Guy Mancuso
Administrator, Instructor
Just received my USB dock for my 35mm lens. First off you get the dock and the USB micro cord. Than you need to go to Sigma site and download software
SIGMA Optimization Pro: Software Download | SIGMA GLOBAL VISION
Okay lets start at the beginning as this is my second Sigma 35mm 1.4 as the first one was just to far off and firmware updates where not available at the time. So my second lens here is much better on my D800E BUT I still had to have my setting for AF on my body at -20 which is at the end of the rope for back focusing but it worked pretty darn well. Today i hooked up the dock and YES folks there is a new firmware update for the lens so I proceeded with doing that. Than you do have customization on this lens to move the focusing settings in 4 different zones. At this point I did not do anything here but some other lenses like the new 120-300 you do get more controls on fine tuning the lens. So all I did at this point was do the firmware update than I went into my D800E menu and my AF point for this lens which was minus 20 I turned off AF fine tune adjusted it back to zero turned AF back on and rebooted the camera on and off.
Now its hotter than Dante's inferno outside my doors only a mere 108 freaking burning your toes off as you hit the cool deck of the pool. Yea that works just lovely in this sun. NOT
Anyway very limited handheld testing but even at Zero AF fine tune which I could not do at all before Im nailing focus wide open pretty darn good about 90 percent of the time and even better if i use the rear AF button in conjunction with focus that than release shutter button. Seems to work pretty good with that combo. Now I did check my left and right AF points on my Camera and its nailing those also.
Bottom line it looks pretty good with just some quick shots an viewing the LCD at 100 percent. Obviously I need to get more scientific about this and on a tripod and really test the thing but I got a big gig next week in NY so it will have to wait but I will be shooting it as well so hopefully I can get more user data on it. But so far it seems to be doing very well indeed. Just the firmware update alone might be worth the cost of the dock. Than if you desire you can fine tune the focus settings in four different zones. Which I need to figure out what they really mean by these zones as well. Maybe someone can explain this customization a little better because like usual there aint a damn piece of instructions anywhere on it besides some general data.
Once I get this all fine tuned I may just loan this out to members to fine tune there lens as well. Maybe it will be the pass around dock but at 60 bucks might be worth having as Sigma will be coming out with more lenses that can utilize the dock. The new 120-300 certainly can for sure. Love to have that lens as well. Seems like a perfect zoom for my needs.
SIGMA Optimization Pro: Software Download | SIGMA GLOBAL VISION
Okay lets start at the beginning as this is my second Sigma 35mm 1.4 as the first one was just to far off and firmware updates where not available at the time. So my second lens here is much better on my D800E BUT I still had to have my setting for AF on my body at -20 which is at the end of the rope for back focusing but it worked pretty darn well. Today i hooked up the dock and YES folks there is a new firmware update for the lens so I proceeded with doing that. Than you do have customization on this lens to move the focusing settings in 4 different zones. At this point I did not do anything here but some other lenses like the new 120-300 you do get more controls on fine tuning the lens. So all I did at this point was do the firmware update than I went into my D800E menu and my AF point for this lens which was minus 20 I turned off AF fine tune adjusted it back to zero turned AF back on and rebooted the camera on and off.
Now its hotter than Dante's inferno outside my doors only a mere 108 freaking burning your toes off as you hit the cool deck of the pool. Yea that works just lovely in this sun. NOT
Anyway very limited handheld testing but even at Zero AF fine tune which I could not do at all before Im nailing focus wide open pretty darn good about 90 percent of the time and even better if i use the rear AF button in conjunction with focus that than release shutter button. Seems to work pretty good with that combo. Now I did check my left and right AF points on my Camera and its nailing those also.
Bottom line it looks pretty good with just some quick shots an viewing the LCD at 100 percent. Obviously I need to get more scientific about this and on a tripod and really test the thing but I got a big gig next week in NY so it will have to wait but I will be shooting it as well so hopefully I can get more user data on it. But so far it seems to be doing very well indeed. Just the firmware update alone might be worth the cost of the dock. Than if you desire you can fine tune the focus settings in four different zones. Which I need to figure out what they really mean by these zones as well. Maybe someone can explain this customization a little better because like usual there aint a damn piece of instructions anywhere on it besides some general data.
Once I get this all fine tuned I may just loan this out to members to fine tune there lens as well. Maybe it will be the pass around dock but at 60 bucks might be worth having as Sigma will be coming out with more lenses that can utilize the dock. The new 120-300 certainly can for sure. Love to have that lens as well. Seems like a perfect zoom for my needs.
