Sony A200 rattling noise and attempting to focus(?) when turning on/off

[mcguinnessdave]

I am an amateur so I apologise for my poor description and grasp of technical (and porobably not so technical!) photography terms. I have had this camera (Sony A200) for over 4 years and had no problems but on this current trip I have had a few issues. Firstly it started to steam up (it is hot, humid and AC may be a factor), this was happening behind the lens which I needed to remove a couple of times for it to de-fog. Second the band around the lens started to become a little loose (just a little, possibly also heat/humidity related but it has coped with both previously). Third it started to have a problem at times when I zoomed in all the way and t would struggle to focus and seem to continually shift in and out trying to focus but fail to do so. I could zoom out a little and this would be solved (not ideal but workable). Today it went one step further and now everytime I turn it on or switch it off it makes a noise I have not heard before (sounds like it is cleaning itself, which I tried and it doesn't sound like I imagined it would), and this lasts for 3 to ten seconds. The front of the lens moves around and it makes a lot of noise, on switching off it makes the same noise for about 3 seconds. It is like it is trying to turn something that isn't catching. When on it is also now struggling to focus... I have never used manual focus but switching to that doesn't halp. I have tried factory reset and playing with any setting I thought might make a difference.
I am guessing it is a problem with the lens... ???

Any ideas or help anyone. I am in Vietnam and will be back in Hanoi in a few days so will probably try to get someone to look at it then but I won't be around there for long and my schedule is pretty packed (work trip) so if anyone could help me shed some light on the matter I would appreciate it.

Thanks!
David

[OldClicker]

Difficult to say, but I would guess it is the lens. Can you find some place with a Sony or Minolta lens to try? If another lens works fine, then you know the problem. - Terry

[PWhite214]

Part of the explanation sounds like my experience when the SSS went bad in my A200. I don't remember if the lens did any movement or not during power on / off.

Phil

[RogerDriverBurgess]

David, I think I may have the same problem. I have been using a Sony A200 for a couple of years, now, no problems but have upgraded to a Sony A65 slt, using the same lenses. No problem. Then I bought a 2nd hand sigma lens for the old A200 for my daughter to use. I tested this lens on both cameras, and it worked fine, then put my 18-70 mm lens back on - and got a horrendous buzzing sound and vibration in the lens. And the auto focus wouldn't work. MF was fine. The sigma lens was fine. My telephoto was fine. But the old wide-angle lens did this buzzing on both cameras. I think it's definitely the lens, but can it be fixed? What happened in your situation?
Roger