Sigma 150mm F2.8 EX DG Macro HSM Sigma 150mm F2.8 EX DG Macro HSM worst lense ever wasted money on

[John_7]

This was the worst buy I ever made. The lens under exposes by 2-3 stops in macro on my Canon cameras. Its been back for the stabilizer replacement once and its no better, it makes so much noise any self respecting bug is well away by the time you get it lined up with the moving image caused by the stabilizer. Its useless, when in non macro usually it locks on, not the best, but you have endless grinding and noise as it does it. You still have the imige juddering as it does lock on. One solution is to turn the stabilizer off before turning the camera off, then take the lense off and do this in reverse for mounting. Since it went back for repair I have faithfully done this, absolutely a wast of time (stabilizer on my other lens self park/lock OK). It rattles about off the camera (and on it!) and makes the same lot of noise as before repair-don't wast money on this lens it the last Sigma I will ever buy!

 

[Giklab]

Review 1: 5 stars
Review 2: 0.5 stars

 

[John_7]

The 5 star is the mk1 version with out stabilizer so I don't understand why reviews of 2 different lenses are listed together unless dpreview are fallowing in the Amazon practice of lumping reviews of different products together that so misleads many people!

Since buying I found reviews mentioned the same problems as I have had, one reviewer had to send the lens back for replacement stabilizers more than once. Many mentioned the juddering when the stabilizer kicked in and there have been forums where the under exposing problem has been raised with no real solution I could see.

 

[SushiEater]

I had both lenses on Canon. Never had any problems. I am sure many will post the same thing because this is one of the most popular macros. Did you buy it used?

After I switched to Nikon I sold 150mm and bought 180mm and actually regretting now because for the extra 30mm 180mm is twice as big.

 

[Mark K]

This was the worst buy I ever made. The lens under exposes by 2-3 stops in macro on my Canon cameras. Its been back for the stabilizer replacement once and its no better, it makes so much noise any self respecting bug is well away by the time you get it lined up with the moving image caused by the stabilizer. Its useless, when in non macro usually it locks on, not the best, but you have endless grinding and noise as it does it. You still have the imige juddering as it does lock on. One solution is to turn the stabilizer off before turning the camera off, then take the lense off and do this in reverse for mounting. Since it went back for repair I have faithfully done this, absolutely a wast of time (stabilizer on my other lens self park/lock OK). It rattles about off the camera (and on it!) and makes the same lot of noise as before repair-don't wast money on this lens it the last Sigma I will ever buy!

Apparently you chose the wrong model to criticize. Yours should have an OS.

Mine is perfect until one day Sigma told me I have probably bumped my lens affecting the OS which is noisy.

 

[John_7]

I had both lenses on Canon. Never had any problems. I am sure many will post the same thing because this is one of the most popular macros. Did you buy it used?

My one was new and its been back ti Sigma once with no change. I thought it might be just me but found, as I said, reviewers who has stabilizer problems and the juddering and under exposure refereed to by many people. I got my one in 2015 it went back in 2016 and after I found no improvement I stopped useing it, but gave it another go this week and thought what a wast om money!

 

[John_7]

This was the worst buy I ever made. The lens under exposes by 2-3 stops in macro on my Canon cameras. Its been back for the stabilizer replacement once and its no better, it makes so much noise any self respecting bug is well away by the time you get it lined up with the moving image caused by the stabilizer. Its useless, when in non macro usually it locks on, not the best, but you have endless grinding and noise as it does it. You still have the imige juddering as it does lock on. One solution is to turn the stabilizer off before turning the camera off, then take the lense off and do this in reverse for mounting. Since it went back for repair I have faithfully done this, absolutely a wast of time (stabilizer on my other lens self park/lock OK). It rattles about off the camera (and on it!) and makes the same lot of noise as before repair-don't wast money on this lens it the last Sigma I will ever buy!

Apparently you chose the wrong model to criticize. Yours should have an OS.

