Attention D5300 owners with Sigma glass

Saw this today. Apparently there's a compatibility issue between the two that Sigma has fixed, but it'll take some hoop jumping to get them to work.

To Fix AF Issue With Nikon D5300 Sigma Will Release Firmware Upgrade - The Phoblographer

If I had this camera and was considering a Sigma lens I would check specifically with your dealer and ask if the lens has had the firmware applied or not.

As far as i know these are the lenses that have dock compatibility

• Sigma A series 35mm f1.4 DG HDM
• Sigma A series 30mm f1.4 DC HSM
• Sigma C series 17-70mm f2.8-4 DC Macro HSM
• Sigma C series 17-70mm f2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM
• Sigma S series 120-300mm f2.8 DG OS HSM.

Are they saying other lenses may have a problem that cant be fixed ?

What I got from my quick read of the article is that all Sigma glass with an internal focusing motor have the compatibility issue, and my assumption would be that anyone with a non-USB docked lens would need to contact their dealer to have it serviced. The article says "discontinued lenses", but I can't imagine all non-USB compatible lenses have been discontinued.

Here's a link to the Sigma release which has a bit more information. It seems that they will service any non-USB lens for free, and that any Nikon mount lens shipped post-Nov 20 will have a D5300 Compatible sticker on it. I have 3 Sigma lenses, but no intention on getting a D5300. That said, I may send my 24-70mm f2.8 in as I may just sell that in the future, so why not have it market ready? The 8-16mm and 150-500mm aren't going anywhere any time soon.

What they should have done initially was allow for the USB dock to allow updating for all CPU based lenses...

Then they wouldn't have this issue... Guess they weren't thinking about product upgrading compatability years ago.

skene said:

What they should have done initially was allow for the USB dock to allow updating for all CPU based lenses...

Then they wouldn't have this issue... Guess they weren't thinking about product upgrading compatability years ago.

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That's kind of like saying cars should have thought to put USB charging ports and DVD players in them back in the 90's, just in case people might want to take those things out of their homes.

To my knowledge no company outside of Sigma has a USB interface on their lenses, which is pretty remarkable when you consider that a "third party manufacturer" did it first. I would think that there are interfaces available in repair centers that allow techs to upgrade firmware on Nikkor and Canon lenses without having to disassemble them, but that's something I know little about.

The fact that it was likely a deviation in Nikon's programming of the D5300 that spawned the problem, Sigma's willingness to react this quickly to an issue with a camera that has been shipping for less than a month, and at no cost to their owners, is pretty remarkable. They seem to be stepping up big time, both in terms of innovation and customer support (I have a story in that regard that I will share soon - I'm just waiting on some final details).

No, it's not the simple fact that they designed their latest lenses with the ability to be adjusted, they should have allowed for prior lenses to follow suit and allow for backwards compatibility to work with their USB docks.
I'm sure that it is not that difficult to do, as most of the CPU based lenses should have volatile memory which allows for reflashing of programs.

Sigma would have been 10 steps ahead of the competition by doing so.

It's not the idea of older technology being upgrade ready, but those older devices to be compatible... However if you would like to go that route, vehicles made in the 60s through the 90s at least are able to utilize newer technology like a USB drive through aftermarket innovations like a cigarette lighter adapter or replacement car stereo. Which in a sense newer parts are backwards compatible.

skene said:

No, it's not the simple fact that they designed their latest lenses with the ability to be adjusted, they should have allowed for prior lenses to follow suit and allow for backwards compatibility to work with their USB docks.

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Because that's soooooo easy to do. I would imagine had it been possible, or at least practical, they would have done it. However, with the functionality allowed by the new dock, like 4 point focus fine tuning across zoom ranges, that's something that probably just isn't possible on old technology. Could they have made it so that buying a USB dock you could at least upgrade firmware? Maybe. There's a huge difference between a tech pushing a firmware change via a command line at the lab and making it so that a shmoe with a laptop can do it with a laptop and not possibly screw it up. Anticipating that kind of engineering in lens firmware early on, particularly as a third party lens manufacturer, well, it's worth of a turban and the name "Karnac".

The fact is, that just doesn't happen that often, particularly at the level of requiring all lenses to be updated to support a new camera. And if it is, what would be more practical from a customer relations point of view, 1) send your lenses in and we'll update them for free, or 2) buy our dock and do it yourself? I venture to guess that most photographers want nothing to do with upgrading their own firmware. Hell, I know guys who are afraid to upgrade the firmware on their Nikons and have asked me to do it.

