If I get a bad lens, what is a good store to deal with for exchanges?

[rizorith]

I'm going to be purchasing my first lens for my 20D, the Tamron 28-75 SP AF 2.8XP DI.

I've heard a lot of good things about it but many people say Quality control is so bad that I should expect to go through one or replacements before I get a good one.

How does this work? Do I go through the company I buy it from or Tamron? Also, are there particularly good stores that allow exchanges if I don't get a good copy? I'm still new to DSLR so I'm a bit concerned that I won't realize that I have a bad copy until down the road - will I be able to deal with Tamron directly if this happens?

I'm leaning to bhphoto or my local shop (sammy's in Los Angeles). Any other suggestions?

[whchan]

Are you planning to buy online or local? Usually the local stores will let you exchange the items if they do not turn out to be good. Buying online may not be the first choice if you think there is a good possiblity that you will have to do an exchange. The advantage of buying online is the savings in sales tax. I have retuurn/refund stuff from buy.com and Amazon.com before (no question asked) and if was very pain free.

[grego]

If you buy online always make sure they are a good online dealer. If they are, then they usually have a refund policy that can allow you to send them back.

[Mohawk]

Save your money and buy an "L" lens. Been there Done that.

A lens snob

Mike

[rklepper]

Why would you buy a lens that you think ahead of time is going to be crap?

[robertwgross]

I have never purchased any Canon lens that turned out to be defective.

I have purchased another brand that turned out to be disappointing, but not defective.

---Bob Gross---

[ed rader]

have purchased was a canon and also my first and only canon L lens. it was the canon 70-200 f4L and the AF died after 50 shots.

all the other lenses that i have bought new or used were fine, except for a used canon 50mm 1.8 that i got off of ebay that also would not AF.

oh, also had a new drebel that was DOA....

ed rader

[rizorith]

wow, why are so many people questioning why I would even bother buying this lens? I didn't realize I was going to have to defend my choice of lens, which I have already made. Have you guys looked at the reviews? Apparently it's a great lens for the money but has some QC issues so I should be ready for the possibility of exchanging it.

I can't afford 1000+ on one L series lens right now. To those of you who answered the questions I asked, thanks. It looks like I'm best off spending a bit more and going to a local store in case I need to do an exchange. The other problem is this lens is so popular that I can't find a store in LA selling it so I may have to go online. Any suggestions on a shop that is no hassle with exchanging a lens because it's not a particularly good copy?

[Evolution]

I just purchased a Tamron 28-75 for Canon from Cord Camera. I did some A/B with another Tamron 28-75 (which I don't own) and it turns out my new one is not as sharp and doesn't focus as well toward the edges. Rather than ship it back to Cord Camera and try my luck at another one, I'm just sending it into Tamron. I figure the turnaround will be the same as an exchange ( or maybe SLIGHTLY longer), but I figure if I'm going to send it off somewhere I might as well send it to the techs for calibration. You pay one-way shipping ($5 via FedEx ground insured), and you're pretty much guaranteed to get a very sharp lens back instead of trying your luck again. Calibration should be free if it's brand new, no?

[rizorith]

I just purchased a Tamron 28-75 for Canon from Cord Camera. I did some A/B with another Tamron 28-75 (which I don't own) and it turns out my new one is not as sharp and doesn't focus as well toward the edges. Rather than ship it back to Cord Camera and try my luck at another one, I'm just sending it into Tamron. I figure the turnaround will be the same as an exchange ( or maybe SLIGHTLY longer), but I figure if I'm going to send it off somewhere I might as well send it to the techs for calibration. You pay one-way shipping ($5 via FedEx ground insured), and you're pretty much guaranteed to get a very sharp lens back instead of trying your luck again. Calibration should be free if it's brand new, no?

Thanks! That's what I was hoping. I don't know a whole lot about glass. So most of the QC problems with this lens is just a calibration issue not a issue with the lens/elements themselves?

If that's the case then I suppose I can just get one and if it's bad send it in for a calibration.

How do you like the lens so far? I still have a slight desire to get the sigma 24-70 because it's a bit wider and I've read a lot of great reviews about it since they fixed some of the problems it had (mostly focusing and color).

[Evolution]

Thanks! That's what I was hoping. I don't know a whole lot about glass. So most of the QC problems with this lens is just a calibration issue not a issue with the lens/elements themselves?

If that's the case then I suppose I can just get one and if it's bad send it in for a calibration.

How do you like the lens so far? I still have a slight desire to get the sigma 24-70 because it's a bit wider and I've read a lot of great reviews about it since they fixed some of the problems it had (mostly focusing and color).

Hmm... apparently the Sigma AF is still a bit on the loud side... it's not HSM. Then again Tamron has no USM equivalent, so I guess that's neither here nor there.

