I think that's one of the errors I got, cleaning contacts a good place to start. I splurged at the grocery store, getting a package of erasers you can put on the end of your pencil, for <$1 They used to say to use pencil erasers to clean contacts
The lens has been used tons, had developed play, and i had to rotate the lens when on the camera, apparently to get the contacts lined up, to get it to function. Although I don't think I'm having nearly as much trouble on a different body , so the body may matter.
Pencil erasers can be quite abrasive. Depending on the contact materials, the plating may be quite thin and damaged. I'd start with a soft cloth and contact solution.
Are we sure that is not an internal ribbon cable issue?
EB-1 wrote:
Pencil erasers can be quite abrasive. Depending on the contact materials, the plating may be quite thin and damaged. I'd start with a soft cloth and contact solution.
Are we sure that is not an internal ribbon cable issue?
EBH
They used to say to use pencil erasers, I used them to clean off contacts recently. If someone is concerned don't do it, I suppose, but I doubt a clean dry cloth as is apparently recommended these days really gets it done, if dirty
I'm getting to the ribbon cable, probably ought to clean contacts and check for play 1st, though.
I had a related problem on my 2007 era 24-70mm. I couldn't zoom back to 70mm and the lens was stuck around 35-50mm, as the older 24-70 is reversed. It was the ribbon cable, which had snapped then jammed. More specifically it was the "POWER DIAPHRAGM ASS'Y" which has both the iris and cable together. I've done the same repair on another lens myself and it is insanely hard to solder the flex cable to the iris without destroying it so...
The replacement was $230 Canadian, labour and tax inclusive. Quite reasonable for a favourite lens I've used to shoot everything from my sisters wedding to the pyramids in Egypt.
Back in the day when I repaired vcr's, among other electronics, some of the complaints I received, were the vcr didn't respond to the buttons when they were pressed. Stop wouldn't work, rev. wouldn't work, etc. Well, there is a mode switch that tells the vcr what 'mode' it's in, at any given time. Most techs would just replace the switch and charge $80 to $90. I used chrome cleaner on a cotton swab, and you could see the oxidation on it after I cleaned it. My charge was $35 and a free cleaning. It's the same principle, no communication. I never had a recall on that issue in 10 yrs...
Jim