Deciding against repair because the model is not only obsolete, spare parts will be more expensive in the future, and any future repair is impossible. So I just decide to use the body with a macro lens only (macro photography works best with manually).
3 days after having it sit on my desk, I plugged in the macro lens thinking this is it, forever stuck to this body…. and the macro lens auto-focused! Amazing! Tried with all the other lenses and it worked perfectly.
My theory is that Nikon fixed it by resetting the software, but wants to make a quick dollar off me. Quite mad with them but I’ve no prove to my theory.
Nevertheless I am not going to sit around with it and use the D700 in case it fails again, then I’m back to square one. Took that fella, trade in for a fuji lens. woohoo! Hello Fuji 90mm f/2 😀
And so, as of today, I have 4 Nikon lenses and no body to use them. Time to sell them all!