USB dock

I've got a couple of SA lenses (30mm f/1.4 and 17-70) and will probably get more so am wondering about the dock. For one thing, is there a way to know whether the lens firmware needs updating without the dock? Or do you have to buy the dock to find this out? I think the answer is yes, but that seems strange to me coming from other camera brands that tell you the lens firmware version right in the camera.

Another one: how important is it to adjust focus for these lenses? I wouldn't think this would be an issue with the mirrorless SD Quattro but I'm new to this so don't have a clue.

So I guess the real question is whether to invest the $60 in the dock?

****

If you buy a A lens from Adorama they use to give you a dock for free (I got mine with the 85 f1.4A), though that no longer seems to be the case today, but you might check around and see if some other lenses still offer that.

If you're shooting your lenses on a mirrorless body I don't think you need to adjust AF, but you do need the dock for firmware updates.

mike earussi said:

If you buy a A lens from Adorama they use to give you a dock for free (I got mine with the 85 f1.4A), though that no longer seems to be the case today, but you might check around and see if some other lenses still offer that.

If you're shooting your lenses on a mirrorless body I don't think you need to adjust AF, but you do need the dock for firmware updates.

Click to expand...

I've been looking on Adorama as they seem to be the only one with a few SA lenses in stock, but haven't seen any dock giveaways.

Guess I'd better get the dock if I'm going to stick with this Sigma thing, and that seems to be the case.

Thanks,

****

Unfortunately you need the dock to find the firmware version. Sigma couldn't pull it from the serial number records back when there was a firmware incompatibility with my 24-35 Art and fp.

jma60 said:

Unfortunately you need the dock to find the firmware version. Sigma couldn't pull it from the serial number records back when there was a firmware incompatibility with my 24-35 Art and fp.

Click to expand...

OK, sounds like I might as well order it and stop worrying about it. ;-)

****

**** Barbour said:

I've got a couple of SA lenses (30mm f/1.4 and 17-70) and will probably get more so am wondering about the dock. For one thing, is there a way to know whether the lens firmware needs updating without the dock? Or do you have to buy the dock to find this out? I think the answer is yes, but that seems strange to me coming from other camera brands that tell you the lens firmware version right in the camera.

Another one: how important is it to adjust focus for these lenses? I wouldn't think this would be an issue with the mirrorless SD Quattro but I'm new to this so don't have a clue.

So I guess the real question is whether to invest the $60 in the dock?

****

Click to expand...

I'm not sure if you can see lens firmware versions from the Sigma cameras, but then I think most of the firmware updates have to do with NikonCanon compatibility so I'm not sure the dock matters much for that use for a Sigma camera owner...

The dock is more useful for some lenses as you can program some aspects of the lens - on the 120-600 there are some custom modes where you can select different ranges of focus using the dock, or also how the stabilization acts.

If you have any newer lenses that support custom modes or stabilization, it may be worth getting the dock.

Kendall Helmstetter Gelner said:

**** Barbour said:

I've got a couple of SA lenses (30mm f/1.4 and 17-70) and will probably get more so am wondering about the dock. For one thing, is there a way to know whether the lens firmware needs updating without the dock? Or do you have to buy the dock to find this out? I think the answer is yes, but that seems strange to me coming from other camera brands that tell you the lens firmware version right in the camera.

Another one: how important is it to adjust focus for these lenses? I wouldn't think this would be an issue with the mirrorless SD Quattro but I'm new to this so don't have a clue.

So I guess the real question is whether to invest the $60 in the dock?

****

Click to expand...

I'm not sure if you can see lens firmware versions from the Sigma cameras, but then I think most of the firmware updates have to do with NikonCanon compatibility so I'm not sure the dock matters much for that use for a Sigma camera owner...

Click to expand...

Well, you are right. I had gone ahead and ordered the dock and it arrived today. I checked the applicable lenses and they had the latest firmware already, but at least my mind is at ease, which I suppose is worth $60.

Thanks,

****

**** Barbour said:

Another one: how important is it to adjust focus for these lenses? I wouldn't think this would be an issue with the mirrorless SD Quattro but I'm new to this so don't have a clue.

Click to expand...

I've been told that with the sd Quattro and SA-mount lenses, there is no need to try to adjust focus performance.

You can try it, as I did once, and when I did I found it made no difference at all. My guess is this feature is really only for DSLR applications, not mirrorless.

PS I get it about other brands. My Fujis do camera and lens firmware updates from the camera, no need for a dock.

--
Tom Schum
Copper: Mankind's favorite electrical conductor

Tom Schum said:

**** Barbour said:

Another one: how important is it to adjust focus for these lenses? I wouldn't think this would be an issue with the mirrorless SD Quattro but I'm new to this so don't have a clue.

Click to expand...

I've been told that with the sd Quattro and SA-mount lenses, there is no need to try to adjust focus performance.

You can try it, as I did once, and when I did I found it made no difference at all. My guess is this feature is really only for DSLR applications, not mirrorless.

