Who owns a Sigma 12-24mm?

[Oneputt]

Who on this forum owns and uses the Sigma 12-24mm?

[Deano]

I do.

Some shots here, here and here.

Cheers
Dean

[birddog114]

What's happenned Oneputt? Lens recall?
So far I know 4 people get them from me!

[Glen]

I do

[birddog114]

I do

Lens mass production recall!

[Glen]

Lets hope not

[glamy]

I do as well. Shots here:http://www.pbase.com/glalamy/110105
Gerard

[birddog114]

"The front tint of the glass come off" hehehe

Need re-tint! is it correct glamy?

[Werewolf]

I do. Haven't done much with it as yet. So far so good. It helps when you remove that lens collar thingy though

[big pix]

I do......not even 10 hours old ........only managed a quick test in the backyard will get serious in the next day or so........just fantastic

big pix

[Oneputt]

The reason I ask is because I know you cannot use a filter on them and I was wondering just how vulnerable the front of the lens is to damage, and I wanted the answer from an owner.

Guys?

[birddog114]

The only problem with this Sig 12-24 is if you're careless then the tint on the front element will be scratched, glamy has the problems so far.

[big pix]

I am going to try the cokin range of filters and hitech which comes in a bigger size, held onto the lens hood with bluetac not pretty but should work. Used to do this with a 35mm wide angle lens on a Mamiya 645. Worked a treat

TINT WHAT TINT is that the stuff on the lens cleaning cloth

Big Pix

[sirhc55]

I do too - so far filters have not been necessary, and Birddog, mine has still got the tint

[Glen]

I have made a conscious effort not use my 12-24 as a battering ram when opening doors. As for my other lenses, well thats a different matter. Maybe I am the only one who has made this decision?

In fact the front element of most of my lenses are ok (not all bulge out, granted) but some are 20 years old. I thought in the heat of battle, I was sometimes a little rough, maybe I'm not?

[sirhc55]

Glen - if you want to bash someone save the lens and use a monopod

[Glen]

I might even spend $2.40 and buy a lineal metre of 4X2 and keep the lenses and monopod for taking photos

[digitor]

I have a Sigma 12-24, and haven't damaged the front element yet! Here's a pic which might help





Cheers

[birddog114]

On the front glass element of the Sigma 12-24 same as the Nikon 10.5 FE have a coating of tint over the glass to protect the element and acting similar to the UV filter, and I had problems with my 10.5FE already.

I had to send it back for repair after few spots of thin coated tint gone off, and glamy, one of our members has few spots on his Sigma 12-24.

Leek, Thadeus, Matt.K have seen those marks on my 10.5 FE and we saw few spots on Glamy Sigma 12-24, what he told me was: he accidentally touched the front element to few objects and got scratched.

This is the true statement, I'm not scaring off anyone, if you're careless then the coated tint in front of the glass will peel off easy.

Glamy, if you're online, drop few lines and confirm to our Sigma fans.

[Oneputt]

Where exactly does the lens cap sit Birddog?

[birddog114]

Where exactly does the lens cap sit Birddog?

The lens cap with the lip sits outer of the hood like the lid of cookies tin box.

[Glen]

Birddog, I think you have brought up a fair point, when using the 12-24 or even more the 10.5, I tend to keep two eyes open, not just the one on the viewfinder, because as they say on american side mirrors "things are closer than they appear"

[digitor]

On the front glass element of the Sigma 12-24 same as the Nikon 10.5 FE have a coating of tint over the glass to protect the element and acting similar to the UV filter, and I had problems with my 10.5FE already.

I had to send it back for repair after few spots of thin coated tint gone off, and glamy, one of our members has few spots on his Sigma 12-24.

Leek, Thadeus, Matt.K have seen those marks on my 10.5 FE and we saw few spots on Glamy Sigma 12-24, what he told me was: he accidentally touched the front element to few objects and got scratched.

This is the true statement, I'm not scaring off anyone, if you're careless then the coated tint in front of the glass will peel off easy.

Glamy, if you're online, drop few lines and confirm to our Sigma fans.

What I was trying to demonstrate with my pic was that the front element is quite well protected by the lens hood, but I'm intrigued by the repair necessary for your 10.5 Birddog!

All lenses have got a thin film coating on all (or most) surfaces - particularly the front element. These coating materials are applied in alternate layers, with different refractive indices, which act as a "matching network" between the glass and the air, to minimise reflections. (Is this sounding familiar, radio technicians?) If the coating materials are particularly soft (such as Magnesium Fluoride, a popular 50's coating, often applied as a SLAR, Single Layer Anti Reflection coating) a layer of something harder, such as Silicon Dioxide (think sand) can be applied on top. This is quite durable.

**Continued next post**

[digitor]

**Next Post**

Cleaning coated surfaces can sometimes be difficult. Even a water spot can seemingly stain the coating, and be very difficult to remove without scratching the coating. Absolute cleanliness is necessary, and very pure materials.

