Sigma 105mm Macro not focusing on D610

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
OK, kids, got a question for you.

Is there a reason why my Sigma 105mm won't focus on my D610 but will focus on every other camera? The D610 works perfectly with every other lens but it's not focusing with this one. I don't know that I'd ever mated the two of them before so I can't say that it ever worked, but it worked with the D600. The lens was sent back to Sigma for a firmware upgrade when the D750 came out so there shouldn't be an issue where that's concerned. Just a weird thing.

The reason I even tried is that I'm having issues with the OS when mated to the D500 - it never seems to lock properly, but there's no report of this being an issue that needs to be resolved. Regardless, I'm planning on sending it back to Sigma while it's still under warranty to get it looked at and the firmware upgraded to post D500 specs (it doesn't attach to the USB dock), but if I can resolve the D600 issue beforehand it would make me feel better. I don't want them to send it back and say they can't replicate it and I'd be willing to ship the D600 with it for them to check if it's not something obvious.
 

nickt

Senior Member
Just guessing... You have two seemingly unrelated problems with this same lens, so that is suspicious. Maybe some marginal contact problem or misalignment that presents itself differently on the two bodies. Try holding your AF button on and at the same time, man-handle the lens a little. Torque it a bit in both directions as if mounting/dismounting without pressing the mount release. Maybe you will see autofocus kick in while you do that, proving a connection problem. Good luck.
 

hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
Contributor
@Lee532 do you have the Sigma 105mm macro with the OS? If so, have you encountered any problems while using it on your D610?

Can't think of anyone else who might have both, Jake, although I can think of several people who have one or the other. I have the Nikon 105mm so can't be of help to you. If you lived closer, we could have met to try my D610.
 

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
Just guessing... You have two seemingly unrelated problems with this same lens, so that is suspicious. Maybe some marginal contact problem or misalignment that presents itself differently on the two bodies. Try holding your AF button on and at the same time, man-handle the lens a little. Torque it a bit in both directions as if mounting/dismounting without pressing the mount release. Maybe you will see autofocus kick in while you do that, proving a connection problem. Good luck.

Mated and demated the pair a half dozen times, so I suspect it's not contact. Just a weird thing. I have a feeling something's amiss in the lens itself. I'll contact Sigma on Monday before shipping and see if they'd want me to include the Nikon body. It spends more time in the drawer than anything else.
 

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
Just want to close this one down. Feeling unbelievably stupid, but before shipping things off I decided to try another lens on the D610 again and that lens wouldn't focus either. I know I checked this before but I must have missed seeing that the AF/M switch on the camera was set to 'M'. DOH!! I never use that switch except when I use my 15mm fisheye and focus manually since it doesn't have a focus motor, and guess what, I was playing with that about a month ago. SMH

At least I didn't send it off.
 

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
The AF/M switch on Nikon cameras is very easy to hit accidentally and set it to M. I know I have done this myself more than once.

Yeah, but unfortunately this was complete user error. I was running a real quick test of hyperfocal distance on my Sigma Fisheye for a friend who was asking about hyperfocal and fisheyes and the D610 was the body that was handy (because it's in my office drawer), and the only way to go manual on the Sigma is to throw the switch. As soon as I figured it out I knew exactly when it happened. Like I said, at least I saved some postage.
 

hark

Administrator
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Super Mod
Contributor
Yeah, but unfortunately this was complete user error. I was running a real quick test of hyperfocal distance on my Sigma Fisheye for a friend who was asking about hyperfocal and fisheyes and the D610 was the body that was handy (because it's in my office drawer), and the only way to go manual on the Sigma is to throw the switch. As soon as I figured it out I knew exactly when it happened. Like I said, at least I saved some postage.

At least you were able to identify the problem and know that it is resolved. Unlike me who sometimes pulls my D750 out to find it in shutter priority or one of the other modes when I've never used anything other than manual or aperture priority. *cheeky grin* ;)
 

Andreas

New member
Well I have that exact problem: the Sigma 105mm does not autofocus on my D610. It is not the AF switch. The AF indicator on the camera display is blinking. I tried moving the lens while it is attached to the camera to see if there is a bad contact. The lens works on my D7100. And the D610 focuses with other lenses. Any ideas what I can do?
 

hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
Contributor
Well I have that exact problem: the Sigma 105mm does not autofocus on my D610. It is not the AF switch. The AF indicator on the camera display is blinking. I tried moving the lens while it is attached to the camera to see if there is a bad contact. The lens works on my D7100. And the D610 focuses with other lenses. Any ideas what I can do?

Was the lens ever sent back to Sigma for a firmware update? Some of their older (non-dockable lenses) require them to be sent back. Unfortunately Nikon is making it difficult for third party manufacturers to have their lenses work on Nikon bodies so the firmware update is required for many of those older lenses.
 
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