Hi my lens has trouble focusing on the objects and is hopeless in darker situations....if it dose take the picture its often out of focus.....Im an Aussie living in Tokyo I have taken it to the camera shop , not fully understanding Japanese I figured I was being told it is stuffed, buy a new one....can you tell me if this is the scenario or if its fixable. Cheers Hamish

SOURCE: Nikon DX 55-200mm lens

Hi, I had this problem and found that the level inside the camera for the exposure shutter was bent inwards. This was preventing the lens from adjusting the exposure and also from autofocusing. To fix I just bent it back outwards

SOURCE: Lens will not auto focus any more.

Hi there!

I experienced the exact same problem with my 100-300mm lens and I was never able to get it to work correctly again. In fact, attempting to use it further seemed to exacerbate the problem.

The further you zoom, the wider the aperture opens allowing more light for the camera to focus properly. If the aperture mechanism is damaged, the auto-focus process may not work as it should; which would explain why the auto-focus feature works only when at 18mm.

Regardless, I strongly recommend you discontinue use of the lens until a professional technician can examine the lens and figure out what's going on. I'm sure you can contact the manufacturer to open a support case or you can find a camera store that offers repair services.

I hope this helps!

Testimonial: "Thanks, I'll check with Nikon. I appreciate the help! Don "

SOURCE: squeaking when try to focus. will not focus

I had the exact same problem, took it to a repair shop, and they said the motor had to be replaced completely for $140! The lens is only 18 months old and was not used THAT much! Argh.

SOURCE: AF-S DX VR Zoom NIkkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G is not focusing

Your motor may have gone bad. Try sending it to PhotoTech Repair Service in NYC. They are Nikon authorized, and can do the repair under warranty if you still have it. Also if you join they're facebook page, they will give you a 10% discount.
Here is the facebook page link, it has everything you need to send it in.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-York-NY/PhotoTech-Repair-Service-Inc/102527215194

Testimonial: "Thank you for your feedback. I suspected that might be the issue. Thanks also for the recommended repair service."

SOURCE: Nikon DX AF- S Nikkor 18-55 mm lense locks

Try sending it to PhotoTech Repair Service in NYC. They are Nikon authorized, and can do the repair under warranty if you still have it. Also if you join they're facebook page, they will give you a 10% discount.
Here is the facebook page link, it has everything you need to send it in.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-York-NY/PhotoTech-Repair-Service-Inc/102527215194