Sigma 24-70 Dust Issue! Repair & Cautionary Tale

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

Update - Dust has been accumulating inside since the repair...

[@mrwashur1991]

Thank you for this response. So many KZbin reviewers just address the dust issue and say but sigma is fixing it for free but sigma has been doing a good job of keeping it quiet weather or not that fixes the issue. This isn’t a manufacturing issue. It’s a design issue.

[@nicholasenglund4649]

For everyone asking if this effects the image, yes it does, especially when stopped down. I usually shoot wide open but yesterday I had to stop down for an event it was immediately noticeable in my viewfinder. At f/16 its like someone sprinkled pepper. I went to clean the front element and then realized the disturbing amount of dust inside. I've had the lens for about a year, this is such a blow.

[@TomJorman]

Since december, any new dust inside? ? :D

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

This actually prompted me to check. Unfortunately yes... It's just a few specs at this point but perhaps only a matter of time before it builds up.

[@TomJorman]

@@TheGlassEyeTV Damn :( Thx!

[@josh6499]

@@TheGlassEyeTV I've heard using a lens filter can prevent the dust. I have a UV filter on mine. A little extra protection doesn't hurt anyway.

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

I’ve also always had a lens filter on. I think the issue is from the zooming mechanism on the sides, as opposed to the front element.

[@JamesClark1991]

I remember reading somewhere online that they silently fixed this dust issue on the 24-70 a few months after it was initially manafactured.

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

I just hope it doesn't keep happening. They seemed pretty confident it's fixed for good, but I'm seeing comments and getting messages that that it's a recurring issue...

[@bondgabebond4907]

@@TheGlassEyeTV I saw a video and it seems to point to the shims under the front lens. It may leave gaps where dust can enter. We know that zooming a lens is like a vacuum cleaner, it sucks air in. Some say putting a lens filter on eliminates the problem. But this one issue keeps me from considering this lens and points me to the Tamron 28-75 2.0, or just forgetting the whole idea since I have a 24-105 f4 Sony. It's perfect.

[@mrwashur1991]

It’s a design flaw, not a manufacturing issue.

[@CinemotiveShopcraft]

Commenting for the algorithm! Love the video man :)

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

Accidentally scheduled it post at 1am lol. Oh well 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@CinemotiveShopcraft]

@@TheGlassEyeTV tHeOrEtIcAlLy it doesn't matter the time of day, but it does for mine at least 😅 It'll work out though 💪

[@hotrodrevue]

Love the lens but dust slowly building up in my 24-70 too. Filming cars so it's often in the line of fire rather than a clean studio. Will have to get sorted but waiting to see what the Sony GM mk2 prices out at. Good luck with yours.

[@abadgianluca]

Last year this was what was keeping me from getting the lens. I use the Sony 24-105 f4 and am still happy with it. I heard they have a new batch without the dust problems but the only way to know is if you ask the retailer if it’s a new shipment or old inventory. Hoping for an update! I want this lens but in my country it might be hard to get any support for it if there is dust :(

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

You’re a smarter man than I. I didn’t do my research before buying

[@BrianCho]

Other consumers have said that SIgma USA support has confirmed that newer 24-70s have updated housings. It's a bit of a bummer that they've updated newer lenses without offering free repairs for the original batches. If I had to guess, the way that Sigma lens barrels retract also creates a suction which can add to dust. I'm pretty confident their Sigma FE 100-400 also has this issue.

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

According to the person I spoke to, the suction mechanism simply moves the dust around that was originally in as a result of a manufacturing facility 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@stilmotionpicture]

How would I know if I have the newer version of the Sigma 24-70

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

Apparently it’s beyond a particular serial number but I’m not sure what that number is.

[@MacOlink]

Dude! Same thing happened to mine. They’re full of 💩. The dust isn’t already inside the lens. When I first bought mine, it was perfectly clean. Over the course of a few months I accumulated a ton of dust inside mine. On top of that. The barrel of the lens when fully extended at 70mm would wobble, almost like it was so loose it wanted to fall out. So I sent it back for repair. When I got it back from sigma I noticed over the course of only a few weeks dust started to appear in the lens again! So, I sold my copy. Elaborate story, but yeah. I love sigma glass, but that 24-70 has some issues.

