Lens Question..am I daft!?

Jesus Quintana

Jesus Quintana

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Apologies if this is in the wrong section.

I bought a NOS lens off someone (Sigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC). On the box it says the lens has a built in motor, and in the instructions the 'Description of Parts' refers to a M & A switch. I've looked 3 times and the switch isn't there!! (I think if i keep looking it'll appear :cuckoo:)

I have the D3100 btw.

So my question is, is this the wrong lens in the box or am I being soft?

If it's my fault then I will take this on the chin and accept my mistake and keep it (it might even make me stop being lazy tbf and I could grow a pair and manually focus). I know I am really pleased when I use my 50mm Nikon manual prime (I thought that was AF as well :help::cuckoo::gag::help::cuckoo:).

I'd just like to know who's mistake it is, that's all.
 
As far as I can remember with Sigma lenses for certain Nikon cameras esp the likes of D40 D3100 etc then the lens needs to have "HSM" which means the lens has the motor built into the lens itself... Have a look http://www.sigma-imaging-uk.com/lenses/index_nikon.htm as that may help you... As it seems that you have the earlier version instead of the II OS HSM Sigma lens..

Also if it a HSM then it should have that on the lens....


So in short is the lettering on the box the same as whats on your lens - if not then thats not the right box for that lens, an that person may have used the wrong box for posting/packaging the lens to you...

Where did you buy the lens, was it from the bay and did the listing state what lens it was for???

If you purchased a lens that stated it was the 18-200 II OS HSM DC then that should be what you should receive - as if it just stated it was a 18-200 DC then you have the correct lens.... Like I said before the box mave have just been used for posting/packaging...

Sorry for the long winded reply :coat: :exit:

:thinking: What does it actually state on the box??
 
Can you take some photos of the lens to show us?

Everything I have read suggests there should be a switch - and that AF should work fine for that lens on any Nikon camera.

Wrong lens in box?
 
Many thanks for the reply, it's much appreciated.

It literally says on the box "Sigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC"

On the side of the box it says the above information plus "Built in Motor Drive for Nikon AF D"

Reading your reply once more, it looks like my mistake although the instructions do show a switch, labeled "6" on the instructions. The info on the lens appears to match the box and the seller has already left me good feedback so I don't believe this is his/her fault. There doesn't appear to be any mention of a HSM, although I don't know what the Built-in motor drive would be referring to!

Thanks again for the speedy reply.
 
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it appears the serial numbers don't match!
 
Jesus Quintana said:
Many thanks for the reply, it's much appreciated.

It literally says on the box "Sigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC"

On the side of the box it says the above information plus "Built in Motor Drive for Nikon AF D"

Reading your reply once more, it looks like my mistake although the instructions do show a switch, labeled "6" on the instructions. The info on the lens appears to match the box and the seller has already left me good feedback so I don't believe this is his/her fault. There doesn't appear to be any mention of a HSM, although I don't know what the Built-in motor drive would be referring to!

Thanks again for the speedy reply.
Click to expand...


It seems that you have the NON HSM lens... HSM has a motor built into the lens itself and not in the camera body..

The like of the D40, D3100 etc dont have a motor in the camera body so you need to have a motor in the lens itself..

So for your camera - A Sigma lens will need to have HSM & a Nikon lens will need to be AF-S, Nikon lenses with AF-D are going to be non motorised an will be manual focus on your camera body...

Hope that explains it - as thats how I was to understand which lenses were compatible when I had a D40 (couple of years ago)

Sigma did do a list of compatible AF lenses on their site but it seems to have gone now....
 
To me that looks like a 'G' lens in a 'D' box as there's no aperture ring.
 
Ok, many thanks. I take it then that it's the correct lens in the wrong box!?:thinking:
 
ah, that was to Trigs..not Togger! You are correct Toggerman, no aperture ring
 
The little switch at the side of your lens is for "zoom creep" - in short & in a non technical term - it stops the lens from extending out/moving at an angle...

It seems that you have this lens 18-200mm instead of this one 18-200mmOS_mkII
 
It doesn't have to be a HSM, some use built in micro-motors, which this most likely has.
 
Just a thought but on my sigma 24-70 you slide the focus collar to switch from M to AF does this one have the same. There's no switch like on the Nikon lenses.
 