Mine is perfect until one day Sigma told me I have probably bumped my lens affecting the OS which is noisy.

The "noise" may well be the defect I and others have rather than Sigmas excuse that you "probably bumped" the lens. My one made a lot of noise before it went back and still when it came back from Sigma with a replaced stabilizer (they said). The juddering and under exposure both were there as well and that was after being taken out of the box.

 

[SushiEater]

this time contact Errol Dizon, [email protected] Call them if you need too.

And complain loudly.

If it happened recently ask to give you a shipping label so you don't have to pay.

OOPs did not notice you are in England.

I would still complain loudly to someone.

This was the worst buy I ever made. The lens under exposes by 2-3 stops in macro on my Canon cameras. Its been back for the stabilizer replacement once and its no better, it makes so much noise any self respecting bug is well away by the time you get it lined up with the moving image caused by the stabilizer. Its useless, when in non macro usually it locks on, not the best, but you have endless grinding and noise as it does it. You still have the imige juddering as it does lock on. One solution is to turn the stabilizer off before turning the camera off, then take the lense off and do this in reverse for mounting. Since it went back for repair I have faithfully done this, absolutely a wast of time (stabilizer on my other lens self park/lock OK). It rattles about off the camera (and on it!) and makes the same lot of noise as before repair-don't wast money on this lens it the last Sigma I will ever buy!

Apparently you chose the wrong model to criticize. Yours should have an OS.

Mine is perfect until one day Sigma told me I have probably bumped my lens affecting the OS which is noisy.

The "noise" may well be the defect I and others have rather than Sigmas excuse that you "probably bumped" the lens. My one made a lot of noise before it went back and still when it came back from Sigma with a replaced stabilizer (they said). The juddering and under exposure both were there as well and that was after being taken out of the box.

--
If I don't respond to your post after you responded to my with NEGATIVE remarks that means you are on my Ignore list.
Photography Director for Whedonopolis.com

 

[FrankG]

This was the worst buy I ever made. The lens under exposes by 2-3 stops in macro on my Canon cameras. Its been back for the stabilizer replacement once and its no better, it makes so much noise any self respecting bug is well away by the time you get it lined up with the moving image caused by the stabilizer. Its useless, when in non macro usually it locks on, not the best, but you have endless grinding and noise as it does it. You still have the imige juddering as it does lock on. One solution is to turn the stabilizer off before turning the camera off, then take the lense off and do this in reverse for mounting. Since it went back for repair I have faithfully done this, absolutely a wast of time (stabilizer on my other lens self park/lock OK). It rattles about off the camera (and on it!) and makes the same lot of noise as before repair-don't wast money on this lens it the last Sigma I will ever buy!

I have the Nikon F mount OS version: works absolutely fine on any of my Nikon DSLRs. I mainly use it with either my D810 or my D500. Extremely sharp, clean, hi-res, focusses accurately, exposures are very accurate, OS works well enough for good hand-held shots (I estimate about 3 stops compensation) although best to turn OS off if using a solid tripod.

Also this lens works very well with the TC0-1401 converter making a seriously sharp 210mm F4 OS macro lens.

So all-in-all nothing like your experience which clearly sounds like you have a seriously faulty unit.

How much warranty did you get? If the lens is still under the warranty period then I would suggest that you send the lens back to Sigma again, explain what is going on and demand either a fix or a working replacement.

Frank

 

[John_7]

This was the worst buy I ever made. The lens under exposes by 2-3 stops in macro on my Canon cameras. Its been back for the stabilizer replacement once and its no better, it makes so much noise any self respecting bug is well away by the time you get it lined up with the moving image caused by the stabilizer. Its useless, when in non macro usually it locks on, not the best, but you have endless grinding and noise as it does it. You still have the imige juddering as it does lock on. One solution is to turn the stabilizer off before turning the camera off, then take the lense off and do this in reverse for mounting. Since it went back for repair I have faithfully done this, absolutely a wast of time (stabilizer on my other lens self park/lock OK). It rattles about off the camera (and on it!) and makes the same lot of noise as before repair-don't wast money on this lens it the last Sigma I will ever buy!

