Autofocusing of AF NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8D not working in D90

[midhunlalg]

Hi Friends,

Yesterday I bought a brand new AF NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8D. After inserting the lens into the camera body and when rotated in anti-clockwise direction to lock the lens, I cannot hear the "click" sound. While I am inserting my 18-105mm kit lens and rotating in anti-clockwise direction, I can hear a "click" sound saying lens is locked. But While I am doing the same procedure with 50mm lens, I cannot hear this sound.

I am able to shoot in camera manual mode [M] with manual focus only. But I am unable to do auto-focusing. I set the AF Mode lever on the camera body to AF [The knob in the side of camera].

And When I am setting the camera to any mode like Aperture Priority /Shutter Priority mode, "F--" symbol is showing up in LCD. This lens will work in manual mode [M] only?.

I can set the aperture only using the aperture ring in the lens? Can't I change the aperture from camera?

Please help.

Regards,
MLg

[Nicole]

You should be able to change the aperture from the camera. First things first, check to make sure the aperture on the lens is locked at f/22 (or as large a number as it goes). Not that it will mean you can only shoot at that aperture, but that's where it has to be locked in order for it to work properly on the camera. Then you should be able to change the aperture from the camera.

If the aperture is locked there, then you need to start looking at other things. The only time I got that error with that lens was when I dropped it down a rock face (and then it only gave up the ghost a few months later). If it's not the aperture ring though and it's brand new I'd try to exchange it.

[midhunlalg]

Hi Nicole,

Thank you very much for your fast reply. Let me brief what I understood.

First I need to set the aperture ring to f/22 and lock. Then only the camera operates the lens, I will able to shoot in all modes and camera does auto-focus too , right? Please correct me if I am wrong.

One more query.

When I am inserting my 18-105mm kit lens to camera body and rotating to anti-clockwise, I can hear a "click" sound. After that for taking off the lens from camera body, I need to press "Lens Release Button". But While I am doing the same procedure for this 50mm lens, I cannot hear "click" sound. And for releasing the lens from camera body, I don't need to press the "Lens Release Button". Am I inserting and releasing lens in the right way?

Regards,
Mlg

[Nicole]

You are right about the f/22 thing. As long as the lens is locked there, you can select any aperture from the body. If it's not locked, it won't let you.

And about the clicking thing, one of the things I noticed when I first got my 50mm f/1.8 (when I had it) was that at first it was a really tight fit, so it took a few times of removing it and putting it back on to get it to click. It almost felt like it was scraping to be honest. But it definitely should be clicking and you should have to press the lens release button to get it off, otherwise it's not all the way on.

I managed (one of the first times I used the lens) to have it turned just enough that it registered as being on the camera, but not enough to actually make it auto focus. I had a lot of out of focus shots that time

[midhunlalg]

Thanks a bunch, Nicole. I rotated the lens little more in anti-clockwise direction and I got the "click" sound. Now auto focus is also working. Everything is fine.

Thanks again,

cheers,
Mlg

[Nicole]

Glad you got it working! Enjoy the new lens.