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

Man that’s brutal. Fingers crossed but that’s BS. Clearly should be a recalled lens

[@FrederickTanton]

I’ve had the same dust issue with my lens as well unfortunately. Ive send it in and they cleaned the lens. They wouldn’t admit that it was a production issue though. The lens kept working fine for 1 or 2 months until I noticed some dust under the front element again. It has been like this ever since, there’s a huge amount of dust in there now. Really annoying. Here in Germany the turnaround time for sending it in was really quick and easy. But I still need that lens for my daily work, so there’s no way I’m sending it in every 2 to 3 Months or so. I love Sigma lenses, but this one’s such a joke 😅 I’m switching to the GMaster 24-70 mk 2 as soon as Sony releases it..

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

Man, that sounds frustrating. They seemed so confident that it won’t be an issue again but we’ll see.

[@TomSundayGames]

Thank you for this video. I am going to be buying the FX3 within the next few days and this was my top choice for daily driver lense. I was going to buy this one first. GM lense is expensive and I heard some tamrons doing the same thing. What would you recommend as best option?

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

If I were to do it again knowing what I know, I’d probably just pay the extra and get the GMaster for peace of mind.

[@arambaali]

Just got one of these myself. Hoping the dust issue is solved already!

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

🤞🏼

[@Alex-ps5ok]

How’s it fairing up?

[@TimandLauren]

bro, your a good drawer!

[@lapprochecanadienne7512]

Did you do all those illustrations yourself or are you hiring pros now??

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

! Does this account mean you’re starting a channel? And yes, the dust family is a Glass Eye trademark.

[@elisuhadolnik]

I have the same issue with mine! I’ve had it for about a year and it has slowly accumulated dust. It hasn’t degraded image quality at all, but maybe as it accumulates more it will be a problem. I’m curious to know if you have the issue again after sending it in for repair. Keep us posted 👍🙏

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

That’s so frustrating. Especially the lack of acknowledgment from Sigma

[@adventureswithmarsh]

We both have this lens in my studio and we both have the dust issue! Tim is on an FX3 and I’m on the LUMIX S5.

[@VandeeTV]

Nice video !! I’m in Vernon BC , have the same issue

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

Hey! Thanks man. Yeah after the repair, I'm starting to see little specs of dust inside again.

[@nickfelix3157]

From what I’ve read online, any with a serial number higher than 5504XXXX should have the upgraded seal. Is yours higher than that and still having the dust issue?

[@OnMyTrek]

Where did you find this? I’m looking for info on this as wanted to get a used one

[@bobbyjackson5172]

So just to be clear, we clean the inside once and it should fix the problem?

[@TheOriginalRonaldo]

... So did they fix it?

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

They did but after a while the dusk reappears…

[@ariel28rosario]

How it's working now? Does dust get inside the lens again??? Great video, greetings from Argentina!!

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

Unfortunately I'm seeing a bit of dust in there again...

[@Kayserjp]

my sigma has dust too. but not only that, the corners are extremely unsharp. the middle is extrem sharp. normal? first i used it, it wasn unsharp in my opinion. any idea?

[@stheshooter]

I took my front element off, cleaned it, and put it back together. Super easy!

[@averageguy1261]

Should I get one?

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

If I was deciding again I wouldn’t. I’m having dust issues again

[@averageguy1261]

@@TheGlassEyeTV Thanks, love your content. Keep on producing!

[@lucaspaschoalick]

hey friend, what about your problem? I just bought this lens, and after only !!!3 USES!!! there is a huge piece of fur inside the lens... I'm from Brazil and bought mine from China, don't know what to do, if I return or what... such a bummer.

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

Yes, it’s unfortunate. Mine still has the issue but not as bad as the first time.

[@michaelbell75]

I hadn't heard about this issue and bought one. Got dust on my sensor the very first time I used it. Returned it the next day.

[@averageguy1261]

What did you get instead?

[@MarianMoisii]

My sony 35 mm 1.4 have this issues... it's really difficult to remove dust ..

[@masbass1011]

I have the same problem here in the US. I didnt see any dust when i first bought it.

