Sigma won't resolve incompatible lenses

[harry_ziman]

<p>I have a number of perfectly functional Sigma EOS lenses that turn out to be incompatible with Canon digital cameras. All they will do is to offer a poor trade-in against new lenses which I feel is like throwing good money after bad.<br>

Is anyone aware of a UK third party who can "rechip" Sigma lenses?</p>

[craig_meddaugh]

<p>Sigma will fix incompatible lenses so long as they are in production or still have parts. Once they are out of parts, you're SOOL. </p>

<p>I haven't heard of anyone rechipping these lenses (as I doubt the parts are availble) but you never know. Good luck.</p>

[PuppyDigs]

<p>Welcome to the wonderful world of Sigma Harry! You just got hosed and you have no choice but to bend over and take it. One of the lessons you learn in life is "you usually get what you pay for." And, yes, you initially saved money by buying Sigma. The savings ain't so sweet down the road.</p>

<p>In case I sound like a heartless hard ass, savor this: I owned six--count 'em, 6--Sigma lenses. All were rendered useless within a few years of purchase when I bought a new EOS. Only one was still "supported" and was able to be revived with a ROM transplant. I send it in, got the transplant and sold it on ebay. The remainder live on as paperweights...</p>

[zafar1]

<p>Canon FD users didn't fare much better. Served them well for buying cheap.</p>

<p>It is unfortunate in life, but my dvd player, film cameras, VCR with six platinum heads and sixteen systems, 50" non-HD tv are just heavy duty paperweights.</p>

<p> </p>

[mark_pierlot]

<p>Zafar, your analogy doesn't hold. Canon abandoned the FD mount when it introduced the EF mount with the EOS system. FD users had no way of knowing that Canon was going to render FD lenses "obsolete," and they certainly weren't trying to save money by buying FD lenses, since they were the only SLR lenses that Canon made prior to the introduction of EOS.</p>

<p>The situation with Sigma EF mount lenses is obviously entirely different, for the reasons that Puppy Face has given. And, by the way, there are still dedicated FD users (myself included) who resent the implication that one of the two finest manual focus SLR systems ever made is for cheapskates. So much for obsolesence...</p>

[zafar1]

<p>So sigma user's knew that their lenses will be obsolete? The point is that Canon made their own line obsolete so they would hardly care about making third-party lenses obsolete.</p>

<p>Also it is unfair both to Sigma and to Sigma users to think of this product as being for cheapskate. At this time, Sigma has many unique lenses not available in EOS or other systems. For example, 12-24, 150-500, 150mm Macro, some primes (specially the excellent 50/1.4) etc.</p>

<p> </p>

[PuppyDigs]

<p>Realize Zafar Canon does not make Sigma lenses obsolete. Sigma's reverse engineering of the operating code in the lens ROM is at fault. You don't have to search very long or far to find Tokina and Tamron rarely have compatibility problems with new EOS models. Think about it...</p>

<p>As for the FD line being obsolete, that happened in 1986 with the introduction of EOS. That was 23 years ago and is pretty much a moot point as hardly nobody remembers: FD users are OF or dead. I glad we didn't get stuck with that friggen dino and suffer the endless "partial" compatibilities of the Nikon system.</p>

[harry_ziman]

<p>Sigma mounted all sorts of frankly ridiculous analogies like Vista not running on old PCs. Frankly this is rubbish. My old VCR works perfectly well over SCART to my new LCD flatscreen TV, my new DVD player will play my oldest CDs.</p>

<p>The bottom line is that they do not acknowledge that they made a faulty implementation of the interface and do not value their brand by trying to find a way to resovle it. If parts are not available then a reputable company would offer exchange units (refurbished would be fine; new is not necessary).</p>

<p>It beats me why they think I would want to buy new glass from them when they brazenly distance themselves from their past product failings.</p>

[14mm 2.8l]

<p>Old Sigmas & brand new Sigmas have problems too. I bought and returned an expensive brand new Sigma this year. Once was enough.</p>

<p> Here's a company that deals with dozens of Sigma brand lenses & their "quality control":</p>

<p><a href="http://www.lensrentals.com/news/2008.09.12/the-sigma-saga">http://www.lensrentals.com/news/2008.09.12/the-sigma-saga</a></p>

[steve_crist]

<p>There's a false economy when purchasing third party lenses (and flashes). You always take a chance of a new feature not being available or the third party lens (or flash) not working properly when a new camera body is released. When I was shooting film I was all Nikon - bodies, lenses, flash. When I converted to digital I went with Canon. Again totally - body, lens and flash. Never had one problem. Not to be harsh but the old saying is still very true - "People know the price of everything, and the value of nothing".</p>

[john_h.1]

