DA* or Limited?

**Ash** · 05-30-2011, 09:48 PM

Originally posted by napawino

There is no "again" if I've never been there in the first place

This was not directed at your thread, it was directed at the emotionally-charged comment that SDM was pathetic and a well-documented joke, which it is neither. It is, however, prone to failing due to the tiny electronic motor within the lens. Optically, they're amongst the best zooms you can get.

dgaies · 05-30-2011, 09:59 PM

Originally posted by JHD

If you want quiet, fast, accurate auto focus, HSM is your only option. SDM is a pathetic joke; an unreliable joke that has been well documented.

Perhaps a little bias in your reply?

asdf · 05-30-2011, 10:24 PM

Originally posted by JHD

If you want quiet, fast, accurate auto focus, HSM is your only option. SDM is a pathetic joke; an unreliable joke that has been well documented.

The problem with HSM is that the lens the HSM is focusing is sometimes less than stellar. I had used Sigma 50 f/1.4 and it was a disaster bokeh-wise. I'm sure Sigma makes some nice telephoto lenses though...

JHD · 05-31-2011, 01:46 AM

Originally posted by Ash

This was not directed at your thread, it was directed at the emotionally-charged comment that SDM was pathetic and a well-documented joke, which it is neither. It is, however, prone to failing due to the tiny electronic motor within the lens. Optically, they're amongst the best zooms you can get.

I've lost count of all the threads - not posts - running threads on this subject. There is a continual flowing stream of these threads started by affected users with contributions from even more affected users; not just here, but at dpreview as well.

To be fair not everyone that has bought an SDM lens has experienced a failure of sorts; in response to all the complaints there was a thread dedicated to that subject, but list of unaffected owners wasn't very long.

Like so many people before and after me, I wish my experience with SDM had been different. My position is nobody considering an SDM lens should be ignorant of these facts. Buyer beware. And that's all I have to say on this subject in this thread.

simico · 05-31-2011, 01:59 AM

Originally posted by napawino

i'm just talking about the "series" in general as compared to the other. Not a particular lens.

I'm afraid it's impossible to give an educated answer to such a vague question. It's like asking which series is better, the Lexus Rh or the Mercedes CLK.

You really have to compare similar purpose or focal length lenses, and even then "which lens is better" really depends on the person because each of us have different preferences and style. There's no such thing as "this series in general is better for everyone, period" or "this lens is better for everyone, period".

RonHendriks1966 · 05-31-2011, 02:09 AM

You have to answer these questions (for yourself or the trheat). What is my budget? What are my priorities in sense of photography (landscape, portrait etc). Then you can look into the desired lenses you want or could use and purchase them in the coming tears.

yusuf · 05-31-2011, 09:42 AM

Anything with SDM is untouchable for me - once burned my money, never again.

dgaies · 05-31-2011, 10:50 AM

Originally posted by yusuf

Anything with SDM is untouchable for me - once burned my money, never again.

By that logic I could never consider a Sigma HSM lens as the only HSM lens I've ever bought had a defective motor. By contrast I've owned all 6 DA* lenses (still have five of them) and haven't had an SDM failure.

That said, I would not hesitate to buy either a lens with an SDM or HSM motor if that was the lens I felt best suited my needs (taking into account the potential risks).

DogLover · 05-31-2011, 07:44 PM

Originally posted by dgaies

By that logic I could never consider a Sigma HSM lens as the only HSM lens I've ever bought had a defective motor. By contrast I've owned all 6 DA* lenses (still have five if them) and haven't had an SDM failure.

That said, I would not hesitate to buy either a lens with an SDM or HSM motor if that was the lens I felt best suited my needs (taking into account the potential risks).

Me too. I have 3 DA*'s and have had them for a while with no problems whatsoever. I have had 2 HSM's (still have 1). The one that I later sold arrived with a gritty focus motor and had to be sent back for an exchange. I ain't skeered of SDM or HSM either, though.

dgaies · 05-31-2011, 07:50 PM

Originally posted by DogLover

Me too. I have 3 DA*'s and have had them for a while with no problems whatsoever. I have had 2 HSM's (still have 1). The one that I later sold arrived with a gritty focus motor and had to be sent back for an exchange. I ain't skeered of SDM or HSM either, though.