I can't guarantee that there are no glass issues with the Tamrons. In fact I'm pretty sure there are. But anywhere I've read that people sent their lenses in to Tamron, they always come back focusing well and sharp. So while I don't doubt the variance of the glass, I'm fairly confident that if you're willing to send a potential bad copy into Tamron, they will give you back a lens that you will be happy with for the money spent. It's not going to be an L, and people who write it performs like an L are going a bit over the top. But at <1/3 the price, it's a great little lens.

The really sharp copy I've used takes excellent pictures, and mine's not even bad... it's just not GREAT. I included 100% crop printouts with my service claim and told Tamron to live up to the performance reputation I've heard for this lens. I guess if you're willing to wait 2 weeks I can let you know how mine comes back.

[Evolution]

This was one of the shots I took during my brief walkaround with my soft Tamron. This is just a cropped high resolution ( 8 ) jpeg.

http://img277.imageshack.us/img277/6362/02336it.th.jpg (http://img277.imageshack.us/img277/6362/02336it.jpg)

Shutter speed: 1/400 sec
Aperture: 2.8
Exposure mode: Program
Flash: Off
Metering mode: Evaluative
Drive mode: Single frame shooting
ISO: 100
Lens: 28.0 to 75.0 mm
Focal length: 75.0mm
AF mode: One-shot AF
Image size: 3456 x 2304
Image quality: Raw
White balance: Daylight
Saturation: High
Sharpness: High
Contrast: High

[rizorith]

Hmm... apparently the Sigma AF is still a bit on the loud side... it's not HSM. Then again Tamron has no USM equivalent, so I guess that's neither here nor there.

I can't guarantee that there are no glass issues with the Tamrons. In fact I'm pretty sure there are. But anywhere I've read that people sent their lenses in to Tamron, they always come back focusing well and sharp. So while I don't doubt the variance of the glass, I'm fairly confident that if you're willing to send a potential bad copy into Tamron, they will give you back a lens that you will be happy with for the money spent. It's not going to be an L, and people who write it performs like an L are going a bit over the top. But at <1/3 the price, it's a great little lens.

The really sharp copy I've used takes excellent pictures, and mine's not even bad... it's just not GREAT. I included 100% crop printouts with my service claim and told Tamron to live up to the performance reputation I've heard for this lens. I guess if you're willing to wait 2 weeks I can let you know how mine comes back.

I'd appreciate it if you follow up with the results when you get your lens back.

[Andy_T]

My suggestion would be to go to a local camera shop where you can test the lens before you actually buy it.

I am very happy with mine ... maybe there are sharper copies out there, but it does what I want from it.

Best regards,
Andy

[Evolution]

I'd appreciate it if you follow up with the results when you get your lens back.

I just got an estimate back from Tamron CS stating their turnaround at the moment is 3 weeks... ouch. So it will take longer than expected to post results. They also suggest taking lenses back to dealers if possible before sending anything in for calibration. They'll do the calibration but say exchanges would be faster. Eh... a month's not too bad. I'll make do.

[Evolution]

So it took approximately one month for me to get my Tamron 28-75 back from the time I sent it into Tamron. I shipped it on the 7/12 and it arrived back here on 8/9. I took a number of shots of my dog today using all my lenses (Canon 10-22, Tamron 28-75, Canon 50/1.4, Sigma 70-200). The shots were taken using a tripod in lowlight. Basically it was mid-day and the only light in the room was coming through the windows (with blinds) on the side of the room - no interior lighting.

I can say I was disappointed with the Sigma. When I stopped it down a bit pictures looked nice, but it was consistently missing the mark at f/2.8. I'd experienced problems previously using it wide open in low light, so I wasn't too surprised. It's a BEAUTIFUL lens outdoors, but I wouldn't suggest it for use in low light situations (which is kind of strange considering I got an f/2.8 for low light situations, but that's a different story altogether).

The Canon lenses both performed very well. The f/1.4 missed the mark on a couple of pictures wide open but the focal plane is so narrow I could just as easily chalk that up to slight movement on my part (some of the pics were taken with the tripod angled on 2 legs). For the most part, the 10-22 and 50 f/1.4 performed wonderfully. Stopped down, they're both very sharp and they produce nice colors.

And finally, the Tamron... blew me away. It nailed everything, and I mean everything. Even wide open, it hit the mark dead on everytime. The clarity is stunning. Sooo... getting back to why this thread was started, I can wholeheartedly endorse purchasing a Tamron 28-75 and sending it to Tamron if you're unhappy with it. If you're still unhappy with it when you get it back you should probably get you're eyes checked. :)

[rizorith]

So it took approximately one month for me to get my Tamron 28-75 back from the time I sent it into Tamron. I shipped it on the 7/12 and it arrived back here on 8/9. I took a number of shots of my dog today using all my lenses (Canon 10-22, Tamron 28-75, Canon 50/1.4, Sigma 70-200). The shots were taken using a tripod in lowlight. Basically it was mid-day and the only light in the room was coming through the windows (with blinds) on the side of the room - no interior lighting.