It looks to me like it is as described. It is an AF-D in that the lens tells the camera the focus distance. The box says "motor drive", i.e. it means it can autofocus if you have a body with a motor, like the D7000, but it wont autofocus on e.g. D40/D60.
 
Sigma 17-70 DC has no M/A switch either, you have to use the one on the camera.
 
The box actually says "built in motor drive for Nikon AF-D" (my italics) which is downright misleading if it doesn't have a built-in motor.

Can you return it under distance-selling rules? I imagine the seller sold it to you in good faith - the misleading labelling is Sigma's.
 
Not sure how Sigma are being misleading... the 18-200mm lens that should be in that box does have a built in motor drive.
 
visagephoto said:
There's usually a label on the box with a serial number which should match the serial number on the lens.
Click to expand...

+1 good idea.
 
There are at least three versions of this lens. The original AF version relied on the drive motor in the camera for auto-focus, then came the built-in motor (BIM) version and most recently the Hyper-sonic motor (HSM). Both of the later lenses had motors in the lens but they're different types. Not all BIM or HSM lenses had any marking on the box or lens to signify this.

Take a look at the mount. If it has a screwdriver type connection then it doesn't have a BIM or HSM and will not AF on the D3100. Sigma weren't misleading with their labelling though, if the box says it's a BIM then that signifies it has a motor in the lens.
 
Bristolian said:
Sigma weren't misleading with their labelling though, if the box says it's a BIM then that signifies it has a motor in the lens.
Click to expand...
So as the OP doesn't seem to be able to use the AF on his D3100 it must be the wrong lens in the box. In that case he should be able to return it for a refund.
 
Thank you everybody for your input & help. I've decided to grow a pair and keep it. I'm going to take it on the chin and accept my mistake.

On a side note, I'm extremely inexperienced where photography is concerned. What I know about photography, would fit on a stamp. I do feel the ad threw me a bit but I'll survive! You never know, this might spur me on to use my camera as it is meant to be.

Thank you all again.

On a further side-note, Tracer is correct. The paperwork (instructions and warranty) and box match, the serial No. on the lens doesn't. Thanks again.
 
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Seriously, check the mount to see if the lens has the AF screw for starters...

If it does, the wrong lens is supplied and you can return for a refund (Based on the box saying it has a built in motor, and the photo makes part of the description...)
If it doesn't, the lens is faulty and you can return for a refund.
 
Tracer said:
So as the OP doesn't seem to be able to use the AF on his D3100 it must be the wrong lens in the box. In that case he should be able to return it for a refund.
Click to expand...

You'll get no arguement from me :)

I suspect the lens has been put in the wrong box. Now whether that has been done accidentally by someone who didn't know better or deliberately in order to mislead the OP is purely a matter of conjection ... but I know where my vote goes :D
 
Jesus Quintana said:
Thank you everybody for your input & help. I've decided to grow a pair and keep it. I'm going to take it on the chin and accept my mistake.

On a side note, I'm extremely inexperienced where photography is concerned. What I know about photography, would fit on a stamp. I do feel the ad threw me a bit but I'll survive! You never know, this might spur me on to use my camera as it is meant to be.

Thank you all again.

On a further side-note, Tracer is correct. The paperwork (instructions and warranty) and box match, the serial No. on the lens doesn't. Thanks again.
Click to expand...

Whilst you have to make your own decision on this, I don't understand why you're prepared to allow yourself to be the victim? IF the seller knowingly put the wrong lens into the box and sold it as a BIM lens then he/she has committed a fraud - obtaining money be deception. Even if they didn't do it deliberately, then the item is not as advertised and you are entitled to a refund.

This lens is going to be practically useless on your D3100. The viewfinder is too dim to enable consistent manual focussing in anything but very good light and the IQ of the early Sigma 70-300 lenses was woefully poor even when they worked well.

Keeping the lens and taking the hit isn't growing a pair ... it's having them cut off :gag:
 
This lens looks strikingly like the one in DigitalRevs good body poor lens / good lens poor body review :( If it's a fault of the actual advert you may have grounds to return it and I would.

No idea how much you paid of course.

Just to clarify the 550D isn't a "poor" body, maybe "cheap / expensive" would be a better way of phrasing this :)
 
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