Be careful, that makes two non-negative SDM posts in a row. I'm pretty sure that's not allowed.

rfortson · 05-31-2011, 08:01 PM

I own several DA* and DA Limited lenses (I had an FA Limited but sold it). The DA/FA Limiteds are all primes and nothing longer than 77mm, so you have that limitation. The DA* are both zooms and primes, and they are all weather sealed.

Optically, I think all of them are great. As for the SDM, I've owned them for several years now and a couple of them seem like they're slowly failing. It takes a while for the AF to get "warmed up". You can read many (m-a-n-y) more threads about SDM, so I'll stop there.

I also have the DA18-250 superzoom, which is probably the antithesis of the lenses above, yet I love using that lens as well. Whatever you buy, use it and enjoy it, and don't worry about what you don't have. They'll all take great shots given the opportunity. They'll all take crappy shots as well. You can determine which it is.

**EsBee** · 05-31-2011, 09:27 PM

Originally posted by dgaies

Be careful, that makes two non-negative SDM posts in a row. I'm pretty sure that's not allowed.

Darn right!

Not while I am still here sitting on the fourth failing copy of a DA*16-50

dgaies · 06-01-2011, 05:53 AM

Originally posted by EsBee

Darn right!

Not while I am still here sitting on the fourth failing copy of a DA*16-50

I'm almost certain your relationship with the DA*16-50 is cursed

Is #4 the one you got back that was suppose to be brand new and didn't work the first time you tried it?

napawino · 06-01-2011, 01:42 PM

I took the plunge. I will have an FA 31mm f1.8 Ltd arriving tomorrow. I hope it lives up to its reputation.

RonHendriks1966 · 06-01-2011, 01:44 PM

Originally posted by napawino

I took the plunge. I will have an FA 31mm f1.8 Ltd arriving tomorrow. I hope it lives up to its reputation.

wow that is on my wishlist for some time (and stays there).

05-31-2011, 10:50 AM	#23
dgaies Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Maryland / Washington DC Posts: 3,917	Originally posted by yusuf Anything with SDM is untouchable for me - once burned my money, never again. By that logic I could never consider a Sigma HSM lens as the only HSM lens I've ever bought had a defective motor. By contrast I've owned all 6 DA* lenses (still have five of them) and haven't had an SDM failure. That said, I would not hesitate to buy either a lens with an SDM or HSM motor if that was the lens I felt best suited my needs (taking into account the potential risks). Last edited by dgaies; 05-31-2011 at 07:46 PM.

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05-30-2011, 09:48 PM	#16
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920	Originally posted by napawino There is no "again" if I've never been there in the first place This was not directed at your thread, it was directed at the emotionally-charged comment that SDM was pathetic and a well-documented joke, which it is neither. It is, however, prone to failing due to the tiny electronic motor within the lens. Optically, they're amongst the best zooms you can get.

05-30-2011, 09:59 PM	#17
dgaies Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Maryland / Washington DC Posts: 3,917	Originally posted by JHD If you want quiet, fast, accurate auto focus, HSM is your only option. SDM is a pathetic joke; an unreliable joke that has been well documented. Perhaps a little bias in your reply?

05-30-2011, 10:24 PM	#18
asdf Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Canada Posts: 1,252	Originally posted by JHD If you want quiet, fast, accurate auto focus, HSM is your only option. SDM is a pathetic joke; an unreliable joke that has been well documented. The problem with HSM is that the lens the HSM is focusing is sometimes less than stellar. I had used Sigma 50 f/1.4 and it was a disaster bokeh-wise. I'm sure Sigma makes some nice telephoto lenses though...

05-31-2011, 01:46 AM	#19
JHD Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Photos: Albums Posts: 1,406	Originally posted by Ash This was not directed at your thread, it was directed at the emotionally-charged comment that SDM was pathetic and a well-documented joke, which it is neither. It is, however, prone to failing due to the tiny electronic motor within the lens. Optically, they're amongst the best zooms you can get. I've lost count of all the threads - not posts - running threads on this subject. There is a continual flowing stream of these threads started by affected users with contributions from even more affected users; not just here, but at dpreview as well. To be fair not everyone that has bought an SDM lens has experienced a failure of sorts; in response to all the complaints there was a thread dedicated to that subject, but list of unaffected owners wasn't very long. Like so many people before and after me, I wish my experience with SDM had been different. My position is nobody considering an SDM lens should be ignorant of these facts. Buyer beware. And that's all I have to say on this subject in this thread.

