Nikon 18-55mm lens now won't focus to infinity after reassembly
Asked 11/20/2016
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2 answers
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After repairing a Nikon 18-55mm VR lens with a jammed zoom barrel, the zoom works again but the focus range is now shifted. The lens can focus closer than before, but it will not reach infinity in either manual or autofocus.
During disassembly, the front element was removed and a small plastic ring/bushing from one of the barrel guide pins was reinstalled. After putting the lens back together, the front barrel became solid again and the zoom issue was fixed.
What typically causes a focus range shift like this after reassembly? Is it likely that a part was installed in the wrong orientation or that the front optical group is not fully seated? Can this kind of infinity-focus issue usually be corrected by careful reassembly, or does it require professional alignment?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
1
If the lens now focuses closer than before, it means when you put it back together you wound up with the front of the lens further from the camera's sensor than before. Is it possible you flipped a part with an offset meant to place the front of the lens further back? And by flipping it you would have wound up with the front of the lens further forward?
It might also be possible you didn't screw the front element group completely back into the filter ring. If the washer is also threaded (It's hard to tell from the service manual) be sure the washer is flat against the front group unit when you screw both into the filter ring together.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
If the lens focuses closer than normal but no longer reaches infinity, the optical assembly is likely sitting slightly too far from the camera sensor after reassembly.
Based on the answer provided, the most likely causes are:
- a part near the front of the lens was reinstalled in the wrong orientation, especially if it has an offset
- the front element/group was not threaded or seated fully back into the filter ring
- a washer/spacer was not positioned flat before tightening
Any of those can shift the optical spacing enough to lose infinity focus.
So yes, this may be fixable yourself if the issue is simply incorrect reassembly. The first thing to check is that the front group is fully screwed in and that any washer or spacer sits flat and in the correct orientation. If a part was flipped, reinstalling it correctly may restore the original focus range.
If everything is seated correctly and infinity focus is still off, proper lens alignment may be required, which is usually a service-center job.
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