Sigma 70-300mm Sony/Minolta mount lens - a warning
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From: Calvin Sambrook on 23 Oct 2009 11:46 I post this as a warning for anyone researching this lens before purchase. I have a Sony a200 and recently bought a Sigma 70-300mm zoom. The reviews say it makes great pictures and I agree, the optical performance is great, especially for a cheap-ish lens. What the reviews don't tell you is that this lens was designed before Sony started fitting more powerful focus motors to their range of bodies. The extra torque from the newer motor is clearly too much for the plastic gears in the lens and mine lasted just two months before failing with stripped teeth. Subsequent research shows I'm not alone. Sigma appear to be in denial as emails to them have either been ignored or in one case I've simply been told they will repair it under warrantee. Remember that's a two month old lens - I elected to get a refund from the retailer instead but that's another story for later. So if you're in the market for a telephoto zoom for a Sony alpha body which has their "fast focus" motor be warned that the Sigma is just not up to the job. If you decide to buy one anyway please remember to post a note on usenet if/when it fails so as to warn others.
From: Rich on 23 Oct 2009 13:35 On Oct 23, 11:46 am, "Calvin Sambrook" <csambr...(a)bigfoot.com> wrote: > I post this as a warning for anyone researching this lens before purchase.. > > I have a Sony a200 and recently bought a Sigma 70-300mm zoom. The reviews > say it makes great pictures and I agree, the optical performance is great, > especially for a cheap-ish lens. What the reviews don't tell you is that > this lens was designed before Sony started fitting more powerful focus > motors to their range of bodies. The extra torque from the newer motor is > clearly too much for the plastic gears in the lens and mine lasted just two > months before failing with stripped teeth. Subsequent research shows I'm > not alone. Plastic-c-c-c-c! Strikes again!!!
From: nospam on 23 Oct 2009 14:42 In article <hbsj1s$nm9$1(a)news.eternal-september.org>, Calvin Sambrook <csambrook(a)bigfoot.com> wrote: > I post this as a warning for anyone researching this lens before purchase. > > I have a Sony a200 and recently bought a Sigma 70-300mm zoom. The reviews > say it makes great pictures and I agree, the optical performance is great, > especially for a cheap-ish lens. What the reviews don't tell you is that > this lens was designed before Sony started fitting more powerful focus > motors to their range of bodies. The extra torque from the newer motor is > clearly too much for the plastic gears in the lens and mine lasted just two > months before failing with stripped teeth. Subsequent research shows I'm > not alone. that's actually a common failure for sigma lenses, not just on sony cameras. > Sigma appear to be in denial as emails to them have either been ignored or > in one case I've simply been told they will repair it under warrantee. > Remember that's a two month old lens - I elected to get a refund from the > retailer instead but that's another story for later. good move. > So if you're in the market for a telephoto zoom for a Sony alpha body which > has their "fast focus" motor be warned that the Sigma is just not up to the > job. If you decide to buy one anyway please remember to post a note on > usenet if/when it fails so as to warn others. just avoid sigma lenses <http://www.lensrentals.com/news/2008.09.12/the-sigma-saga> <http://www.lensrentals.com/news/2008.09.20/lens-repair-data-20>
From: John Navas on 23 Oct 2009 14:58 On Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:42:36 -0700, nospam <nospam(a)nospam.invalid> wrote in <231020091142362823%nospam(a)nospam.invalid>: >In article <hbsj1s$nm9$1(a)news.eternal-september.org>, Calvin Sambrook ><csambrook(a)bigfoot.com> wrote: > >> I post this as a warning for anyone researching this lens before purchase. >> >> I have a Sony a200 and recently bought a Sigma 70-300mm zoom. The reviews >> say it makes great pictures and I agree, the optical performance is great, >> especially for a cheap-ish lens. What the reviews don't tell you is that >> this lens was designed before Sony started fitting more powerful focus >> motors to their range of bodies. The extra torque from the newer motor is >> clearly too much for the plastic gears in the lens and mine lasted just two >> months before failing with stripped teeth. Subsequent research shows I'm >> not alone. > >that's actually a common failure for sigma lenses, not just on sony >cameras. >just avoid sigma lenses Amen. You tend to get what you pay for. -- Best regards, John Buying a dSLR doesn't make you a photographer, it makes you a dSLR owner. "The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it." -Ansel Adams
From: nospam on 23 Oct 2009 15:24
In article <95v3e59c3ofa2ihu7lmbpvuui1jsuu0ure(a)4ax.com>, John Navas <spamfilter1(a)navasgroup.com> wrote: > >just avoid sigma lenses > > Amen. You tend to get what you pay for. generally true but some sigma lenses are not cheap. for instance, the sigma 300-800 is $10k and the 120-300 is $3200 (b&h). the 120-300 aspires to be #1 for being unreliable, with an 84.6% failure rate. you just can't get failure rates like that when you pay less! <http://www.lensrentals.com/news/2008.09.20/lens-repair-data-20> |