Help Sigma 70-200 2.8D HSM

Sion Stanton · Nov 10, 2002

Hi

Just bought the Sigma 70-200 2.8D HSM , great lens only probllem when taking pic after about 200 it hangs with "err" on the display , i then have to switch the camera on and off.

Any ideas
--
cheers Sion
--
Nikon D100
Nikon 24mm 2.8 D ;28mm 2.8 ;35mm 2.8D;50mm 1.8D; 28-80 3.3-5.6 G ; SB80DX
Sigma 70-200 2.8D HSM EX ;70-300mm 1:4-5.6 D DL
Cape Town , South Africa

Ger Bee · Nov 10, 2002

------------ a few times.

I have heard of no solution myself other than what you offer.

Sion Stanton · Nov 10, 2002

thanx

Ger Bee said:
------------ a few times.

I have heard of no solution myself other than what you offer.

--
cheers Sion
--
Nikon D100
Nikon 24mm 2.8 D ;28mm 2.8 ;35mm 2.8D;50mm 1.8D; 28-80 3.3-5.6 G ; SB80DX
Sigma 70-200 2.8D HSM EX ;70-300mm 1:4-5.6 D DL
Cape Town , South Africa

nikonslr · Nov 10, 2002

I had the same problem a few times. Reported to Sigma and they ask me to send my lens in. But since it's not happening again, I didn't send mine in.

Sion Stanton said:
Ger Bee said:

------------ a few times.

I have heard of no solution myself other than what you offer.

Click to expand...

--
cheers Sion
--
Nikon D100
Nikon 24mm 2.8 D ;28mm 2.8 ;35mm 2.8D;50mm 1.8D; 28-80 3.3-5.6 G ;
SB80DX
Sigma 70-200 2.8D HSM EX ;70-300mm 1:4-5.6 D DL
Cape Town , South Africa

--
--------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.pbase.com/nikonslr
Only take your pictures with a SLR please.... !

Group Idiot · Nov 10, 2002

Sion Stanton said:
Hi

Just bought the Sigma 70-200 2.8D HSM , great lens only probllem
when taking pic after about 200 it hangs with "err" on the display
, i then have to switch the camera on and off.

Mine did it initially, but it hasn't since. Fortunately, the quick "off/on" takes care of it. It happens mostly in bad lighting or poor contrast areas where AF has a problem. If you see it hunting for any length of time, repress the shutter or grab the ring and manually focus.

It should dissipate after a short time. I don't know why.

Brendan
--

Newbie requests inspection and critique of new photos at: http://www.pbase.com/bgetchel/root

Simon Lau · Nov 10, 2002

I'm hopefully getting one tomorrow. Is this normal - would it happen in the 5 minutes that I will play with it in the shop? I could possibly use that to convince the shop to knock the price down a wee bit

I thought that this was different to the focus problem.

Cheers
Simon

Group Idiot said:
Sion Stanton said:

Hi

Just bought the Sigma 70-200 2.8D HSM , great lens only probllem
when taking pic after about 200 it hangs with "err" on the display
, i then have to switch the camera on and off.

Click to expand...

Mine did it initially, but it hasn't since. Fortunately, the quick
"off/on" takes care of it. It happens mostly in bad lighting or
poor contrast areas where AF has a problem. If you see it hunting
for any length of time, repress the shutter or grab the ring and
manually focus.

It should dissipate after a short time. I don't know why.

Brendan
--
Newbie requests inspection and critique of new photos at:
http://www.pbase.com/bgetchel/root

nikonslr · Nov 10, 2002

Could be related to D100 too. It didn't happen on my F90X. The focus is so much accurate and faster on my F90X than the D100.

It's not really a big problem and it doesn't happen all the time. So far I only had it locked for 4 times usually in low light condition like what Group Idiot mentioned. That's why I am thinking it's the software on D100. It is not happening on just the Sigma but also on the Nikkor 80-200 AFS too.

Wish D100 has a better CAM system like the F90X or F100.

Simon Lau said:
I thought that this was different to the focus problem.

