I have had a Fujiflilm S5 Pro (Nikon D200 body) for several years. During all this time I have had lenses that either have autofocus motors or are manual focus. I'm interested in buying an autofocus lens that is called a screw drive lens, which I guess uses some sort of internal motor inside the camera body.
Is there anyway to see if this motor still works without a lens? I dont want to buy this lens and find out the body doesnt have a functioning autofocus motor.
I come from the Canon world so don't understand this screw drive lens stuff. I look into the mount but don't really see how a lens could be autofocused from the camera body
The OP's asking if there is any way to tell if the focus motor still works (not broken) without attaching a "D" lens to check it.
I know of no way since the body needs the lens' electronics to tell it to operate. Tried my D200 without a lens and, as expected, the motor didn't operate.
Borrow an AF-D lens from someone and try it. If you don't know someone who has one, walk into a camera store with the camera and ask if you could try an AF-D lens on it for a minute.
You will have to put an AF or AFD lens on the camera to be sure. In my experience, the af motors in the bodies are much more robust than the AFS motors in the lenses. I've had several AFS motors replaced and not one in-body AF motor dating back to my F4 and F5.
Baywing wrote:
You will have to put an AF or AFD lens on the camera to be sure. In my experience, the af motors in the bodies are much more robust than the AFS motors in the lenses. I've had several AFS motors replaced and not one in-body AF motor dating back to my F4 and F5.
Agreed. I'd be surprised if the camera's AF motor is shot unless the camera has been dropped, damaged or abused. Stranger things have happened though.
hjanssen wrote:
On the lensmouth you see at the 7 o'clock position the screwdriver pointing out of the lensmouth. This goes in the lens and drives the AF of the lens.
Strange, I dont see anything in the 7 o'clock position. There is a small tab at the 9 o'clock spot that I dont see in a Canon mount. But it does not look like a screw. It is flat, with no threads. Perhaps I am too literal with the name screw?
rattymouse wrote:
Strange, I dont see anything in the 7 o'clock position. There is a small tab at the 9 o'clock spot that I dont see in a Canon mount. But it does not look like a screw. It is flat, with no threads. Perhaps I am too literal with the name screw?
Thanks everyone.
Ah! Got it now. I was looking inside the mount. I see the screw on the outside. Thanks!
What you should see on the body flange looks like the tip of a small screwdriver blade. The part on the lens itself (on the mounting flange face) looks like the head of a screw. The blade tip part (in the camera body) inserts into the slot in the lens when you mount it. It turns like a screwdriver to operate the focusing mechanism in the lens, hence the nickname for the autofocusing system. You should never see threads unless you have taken the lens apart.
<edit> I see that you found it while I was writing this reply.