<p>Except in rare instances, people have complaints about manufacturers and other businesses. So lets add a little balance to this bash fest. I've used Sigma EX series for years including with newer cameras. No problems whatsoever. Two, both long out of warranty, were significantly damaged by falls. I sent them to Sigma for repair estimates. Within a week, each one one sent back fully repaired free of charge.</p>

[mark_pierlot]

<p>Zafar, Sigma users certainly now know about the potential incompatibility problems with Sigma lenses: it's been common knowledge for years. And, as for your allegation that I consider Sigma users to be "cheapskates," I made no such claim. I was responding to <em>your </em>claim that it "erved them [FD users] well for buying cheap." FD users did no such thing. It was Canon's only SLR system available at the time. (Perhaps you could accuse present day FD users of "buying cheap," but it could also be that they value using mechanical cameras and manual focus lenses).</p>

<p>By the way, Puppy, what does "OF" mean? I'm curious because, since I'm not dead, I must be OF! (I confess, though, that I do use my EOS gear more than my FD gear).</p>

[PuppyDigs]

<p>OF = Old Fart!</p>

[jorge_garcia1]

<p>I use a Sigma 12-24mm not for being cheaper but for being the only option for that focal length</p>

[philip_wilson]

<p>You will find that you can use them stopped down on a DSLR. I only have one of these lenses a 14mm F3.5. It will worked stopped down (wide open as there is no aperture ring on the lens) on the EOS 5DII etc... Unfortunately the lens is terrible wide open so beyond an experiment I have not used it since. At smaller apertures e.g. F8 the lens was not too bad. This photo was taken with the Sigma lens (on a 1V body with 400 ISo print film)</p><div></div>

[mark_pierlot]

<p>Does being 47 qualify me as an "Old Fart"?</p>

[zafar1]

<p>Mark</p>

<p>I don't mean to drag this thread longer, but I was being sarcastic about FD users. Obviously they were not "cheap" but were still served cold by Canon. So obsolescence can happen whether one is cheap or not.</p>

<p>Sigma's customer service is another matter. I haven't had a chance to test them yet but as I understand their current lineup is cpu based so potentially they can update firmware if need be.</p>

[rsriram]

<p>Yes Zafar, Sigma owners should know their lenses will be obsolete just by applying a little common sense and looking at their history of these incompatibility - rechipping cycles happening over and over again, year after year, specially with the older AF lenses. I was burned some time back the same way. The new lenses seem to be holding up though, but for how long is another open question.</p>

[manuel barrera houston,]

<p>I have several old eos cameras the 1D and 1Ds that solve the problem that those old Sigma lens present. There is nothing wrong with the cameras and I have bought some excellent Sigma lens very cheap because people keep trading up to the new stuff. My 400 Sigma f/5.6 is a perfect example. I have more problems with having to get the latest Adobe CS product every time I want to buy a new camera. In fact that is one of the reasons that I have not purchased a 5Dii I am not ready to update my CS3.</p>

[Michael Eckstein]

<p>I have a Canon 400, 24/85, 60 macro, 50 macro, 100 macro, and 70/200. I also have a Sigma 180 macro, 18/125 and 10/20 lenses. I find the Sigma's to be excellent value and excellent lenses. I also find Sigma USA service to be excellent. </p>

[philip_wilson]

<p>Zafar - I want to rush to the defense of the FD lenses (I must be another OF) while we got abandoned by Canon they are still very good. Indeed the old FD 85 F1.2 and 135 F2 are probably two of the best built lenses Canon has ever made.</p>

[sven_felsby]

<blockquote>

<p>suffer the endless "partial" compatibilities of the Nikon system.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Most of my macro work is done with a AI-converted Micro-Nikkor 55/3.5 from 1972. OK, so the former owner paid for the factory conversion. And I got a razor sharp MF lens (wouldn´t use AF for macro anyway) for practically nothing. It doesn´t make things worse that the lens body is made from that special material of the former millenium, metal, you know, and that it is a beauty. I can bear the suffering of being able to mount a vintage lens on my D300 and it just works.</p>

[james_symington1]

<p>Another vote in favour of Nikon's "partial compatibilities" - the ability to mount a long catalogue of manual and AF lenses on just about any body, and not have to suffer stop down metering, is actually a great advantage.</p>

[trex1]

<p>I think I agree, Sigma is shooting themselves in the ass. Having said that, some of their lenses are very nice, in terms of the glass, very nice bokeh, but they are brain dead as a company. </p>

[kin_lau]

<p>For Sigma not to be able to rechip a lens, it has to be at least 10 if not 15yrs or older. I have about 10 Sigma lenses, varying from new to 10years old. All work fine on all current digital bodies.<br>

If you're willing to put up with the "partial compatiblities" like the Nikon users, then you can always tape the pins on the lens, and it'll work in manual mode.<br>

BTW, the wrong lens on certain Nikon bodies will _crush_ the metering pin on the body. Keep that in mind.</p>