Cheers
Simon

Group Idiot said:

Sion Stanton said:

Hi

Just bought the Sigma 70-200 2.8D HSM , great lens only probllem
when taking pic after about 200 it hangs with "err" on the display
, i then have to switch the camera on and off.

Click to expand...

Mine did it initially, but it hasn't since. Fortunately, the quick
"off/on" takes care of it. It happens mostly in bad lighting or
poor contrast areas where AF has a problem. If you see it hunting
for any length of time, repress the shutter or grab the ring and
manually focus.

It should dissipate after a short time. I don't know why.

Brendan
--
Newbie requests inspection and critique of new photos at:
http://www.pbase.com/bgetchel/root

Click to expand...

--
--------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.pbase.com/nikonslr
Only take your pictures with a SLR please.... !

Rich Hall · Nov 11, 2002

I have been using this lens extensively to shoot kids soccer games. Mine would lock up occasionally as well. Then it cleared up - but now is back. Seems to do it more frequently on dim days. Happens about 2 or 3 times a game on bright days, triple that on dull days. Seems to be just this lens. I shot the last two games with my new Sigma 100-300mm f4 without a single hitch of any kind. It worked flawlessly!

Rich

Group Idiot said:
Sion Stanton said:

Hi

Just bought the Sigma 70-200 2.8D HSM , great lens only probllem
when taking pic after about 200 it hangs with "err" on the display
, i then have to switch the camera on and off.

Click to expand...

Mine did it initially, but it hasn't since. Fortunately, the quick
"off/on" takes care of it. It happens mostly in bad lighting or
poor contrast areas where AF has a problem. If you see it hunting
for any length of time, repress the shutter or grab the ring and
manually focus.

It should dissipate after a short time. I don't know why.

Brendan
--
Newbie requests inspection and critique of new photos at:
http://www.pbase.com/bgetchel/root

Group Idiot · Nov 11, 2002

Rich Hall said:
I have been using this lens extensively to shoot kids soccer games.
Mine would lock up occasionally as well. Then it cleared up - but
now is back. Seems to do it more frequently on dim days. Happens
about 2 or 3 times a game on bright days, triple that on dull days.
Seems to be just this lens. I shot the last two games with my new
Sigma 100-300mm f4 without a single hitch of any kind. It worked
flawlessly!

I was looking at the 100-300/4, and I read Pop Photo's thumb's up review, but they said it was soft or other things at extremes, but still very good. That's why I went with the AF-S 80-200/2.8 and AF-S 300/4 Nikons instead. But for the money the 100-300 Sigma really piqued my interest.

Brendan
--

Newbie requests inspection and critique of new photos at: http://www.pbase.com/bgetchel/root

Rich Rosen · Nov 11, 2002

Problem first surfaced when F100 (film camera) came out. Fix was available for old Hsm's. New lenses were supposed to have fix. Check age on lens.
Rich

Sion Stanton said:
Hi

Just bought the Sigma 70-200 2.8D HSM , great lens only probllem
when taking pic after about 200 it hangs with "err" on the display
, i then have to switch the camera on and off.

Any ideas
--
cheers Sion
--
Nikon D100
Nikon 24mm 2.8 D ;28mm 2.8 ;35mm 2.8D;50mm 1.8D; 28-80 3.3-5.6 G ;
SB80DX
Sigma 70-200 2.8D HSM EX ;70-300mm 1:4-5.6 D DL
Cape Town , South Africa

Irwin · Nov 11, 2002

Group Idiot said:
Rich Hall said:

I have been using this lens extensively to shoot kids soccer games.
Mine would lock up occasionally as well. Then it cleared up - but
now is back. Seems to do it more frequently on dim days. Happens
about 2 or 3 times a game on bright days, triple that on dull days.
Seems to be just this lens. I shot the last two games with my new
Sigma 100-300mm f4 without a single hitch of any kind. It worked
flawlessly!

Click to expand...

