I am the model...
I recently purchased a new Canon EOS 450D (a.k.a. Digital Rebel XSi) as a digital alternative to my faithful companion, Canon EOS 10. I did my homework around my existing lenses but missed the point that several people have already experienced problems with my faithful 300 mm zoom lens, Sigma 70-300mm 1:4-5.6 APO Macro (ca.1996!), when used with digital EOS series. Apparently there is an upgrade available for certain Sigma lenses but I wrote to Sigma only after having purchased the 450D. Of course, my Sigma lens was not upgradeable.
I am a bit hesitating with the idea of buying the new Canon EF DO IS 70-300mm lens for the price three times more than my camera body! I will probably try to live with my Sigma lens, because the situation is not that bad. I get the dreaded Err 01 (communication error, clean the lens contacts, blah, blah, blah) mostly in cases that I don’t use often with the zoom, anyway:
- Never the message with full focal length of 300mm, macro or not macro switch on
- Always the message with focal lengths less than 250mm indoors, with following program selector modes (It does not matter if I use Auto Focus or Manual switch position on the lens):
- A-DEP
- M
- Av
- Landscape
- Always the message with with focal lengths less than 250mm outdoors, no matter the program switch position
About for every other use the lens works fine with the 450D. I am planning to keep the Sigma zoom on my EOS 10 but, keeping the above limitations in my mind nothing prevents me to put it on the 450D when a need arise. Well, that will not be too often, seeing the number of limitations!
