All images are blurry on auto and manual focus (Sigma 150-500mm)

1.3.1 is the firmware I installed
 
The Dock is only £39 maybe think about getting one, they are great to tweek the lens just how you want.

I think this is the older 150-500mm lens rather than the newer one that goes to 600mm, in which case this won't be compatible with the dock
 
the 150-500 doesn't support the sigma dock anyway , you can at best only do a manual micro adjust ,you would need a test card ,sturdy tripod and do it in single shot ,single focus point with lens wide open . if you dont have a test card a set of AAA batteries will do set them at this sort of angle / a inch apart on a flat surface same height as the lens surface ... take a shot of middle one first to determine front or back focus . then adjust M/A gradually as needed .check again after each adjustment . I reckon on around 15-20feet away is about right for that length of lens .. your camera may need setting for full 500 range and 150 range to depends on camera model and usage really.

looking at your tape measure its back focussing btw
 
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Ive heard this happen after firmware updates on nikon bodies where the lens misbehaves with focusing on older sigma lenses. An email to sigma might be more help.
Do yoi have access to another body to try the lens on?
 
Probably been said above but I got confused sorry if I am repeating what you or the other posters have done/suggested.

To establish a datum:
Set focus to af-s single point ( or what ever the canon equivalent is )

Outside in bright light on a tripod set to 1/2000 or faster
Set OS to off - completely

Use the tape as you had laid out as before

Take several pics

Switch to live view and grab focus on centre of tape then take several more images in live view.

BTW - Inside, I would usually use a flash to test lenses and try to minimise room light so that the exposure is dominated by the 1/10000 or whatever strobe.

If nothing works it’s either the lens that has coincidentally done awol or a firmware mismatch
 
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Ive heard this happen after firmware updates on nikon bodies where the lens misbehaves with focusing on older sigma lenses. An email to sigma might be more help.
Do yoi have access to another body to try the lens on?

I'll email Sigma.

No access, but was thinking about emailing someone but don't know when he'll be coming over here again.
 
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The tape measure does look a bit soft.
The dock won't work with a 150-500mm, you would need a 150-600mm.
The 150-500mm is know to be a bit better at a bit less than 500mm than at full zoom.
I was told once to try taking a normal photo and the same photo with live view to test for front focus issues. The idea being the live view avoids the camera af sensor so if live view is better it is likely front (or back) focus. Use the brightest aperture with the least depth of field for this.
There was a recall on these it might be worth seeing if your serial number is in the affected range. Auto focusing issue affects limited number of Sigma telezoom lenses. | News | SIGMA Corporation (sigma-global.com)
If your sure it has suddenly got worse maybe send it to Sigma to test out or at least gve them a call. Otherwise you are just guessing at the issue.
 
I'll have to do a test tomrrow in better light than what I've done so far.
I'm wondering it's the new Canon firmware that's done it.

I have an email written out, but waiting until I've done the test until I email it.

Looking at the tairiffs I may have to spend around £146 to get it fixed (depending if they can fix it and without sending it to the East)
 
They are probably getting to the point of being no longer viable to repair . Pretty sure production stopped when the 150-600 came out
 
It is quite possible for a different camera firmware to affect autofocus and require new lens firmware... my Sigma 120-300/2.8 would not work on my D850 reliably. I was told by Sigma technical that if the lens has OS then they can update the firmware...
 
Canon don't guarantee that any third party products will work, or continue to work, with their cameras, so if you get a new camera body there's no guarantee that your old Sigma, Tamron, etc lenses will work with it, despite them working on your previous camera. After all, you can't expect Canon, Nikon, etc. to hold back the development of their cameras just so lenses made by other manufacturers will continue to work with them, so that's the chance you take when buying a third party lens, flash, etc. It may not work fully, or at all, when you upgrade your camera body.

This said, it may be another fault with the OP's lens that Sigma may be able to repair, if it turns out there is something wrong with it once it's been tested thoroughly in good light, remembering depth of field and trying it with and without the optical stabilisation turned on.
 
