Nikon 1 30-110 aperture stays nearly closed wide open — common gear failure?
Asked 7/16/2023
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2 answers
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My Nikon 1 30-110 used on a Nikon AW1 appears to stop down incorrectly. Even when set to its widest aperture, the iris is still nearly closed, and moving to smaller apertures seems to close it completely. Exposure changes also look wrong.
Is this a known issue with the 30-110? How can I confirm whether the problem is in the lens aperture mechanism, and are there practical repair options besides replacing the lens?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
3y ago
2 Answers
3
The Nikon CX lenses are known to have issues; particularly a small plastic gear that slips out of place and aperture control malfunctions.
It can be repaired DIY... the lens is not too hard to take apart and it doesn't require much in the way of special tools. You can also get a replacement metal gear which is supposed to be a permanent fix.
But I don't have personal experience with either as none of my CX lenses have had issues yet. If/when they do, I might be inclined to just replace it with a used lens.
Originally by user70370. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user70370
3y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes — based on the community replies, this is a known Nikon 1/CX lens issue, especially on the 30-110. The likely cause is a failed or slipping aperture-control gear inside the lens, often described as a small plastic/nylon gear that cracks or moves out of place. That can leave the iris partly closed even when the lens should be wide open, and then fully closed at smaller settings.
The problem is most likely in the lens, not the camera body. A practical way to confirm it is to compare the commanded aperture setting with the visible iris opening and exposure behavior; if the iris never opens fully, that strongly points to the lens mechanism.
Remedies mentioned:
- DIY repair: the lens can be opened without many special tools.
- Better long-term fix: replace the faulty plastic gear with an aftermarket metal gear.
- Temporary re-seating of the original gear is usually not reliable if the gear is cracked.
- Alternative: replace the lens with another used copy if repair isn’t worth it.
If you attempt repair, use instructions specific to the Nikon 1 30-110, since disassembly differs by lens.
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