Check to make sure you're at the latest firmware too.  Can't hurt.