I have the Nikon F mount OS version: works absolutely fine on any of my Nikon DSLRs. I mainly use it with either my D810 or my D500. Extremely sharp, clean, hi-res, focusses accurately, exposures are very accurate, OS works well enough for good hand-held shots (I estimate about 3 stops compensation) although best to turn OS off if using a solid tripod.

Also this lens works very well with the TC0-1401 converter making a seriously sharp 210mm F4 OS macro lens.

So all-in-all nothing like your experience which clearly sounds like you have a seriously faulty unit.

How much warranty did you get? If the lens is still under the warranty period then I would suggest that you send the lens back to Sigma again, explain what is going on and demand either a fix or a working replacement.

Frank

Regret we started to get ready to move after the return of the lens and with moving and sorting out new house out of warranty now!

My one isn't the only one, see

for the juddering and noise.

 

[SushiEater]

This was the worst buy I ever made. The lens under exposes by 2-3 stops in macro on my Canon cameras. Its been back for the stabilizer replacement once and its no better, it makes so much noise any self respecting bug is well away by the time you get it lined up with the moving image caused by the stabilizer. Its useless, when in non macro usually it locks on, not the best, but you have endless grinding and noise as it does it. You still have the imige juddering as it does lock on. One solution is to turn the stabilizer off before turning the camera off, then take the lense off and do this in reverse for mounting. Since it went back for repair I have faithfully done this, absolutely a wast of time (stabilizer on my other lens self park/lock OK). It rattles about off the camera (and on it!) and makes the same lot of noise as before repair-don't wast money on this lens it the last Sigma I will ever buy!

I have the Nikon F mount OS version: works absolutely fine on any of my Nikon DSLRs. I mainly use it with either my D810 or my D500. Extremely sharp, clean, hi-res, focusses accurately, exposures are very accurate, OS works well enough for good hand-held shots (I estimate about 3 stops compensation) although best to turn OS off if using a solid tripod.

Also this lens works very well with the TC0-1401 converter making a seriously sharp 210mm F4 OS macro lens.

So all-in-all nothing like your experience which clearly sounds like you have a seriously faulty unit.

How much warranty did you get? If the lens is still under the warranty period then I would suggest that you send the lens back to Sigma again, explain what is going on and demand either a fix or a working replacement.

Frank

Regret we started to get ready to move after the return of the lens and with moving and sorting out new house out of warranty now!

My one isn't the only one, see

for the juddering and noise.

If you started the repair process before warranty expired and they did not fix it right then your warranty is still in effect for this problem.

 

[FrankG]

This was the worst buy I ever made. The lens under exposes by 2-3 stops in macro on my Canon cameras. Its been back for the stabilizer replacement once and its no better, it makes so much noise any self respecting bug is well away by the time you get it lined up with the moving image caused by the stabilizer. Its useless, when in non macro usually it locks on, not the best, but you have endless grinding and noise as it does it. You still have the imige juddering as it does lock on. One solution is to turn the stabilizer off before turning the camera off, then take the lense off and do this in reverse for mounting. Since it went back for repair I have faithfully done this, absolutely a wast of time (stabilizer on my other lens self park/lock OK). It rattles about off the camera (and on it!) and makes the same lot of noise as before repair-don't wast money on this lens it the last Sigma I will ever buy!

I have the Nikon F mount OS version: works absolutely fine on any of my Nikon DSLRs. I mainly use it with either my D810 or my D500. Extremely sharp, clean, hi-res, focusses accurately, exposures are very accurate, OS works well enough for good hand-held shots (I estimate about 3 stops compensation) although best to turn OS off if using a solid tripod.

Also this lens works very well with the TC0-1401 converter making a seriously sharp 210mm F4 OS macro lens.

So all-in-all nothing like your experience which clearly sounds like you have a seriously faulty unit.

