6D + SIGMA 24-105 f/4 Art = locks up

Jan 9, 2014
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I recently bought a Canon 6D and a Sigma 24-105 f/4 Art. I noticed that, if the internal GPS is turned on, when the camera goes in sleep mode (after a couple of minutes the top panel turns off except the GPS icon) then the camera wakes up but the lens does not respond and the only way to return to work is to pull the battery off and on again.

I tied with other lenses (a canon 50 f/1.8 II and a canon 24-105 f/4 L) and all worked well.

I tried my sigma lens on another 6D (in a shop) and the bug came back.

I'm pretty convinced it's a problem of the lens.

Could someone repeat my experiment?

1. turn the internal GPS on;

2. take a couple of pictures to make sure everything works:

3. wait until the top lcd turns off (except the GPS icon);

4. try to take a picture.

Thanks,

Mirco
 
Compatibility (apart from IQ) is the main reason I got rid some of my 3rd party lenses (a Sigma 14mm 2.8 and a 400mm 5.6 both bought in the 90s). It seems that this kind of problems will not cease to exist (at least 100%).

I would return the lens if possible.
 
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mgelain said:
I recently bought a Canon 6D and a Sigma 24-105 f/4 Art. I noticed that, if the internal GPS is turned on, when the camera goes in sleep mode (after a couple of minutes the top panel turns off except the GPS icon) then the camera wakes up but the lens does not respond and the only way to return to work is to pull the battery off and on again.

The 6D is a popular enough and current enough model that I'd expect such an easily reproducible problem to have been caught before the lens shipped. My guess is your copy of the lens is a dud, but they could just be really, really bad at testing their products, relying on the ability to flash them in the field later....

Does switching to a different lens and then switching back reset things? Removing and reinstalling the lens?
 
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Perhaps it would be worth trying the same experiment with a Sigma 35 in a store to see if all Sigma lenses behave like this...

Either way, it looks like Sigma failed to reverse-engineer how the Canon firmware/software behaves exactly. At least with Sigma, there is a chance that they'd release new firmware/software so that you can update it via the USB dock...
 
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Re:SOLVED: 6D + SIGMA 24-105 f/4 Art = locks up

mgelain said:
New Sigma firmware (ver. 1.01) solved the issue.
Tested with Canon 6D firmware 1.1.3 and 1.1.4.

I ho this helps,
Mirco

I'm glad Sigma fixed the issue. Fortunately it's a fix you can apply yourself (provided you have purchased the dock).

The larger issue is the fact that you experienced this problem 9-10 months before Sigma released a fix. That sort of thing is a big reason to avoid 3rd party lenses.
 
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Vgramatikov said:
Why 24-105 sigma?
Canon 24-105L is as good and proved lens....?

The Sigma is optically quite a bit sharper than the 24–105L, and exhibits much less distortion—particularly at the wide end, where the 24–105L's distortion can be objectionable at times. Based on the numbers I'm looking at, Sigma's 24–105 outclasses Canon's so completely that unless weather sealing is a must-have, Canon's infamous distortion monster (the 24–105L) really isn't a serious contender anymore, IMO.

In fact, the Sigma 24–105 actually approaches the performance of the 24–70L series in many respects and (if I'm reading the numbers correctly) beats them in center sharpness. Admittedly, it can't match the corner sharpness or low distortion of the 24–70L lenses, but it really puts into stark contrast just how bad the 24–105L is, at least when compared with other L lenses, and when compared with what is possible in that focal range.

Sigma really caught Canon with their pants down on this one. IMO, Canon needs to either update their decade-old lens design ASAP or risk forever ceding the focal range to companies that actually take it seriously.
 
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