I can say I was disappointed with the Sigma. When I stopped it down a bit pictures looked nice, but it was consistently missing the mark at f/2.8. I'd experienced problems previously using it wide open in low light, so I wasn't too surprised. It's a BEAUTIFUL lens outdoors, but I wouldn't suggest it for use in low light situations (which is kind of strange considering I got an f/2.8 for low light situations, but that's a different story altogether).

The Canon lenses both performed very well. The f/1.4 missed the mark on a couple of pictures wide open but the focal plane is so narrow I could just as easily chalk that up to slight movement on my part (some of the pics were taken with the tripod angled on 2 legs). For the most part, the 10-22 and 50 f/1.4 performed wonderfully. Stopped down, they're both very sharp and they produce nice colors.

And finally, the Tamron... blew me away. It nailed everything, and I mean everything. Even wide open, it hit the mark dead on everytime. The clarity is stunning. Sooo... getting back to why this thread was started, I can wholeheartedly endorse purchasing a Tamron 28-75 and sending it to Tamron if you're unhappy with it. If you're still unhappy with it when you get it back you should probably get you're eyes checked. :)

And great timing because I just got my tamron. I still don't quite understand how you test it to find if it's good or not. Any advice?

[rizorith]

So it took approximately one month for me to get my Tamron 28-75 back from the time I sent it into Tamron. I shipped it on the 7/12 and it arrived back here on 8/9. I took a number of shots of my dog today using all my lenses (Canon 10-22, Tamron 28-75, Canon 50/1.4, Sigma 70-200). The shots were taken using a tripod in lowlight. Basically it was mid-day and the only light in the room was coming through the windows (with blinds) on the side of the room - no interior lighting.

I can say I was disappointed with the Sigma. When I stopped it down a bit pictures looked nice, but it was consistently missing the mark at f/2.8. I'd experienced problems previously using it wide open in low light, so I wasn't too surprised. It's a BEAUTIFUL lens outdoors, but I wouldn't suggest it for use in low light situations (which is kind of strange considering I got an f/2.8 for low light situations, but that's a different story altogether).

The Canon lenses both performed very well. The f/1.4 missed the mark on a couple of pictures wide open but the focal plane is so narrow I could just as easily chalk that up to slight movement on my part (some of the pics were taken with the tripod angled on 2 legs). For the most part, the 10-22 and 50 f/1.4 performed wonderfully. Stopped down, they're both very sharp and they produce nice colors.

And finally, the Tamron... blew me away. It nailed everything, and I mean everything. Even wide open, it hit the mark dead on everytime. The clarity is stunning. Sooo... getting back to why this thread was started, I can wholeheartedly endorse purchasing a Tamron 28-75 and sending it to Tamron if you're unhappy with it. If you're still unhappy with it when you get it back you should probably get you're eyes checked. :)

Great timing because I just got a copy myself. I'm still a bit confused on how to test the lens out to find out if i have a good copy. Any advice or is there a walkthrough on what to do?

[elkootcho]

I bought the Tamron 12-24mm from Canoga Camera on a Wednesday afternoon. Didn't get a chance to put it on my camera until Thursday afternoon. After two snaps the aperature closed down and stuck. Flat out refused to open back up. I took it back to the store on Saturday morning. They never even opened the box to check my claim. The guy behind the counter took a new one off the shelf, we shot a dozen test shots and out the door I went. No questions asked.

I toyed with the idea of ordering online but. needless to say, I'm happy I bought locally. The folks at Canoga Camera are great guys and I highly recommend giving them a look

[jimlp]

You can't go wrong with B&H. As long as you return the item in the same condition it was recieved with all original packaging/paperwork within the 14 day "trial" period they will take it back/exchange it. I have never had a problem returning something to B&H for a credit or replacement, sometimes the person you are talking to sounds bored but the service is top notch.

[KevC]

You can't go wrong with B&H. As long as you return the item in the same condition it was recieved with all original packaging/paperwork within the 14 day "trial" period they will take it back/exchange it. I have never had a problem returning something to B&H for a credit or replacement, sometimes the person you are talking to sounds bored but the service is top notch.

Cool. But they don't refund the shipping charges, correct? I live cross border so shipping's $$$.

[robertwgross]

Great timing because I just got a copy myself. I'm still a bit confused on how to test the lens out to find out if i have a good copy. Any advice or is there a walkthrough on what to do?

For a new lens, I would do a few things first.
1) shoot a focus chart in bright light
2) shoot the focus chart again in dim light, and expect a little less
3) shoot a rule for front- or back-focus problems
4) line up a subject with deep background with little bright spots (e.g. a tree background with spots of bright sky showing through) and use a narrow depth of field, then see how the bokeh shows up
5) if the lens has IS, then I would try some mild camera shake to see how it works

---Bob Gross---