How much warranty did you get? If the lens is still under the warranty period then I would suggest that you send the lens back to Sigma again, explain what is going on and demand either a fix or a working replacement.

Frank

Regret we started to get ready to move after the return of the lens and with moving and sorting out new house out of warranty now!

My one isn't the only one, see

for the juddering and noise.

So that video is a demonstration of a pretty seriously faulty sample of the lens.

My copy (and I expect most others) shows no sign whatsoever of any such "image shift" on actuating OS and AF. As for that loud clunking noise he demonstrated … again very obviously not something normal and no way would anyone put up with that - sounds as if a chunk of the optics are floating around loose in there!!

Frank

 

[SushiEater]

This was the worst buy I ever made. The lens under exposes by 2-3 stops in macro on my Canon cameras. Its been back for the stabilizer replacement once and its no better, it makes so much noise any self respecting bug is well away by the time you get it lined up with the moving image caused by the stabilizer. Its useless, when in non macro usually it locks on, not the best, but you have endless grinding and noise as it does it. You still have the imige juddering as it does lock on. One solution is to turn the stabilizer off before turning the camera off, then take the lense off and do this in reverse for mounting. Since it went back for repair I have faithfully done this, absolutely a wast of time (stabilizer on my other lens self park/lock OK). It rattles about off the camera (and on it!) and makes the same lot of noise as before repair-don't wast money on this lens it the last Sigma I will ever buy!

I have the Nikon F mount OS version: works absolutely fine on any of my Nikon DSLRs. I mainly use it with either my D810 or my D500. Extremely sharp, clean, hi-res, focusses accurately, exposures are very accurate, OS works well enough for good hand-held shots (I estimate about 3 stops compensation) although best to turn OS off if using a solid tripod.

Also this lens works very well with the TC0-1401 converter making a seriously sharp 210mm F4 OS macro lens.

So all-in-all nothing like your experience which clearly sounds like you have a seriously faulty unit.

How much warranty did you get? If the lens is still under the warranty period then I would suggest that you send the lens back to Sigma again, explain what is going on and demand either a fix or a working replacement.

Frank

Regret we started to get ready to move after the return of the lens and with moving and sorting out new house out of warranty now!

My one isn't the only one, see

for the juddering and noise.

So that video is a demonstration of a pretty seriously faulty sample of the lens.

My copy (and I expect most others) shows no sign whatsoever of any such "image shift" on actuating OS and AF. As for that loud clunking noise he demonstrated … again very obviously not something normal and no way would anyone put up with that - sounds as if a chunk of the optics are floating around loose in there!!

Frank

Just recently a Sigma rep explained to me how OS is working. OS is different in some lenses. In most large lenses there are arms that hold floating element in place if OS is off or not used. In other lenses like 24-105mm the OS is always on if camera is on even if OS is turned off. That is why some people hear constant buzzing even if they turn OS off. Most likely in 150mm OS the arm broke or bent so the floating element is loose.

 

[John_7]

My one had these before going for repair and on return pus very much under exposing in macro.

I have now sent the below to UK Sigma and will report back there response

"In discussion with other Sigma users its clear that my lens has a fault not normal to the lens.

It was returned with in warranty for the same faults it came back with, jarring image as OS engages, a lot of noise, as if lose bits in the lens and underexposing, in macro 3-4 stops.

As we were starting the process of moving, then actually moving and then a lot of work on the new house I never had the time to take up the problems that hadn’t actually been sorted.

The common, and my view as well, is Sigma should arrange collection of the lens and either repair the lens correctly this time or exchange it for a correctly working one."

 

[Mark K]

This was the worst buy I ever made. The lens under exposes by 2-3 stops in macro on my Canon cameras. Its been back for the stabilizer replacement once and its no better, it makes so much noise any self respecting bug is well away by the time you get it lined up with the moving image caused by the stabilizer. Its useless, when in non macro usually it locks on, not the best, but you have endless grinding and noise as it does it. You still have the imige juddering as it does lock on. One solution is to turn the stabilizer off before turning the camera off, then take the lense off and do this in reverse for mounting. Since it went back for repair I have faithfully done this, absolutely a wast of time (stabilizer on my other lens self park/lock OK). It rattles about off the camera (and on it!) and makes the same lot of noise as before repair-don't wast money on this lens it the last Sigma I will ever buy!

