First Shots with new bigma.

EdinburghGary

EdinburghGary

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Gary
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Rather than create a new thread, I have posted my first ever bigma shots (at least with a working lens :) ). All handheld, a lot of focal lenghths. Was mostly an overcast day too, was tricky to get shutter speed fast enough. I have no real knowledge of birds, I think the white ones are doves though.


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I can see this is going to take a lot of patience, its a very heavy lens and getting the ISO down with a decent shutter speed at 500mm hand held is going to be hard! :)

I know there are a lot of tosh shots above, hence no new thread.

Gary.




Original post below:

Hya,

Just been playing with my new Sigma 50 to 500mm on the D3 and I am having a strange problem.

I have a tree in my garden, 15ft away. If I keep the bigma at 50mm, I cannot get it to hunt for the tree, or if it does hunt, it seems very happy with a super soft image - it really to me seems completely out of focus.

I need to zoom in to at LEAST 200mm, and THEN it starts to focus I feel.

I had it out and about too, and at 50mm, it seems it would not focus on anything, close or far.

Normal? I have it on Single Servo (have also tried C).


Also at 50mm, it seems that sometimes it wont fire the shutter at all as the AF has not been able to lock on in single servo mode.

It seems to me, the minimum distance I need to be from an object at 50mm is far greater than needed at 500mm...

Gary.
 
I would say, might be a pain, but focus it at 200mm+ then just zoom back to 50mm so it will still be in focus, thats what i do on all my zooms ...
 
TomB said:
Are you sure it doesn't have a focus limiter switch? I know some Sigma lenses do, dunno about the Bigma.
Click to expand...

Just a switch to stop the lens zooming whilst in transit. Nothing else.

Gary.
 
My bigma used to focus fine at all focal lengths.
Was this in low light?
 
manxman said:
Why use such a big lens to only focus at 50? :shrug:

Surely you would use a nifty or similar at short range and then use the Bigman when the extra distance is required.
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Well suppose you are out and about and you spot a 50mm oppertunity, bugger changing lenses just for the sake of it - if you don't need the extra stops of light etc, why take it off?

I understand your point.

Gary.
 
davidbridges said:
I would say, might be a pain, but focus it at 200mm+ then just zoom back to 50mm so it will still be in focus, thats what i do on all my zooms ...
Click to expand...

Ahh, I didn't know you could do that? I presumed if you focus on something, and then change zoom, your focus would need updated?

Gary.
 
An update. I have now managed to get it to lock in at 50mm and take a few shots. I can't explain this properly, but it would appear I can only focus between say roughly 2 metres away and 10 metres away, anything outside this "zone" requires some zoom to allow focus.

For example, if I have it at 50mm and try and focus on something that is roughly more than 10 metres away, it won't work. I have to zoom in to focus on the further away objects, which makes framing etc slightly tricker than I would like.

I think I just need to get used to such a long lens, I have never used anything like this before.

So. Does this lens have a minimum and maximum distance you need to be from your subject based on focal length?

Anyone following me here? Getting confused!

Gary.
 
Has the tree got detail on it that the af system can lock on to?
Some lenses will hunt a lot if u don't put a contrasty detail under the af point.

Try it on something else that has a lot of surface detail.

The bigma has quite a close minimum focussing distance and no restrictions other than that.

I've used mine as a macro lens for dragonflies sometimes at 300mm and the subject just a metre or 2 away
 
Werecow said:
Has the tree got detail on it that the af system can lock on to?
Some lenses will hunt a lot if u don't put a contrasty detail under the af point.

Try it on something else that has a lot of surface detail.

The bigma has quite a close minimum focussing distance and no restrictions other than that.

I've used mine as a macro lens for dragonflies sometimes at 300mm and the subject just a metre or 2 away
Click to expand...



Yeah was trying things like edges of houses, big contrasty shapes, usual tricks to get a lock. Like I said, at 50mm (NO ZOOM), I can get the AF to lock onto anything from roughly 2 metres to 10 metres away. Anything over and above that requires zoom, and again, there is a new "field" available which will eventually require more zoom if I try and focus past it.

Gary.
 
Sounds like a duff lens to me then :(

My bigma was pretty much just as good as any other lens when coming to lock on to things.

Long Telephotos dont really have any special circumstances like u were asking about when it comes to locking on AF.
 
