NEED HELP WITH MY NEW "BIG MAMA" LENS, PLEASE!!!

[brbrown]

Hello Everyone,
I received my "Big Mama" (Sigma 50-500mm) lens today and there seems to be a problem with the "focusing ring" on it unless there is something I am doing wrong. I set it all up on the tripod once I got it and went outside all excited to try it out and I cannot get it to focus in manual mode or auto mode. When in manual mode when I turn the "Focus Ring" nothing happens. It does not focus nor do the numbers change in the little window where it shows distance, etc. When I try to focus it in auto mode I can hear the motor making a noise but nothing happens. I switched it to the "unlock" position once I was set up on the tripod.

I think I received a bad lens but before I send it back I would like to make sure. This really sucks because I had already planned a wildlife shoot this weekend with a friend of mine and now it looks as though I received a lemon unless there is something I am doing wrong.

If anyone has any ideas what might be wrong PLEASE let me know.

Thanks for your help,
Bryant

[ccplim]

Did you try turing the focusing ring in both directions? When in auto mode, you should hardly notice any noise from the motor.

Don't worry about that unlock switch. It's for the zooming.

[brbrown]

Did you try turing the focusing ring in both directions? When in auto mode, you should hardly notice any noise from the motor.

Don't worry about that unlock switch. It's for the zooming.

Hi CP,
Thank you for responding so fast.

I did try to turn the focus ring in both directions and it seems as though it is just free spinning. Sometimes you will just barely notice the scale move very slightly but not very much and when in auto mode the motor is making a fairly noisy sound and the lens does not move at all. It is way louder than what I was expecting it to be and a lot louder than my macro lens when it is in auto mode. If I was photographing a wild animal it would surely scare it off. From what I can tell this lens is pretty much set up with the same functions as my Sigma 105mm macro lens. Is this a correct assumptions? It looks pretty much the same. I think I received a bad lens from the factory. The bad thing is now I will have to ship it back and wait until I can get another one and I was supposed to go on a wildlife shoot this weekend.

If you have any other ideas just let me know.

Thanks again for your help,
Bryant

[benny]

Sorry to hear that Bryant.

I think amongst us, only loupgarou and ccplim has this lens at the moment.

Cheers,

[ccplim]

Sorry to hear that Bryant.

I think amongst us, only loupgarou and ccplim has this lens at the moment.

Cheers,

Yup benny. And I think that was really a bad lens. I have already communicated with bryant on this through email (faster respond on my side) :)

[brbrown]

Hi Benny and CP,

It was a defective lens and they are sending me another one. The bad thing is I missed two really good photo opportunities this weekend because of this. As CP has said, we where communicating by email also and he tried very hard to help me figure out an alternative solution, Thanks Again CP and also Thank you very much Benny for your help.

Thanks,
Bryant

[loupgarou]

so how's the new lens then?

[ccplim]

so how's the new lens then?

Original one gone case. Replacement I believed have not arrive yet.

[brbrown]

so how's the new lens then?

Hello,

CP is correct. The original lens they shipped was defective and I have not received the new lens yet. They would not ship it overnight for me so I would have it Saturday and I received an email tonight they could not ship today so it will be shipped tomorrow. I hope this is not a sogn of bad things to come with my new lens. I am starting to think I am never going to get to use it.

Thanks,
Bryant

[DarthV]

Mmmm Bigma goodness. I had thought about getting one for my next lens, but I think I'm probably going to go with the Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 EX HSM to have a fast lens...

[brbrown]

Mmmm Bigma goodness. I had thought about getting one for my next lens, but I think I'm probably going to go with the Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 EX HSM to have a fast lens...

DarthV,

Please don't let this one bad experience influence you because the "BIG MAMA" is a fantastic lens. I think I just got very unlucking in receive a defective one. Although I think the Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 EX HSM would also be great, in fact, it is on my list as my next lens.

Good Luck,
Bryant

[DarthV]

No, I had thought about the Bigma a couple months ago, but I think I'd want to have something faster and more sharp...so it's either the canon 70-200 f/4L or the sigma f/2.8 EX... even with 2X teleconverter the sigma 2.8 would be faster than the Bigma (and still be able to use the 300d's AF). I'd also want to have a lens that doesn't physically extend while changing focal lengths.

A friend has the Bigma for his D100 and loves it.