Getting back to lens repair needed for coating damage, the lens would need to be dismantled, the existing coating polished off the damaged element, and re-coated in the same way as a new element, then the lens re-assembled. This leads me to believe that the "repair" may be just cleaning the spots off the coating. I may be wrong, but unless the lens went back to Japan and took a looong time, (and was very expensive) I would say that cleaning fixed the problem.

Scratches of course are a different matter, but it's quite easy to see the difference under magnification and a strong light, like the beam from a slide projector.

Cheers

Edit: I guess changing the front lens group could be done locally though!

[birddog114]

digitor,
You haven't seen it perhaps you don't trust, the 10.5FE front glass bubble out same as the Sigma and it stay well under the level of the lens hoods, what I had was the coated tint came off in a very tiny pieces, perhaps due to the user touching the front element to some close objects while taking photo.

The Sig 12-24 from Glamy, I also saw few spots on it and he said he bumped the glass into some other objects as well, and he confirmed that.

With other lenses, the front glass recess under the rim of the lens far enough so the standard filter can sit on to the lens or if the filter is not on the lens the front glass hardly touch any object when close shooting.
I have 28 lenses and none of them have a problems of these, except the 10.5FE and it's the first lens I'm experienced with.

[digitor]

Birddog,

I don't have a problem accepting that lenses can be damaged at all! (I've seen some great examples, trust me, sailors seem to be particularly vigourous in cleaning laser rangefinder windows!) It's just that when "touching" the lens causing spots was mentioned, I thought with a finger. I guess I would call the marks you're talking about "digs", because that's what they will be, not just coating damage, but a small crater in the glass.

Cheers

[Oneputt]

I still do not know where exactly the lens cap fits?

[birddog114]

digitor,
Definitely, no finger mark, it visible under the eyes of few members around.

[sirhc55]

Oneputt - the petal lens hood is covered by a removable cylinder and the lens cap fits onto this cylinder

[birddog114]

I still do not know where exactly the lens cap fits?

Buy yourself one and you'll know how the lens cap get onto the lens

[Oneputt]

Thanks Chris.

Birddog I am going to as soon as my holiday is out of the way. I assume that stocks are OK?

[birddog114]

You're still on holiday while we're still working! lucky guy! yes, stock is OK.

[Oneputt]

No Birddog, I leave thursday morning for a just over a weeks fishing in the remote Kimberley country, I would have loved to have the lens before I left but it wasn't to be.

[birddog114]

No Birddog, I leave thursday morning for a just over a weeks fishing in the remote Kimberley country, I would have loved to have the lens before I left but it wasn't to be.

Fish the croc and make the bait for the barramundi

[birddog114]

Oneputt,
It can be shipped tomorrow and arrive there on Thursday morning with your trip!

[Oneputt]

Birddog you are a lgend but it will have to wait until I get back

[birddog114]

Birddog you are a lgend but it will have to wait until I get back

Ok! Try to fish both croc and barra, bring them back to the market and sell them for the lens! Good strategy

[Glen]

Oneputt, would a photo with and without lens cap help?

[big pix]

Fishing.......... lens..........fishing.........lens.........fishing..........lens........lens lust.......fish.......fis..........fi.......f.........

[Oneputt]

Glen it certainly would

[Oneputt]

Big Pix I have been fishing since I could walk. It takes precedence over lens lust

[big pix]

I have only been fishing for barra once in the NT and loved it, would like to go and do it again, please call it envy.........

[Glen]

Oneputt,

Lens




Lens with collar (lens hood is visible inside collar)




Lens with collar and cap which fits on top (as Birddy's description, like biscuit tin)




All 3 pieces





Hope this makes sense Oneputt. The collar has to come off to take photos between 12-14mm, but doesn't show up after that. You can screw a 82mm filter into it.

Enjoy the fishing

[sirhc55]

Do I see floppy disks Glen

[Glen]

Reformatted my wifes computer, she complained she had no favourites, I offered her mine. I think she preferred the stars and the stockmarket, rather than having D70 users as a favourite

[Oneputt]

Thanks heaps for that Glen, now I have the full picture. Neat arrangement really.

[glamy]

Yes there are a few scratches on my lens. I damaged it in the confined space of the airplane I posted pictures of. They do not show on the pictures except when into the sun.
Cheers,
Geard

[digitor]

Yes there are a few scratches on my lens. I damaged it in the confined space of the airplane I posted pictures of. They do not show on the pictures except when into the sun.
Cheers,
Geard

Ouch! Were the sctraches caused by contact with a metallic object?

Cheers

[birddog114]

Yes there are a few scratches on my lens. I damaged it in the confined space of the airplane I posted pictures of. They do not show on the pictures except when into the sun.
Cheers,
Geard

Ouch! Were the sctraches caused by contact with a metallic object?

Cheers

digitor,
glamy is on his way to Parkes and met me this morning.
Yes all the scracthes caused by hitting inside the cockpit, once he wanted to point the lens closed to.
Say again: if you mainly do landscape, architecture or distance shooting with the Sig 12-24, then no problems, it's easy happenned when you want to point the lens close to hard objects and look thru the viewfinder, you thought it's still far away.
I hope one day you visit Sydney and I'll ask him to show you how bad is it!