Werecow said:
Sounds like a duff lens to me then :(

My bigma was pretty much just as good as any other lens when coming to lock on to things.

Long Telephotos dont really have any special circumstances like u were asking about when it comes to locking on AF.
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Thats what I feared, I do have a 70 to 300 and it does not behave in this way. This is the reason I do not buy things off the net!

Gary.
 
Can I ask where were you sitting? Were you indoors, by any chance?
 
Wail said:
Can I ask where were you sitting? Were you indoors, by any chance?
Click to expand...

Was outdoors, very bright day. I think its bust, its like the focus only has a small range, which is why I have to use ZOOM to get my subject sharp.

I will take it back first thing and get a refund,

Gary.
 
Right just done another test at 50mm.

1 metre from subject, perfect.
2 metres from subject, perfect.
3 metres from subject, the guide on the lens hunts until the "infinity" icon is in line, and wont shoot. I can see the object is out of focus.

3 metres, 70mm ish, perfect.

I walk further away, and unless I zoom, the lens seems to focus all the way until INFINITY is on the marker, then stops.

In short, this lens works PERFECTLY with zoom and a distant subject, but ZOOM is forced.

Gary.
 
I'd say take it back! If anytime you're uncomfortable with such expensive equipment take it back asap .... otherwise you'll always wonder if / when it would fair on you!
 
EdinburghGary said:
Ahh, I didn't know you could do that? I presumed if you focus on something, and then change zoom, your focus would need updated?

Gary.
Click to expand...

As long as you dont move the camera/sensor (or the object you are focusing on doesnt move) then the focus point will be same no matter if you zoom. In fact if you have the zoom power of 500mm I would always try and check the focus at 500mm (if you have time)....but then again if you are shooting in manual focus it should work it all out.

And yeah that lens sounds duff :( never heard of anything like that before :|
 
Jimmy_Lemon said:
As long as you dont move the camera/sensor (or the object you are focusing on doesnt move) then the focus point will be same no matter if you zoom. In fact if you have the zoom power of 500mm I would always try and check the focus at 500mm (if you have time)....but then again if you are shooting in manual focus it should work it all out.

And yeah that lens sounds duff :( never heard of anything like that before :|
Click to expand...

At 500 it focused on pretty much everything.

G.
 
aye and so it should ;) but if you ever try some manual focusing then tis usefull to remember you can zoom in to check your focus without arsing anything up (y)
 
Do me a favour guys, on your bigma, just if you get time, try a 50mm shots of something 6 or 7 metres away just to confirm mines is duff. I want to be able to say to Jessops in the morning my friends identical lens does not do this.

Also, if you do it, can you tell me the guide on the lens, what numbers appear?

Thanks!!

Gary.
 
I have had this once or twice-including tonight. Seems if you putit on manual focus and focus in and out and then back to af it works again.

Must get stuck occasionaly or something.

I think youll find the minimum focus distance in all focal lengths is 3 metres.

6 or 7 metres no prob at 50mm
 
digitalmaniac said:
I have had this once or twice-including tonight. Seems if you putit on manual focus and focus in and out and then back to af it works again.

Must get stuck occasionaly or something.

I think youll find the minimum focus distance in all focal lengths is 3 metres.

6 or 7 metres no prob at 50mm
Click to expand...


Thanks for the tip, but no joy here. Taking it back in morning,

Thanks for trying!

Gary.
 
I can confidently say my bigma was 100% fine with that situation. I used to take loads of photos at 50mm with it.
I even used to take action shots with it let alone your trouble of single AF lock.

The only time it ever hunted was in a situation that any lens would have trouble with.
 
Took it back, lens was completely goosed. Guy said first time he had seen a faulty one.

Has been replaced, new version seems to work fine :D

Had a play earlier in the hills, no tripod, 3 hour walk. My arms hurt.

Gary.
 
EdinburghGary said:
Took it back, lens was completely goosed. Guy said first time he had seen a faulty one.

Has been replaced, new version seems to work fine :D

Had a play earlier in the hills, no tripod, 3 hour walk. My arms hurt.

Gary.
Click to expand...

If he's worked there any time he's seen a faulty Sigma. Sigma make good lenses but their quality control sucks, my own bigma had to go back to sigma to get a new iris (I had the option of repair or replace I chose repair by Sigma so I could be sure I'd have a good example when it came back)

And yes it's heavy! I need to upgrade my ball head to accomodate it.
 
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