AFS Nikon 70-200 F2.8 VR1 soft center images can it be repaired?

[garyfcampbell]

Hi,

I have a Nikon 70-200 VR1 f2.8 where the entire image including the center is very soft, almost out of focus, at F8, at all zoom ranges, on a tripod, with VR off.  I did a comparison with a friend's Nikon 70-200 f2.8 VRII, the same image, same tripod location, and same focusing points, and the difference was night a day.  His lens shows details sharp, mine show details fuzzy.

Can this lens be repaired by Nikon to get sharp center images, or is the cost not worth the final result given that the lens is known to be not as sharp as the VR2?

Is there a sharper alternative to the Nikon 70-200 f2.8 VR2?

thanks
Gary Campbell

[kers]

As far as I know the center should be perfect but the corners cannot match the VRII on full Frame because of a design flaw

So yes the center can be repaired-  it is one of the sharpest DX format zooms

But sometimes it is even on a tripod  a problem to get a sharp image.. especially in the city.. due to microshaking
take a few shots and use liveview for setting the focus wide open or a bit closed - use a remote trigger or timer... 1/200s or less
it can also be a autofocus problem