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

Yeah it seems to build up over time

[@sylvestrisstudios]

Mate, you sound and look seriously peeved and I have totally empathy with you on that. As I understand it this is an issue with the first batch of sigma 24-70mm art lenses. Sigma have changed the manufacturer and the newer versions are without this issue, at least I hope so because I have one. But it highlights something I've always said, it's best not the jump straight in on new products, allow the first roll out to happen and the faults or issues to be highlighted. I'm so glad I did this when the Sony a7siii came out, because it meant I hadn't dived in and was able to get onboard with an FX3 which I think is much better for my video creation.

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

Certainly my mistake for not looking into the lens more before purchasing. I’ve had other sigma lenses for EF and they’d always performed great. 🤞🏼 let’s hope it doesn’t happen again

[@sylvestrisstudios]

@@TheGlassEyeTV we've all done it mate. And I was really surprised, like you I've always thought Sigma to be right up there in quality, way above their price bracket. I think the real Moriarty to your story is the third party repair company sigma are using in Canada. Hopefully someone from Japan will watch your video and address that. And throw in a little gift of compensation. 🤞🏼

[@bradleykussy]

Damn. I literally just just got one a few nonths ago. Have you reached out to them again, I'm curious what the next steps are. Are you now thinking of swapping or what lol the Sony 24-70 is alot more 😬

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

Haven’t reached out as I don’t think it’s impacting the image…. yet. Pretty frustrating yeah

[@ratt.abroad]

Hi man, thanks for that video. Service in europe is done by sigma itself and it is really great, such a helpful team. 👌🏻 What do you use on your lens, is it ne? And does this help to prevent dust coming into the art lens? 🙈

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

The filter doesn't help, the dusk is coming in through the zooming mechanism apparently.

[@josh6499]

The exact serial number is 55641775. If your serial number on the lens is higher than that, then you won't have the lens dust issue.

[@averageguy1261]

Serial numbers for the Sony mounts? How about the EF mounts?

[@TXTundra-ex8bw]

is it just on the 24-70 lens? anyone had dust issues with Sigma 50mm, 85mm or 135mm? thanks

[@chrisjohnsonfilms]

Been researching this for weeks and like you said you common issue so going to be hard pass for me. I'll wait couple more months to see if they launch the 24-70 v2. Also in Canada in Saskatchewan

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

Yeah, wish I’d known before buying. My fault for not researching like you are.

[@_rhapsodist]

the most important question is, did you ever see the dust showing up in your footage? in my case dust only ever showed up in footage if the dust was on the outside of the rear element or on the sensor :P any external zoom lens regardless of weather sealing will suck in dust after a while..

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

I didn't notice any, but then again my EF 24-70 that's been used and abused for so many years is crystal clear inside.

[@averageguy1261]

It's like buying a new car weather beaten, pitted, and scratched. Might drive a like dream, but you're not getting what you paid for. Just sayin'

[@Michael_Anthony05]

I have never got dust in my sigma 24 to 70, use the blower and brush to remove dust, compressed air is very powerful and it will push dust right through the weather sealing.

[@mrwashur1991]

It’s from the zoom function part of the lens. Keeping the front element will not stop dust from getting into the lens..

[@mattstolzman]

Does anybody know if Tamron 28-75 g2 has dust issues?

[@m00photo92]

So I noticed this with my 24-70 I thought it was my fault thank you

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

Seems quite common with this lens unfortunately

[@VeryCoolJeep]

I have dust inside as well. Its annoying. I am going to buy me g master lense

[@derekgray2866]

Done and dusted as they say.

[@definingslawek4731]

As far as I'm aware, ALL externally zooming lenses suck dust into themselves. It's just a matter of time. And if you're not photographing in a clean room, there are tens of thousands of dust particles between your lens and your subject, so why does it matter if 50 of them are behind your front element? *At least, that's what I tell myself to feel better about having some dust inside my Tamron 28-75 f2.8 😅😅😥*

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

I dunno, my Canon 24-70 mkii has been abused for nearly a decade and not a single spec. Canon DSLR’s were just built different.

[@TimandLauren]

@@TheGlassEyeTV yea, ive had the sony 24-70 gm and tamron 28-75 and both had dust over time too, its the zooms, canon must be good!

