Replacing NIKON 55-200MM BAYONET MOUNT RING PART. I have two of the three plastic guides broken on the bayonet mount. Can i buy this part and can i replace it myself. Sam

Check ebay they have many Nikon parts. Saw one just before Christmas. Ask part suppliers not average guy. They have broken lens an other parts on hand. Also check real camera shops that repair gear. Gotten parts that way also.

Vivitar makes lenses with a variety of camera mounts, most of which are bayonet style. What modern cameras they may work with depends on the lens mount. If the lenses have a Nikon mount, for example, they'll work with any Nikon DSLR. If they have a Minolta mount, they'll probably work with any Sony DSLR (Sony bought the photography business when Minolta went bankrupt). If the lenses have some other mount then they'll probably work with cameras using the same mount.

A bayonet mount allows lenses to be changed quickly and ensures they are locked into place

Well, I have never needed to purchase my bayonet rings in bulk before; however there is a great website that should have just what you are looking for. I will post the link for you here - hope it helps.

http://www.alibaba.com/showroom/bayonet-adapter-ring.html

I did some searching for you and the average price of a bayonet mount ring is $7. Here are some websites where you can purchase what you need.

http://www.amazon.com/NEEWER%C2%AE-Bayonet-Mount-18-105-55-200mm/dp/B005HTP7MK

http://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Bayonet-Mount-18-105-55-200mm/dp/B005JQEFEM

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/designer-s-nokia-18-55mm-18-105mm-55-200mm-lens-button-cover-130802

http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Freeshipping-BAYONET-MOUNT-RING-FOR-NIKON-18-105-55-200-MM-LENS-retail-wholesale/207456_477457118.html

There is a great video on YouTube that will provide you with a thorough tutorial that will guide you through replacing your bayonet. I will post the link for you here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd6pvvQ1_So

It seems like you've got a broken lens mount on the 18-105mm. Take a look at the backs of the two lenses. You should see the bayonet mount with three flanges. If one or more of the flanges on the 18-105mm are broken then the lens won't stay on.

If you feel up to doing the replacement yourself, you can order the part from
http://uscamera.com/1c999-729.htm
Otherwise have a trained technician replace the mount.

This might help.
Look down the left margin for the lens you need guidance on.

http://www.leitax.com/leica-lens-for-nikon-cameras.html

Unfortunately your lens is one of the kit versions which were built as cheaply as possible with a plastic lens mount. They were never intended to be repaired, but to be fair they seem to last quite well.

A professional repair will normally cost more than the lens is worth, but you can sometimes buy new replacement mounts.

Use your favourite search engine to look for part number 1C999-488. Unfortunately they're rarely in stock whenever I've needed one. You may also want to search for a scrap lens with a good mount which you can replace yours with, but scrap lenses of the correct type usually have faulty or badly worn plastic mounts as well.

Carefully assess your lens before making the repair: unless it's in perfect working order in all respects except for the broken mount then you'll be better off buying a new or used complete replacement lens.

Part # 1C999-601-2 was the number Nikon said the part was called. It was used to replace the broken bayonet mount unit as seen in this step-by-step repair:

http://www.gmtruckhq.com/artwork-design-forum/how-fix-broken-nikon-dslr-lens-mounts-3271.html#post125961