PS I get it about other brands. My Fujis do camera and lens firmware updates from the camera, no need for a dock.

Click to expand...

I saw the focus adjust but wasn't brave enough to try it. With your comment I probably never will. The thing I would really like is the OS adjustment but I guess that's only available on the super-duper sports lenses?

****

**** Barbour said:

Tom Schum said:

I've been told that with the sd Quattro and SA-mount lenses, there is no need to try to adjust focus performance.

You can try it, as I did once, and when I did I found it made no difference at all. My guess is this feature is really only for DSLR applications, not mirrorless.

PS I get it about other brands. My Fujis do camera and lens firmware updates from the camera, no need for a dock.

Click to expand...

I saw the focus adjust but wasn't brave enough to try it. With your comment I probably never will. The thing I would really like is the OS adjustment but I guess that's only available on the super-duper sports lenses?

Click to expand...

The USB Dock really doesn't do anything for the SD Quattro for focus (ie micro-adjustments, which works better for SD1M/SD15 etc) but should provide things like the OS adjustments, button adjustments and focus limiting adjustments, the manual is here but obviously doesn't apply for all lenses, only for those with a Custom Mode Switch (which seems to be some C lenses, mostly S or A's).

Personally I think it's a good idea if a person can program in the micro-adjustments to hint to the camera that it's out of alignment from the start, helps cut down on focus time I would expect, however it's not supported unfortunately...

Tom Schum said:

**** Barbour said:

Another one: how important is it to adjust focus for these lenses? I wouldn't think this would be an issue with the mirrorless SD Quattro but I'm new to this so don't have a clue.

Click to expand...

I've been told that with the sd Quattro and SA-mount lenses, there is no need to try to adjust focus performance.

You can try it, as I did once, and when I did I found it made no difference at all. My guess is this feature is really only for DSLR applications, not mirrorless.

Click to expand...

Correct Tom, there is no need for microadjusting a lens for use on a mirrorless camera. A DSLR uses an autofocus sensor - light is reflected from the mirror to the AF sensor. It's fast but not always accurate. Since mirrorless cameras don't have a mirror to reflect light to an AF sensor, it uses the actual image sensor to AF and it is very accurate.

Tom Schum said:

PS I get it about other brands. My Fujis do camera and lens firmware updates from the camera, no need for a dock.

Click to expand...

**** Barbour said:

I've got a couple of SA lenses (30mm f/1.4 and 17-70) and will probably get more so am wondering about the dock. For one thing, is there a way to know whether the lens firmware needs updating without the dock? Or do you have to buy the dock to find this out? I think the answer is yes, but that seems strange to me coming from other camera brands that tell you the lens firmware version right in the camera.

Another one: how important is it to adjust focus for these lenses? I wouldn't think this would be an issue with the mirrorless SD Quattro but I'm new to this so don't have a clue.

Click to expand...

You obviously have more than a clue

No microadjustment is needed when using a lens on a mirrorless camera.

**** Barbour said:

So I guess the real question is whether to invest the $60 in the dock?

****

Click to expand...

Peter A. Stavrakoglou said:

Correct Tom, there is no need for microadjusting a lens for use on a mirrorless camera. A DSLR uses an autofocus sensor - light is reflected from the mirror to the AF sensor. It's fast but not always accurate. Since mirrorless cameras don't have a mirror to reflect light to an AF sensor, it uses the actual image sensor to AF and it is very accurate.

Click to expand...

Sometimes a lens will have focus shift with aperture:

https://photographylife.com/what-is-focus-shift

Because of this the autofocus of such lenses is compromised. Most modern electronic high dollar lenses have very little focus shift as the aperture is closed down. But it remains a small factor.

So, if the camera focuses wide open then stops down, focus shift might reduce the sharpness of focus at the point of interest. Most modern cameras focus this way.

With Sigma cameras (and most others) the user has no control of the autofocus process. That is, the user cannot force the aperture to be used during autofocus, forcing the camera to autofocus at that aperture. Even in Aperture priority the cameras focus wide open then stop down to the chosen aperture only while the exposure is in progress.

And the electronic lenses have no programm settings for shifting the focus based on the aperture and the distance to the subject. We are basically stuck here.

This bothers me so much I steer clear of electronic lenses most of the time. I use completely manual lenses and I can focus them at the shooting aperture with ease. This way, I have no worries about focus shift screwing up my images. I know exactly what I am going to get, before I click the shutter.

Sigma sd Quattro and other mirrorless cameras have excellent support for manual focus, with high magnification available through the electronic viewfinder.

Tom, I recently got a Canon EOS R and it has what I think is a pretty nifty MF indicator:

Peter A. Stavrakoglou said:

Tom, I recently got a Canon EOS R and it has what I think is a pretty nifty MF indicator:

Click to expand...

Video looks good.

Does the lens stop down to the chosen aperture during this process, or does it stop down only at the moment of exposure?