[@vgee3926]

Already getting dust inside my Canon m50 mark ii kit lens after just a few uses..I know..its a cheap lens compared to what u guys are using..still sucks to see that happening to something u spend your hard earned money on though

[@mustafahacalaki]

I don’t even have a Sigma lens and probably I will never have one but I couldn’t stop watching this. Nicely done as usual, Nima :)

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

Thanks Mustafa. For what it's worth, my other Sigma lenses have been great

[@edc5338]

Sigma 24-70 had the dust issue with lenses whose serial number was 5504XXXX and below. Sigma was cleaning them for free and repairing them.

[@akshannn]

Offer still up?

[@edc5338]

@@akshannn You have to contact Sigma to see if they still offer it. I didn't have the problem because I had a newer lens.

[@g33k3301]

Wrong, mine has the issue and it‘s: 5680XXXX.

[@abhyanshuchauhan5818]

Alright, so I'm not the only one 🙃

[@Michael_Anthony05]

you never spray your lens with compressed air, it does not matter who the lens company is. the same with your camera body. you will get dust in any lens , when you spray it with compressed air. ''''big no no, don't do that.

[@MichaelMann1]

I just cleaned mine at home, took less then ten minutes, didn't require anything fancy. Sucks that it has to be cleaned at all, but it's not something you need professional help with

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

How did you do it??

[@definingslawek4731]

Sadly, just because it's 'weather sealed' does not mean dust will not get inside. If it externally zooms, dust will get inside. There *IS* a gap for the parts to move, if there wasn't it wouldn't zoom. The zooming action creates a suction/ vacuum.

[@TwoOneSe7en]

Bro I totally vibe with this whole damn story. Contacted Sigma with the serial number and mine def fell within the “bad batch”. Sent it to Sigma repair in NY. Got it sent back on their dime but in their choice of shipping. So far so good. The repair invoice (from what I could understand) said they replaced the whole center section of the lens. I could only confirm this because the seals are hella tight now. It’s almost too much because it lost some smoothness. ☹️ I mean I get it, tighter seals mean more friction. Which I’m glad for. But the lens now feels less premium to USE. I still don’t regret the purchase though. It lives on my A7SIII and it’s still the best bang for the buck. Period.

[@Don_XII]

how is it now? does it still collect dust? I feel very uncomfortable buying one now when it probably have dust issues or something.

[@TwoOneSe7en]

@@Don_XII It’s perfect. After a certain date code they’re totally fine. Mine was before the date. Sent it in no problem. Fixed. It’s fine.

[@Don_XII]

@@TwoOneSe7en Ok, I would probably buy it new then, I wouldn't trust the secondhand market. I also have seen different people complaining even after the serial number of the "fix". What is the number of the good batch?

[@masbass1011]

How did you contact Sigma (link, repair number)?

[@TwoOneSe7en]

@@masbass1011 Just via the website. Pretty sure there’s a contact form there for the NY offices. It put me in contact with a rep, via email, and got the process started.

[@TungstenOvergaard]

Awful service!

[@jonashuckphoto]

damn I'd honestly get rid of the lens it would annoy me too much. Love the way you presented this. I remember this being a bit of a problem in the Sony ecosystem that they don't offer a high quality Sony 24-70 compared to for example the Canon L series one you also used to use which is amazing.

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

My Canon’s been through so much for nearly a decade and it’s still zero issues. Definitely miss the Canon bulletproof feeling ever since I’ve been shooting with the Sony.

[@brandonbrodie4547]

@@TheGlassEyeTV If this helps at all..after owning the Sony 24-70 2.8 GM and the Canon 24-70 2.8 RF, the quality is identical. No issues with either lens and I have put them both through a lot. The reason I went with the Sony GM over the Sigma is because I read up on the dust issue before buying.

[@TheRealMikeEdwards]

Sounds like a major red flag to me as I was considering picking up this lens for my R5. I’ll pass thanks.

[@TheGlassEyeTV]

I haven't looked into the RF or EF versions but definitely worth doing the research

[@theonex9953]

@@TheGlassEyeTV there is no RF version!!!