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Auto focus
150mm
full


313mm
full


500mm
full



Manual focus
150mm
full


313mm
full


500mm
full
 
Canon 100 2.8L

f2.8
full


f6.3
full


f14
full
 
You have roughly the right idea ,but you need to set the batteries up at a far larger angle like this \. space them out about 2 inches apart focus on the centre one .your photos show them more or less in line which will prove nothing. Just sent you@ p.m
 
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The brighter lighting conditions and 'looking down more from above' angle on the Canon lens doesn't offer a consistent comparison between the results from the Sigma either. Once you've got the angle sorted with the batteries (as Jeff suggests) so your are looking more down the line of them, but with each battery visible, then lock the tripod off securely so the camera doesn't move. The lens should be looking straight at the batteries too, not up from below, or down from above, at them.

Once you've got the camera set up at the right angle and the tripod locked off, you should then be able to swap lenses and keep the same angle and lighting conditions if you want to do a comparison. If you can't do this due to a lens having a separate tripod mount then you need to replicate the view as exactly as you can if you switch to mounting the camera on the tripod with another lens. Hope this makes sense.

I know it's a faff, but getting it right, and consistently repeatable, is what matters in a scientific experiment, which is basically what this test is. (y)
 
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150mm
full


247mm
full


500mm
full
 
the other point is ALL tests should be done with the lens wide open not stopping it down and make sure its single shot , single a/f point and the i.s is switched off
 
the other point is ALL tests should be done with the lens wide open not stopping it down and make sure its single shot , single a/f point and the i.s is switched off

They are.

Aperture is between 5 and 6.3 I can't go lower than that with the lens at the given zoom length
 
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last set ever so slight back focus apparent no more than + or -5 which ever way your camera works more likely - setting
 
Well this may not be what you want to hear but, the sigma lens is not know for being sharp.
Most of the pictures you uploaded look fine to me within the technical scope of the lens.

Admittedly I don't own one and my only source of information is review sites.
 
Well this may not be what you want to hear but, the sigma lens is not know for being sharp.
Most of the pictures you uploaded look fine to me within the technical scope of the lens.

Admittedly I don't own one and my only source of information is review sites.

I've seen plenty of photos out there that are sharp and are in perfect focus. I always look at reviews and videos before buying anything (not just camera gear). If ithe lens wasn't great, then I wouldn't have bought it.
 
It's back focussing at 150mm but at 247 and 500mm it looks fine. As said above, and as someone who owns a 120-400mm Sigma of similar vintage, they are far from the sharpest things in the world wide open, and the focus can be a tad inconsistent.
 
I've seen plenty of photos out there that are sharp and are in perfect focus. I always look at reviews and videos before buying anything (not just camera gear). If ithe lens wasn't great, then I wouldn't have bought it.
Well maybe you're doing something wrong in post processing.
Your earlier comments suggest you shoot in raw.

That said, I only skim read the postings.
 
I wasn't comparing them. I'd just thought I would put them on *shrugs*
 
Looking at the first photos of the AA's on a glass platter the logo in the platter looks sharper to me than the row of cells stood on it which looks like front focusing to me. Maybe try a +5 as someone else sugested. Did you shoot the same in Live view as well? Were they better?
 
Looking at the first photos of the AA's on a glass platter the logo in the platter looks sharper to me than the row of cells stood on it which looks like front focusing to me. Maybe try a +5 as someone else sugested. Did you shoot the same in Live view as well? Were they better?

They were all shot while in Live View
 
Is it just me but all of the pictures you say are out of focus look fine to me. I've just paid £500 for new prescription glasses and I'm not sure what the problem you're trying to illustrate is.

When I was in a studio portraiture special interest group a few years ago, one of the members was getting out of focus pictures all the time and it was because of his eyes and not the camera.

Have you given the camera to another person to try to obtain the same 'error' that you are experiencing?
 
maybe the lens is knackered so its time to renew it for a new one :clap:
 
Just in case this hasn't been said... When looking at focus issues surely it's helpful to compare MF to AF and live view to mirrored shooting if a DSLR? Has that been done?
 
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