05-31-2011, 01:59 AM	#20
simico Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Budapest Posts: 821	Originally posted by napawino i'm just talking about the "series" in general as compared to the other. Not a particular lens. I'm afraid it's impossible to give an educated answer to such a vague question. It's like asking which series is better, the Lexus Rh or the Mercedes CLK. You really have to compare similar purpose or focal length lenses, and even then "which lens is better" really depends on the person because each of us have different preferences and style. There's no such thing as "this series in general is better for everyone, period" or "this lens is better for everyone, period".

05-31-2011, 02:09 AM	#21
RonHendriks1966 Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,675	You have to answer these questions (for yourself or the trheat). What is my budget? What are my priorities in sense of photography (landscape, portrait etc). Then you can look into the desired lenses you want or could use and purchase them in the coming tears.

05-31-2011, 09:42 AM	#22
yusuf Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Palo Alto, CA Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,497	Anything with SDM is untouchable for me - once burned my money, never again.

05-31-2011, 07:44 PM	#24
DogLover Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Tennessee Posts: 2,054	Originally posted by dgaies By that logic I could never consider a Sigma HSM lens as the only HSM lens I've ever bought had a defective motor. By contrast I've owned all 6 DA* lenses (still have five if them) and haven't had an SDM failure. That said, I would not hesitate to buy either a lens with an SDM or HSM motor if that was the lens I felt best suited my needs (taking into account the potential risks). Me too. I have 3 DA*'s and have had them for a while with no problems whatsoever. I have had 2 HSM's (still have 1). The one that I later sold arrived with a gritty focus motor and had to be sent back for an exchange. I ain't skeered of SDM or HSM either, though.

05-31-2011, 07:50 PM	#25
dgaies Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Maryland / Washington DC Posts: 3,917	Originally posted by DogLover Me too. I have 3 DA*'s and have had them for a while with no problems whatsoever. I have had 2 HSM's (still have 1). The one that I later sold arrived with a gritty focus motor and had to be sent back for an exchange. I ain't skeered of SDM or HSM either, though. Be careful, that makes two non-negative SDM posts in a row. I'm pretty sure that's not allowed.

05-31-2011, 08:01 PM	#26
rfortson Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Houston TX Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,129	I own several DA* and DA Limited lenses (I had an FA Limited but sold it). The DA/FA Limiteds are all primes and nothing longer than 77mm, so you have that limitation. The DA* are both zooms and primes, and they are all weather sealed. Optically, I think all of them are great. As for the SDM, I've owned them for several years now and a couple of them seem like they're slowly failing. It takes a while for the AF to get "warmed up". You can read many (m-a-n-y) more threads about SDM, so I'll stop there. I also have the DA18-250 superzoom, which is probably the antithesis of the lenses above, yet I love using that lens as well. Whatever you buy, use it and enjoy it, and don't worry about what you don't have. They'll all take great shots given the opportunity. They'll all take crappy shots as well. You can determine which it is.

05-31-2011, 09:27 PM	#27
EsBee Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: National Capital Region Posts: 739	Originally posted by dgaies Be careful, that makes two non-negative SDM posts in a row. I'm pretty sure that's not allowed. Darn right! Not while I am still here sitting on the fourth failing copy of a DA*16-50

06-01-2011, 05:53 AM	#28
dgaies Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Maryland / Washington DC Posts: 3,917	Originally posted by EsBee Darn right! Not while I am still here sitting on the fourth failing copy of a DA16-50 I'm almost certain your relationship with the DA16-50 is cursed Is #4 the one you got back that was suppose to be brand new and didn't work the first time you tried it?

06-01-2011, 01:42 PM	#29
napawino Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Seattle Photos: Gallery Posts: 151 Original Poster	I took the plunge. I will have an FA 31mm f1.8 Ltd arriving tomorrow. I hope it lives up to its reputation.

06-01-2011, 01:44 PM	#30
RonHendriks1966 Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,675	Originally posted by napawino I took the plunge. I will have an FA 31mm f1.8 Ltd arriving tomorrow. I hope it lives up to its reputation. wow that is on my wishlist for some time (and stays there).