Cameras: Autofocus broken on Nikon D80

[willdoak]

I bought a D80 with the kit zoom lens to take to New Mexico two years ago, and I took it again this month (June 2008). About half-way through the trip, the autofocus went nuts. When I tried to take a distant shot, for example, the focus would go back and forth from close to far and never lock onto the subject. I finally switched to manual focus, but the D80 doesn't make manually focusing as easy as my old Nikon film cameras.

My warranty was one year - obviously expired.

Anyone had this problem? Any idea what it'll cost to have repaired? Does this sound like a body or a lens problem?

Thanks,

Will

[willdoak]

For all of you dying to know what's up with this, Nikon sent me an email characterizing the problem as "bad focus" and is charging me $0 to fix the problem.

[hawkeye60]

Sounds like Nikon is familiar with this issue, you must not be the first to have had the problem.

[willdoak]

It appears that the lens and the body have separate service numbers. The lens is still covered by the extended warranty; the body is not. So the estimate for the lens is $0, and the estimate for the body is $131. Neither seems to have made it into the shop yet.

[willdoak]

Latest update. Nikon sent me a bill for the estimate, which I thought was a bit odd. Usually an estimate is an estimate, not a bill. I paid the estimate, which was boosted by tax and shipping charges, and today the camera and the lens are posted as "in shop."

Will

[willdoak]

My camera was delivered today. On the body:
ADJ AUTO FOCUS OPERATION
CLN CCD
FIRMWARE UPGRADE
GENERAL CHECK & CLEAN
The charge for that was $131 plus tax and shipping

On the lens:
RPL MR ENCODER UNIT
CKD AUTO FOCUS OPERATION, INFINITY FOCUS, ZOOMING MECHANISM, COMMUNICATION
GENERAL CHECK & CLEAN
No charge under extended warranty

Seems like the defective part was on the lens. Wonder what the charge would have been if it had been out of warranty.

Will