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The trusty 18-200 lens I keep on my camera, for general purpose use, will no longer focus closer than about 5 feet. The focus ring starts to slip if you manually try and focus closer and you can hear the AF motors trying if you let it attempt to autofocus on something close. In turning the focus ring, it feels different when it hits 5ft than when you go the other direction and it slips at the focus travel limits at infinity. Makes me think that something has either broken off, or has gotten wedged down in the internal guide tracks. It hasn't been dropped, that I know of, but something is definitely stuck.

So has any of the Nikon users here sent a lens of for repair? Who did you use? Nikon factory, or one of their authorized service centers? Nikon factory estimate for "focus and zoom" issues is $375. But, that's just the stock estimate from the website.

I've got the original version of the 18-200 VR, not the VRII version. A new 18-200VRII is going to be in the $650 range, so repair is a viable option if it is relatively in-expensive. Above about $250, I start thinking about just replacing it.

--SS

I see Garland Camera recommended for local repairs; might as well give them a call before shipping off to Nikon.

However, given that it's a consumer-grade lens, I'd look at replacing it. The newer Tamron lenses have also been upgraded over time, so it may be worthwhile from an AF/VR/IQ perspective to move on as well.

I once had a telezoom cleaned, tightened, and recalibrated at Mike's Camera in Boulder, CO. That was a few years ago FWIW.