Help - is it dead?

[Dagwood56]

There doesn't seem to be a "right" place to post a "broken item" question, so I'll post here. I have a Sigma 105mm macro which was purchased new about 10 years ago. It has been working fine until 2 weeks ago. I changed lenses for one shot and put the 105 back on the camera and when I turned the camera on the lens was making a sort of hesitant grinding sound when it would focus, but other than that it was focusing alright.

Today I was using the 105 again and there was not a lot on the trail my husband and I were walking so I'd only turn the camera on when I found something to shoot -everything was fine till the last shot. I turned the camera on took a few frames and when I turned the camera off, the lens made this awful grinding sound but didn't move. I took the lens off and checked it out, put it back on and when I turned the camera on it made the same grinding noise. I turned the camera off and the lens continued to grind for a few seconds before it stopped. When I got home I cleaned the lens contacts and tried the lens again....still grinding. My other lenses all work fine.


So what do you all think, should I make funeral arrangements for this lens, or do you think it might be something easily repaired?

 

[icassell]

Sigma has a reputation for excellent service. You might drop them an e-mail (or phone call) and get an idea what repair would cost in a worst-case-scenario situation. Then decide. My guess is that repair is the right way to go. A new good macro isn't cheap.

 

[dxqcanada]

Sounds like one of the gears is stripped.
This is repairable.

 

[Dagwood56]

Thanks folks. I'll check into a repair then; I thought for sure that it was over for the lens. Happy to hear it may not be.

 

[mooimeisie]

My Sigma 105 did exactly the same thing to me 2 weeks ago. Fortunately for me, the lens is only a year old. I took it back to the store where it was purchased, they tried it on a new camera and it did the same thing. It has been sent for repairs, but I haven't heard anything yet. Someone told me there is a 10 year warranty on a Sigma.

 

[Dagwood56]

My Sigma 105 did exactly the same thing to me 2 weeks ago. Fortunately for me, the lens is only a year old. I took it back to the store where it was purchased, they tried it on a new camera and it did the same thing. It has been sent for repairs, but I haven't heard anything yet. Someone told me there is a 10 year warranty on a Sigma.

That would be ideal if the warranty were for that long. My husband is still looking for the paperwork that came with the lens....he's not the most organized person in the world. :er: But I suppose Sigma would have record of the serial number. Thanks

 

[KmH]

My husband is still looking for the paperwork that came with the lens....he's not the most organized person in the world. :er: But I suppose Sigma would have record of the serial number. Thanks

Geez, give him a break, it's been 10 years after all. :lmao:

 

[Dagwood56]

My husband is still looking for the paperwork that came with the lens....he's not the most organized person in the world. :er: But I suppose Sigma would have record of the serial number. Thanks

Geez, give him a break, it's been 10 years after all. :lmao:

......he did find the paperwork. Sigma's warranty was only for a year. Looks like I'm screwed for now -after a several thousand dollar plumbing repair a few weeks ago, there's no way I'll see a repair or new lens any time soon. I do still have a macro feature on my 35-70, but somehow I think I'm going to notice a BIG difference between it and the Sigma 105.