Maybe you should have suggested it to them, or even Nikon, 10 years ago?

some of you might have missed it as it in the D7100 but two new D7100 I have work fine with the 18-200 and 18-250
BUT the image review will not go below 60 seconds..now some might not use that function but I tell you if you shoot a wedding ..maybe 800 pictures it sure canes the battery ...with a Nikon lens or older Sigma its fine....

Millie said:

some of you might have missed it as it in the D7100 but two new D7100 I have work fine with the 18-200 and 18-250
BUT the image review will not go below 60 seconds..now some might not use that function but I tell you if you shoot a wedding ..maybe 800 pictures it sure canes the battery ...with a Nikon lens or older Sigma its fine....

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Just curious, @Millie, but have you contacted either Sigma or Nikon about this to see if it's a known issue or possibly just something with your lenses or camera?

found posts re D7100 and Sigma not giving correct preveiw timings in DPreview so its not me ..Nikon say send it back but then say ,,No responsibility if nikon lens not used etc

I think nikon are making it difficult to use non nikon stuff like they did with batteries

HY guys, I am very close to buying this camera 5300D , but unfortunaly I am hung up on this Sigma lens, which is stated not-to-work-so-good with this camera.

Can someone confirm to me, If i buy new lens, lets supose I geat UPDATED one, will I still have problems with this 1 minute delay, what does this delay even mean I cant understand right?When browsing through photos that have been made, you can look at them for a maximum time of 60 seconds, then the camera shuts off or what?

Can you maybe suggest some other lens, I really like this sigma but maybe there is a choice in this price range, like tamron 17-50 ? I heard this lens is not as good as Sigma..

Why not buy the D7100 instead. At least you will have AF on all those low cost but excellent D lenses.

aroy said:

Why not buy the D7100 instead. At least you will have AF on all those low cost but excellent D lenses.

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I read today where the 7100 just had a $100 price drop for body only. Good things come to those who wait!

This is D5300 thread so I want D5300, D7100 + worthwhile lens breaks my budget, I will go with built-in-OS lenses..

So, Sigma compability and live view?

hrvojexyz said:

This is D5300 thread so I want D5300, D7100 + worthwhile lens breaks my budget, I will go with built-in-OS lenses..

So, Sigma compability and live view?

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In the long run you will save a lot of money on excellent non AF-S glass. One good lense will wipe out the difference in the D5300 and D7100 price.

This week was busy for me.I have

1)bought Sigma 17-50 2.8 vc
2)bought nikon d5300
3)brought them home, stiched them together - guess what, nor OS nor AF do work

Went to official Sigma dealership, they said they have nothing to do with it, I didnt bougt it from them ( I thougt "official dealership" means something, I did bought genuine Sigma glass with recepiet and international guarantee).
Went to the shop where i bought it - finally they transfered me to the Sigma dealership, they was a bit confused how did I menage to get non-updated version of the lens, long story short, new glass is on the way from Germany.

First impressions? Even with manual focus and without optical stabilitization this is beyond what have seen with my "old" Lumix ultrazoom..I am strugglin to pair my laptop and Nikon via wifi, not sure will it work, I know it works with my Xperia android but thats not the point , I want to transfer pictures to the laptop..

This is one of the reasons, that I will shun Sigma. In India their presence is thin and getting then serviced/repaired/adjusted is very difficult.

Sideline.
The AF compatibility, is one of the reasons sited by Zeiss for not bringing out Nikon/Canon versions of their lenses in AF. They wanted the manufacturers to share their AF technology officially, which is not forth coming. In contrast Sony does share and Zeiss has same lenses for Sony in AF versions.

End of story : New sigma arrived , D5300 +.



If there is anybody else who wants to buy D5300 + Sigma 17-50 , you MUST watch for the "D5300" compatible" sticker on the box, you can see it on mine , under the 17-50 optical stabilizer..

Now it autofocuses in live view ... But can someone tell me , how to be sure that optical stabilization works ? On my old Lumix I could notice a difference when I switched OS off , now when I do that I cant to be honest..

Some shots..




I have many questions, but I will put them in another topic.

Some times you can hear the OS kick in or see it working through the camera,with your lens you may have to go down to 1/4 of a sec and take one with OS on and one with it off,if you see no difference go down a shutter spead