Sigma Lenses Re-Chipping

I have two of Sigma lenses
one 105 2.8 Macro and secondly 400 5.6 APO both for canon.

The problem is that they are older models and don't work except wide open. I want to get them re-chipped. Can anyone help me that can sigma re-chip them or what is the solution for that.

I don't think Sigma re-chips anymore, sorry. You could shoot film with them?

Email or call the service department. Sometimes they can do it for you, e.g. they did it for this guy.

Sigma in the UK will at a cost rechip a lens depending how old it is, try here for info http://www.sigma-photo.co.jp/english/ne​twork/index.htm

Thanks a lot for that
Am trying to get info for that.
Few service centres have refused but have heard that Sigma guys are still rec-chipping the lenses.. so wanna try my luck

I had a re-chip a little less than two years ago, so don't know if they still do it or not. I had to just pay shipping fees of $10.

I called them about another lens a few days ago and got a flat no answer.

Several months back I had a 15/2.8 fisheye re-chipped. It was suggested that they only re-chip for EX lenses. I would certainly call. The 105 should be an EX lens. Dont know about the 400.

This is a bit of a worry isn't it? The new Sigma 50mm f/1.4 for example, is supposed to be an excellent lens, but to throw down the money on something they'd flat out refuse to rechip is a bit of a worry.

The other question also is whether Sigma encounters problems with Canon cameras only or whether users of other brands experience similar issues. There's usually a rumor going around that Canon frequently changes their own software to keep Sigma out, and I wonder if other brands do the same.

fWord wrote in post #7708721
There's usually a rumor going around that Canon frequently changes their own software to keep Sigma out, and I wonder if other brands do the same.

I believe the problem is that Sigma isn't using fully compatible lenses because they don't want to pay for a licence from Canon. Because of that, they have back-engineered things so that their lenses work on current cameras. The problem is that, when another body comes out that uses something in the Canon software that Sigma didn't take into account in their back-engineering, Sigmas can have compatibility issues.

If they were deliberately changing the software on new bodies, then that would also affect older Tamrons, Tokinas etc., (not to mention older Canon lenses) which I don't recall seeing any such problems with. I do believe that the other lens manufacturers were willing to pay the licence though, so their lenses have the genuine Canon programming. It is only Sigma that weren't willing to pay and cobbled their own version together.

You can hardly blame Canon for not going out of their way to ensure that lenses from Sigma will still work, when they implement advances based on the official firmware. Sigma have the option to use it, they just won't pay the money so the users pay the price.

I may be wrong, but that is my understanding of the situation as I have read it in the past.

fWord wrote in post #7708721
This is a bit of a worry isn't it? The new Sigma 50mm f/1.4 for example, is supposed to be an excellent lens, but to throw down the money on something they'd flat out refuse to rechip is a bit of a worry.

It's not a problem any more. The old lenses used ROM chips with the program burned on to them and that's why they needed to be replaced when Canon moved the goalposts. The new lenses use reprogrammable firmware and just need flashing with new software if something changes.

sandpiper wrote in post #7708838
I believe the problem is that Sigma isn't using fully compatible lenses because they don't want to pay for a licence from Canon. Because of that, they have back-engineered things so that their lenses work on current cameras. The problem is that, when another body comes out that uses something in the Canon software that Sigma didn't take into account in their back-engineering, Sigmas can have compatibility issues.

If they were deliberately changing the software on new bodies, then that would also affect older Tamrons, Tokinas etc., (not to mention older Canon lenses) which I don't recall seeing any such problems with. I do believe that the other lens manufacturers were willing to pay the licence though, so their lenses have the genuine Canon programming. It is only Sigma that weren't willing to pay and cobbled their own version together.

You can hardly blame Canon for not going out of their way to ensure that lenses from Sigma will still work, when they implement advances based on the official firmware. Sigma have the option to use it, they just won't pay the money so the users pay the price.

I may be wrong, but that is my understanding of the situation as I have read it in the past.

Well that's a good point. I've also wondered why Tamron and Tokina lenses on the whole seem to have fewer reported problems than Sigma. Once I saw the company being called SIGnificant MAlfunction, which is quite hilarious actually. But because they don't pay for the license they do keep their profit margins up. I don't think their lenses are any cheaper than Tamron or Tokina.

foxbat wrote in post #7708940
It's not a problem any more. The old lenses used ROM chips with the program burned on to them and that's why they needed to be replaced when Canon moved the goalposts. The new lenses use reprogrammable firmware and just need flashing with new software if something changes.

In a Google search it turns out that this is indeed the case now, or possibly even in the past. It seems that the term 'rechip' originated for the use of laypeople. In reality there was never a true replacement of chips but simply reprogramming. Sigma has several tempting offerings in their stable but I'm forever worried about compatibility with future cameras.

The easiest solution of course, is to only buy lenses made by the same manufacturer as the camera, but easier said than done. Canon doesn't make a 120-300mm f/2.8, and neither does Nikon. And Sigma's recent 50/1.4 is all the more tempting given how it appears to be an even better performer than Canon and Nikon's own offerings.

Or I could just stick to using a manual focus Leica 90/2 on a FF instead of using a 50mm on an APS-C sensor. Only I found that MFing such a lens was a major pain with constantly moving subjects during a wedding.

Canon (rather, Chuck Westfall) has said repeatedly that except for Kodak, Canon has never, ever licensed the EF mount to anyone, and certainly not to 3rd party lens manufacturers.

All of them have to reverse engineer the EF mount. Tokina and Tamron do a better job than Sigma does (or at least better than Sigma did in the past).

Canon does not change protocols "to keep out the 3rd party manufacturers." I have a 20-year-old Mark 1 50mm f/1.8 that works just as well on my 5D2 as it did on Canon cameras 20 years ago--if the protocol had changed, that lens would not work. The only reason 20-year-old Sigmas do not work as well as 20-year-old Canons (or even 20-year-old Tamrons) is because Sigma did a poor job reverse engineering their lenses.

RDKirk wrote in post #7710088
Canon (rather, Chuck Westfall) has said repeatedly that except for Kodak, Canon has never, ever licensed the EF mount to anyone, and certainly not to 3rd party lens manufacturers.

All of them have to reverse engineer the EF mount. Tokina and Tamron do a better job than Sigma does (or at least better than Sigma did in the past).

Canon does not change protocols "to keep out the 3rd party manufacturers." I have a 20-year-old Mark 1 50mm f/1.8 that works just as well on my 5D2 as it did on Canon cameras 20 years ago--if the protocol had changed, that lens would not work. The only reason 20-year-old Sigmas do not work as well as 20-year-old Canons (or even 20-year-old Tamrons) is because Sigma did a poor job reverse engineering their lenses.

I bought a used 15mm/2.8 EX sigma lens. I would assume that the lens worked perfectly with the current EOS bodies when it was introduced. It worked fine on the previous owners 1N and 1D. But would not work on my 5D or Elan 7E. If the lens had be reversed engineered well enough to work on the 1N/1D then why would it not work for the 5D/7E as well? Again, this is assuming the protocol did not change between the various bodies.

dbdors wrote in post #7711389
If the lens had be reversed engineered well enough to work on the 1N/1D then why would it not work for the 5D/7E as well? Again, this is assuming the protocol did not change between the various bodies.

Presumably because Canon built in certain features to the original design that weren't used straight away, or could be used differently in the future. Sigma missed those out when it back engineered the design, so when Canon brought out a body which relied upon them the Sigma wasn't compatible.

Canon can't change the protocol in a way that earlier lenses won't work, otherwise their own lenses wouldn't work on the new bodies either.