sigma 150-500 os problems

[pictish]

Hi all, last year my 5d and 100-400 went for a swim so they got replaced with a 5d mk2 and a sigma 150-500. Even up here in the northeast of scotland I was able to shoot handheld with the 100-400 with speeds down to around 1/60 and generally was always able to keep iso 100 without camera shake on all but the cloudy days.
I used the 150-500 when the snow was here with 1.4X extender using manual focus at the start of this year and then it got put away for a few months while I was ill. The results were pretty good.
This week the weathers been great so I took it to the beach next to my house as the birds are all back and the seal pups have started appearing as well.

The problem Im having is that at 500 focal range the autofocus does not appear to be working, even when the subject is large such as a swan or a heron and the af point says its locked on.
I went back the next day thinking it was just camera shake so upped the iso and the shutter speeds to over 1/200 and the same thing, all the pics I used autofocus the subject was out of focus[ no signs camera shake] the few times i changed to manual focus subject is fine and in focus. This is shooting in very bright conditions, I also tried the full auto fuction for shooting and the same thing manual focus no problems autofocus subject is out of focus. I generally shoot kneeling or braced on the rocks.

I have seen quite a few reports of people having issues with this lens regarding quality control issues especially regarding shotting at the 400-500 end, I was just wondering if i got a lemon or if im being a lemon.

[Gaza]

Hi Pictish

I use this lens most of the time. With and without a x1.4 teleconverter.
I have never ( touch wood ) had a problem with it, although I have heard of people that do.
Can you post an example photo , showing the problem ?
When you say that the problem, is at the 500mm range. Do you mean that it focuses okay below the 500mm?

Also. Are we talking, stationery targets? or moving ( in fight shots ) or both ?

What settings are you using ? AI ? spot metering ?

[pictish]

Hi there ive added some pics here, have tried a few diff setting regarding metering, OS, everything ect no change, I also used the video recording feature for the first time and theres a clear constant audible hum/buzz coming from the lens throughout, never noticed it before but its only this lens that makes the noise and you can only hear it on the recordings.
The clearer pics below are ones that are using manual[apart from 2] the others are using the autofocus.
The autofocus will not lock onto moving targets properly in that every time I have tried they are even more blurred than stationary things in the pics you can even see that through the viewfinder when it beeps to tell you its locked on that they are out of focus, not only birds[ slow gulls] but also the rig choppers too, it also hunts for the object quite alot too compared to my other lenses. The other strange thing is this seems to happen more at a range of 10 feet or more, under that range it locks on much better even if the object is smaller as shown by the sand bug/louse and the swan with the water droplets from its head.
It could very well just be me and I need more time to get used to the lens but it does seam rather odd in the way its behaving.

heres the pics

[Joe662]

hmmm i agree they look wrong. what settings do you tend to use? Cant see any exif data on the files. Your iso not set insanely high is it?

should have read it better haha. i would be returning the lens tbh. But maybe try taking some test shots in this nice weather we are having and see how they come out.

[Gaza]

Hi Pictish

It may be the lens. But I have a feeling that it is your inexperience with this lens.

How long have you been using it ? This lens will take a while to learn. When i first got mine. I was totally cheesed off with it. Couldn't get any decent shots. But I persevered and found that it was not the lens, but my lack of experience. Now I get the shots that i want.


As already said. Do some test shots. Put it on a tripod. Turn the OS off. And do some testing.




Having gone back and taking a closer look. The Swan with water droplets on its head is the best focused.

[Geoff F]

Just a couple more questions.

Are these photos hand held or with a tripod? Do you use multiple focusing points or just the centre point? What apertures?

From my experience with this lens, you do need to be careful about your choice of settings.

With a tripod, turn off OS. Images can be a bit soft with a wide aperture; I prefer to use F8 as the widest and when possible F11 or smaller. Although OS does help I still prefer to use a decent shutter speed, say 1/250 minimum, even on a tripod unless I use cable release on a long exposure.

Many lenses don't perform well at their extreme ends, although with my lens I can't find any noticeable difference here.

Many lenses will struggle to give good auto focus on soft or poor contrast subjects and a final manual tweak often produces sharper results. Using the centre focus point also helps to prevent the lens from focusing on 'false targets'.

But as Gaza said, all you can really do is to try some careful experimentation of different settings while using a good firm tripod and compare results. Make sure you use a firm solid subject. I find that a distant house with good straight lines on the windows, doors, roof, etc works well. Softer targets like trees, etc can give false results.

[rs250man]

Mmm, intersting, i have just been out shooting wild birds, all my picutres seem soft and slightly out of focus, and the images need sharpening on photoshop, and i couldn't understand what the problem was.
However today, the lens was working fine, then there was a thud inside the lens housing and now the auto focus does not work.

On looking at the web it looks like there is a fault with the alignment ring inside the lens housing which causes the lens to create soft out of focus inmages then the AF stops working.

Looks like it going in for an MOT.

[nightshade]

Originally Posted by pictish

Hi all, last year my 5d and 100-400 went for a swim so they got replaced with a 5d mk2 and a sigma 150-500. Even up here in the northeast of scotland I was able to shoot handheld with the 100-400 with speeds down to around 1/60 and generally was always able to keep iso 100 without camera shake on all but the cloudy days.
I used the 150-500 when the snow was here with 1.4X extender using manual focus at the start of this year and then it got put away for a few months while I was ill. The results were pretty good.
This week the weathers been great so I took it to the beach next to my house as the birds are all back and the seal pups have started appearing as well.

The problem Im having is that at 500 focal range the autofocus does not appear to be working, even when the subject is large such as a swan or a heron and the af point says its locked on.
I went back the next day thinking it was just camera shake so upped the iso and the shutter speeds to over 1/200 and the same thing, all the pics I used autofocus the subject was out of focus[ no signs camera shake] the few times i changed to manual focus subject is fine and in focus. This is shooting in very bright conditions, I also tried the full auto fuction for shooting and the same thing manual focus no problems autofocus subject is out of focus. I generally shoot kneeling or braced on the rocks.

I have seen quite a few reports of people having issues with this lens regarding quality control issues especially regarding shotting at the 400-500 end, I was just wondering if i got a lemon or if im being a lemon.

Are you talking hand held? the chances are that after being ill you have lost muscle tone so are not quite up to snuff.
The kit is very good and should not alter in performance, couple of days at the gym or similar the sun will be out and everything will resolve itself

[Geoff F]

Some of the early 150-500 lenses did have a focus problem but it has mostly been sorted with the current lenses.

[The_Moaner]

I also had problems with my Sigy 150-500mm on my 7D.

I sent it back to Sigma twice. On the second time I had my Alignment Ring renewed plus some other thing.

This lens is NOT fit for a converter so why are you useing it on one.?
It is SOFT at 500mm without a converter, gawd knows what it's like with one.

I got so fed up with mine I bought a Canon 400mm f5.6 the other week.

I got a friend who had 4 New ones from Sigma each time he sent it back. He got so fed up he had is cash back and bought a Tamron 200-500, now Happy.

I do have another friend with 5DmkII + 150-500mm and he is a Happy Man with it. Go Figure! Quality Control in Japan is none existant.
Hope you Sort it out.