I was looking at the 100-300/4, and I read Pop Photo's thumb's up
review, but they said it was soft or other things at extremes, but
still very good. That's why I went with the AF-S 80-200/2.8 and
AF-S 300/4 Nikons instead. But for the money the 100-300 Sigma
really piqued my interest.

Brendan
--
Newbie requests inspection and critique of new photos at:
http://www.pbase.com/bgetchel/root

How do you like the AFS 300 f4? I read at Thom Hogan's site that the AF is slow. Are you using it for sports and how is the AF speed?

Group Idiot · Nov 11, 2002

Irwin said:
Irwin said:

I was looking at the 100-300/4, and I read Pop Photo's thumb's up
review, but they said it was soft or other things at extremes, but
still very good. That's why I went with the AF-S 80-200/2.8 and
AF-S 300/4 Nikons instead. But for the money the 100-300 Sigma
really piqued my interest.

Click to expand...

How do you like the AFS 300 f4? I read at Thom Hogan's site that
the AF is slow. Are you using it for sports and how is the AF
speed?

I don't think he said it's "slow," only that it's not the same as, say, the 80-200/2.8 AF-S. Actually, I think it's pretty snappy--and whisper quiet. Considering the distance it has to travel, I can understand it not being quite as fast as the 80-200. I'd say it's the same speed as my Sigma 70-200/2.8 EX HSM--which is pretty quick and great for fast movers.

I don't do sports, but it'll peg any bird in flight and I did snap a few shots of some big motorcycles that love to buzz past my house at obscene speeds without a problem--just to test the tracking and overall AF speed.

For what I paid for it ($800 for US version on eBay, without any signs of use) it'd be impossible to nitpick with it.

Brendan
--

Newbie requests inspection and critique of new photos at: http://www.pbase.com/bgetchel/root

Irwin · Nov 11, 2002

I'm trying to get a little more reach than 200mm. I'm thinking about getting a 1.4x teleconverter. Or get a Sigma 100-300 f4 HSM. I'm leaning towards the teleconverter. I would like to know if the Tamron Pro one will fit with the Sigma lens and D100. Also would the autofocus be slower with the teleconverters?

Group Idiot said:
Irwin said:

Group Idiot said:

I was looking at the 100-300/4, and I read Pop Photo's thumb's up
review, but they said it was soft or other things at extremes, but
still very good. That's why I went with the AF-S 80-200/2.8 and
AF-S 300/4 Nikons instead. But for the money the 100-300 Sigma
really piqued my interest.

Click to expand...

How do you like the AFS 300 f4? I read at Thom Hogan's site that
the AF is slow. Are you using it for sports and how is the AF
speed?

Click to expand...

I don't think he said it's "slow," only that it's not the same as,
say, the 80-200/2.8 AF-S. Actually, I think it's pretty snappy--and
whisper quiet. Considering the distance it has to travel, I can
understand it not being quite as fast as the 80-200. I'd say it's
the same speed as my Sigma 70-200/2.8 EX HSM--which is pretty quick
and great for fast movers.

I don't do sports, but it'll peg any bird in flight and I did snap
a few shots of some big motorcycles that love to buzz past my house
at obscene speeds without a problem--just to test the tracking and
overall AF speed.

For what I paid for it ($800 for US version on eBay, without any
signs of use) it'd be impossible to nitpick with it.

Brendan
--
Newbie requests inspection and critique of new photos at:
http://www.pbase.com/bgetchel/root

nikonslr · Nov 11, 2002

How do you check ? Serial number??

Rich Rosen said:
Sion Stanton said:

Hi

Just bought the Sigma 70-200 2.8D HSM , great lens only probllem
when taking pic after about 200 it hangs with "err" on the display
, i then have to switch the camera on and off.

Any ideas
--
cheers Sion
--
Nikon D100
Nikon 24mm 2.8 D ;28mm 2.8 ;35mm 2.8D;50mm 1.8D; 28-80 3.3-5.6 G ;
SB80DX
Sigma 70-200 2.8D HSM EX ;70-300mm 1:4-5.6 D DL
Cape Town , South Africa

Click to expand...

