Team-BHP - The DSLR Thread

Quote:

Originally Posted by nilanjanray (Post 3599751)

I am thinking of going for the Sigma 150-600mm.

What is the process for replacement or repair under warranty? Don't they have service centres here? If the lens has to be sent abroad, that's a pain e.g. in terms of time to get it fixed.

I sent my first lens twice to Sigma @Shanghai, through the dealer first time and then direct shipment second time, with majority of communications via e-mail. They had asked me to sent my camera body along with the lens for AF calibration, which I think is the right way to go about. Instead, I sent them pictures to illustrate the degree of back focus issue.

I hope you have done enough research on the new Sigma 150-600 “S” which costs twice that of the more or less proven Tamron 150-600, with both of them being f6.3 @ 600mm. There should definitely be a difference since Sigma also has a new 150-600 "C" priced the same as the Tammy.

You probably may have to get your camera body and the lens calibrated [AF] at their service centre in India. A quick search says there is one in Chennai and they seem to sell the lens as well. The link here

Edit: The new Sigma 150-600 has a 1+1 year warranty as per the website above.

Is there any reliable comparo/review between Tammy 150-600 and this new Sigma 150-600 “S” or "C" available online ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by nilanjanray (Post 3599751)

IIRC Sheetla Camera was authorized service centre for Sigma in India.

The service centre is in Chennai but they have a shop in Bangalore as well ( Opposite to Old Ajanta Theatre , Saint Johns cross road) They used to collect the lens and send it to Chennai for calibration / cleaning /repair etc.

I don't know if this arrangement is still in place or not. Check with them if they are still authorized service centre for Sigma or not.

Quote:

Originally Posted by M35 (Post 3600340)

That's a pain - sending the lens to China!

Online comparisons say that the Sigma S is a bit better when wide open (f/6.3 at 600mm), and the AF is more consistent. Better weather sealing too.

But, it costs $1000 extra, and weighs 1kg more. Handholding for long periods will be an issue.

I like handholding. And like shooting wide open. Good AF has very high weightage for me.

So, pros and cons.

I will rent both and then decide. If I can be mobile (walk around, handhold without discomfort) with the Sigma 150-600S, then I would probably go for it. I have a feeling the the Sigma C version will come with some compromises - otherwise who will pay for the S version?

Quote:

Originally Posted by amitk26 (Post 3600373)

Thanks. I had spoken to Shetala, they had confirmed that they are the pan-Indian distributor for Sigma. Not sure about service. Btw the Sigma is not yet in stock.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tasuray (Post 3600451)

AFAIK Tamron has receiving centres in big cities. They arranged to send the lenses to the service centres in Mumbai or Delhi. Before purchasing Tamron 150-600 mm I have asked about the servicing to a gentleman who supposed to be marketing manager of Tamron whom I met in a photowalk sponsored by Tamron.

Regards.

That's a plus. I have had good service experience with Canon and Nikon. Sending a lens to another country for fixing is :eek:

So here are a couple of upgrade options I have been dreaming about:
1. D810 + a 150-600mm lens
OR
2. D400/9300 (upcoming) + 80-400mm AF-S. The D7100 buffer and FPS are limiting in some situations.

Both would give me 600mm reach. Option #2 would be better for mobility, and cheaper too.

@nilanjanray -
"So here are a couple of upgrade options I have been dreaming about:
1. D810 + a 150-600mm lens
OR
2. D400/9300 (upcoming) + 80-400mm AF-S. The D7100 buffer and FPS are limiting in some situations."

You may also think about Nikon D750 + a 150-600 mm as upgradation. D 750 is cheaper and lighter than D810 or D 810E. It has got favourable reviews also.

I am personally using Tamron and satisfied with its results in my level of photography, mainly for birds. So far I read Sigma 'C' has the almost same number of groups and elements as Tamron. Sigma 'S' is better in this respect but it is costlier and heavier of 1kg (approx.) than Tamron.
Regards.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tasuray (Post 3603087)

The D750 will be a better option, as the high ISO is better. For birds a high ISO is an advantage as then you can shoot at a faster shutter speed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tasuray (Post 3603087)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aroy (Post 3603607)

The D750 will be a better option, as the high ISO is better. For birds a high ISO is an advantage as then you can shoot at a faster shutter speed.

The D810 is better for wildlife than the D750:
1. The extra MPs - I will get 16MP files in DX crop mode, if I need to crop. I will get a 10MP file with D750. Cropping is important for wildlife.
2. The bigger buffer of D810. Also, one can get 7FPS with the battery grip in DX mode. I sometimes use the 1.3X crop mode in D7100 when I need the extra speed or buffer.

High ISO advantage of D750 is marginal, if you scale the photos to same size. IMHO D810 high ISO is good enough - beyond a point, improvements have marginal utility.

Have been thinking through the pros and cons of D810 vs D750 for a while now. For many, the D750 would be a better fit. Just not for me. :)

I am likely to rent a D810 next week. Will provide feedback after field use.

P.S. an example of a significant crop (~ 20-25% of the original image). This file has been scaled for web, but if I wanted to, I could get a 8x10 print from the original cropped version.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kaushik_s (Post 3595017)

Not sure about East Bangalore but you can try Prabhu Digital if they still exists. They are in Brigade Road.
As of now, I get my prints done at a place in Jayanagar, the owner's name is Manjunath and he does an excellent job of printing.
PS: if you need photo book then I don't know if these guys do that. I'm talking about big sized prints for exhibition/sale/display..

Thanks a lot!
I am looking to do 8x12 sized prints for framing. So this suits me well. :)
I found out the contact details for Manjunath and called him. He seemed to be a very good person to interact with and I am planning a trip to jayanagar to visit him and get some photos printed!

Quote:

Originally Posted by SR71-Blackbird (Post 3604387)

Happy to help :) Hope you too will have good experience with him, do share your experience if you get your prints done. Last time I've used Epson Ultra Smooth Fine Art paper and I liked the results. Have tried the Enhanced Matte too but I think for Landscapes Ultra Smooth works better.

BTW, anyone in Bangalore can print on Metallic paper? If so, then which paper they use?

Regards,