Grrr. My old Sigma lenses stopped working with my 40D.

[schuylercat]

Anyone have that problem? I have a Sigma 70-210 f/2.8 APO lens I bought a zillion years ago. I have shot plenty of pics with that lens since I got the 40D and it's worked fine...until last night. I mounted the lens as normal and got a ERROR 01 - this means the lens is not communicating with the camera. The AF worked fine, but if I tried to do aperture preview or actually take a shot, the error would hit me.

First thing I did was clean the contacts on the lens. I used alchohol and a Q-tip and tested, then a polishing cloth and tested, then a pencil eraser and tested - no help.

So I grabbed my old Sigma 28-200 f/3.8-5.6 "vacation lens" (translation: cheap, so it doesn't bother me so much if I drop it over the side on a cruise ship...). It worked before as well - now it gives the same error. Did the same cleaning thing, no help.

BTW - My Canon lenses work perfectly. Just these two Sigmas have problems.

Just to be thorough - I attached them to my old EOS A2 and EOS Elan II. Both old Sigma lenses still function prefectly - including aperture - on those cameras.

Canon's tech support gave exactly the answer I expected: "not our problem, talk to Sigma." Sigma's web site has no compatibility chart for lenses that old.

What burns me is this: for three months, these lenses have worked perfectly. Now, the same day, same time, they fail. Seems like my 40D doesn't "like" Sigma lenses all the sudden. I smell a massive conspiracy. Well, okay, not a conspiracy, but I'm chafed because I can't afford new glass.

Anyone?

 

[Big Mike]

Have you tried resetting the firmware on the 40D?

 

[schuylercat]

Hi Mike,

Why the heck didn't I think of that?

Tx - I'll let you know the outcome...

 

[schuylercat]

Mike:

Nope. No change. I'm going to load the updated version now - it's been out a few weeks with no issues reported....

 

[schuylercat]

Nope, nope nope. Reset everything, updated firmware, remembered to take out the battery for the recommended 2 seconds, and waved a go$$amn dead chicken over it all. This camera will not let me shoot with my Sigma lenses.

They're out to get me, I know it. These guys are the ones who faked the moon landing. They're the ones who were on the grassy knoll in Dallas. They were the ones poking is Ross Perot's underwear drawer. They know where Jimmy Hoffa is. Elvis, too. They want me to go spend money on Canon products and Canon products ONLY, so they're plotting and scheming and falsely forcing my Sigma lenses into early obsolesence. They work for the CIA, the NSA, and my old high school gym coach who caught me smoking and threw me off the track team. I bet they're looking at my bank account right now, saying "well, hell, there's no money here, but hey: he's got a LOT of credit cards!!!"

I guess I'd better go take my lithium now...

No lunar eclipse photos for me, I guess. Sigh. Thanks anyway Mike - it was a good idea!

 

[Big Mike]

You might be able to have Sigma 're-chip' those lenses. I believe that they used to do it for free (When DSLR cameras started to reject them) but I'm not sure they do that anymore. Wouldn't hurt to call them and ask.

 

[Offbeat]

Have you tried to adjust the aperture ring? That happened to mine and i just had to lock the aperture ring to f/22. If its happening with your other lenses though it probably isnt that.