--
--------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.pbase.com/nikonslr
Only take your pictures with a SLR please.... !

Rich Hall · Nov 11, 2002

So far, I like it a lot. It definitely gives me the extra reach I was looking for but of course it's a little heavier and longer to hand-hold. I haven't done any critical sharpness testing with it yet - just took it out of the box and started shooting kid's soccer. For that it's more than sharp enough. I'm still getting used to it though - when used wide open at full telephoto you have to be careful with the shallow depth of field. The HSM focus speed seems to be just as quick as the 70-200. I suppose I could have just added a 1.4x teleconverter to the 70-200 but I have never felt that those setups seemed very solid - also wondered if it would affect focus speed. Paid $749 for the US version at B&H - they matched Adorama's Web price despite it being listed at $799 in all the print ads.

Rich

Group Idiot said:
Rich Hall said:

I have been using this lens extensively to shoot kids soccer games.
Mine would lock up occasionally as well. Then it cleared up - but
now is back. Seems to do it more frequently on dim days. Happens
about 2 or 3 times a game on bright days, triple that on dull days.
Seems to be just this lens. I shot the last two games with my new
Sigma 100-300mm f4 without a single hitch of any kind. It worked
flawlessly!

Click to expand...

I was looking at the 100-300/4, and I read Pop Photo's thumb's up
review, but they said it was soft or other things at extremes, but
still very good. That's why I went with the AF-S 80-200/2.8 and
AF-S 300/4 Nikons instead. But for the money the 100-300 Sigma
really piqued my interest.

Brendan
--
Newbie requests inspection and critique of new photos at:
http://www.pbase.com/bgetchel/root

Sion Stanton · Nov 11, 2002

Thanx for all the help on the locking it seems i might have to find another aporach to the pics as i need to us the lens at f2.8 with a shutter speed of 20/30 @ 200 as the lighting is very bad .

--
cheers Sion
--
Nikon D100
Nikon 24mm 2.8 D ;28mm 2.8 ;35mm 2.8D;50mm 1.8D; 28-80 3.3-5.6 G ; SB80DX
Sigma 70-200 2.8D HSM EX ;70-300mm 1:4-5.6 D DL
Cape Town , South Africa

Gary Barnes · Nov 20, 2002

Sion Stanton said:
Thanx for all the help on the locking it seems i might have to find
another aporach to the pics as i need to us the lens at f2.8 with a
shutter speed of 20/30 @ 200 as the lighting is very bad .

--
cheers Sion
--
Nikon D100
Nikon 24mm 2.8 D ;28mm 2.8 ;35mm 2.8D;50mm 1.8D; 28-80 3.3-5.6 G ;
SB80DX
Sigma 70-200 2.8D HSM EX ;70-300mm 1:4-5.6 D DL
Cape Town , South Africa

I was at my camera dealer today and some guy had just turned in two brand new lenses. One was an Nikkor f4 300 mm and the other was a Sigma 70-200. He had the equipment for a couple of months planning to be a photographer. The lenses were unused. I picked up the 70-200 for under $500 the 300 mm was aournd $800. Sure eough I get it to lock-up in low light. The problem is I doubt that I wll be shooting much in low light. It is a nice lens. Has anyone shot with an extender on this lens? or should I have purchased the 300?
--
Gary

Bill Grove · Nov 20, 2002

The 300F4 AFS is a wonderful lens. I bought the Sigma first, had the lock up problem and returned it for the 300. If you don't have to have a zoom or the F2.8 the 300 is much sharper and is also faster focusing.

Alex Hui · Nov 20, 2002

try changing 3D matrix metering to Spot metering....I guess the auto focus mechanism's got some problems.

Gary Barnes · Nov 21, 2002

Bill Grove said:
The 300F4 AFS is a wonderful lens. I bought the Sigma first, had
the lock up problem and returned it for the 300. If you don't have
to have a zoom or the F2.8 the 300 is much sharper and is also
faster focusing.

Point well taken, a picture is worth a thousand words! I will take it back.
--
Gary

Help Sigma 70-200 2.8D HSM

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