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Sigma failures
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 26, 2008 8:16 pm    Post subject: Sigma failures Reply with quote
Sigma has a bit f a reputation for poor quality control, but the reports tend to be anecdotal because normal people (ie not the users of this forum) buy too few lenses for the results to be statistically significant.

A lens hire business, on the other hand, buys a lot more lenses. So this notice regarding Sigma clearly reflects significant actual experience.

Quote:
... we placed warnings on a number of lenses that they were ‘high risk’ of failure. All but two of these were Sigma, despite the fact that Sigma is less than 7% of our lens inventory. When we looked at our actual numbers things were even more bleak: Sigma lenses failed at a rate of 30% per year, compared to less than 5% for Canon, Tamron, Nikon, Tokina, and Zeiss.
... Sigma was about 5% of our rentals but almost one-third of our customer complaints.


I assume most/all of their for-hire lenses are AF zooms. On the other hand they mention Zeiss, so perhaps not.


PostPosted: Sun Oct 26, 2008 8:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have two Sigma lenses. A 28-85 MF zoom and a 17-70 AF zooom.
The 28-85 has seen some occasional use, the 17-70 has been heavily used. None of those lenses has ever failed.


PostPosted: Sun Oct 26, 2008 8:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Let me guess....

Front/back focus issues.


PostPosted: Sun Oct 26, 2008 8:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
The problem is that users await, that their new Sigma lens will have some defects, so the first thing after purchase is testing it in all possible ways to find some fault. There are many sample images from Sigma user all over forums, users ask other ones if the result is good or not, how to test it for other possible defects etc. This kind of behaviour is very rare for users of other brands, because they don't await defective product.

My opinion is, that if the non-Sigma users would test their equipment in this punctual way, they would be quite surprised...


PostPosted: Sun Oct 26, 2008 8:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
I have a Sigma Zoom Master 2.8-4/35-70 MF zoom - bought new in 1986 and which spent the next twenty years semi-permanently bolted to a Praktica BC-1.

No issues and responsible for 95+% of my film work.

Sigma's QC must have gone downhll since then. Confused


PostPosted: Sun Oct 26, 2008 9:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
no-X wrote:
The problem is that users await, that their new Sigma lens will have some defects, so the first thing after purchase is testing it in all possible ways to find some fault. There are many sample images from Sigma user all over forums, users ask other ones if the result is good or not, how to test it for other possible defects etc. This kind of behaviour is very rare for users of other brands, because they don't await defective product.

My opinion is, that if the non-Sigma users would test their equipment in this punctual way, they would be quite surprised...


I'm wondering how your post about individual users relates to what this hire business found....


PostPosted: Sun Oct 26, 2008 9:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
My response relates to your first sentence. I can't say anything related to the rest of your post, because the link doesn't work for me (at least at the moment) and I don't know, how large sample are we talking about, which models, etc...


PostPosted: Sun Oct 26, 2008 10:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
LucisPictor wrote:
I have two Sigma lenses. A 28-85 MF zoom and a 17-70 AF zooom.
The 28-85 has seen some occasional use, the 17-70 has been heavily used. None of those lenses has ever failed.


I have the 28-80 AF and it has had HEAVY use. This lens has not failed yet. I bought this lens in 1995 and still use it today. Smile

Last edited by spiralcity on Mon Oct 27, 2008 1:18 am; edited 1 time in total


PostPosted: Mon Oct 27, 2008 1:00 am    Post subject: Re: Sigma failures Reply with quote
ChrisLilley wrote:

I assume most/all of their for-hire lenses are AF zooms. On the other hand they mention Zeiss, so perhaps not.


I guess that they are referring to the Sony Zeiss lenses (not likely at all, given their business, that they are referring to the Z line).
So your guess is probably correct about the AF zooms (Sony Zeiss line has them).


PostPosted: Mon Oct 27, 2008 7:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Are the Sony-Zeiss lenses manufactured by Cosina or Sony?


PostPosted: Mon Oct 27, 2008 8:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
With all honesty I know of no 'Regular photographer' (50+ exposures a week) who own Sigma lenses who have NOT had problems. My stories from just this year number about seven, ome of them being my own adventures to find a good 10-20mm Sigma lens. I would never have even considered the Sigma lens if there was a Pentax fit alternative for around the same price.
I'm not so sure about reliability. All the horror stories I know have been with recently bought lenses, but many of those problems (Like the decentred focus on many of their wides) isn't noticed till the user gets more experience with his technique or that lens.
My advice is if there is an alternative don't risk a Sigma. If you must have the Sigma, as I did with the 10-20mm then try the actual lens before you buy and I mean test it by downloading to a computer not just the look on the camera LCD screen.
In my town two of the four decent camera shops (I don't include Jessops) refuse to stock Sigma.
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