Sigma Repair Service...

[PhotoWrangler]

It's well documented that Sigma's quality control is rather shoddy at best, but how is their repair service?

If you have a 'soft' lens wide open, is it something that they can repair?

 

[Overread19 7]

Eh I think their QC is better than spotty, its just a bit more variable on the tolerances because they have to reverse design their products. The other filpside is they make a lot of superzooms in the 50-500mm style affair which are hard to calibrate (even the 100-400mm from Canon has a very spotty history).


As for repairs they should be able to repair lenses just fine. The only problem is if the problem isn't an error and more a calibration problem between lens and camera body as that can be a bit of a lottery because the "problem" might not be an error in production but that the camera you have is specifically weighted a little more on the extreme end of the tolerance scales - its not got an error either; it just delivers substandard results when mated with something on the opposite end of the tolerance scale.

Contact Sigma and explain the problem and they should be able to inform you more specifically.

 

[PhotoWrangler]

That's what I'm doing. My 24-70 is hatefully soft at 2.8 and I find it 'jumpy'. I'm hoping they can re-chip it or something because I've heard that the 24-70 did have some cooperation problems with the D7000 in the past.

I just can't tolerate the softness at 2.8 because I'm a wide open shooter, and unfortunately I didn't test it enough on my D90 before selling it for this D7000. If Sigma sends the lens back stating its all good, the D7000 thing is next to be sent in.

 

[Overread19 7]

Remember you'd have to send the camera with the lens to Sigma (not Nikon as they won't touch the Sigma lens). But otherwise it sounds like a good approach and if Sigma can fix the lens without any further issue it means you won't have to be without your camera.

 

[PhotoWrangler]

Wait. I have to send my camera to Sigma too???

 

[JaronRH]

I haven't had to use the Sigma support (I returned the 70-200 OS lens and saved up for the Nikon VRII version) but their support staff was very helpful. They usually recommend sending both the body and the lens in together because that's really the only way to calibrate them (especially without micro-adjustment features!). The reason is that your camera body - which can be adjusted as well - can be off. If perfect focus was 0 but your camera was a -3, setting the lens to a perfect 0 would still look bad with your camera since it would still look like a -3! But, if they can calibrate your lens and camera together, they can make sure the final result is that perfect focus of 0 (set the lens to +3 so that +3 + -3 = 0).

 

[KmH]

Wait. I have to send my camera to Sigma too???

The phase-detection auto focus module is in your camera.

The entire auto focus system (hardware and software) is split between the camera and the lens. So to calibrate the entire system whoever is doing the calibrating needs both.

Just one of the many downsides to using 3rd party gear.

Sigma had some QC issues several years ago, but turned that around.
It seems it's been 2 or more years since they got it back on track.

 

[Overread19 7]

The entire auto focus system (hardware and software) is split between the camera and the lens. So to calibrate the entire system whoever is doing the calibrating needs both.

Just one of the many downsides to using 3rd party gear.

This affects own brand items as well. All products are only made within tolerances - they are not all aiming to be fully identical, just within an acceptable band. When you have some errors which are calibration based sending one item (eg the lens) in for repair can fix the problem - however it can also fail to fix it if the camera body you have has a more out of the normal tolerance (it might even be that neither unit has any problem what so ever; its just that they are at opposite tolerances to each other).

Sending the camera with the lens ensures that the tech repairing the problem can calibrate one unit for the other without any problems.

Sending the lens alone can, of course, fix things to, but you take the small risk that it wont' (its generally only a major problem on some more exotic lenses like the 100-400mm or 50-500mm style lenses which tend to have a bit more variation in their tolerances).

I would contact Sigma and talk to their staff and based upon what you tell them either send the lens alone for repair or send lens and body together if they give a strong argument to do that (though of course check up on their work load and turn around times for this).

 

[PhotoWrangler]

Wait. I have to send my camera to Sigma too???

The phase-detection auto focus module is in your camera.

The entire auto focus system (hardware and software) is split between the camera and the lens. So to calibrate the entire system whoever is doing the calibrating needs both.

Just one of the many downsides to using 3rd party gear.

Sigma had some QC issues several years ago, but turned that around.
It seems it's been 2 or more years since they got it back on track.

As it turns out, I didn't have to send my camera in. I sent only the lens, and they were able to correct the problem. Apparently I had an early model lens, and they needed to updated the AF data in the lens.

It cost me $110 including shipping, and they were able to complete the work in just a few days. So far I haven't noticed an issue and it seems to have been corrected.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

Wait. I have to send my camera to Sigma too???

The phase-detection auto focus module is in your camera.

The entire auto focus system (hardware and software) is split between the camera and the lens. So to calibrate the entire system whoever is doing the calibrating needs both.

Just one of the many downsides to using 3rd party gear.

Sigma had some QC issues several years ago, but turned that around.
It seems it's been 2 or more years since they got it back on track.

+1 top-shelf glass FTW

 

[PhotoWrangler]

+1 top-shelf glass FTW

I agree, but sadly my checkbook doesn't. Especially when I'm supporting my photography habit, instead of my habit supporting my habit.

 

[Overread19 7]

Just a point guys but if you want proper fixing from own brand you have to send your camera into them as well. It's still only made within tolerances and thus Canon can only "Fix" a lens within their own tolerance range (indeed the lens you send in to be fixed might not even be outside of manufacture tolerances). You can see this very well with the 100-400mm which could often come back softer than it went in because the techs had to "guess" fix the problem because of the diversity in the calibration.