Photography Asked by Geni on December 13, 2020
I recently purchased a Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 lens which I am using on a Canon 40D body. Around 8 of 10 shots were soft, regardless of subject matter. Exposure, white balance etc. all looks fine. I only shoot in manual mode. After doing some research and a professional friend taking some pics (also soft) I took the lens and camera body in and had a firmware upgrade.
Since the upgrade I have seen a huge improvement, however, when it comes to portraiture many of my shots still look soft. This is hampering me enormously as I am trying to go pro, but cannot put my name out with this “track record”. I have noticed that distance from subject makes somewhat of a difference (further away = softer). Low light is also problematic despite using a flash. Another friend says Sigma lenses are apparently known to have this “soft” problem. What should I do?
I had the Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 HSM and had all kinds of problems focusing with it. I tried to use it on a Canon 7D and 5D mk II but found much the same problems existed on both bodies. I had problems similar to yours in that there was an inconsistent focal error over the zoom range such that if I corrected for 24 (I don't think you can do this on the 40D) it would give soft focus above 40 and if the subject distance changed this also threw things out. In the end I sent it back and got another copy which unfortunately had much the same problem. After getting the second copy looked at by Sigma the problem was slightly reduced but still not completely resolved.
It's not that the lens cannot focus because I could get pin sharp focus in manual mode but I think it may be a general problem with this lens and autofocus as I have seen lots of forum posts describing similar experiences. In the end I got the supplier to agree that the lens was defective and got a refund. Ended up stumping up the extra cash for a Canon 24-70 f2.8 L which auto-focused perfectly and gave noticeably better image quality but at a pretty hefty extra price.
Answered by Paul Round on December 13, 2020
Sigma lenses are known to have this issue on many of its lenses regardless of the type. It's always best to try out the lens first before buying any Sigma.
As of now, the way forward for you would be to try and get a replacement if it's under warranty. Else theres always the hard way - post processing.
Answered by user7144 on December 13, 2020
I would send it back to Sigma for adjustment, or get a new copy.
Also you could try shooting a focus chart, or something flat to see if focus was de-centered - it could be that things in one side of the frame are more focused than others. Whatever you can document may help Sigma fix the issue your lens is having.
Answered by Kendall Helmstetter Gelner on December 13, 2020
I had this lens on my D90 and it was very poor wide open. Sharp at f/5.6, very good at f/4, but horribly soft at f/2.8 - really unusable. I did extensive testing of the lens on a tripod with a test pattern, mirror lock up, manual and AF. It was very soft at f/2.8.
Answered by MikeW on December 13, 2020
faced similar issue.. and i found when i switch off OS it work fine
Answered by Ahmar Amjad on December 13, 2020
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