I have the Nikon F mount OS version: works absolutely fine on any of my Nikon DSLRs. I mainly use it with either my D810 or my D500. Extremely sharp, clean, hi-res, focusses accurately, exposures are very accurate, OS works well enough for good hand-held shots (I estimate about 3 stops compensation) although best to turn OS off if using a solid tripod.

Also this lens works very well with the TC0-1401 converter making a seriously sharp 210mm F4 OS macro lens.

So all-in-all nothing like your experience which clearly sounds like you have a seriously faulty unit.

How much warranty did you get? If the lens is still under the warranty period then I would suggest that you send the lens back to Sigma again, explain what is going on and demand either a fix or a working replacement.

Frank

Regret we started to get ready to move after the return of the lens and with moving and sorting out new house out of warranty now!

My one isn't the only one, see

for the juddering and noise.

If you started the repair process before warranty expired and they did not fix it right then your warranty is still in effect for this problem.

My copy probably has OS jammed..and Sigma agreed to fix it, for a price.

 

[Washi]

I have same problems as well (the later OS version), close distances underexpose on new cameras (not on old ones like canon 550D) I guess it would need firmware upgrade but you can't do that.

image stabilization died after couple years of use, no point to fixing it as it underexposes. It also has problem with the tripod collar, if I tighten it at all manual focus ring 50% of the time just rotates without changing focus.

so I have the same opinion as you, this lens is crap and waste of money.

I would be fine using it without OS but underexposing gets too annoying..

guess I'll replace it with irix 150mm 2.8 someday

 

[John_7]

My lens is on its way back to sigma, they are looking at it free of charge. I had to pay carriage but I sent it basic this time, a non working lens isn't worth anything to me (or any one!). So hopefully will see this week what they find and agree to do with it.

 

[John_7]

Well they want nearly £110 to replace the same IMAGE STABILISER they were meant to have replaced under warranty! It really doesn't appear to me to be worth doing. At its best its the second time its said it needs doing but the lens has never worked with out the problem even after being back before.

I have a number of Canon and Sony lenses, some Canon used regularly. NONE have ever been as bad as this Sigma which has been a mixture of mostly unusable for macro due to under exposure and juddering/noise and as a 150 lens juddering and some underexposure.

 

[SushiEater]

Well they want nearly £110 to replace the same IMAGE STABILISER they were meant to have replaced under warranty! It really doesn't appear to me to be worth doing. At its best its the second time its said it needs doing but the lens has never worked with out the problem even after being back before.

I have a number of Canon and Sony lenses, some Canon used regularly. NONE have ever been as bad as this Sigma which has been a mixture of mostly unusable for macro due to under exposure and juddering/noise and as a 150 lens juddering and some underexposure.

Since they repaired it once already and it never worked insist they will do it for free this time. The imperative word here is "insist". Call manager if you have to. If that does not work email headquarters in Japan.

 

[DAVID MANZE]

Well they want nearly £110 to replace the same IMAGE STABILISER they were meant to have replaced under warranty! It really doesn't appear to me to be worth doing. At its best its the second time its said it needs doing but the lens has never worked with out the problem even after being back before.

I have a number of Canon and Sony lenses, some Canon used regularly. NONE have ever been as bad as this Sigma which has been a mixture of mostly unusable for macro due to under exposure and juddering/noise and as a 150 lens juddering and some underexposure.

I understand your woes ..... however, that compares very favourably with Nikon's quote of 400 euros for a replacement SD card slot on a D500 ...... not to mention other prices ....

To get any sort of work done let alone include a major part usually costs way more and for this lens it is surely worth it!