# Dead bug on the inside of my Sigma 50mm f/1.4 front element!! WTF???!!!



## 00Q (Jan 29, 2012)

I bought a 2nd hand Sigma 50mm f/1.4 on ebay. Its literally new, and boxed, all papers inside crisp. 

It was advertised as having a singl piece of "dust" inside. Which doesnt affect the images as it is be beyond the resolution of the lens. So I managed to get it half price. Which is a damn good deal. 

It arrived today. And I had a look. The "dust" is a small, tiny dead bug!! WTF. on the inside of the front element....WTF??

Anyway, as described, it doesnt affect the iamges at all. And Im really happy to have got the Sigma 50mm 1.4 literally new for half price. Now the question is.... will this bug cause me future problems? like is it gonna come off the front element? What if it then get to the inside of the back element? will that cause serious problems?

the bug is really small. about 1.5mm in length. 

Shall I keep it? Or sell it?


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## TinaLovesCanon (Jan 29, 2012)

I don't think you'll get much for the bug, and after eBay and Paypal fees, it will hardly be worth it.


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## TexPhoto (Jan 29, 2012)

I have to agree with Tina. ;D And if you are happy with the lens, keep it, use it. I'd check with a camera repair place and see what the cost to have the bug removed is.I know having a front element replace is usually more than $100, but they are not replacing it. Anyway, can't hurt to ask. Heck, call Sigma they might do it for free.


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## tron (Jan 29, 2012)

Alternatively, take a picture with a close-up lens, send it to Sigma and ask them how the bug got there!!!

You can say that if their hardware has a bug one can only think about their software ... ;D
They might even offer to clean it for free... ;D

P.S I still laugh with Tina's post ;D


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## tron (Jan 29, 2012)

This incident must be known. Then ebay sellers will have to advertise their Sigma lenses as bug free... ;D

Seriously now, I would also ask for lens cleaning (debugging? ;D)


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## picturesbyme (Jan 29, 2012)

Send it in to sigma for cleaning. I had good experiences with their customer service.You'll get a cleaned calibrated updated lens back at a decent price.
I sent in a 50 for focus issues.
Not that long ago I sent canon a brand new 60 macro b/c it had a shiny piece of glass behind the front.e. So it can happen to anyone..
Good luck.


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## wickidwombat (Jan 29, 2012)

you could try a vacuum cleaner, yeah I read about this on the internet, and thought i would give it a go for dust
put you hand over the lens to body mount to sort of seal around it then put the vacuum cleaner tube into the top of your hand, I kept the vacuum on low speed and you can feel the air sucking throught the lens and out the back, I dont think low speed provides enough sucktion to risk damaging any internals.


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## nikkito (Jan 30, 2012)

Mother of Bug! ;D


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## mjbehnke (Jan 30, 2012)

I'd get ahold of Sigma and see if they have an upgraded version that is bug free. Most beta items always have a few bugs to work out before a final release.

.......... You need to take a photo and post it here so we can see this.

But really.... My photography friend has sent lenses back to Sigma and has gotten great service. They are pretty good here in the states anyway.


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## bchernicoff (Jan 30, 2012)

The bug might have enough mass that a good sideways whack of the lens would dislodge it from the element and off to the side. I bumped my used Sigma 50mm and suddenly found an eyelash against the inside of the front element. I gave it a good sideways whack into the palm of my other hand and it's gone. I figure it's stuck to the side in there somewhere...


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## Leg (Aug 27, 2013)

I have just bought a second hand lens, and seem to have a fruit fly on the inside!

It's a Mamiya 50mm 1.4


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## Pi (Aug 27, 2013)

Put a spider inside.  Sorry, could not resist...


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## paul13walnut5 (Aug 27, 2013)

Is it a shutterbug?

Does the af buzz?


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## jdramirez (Aug 27, 2013)

wickidwombat said:


> you could try a vacuum cleaner, yeah I read about this on the internet, and thought i would give it a go for dust
> put you hand over the lens to body mount to sort of seal around it then put the vacuum cleaner tube into the top of your hand, I kept the vacuum on low speed and you can feel the air sucking throught the lens and out the back, I dont think low speed provides enough sucktion to risk damaging any internals.



I've done that for lenses I planned to sell. dust barely moved.


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## Don Haines (Aug 27, 2013)

00Q said:


> I bought a 2nd hand Sigma 50mm f/1.4 on ebay. Its literally new, and boxed, all papers inside crisp.
> 
> It was advertised as having a singl piece of "dust" inside. Which doesnt affect the images as it is be beyond the resolution of the lens. So I managed to get it half price. Which is a damn good deal.
> 
> ...


Keep the bug, sell the lens...


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## BL (Aug 27, 2013)

http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2011/08/the-apocalypse-of-lens-dust

i wouldn't sweat it.

i had what looked like a fruit fly die inside the rear element of my 55mm mamiya-sekor. was super upset about it until i realized it did absolutely nothing to my images.


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## adhocphotographer (Aug 27, 2013)

BL said:


> http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2011/08/the-apocalypse-of-lens-dust



Good and eye-opening article... thanks for sharing.


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## mrsfotografie (Aug 27, 2013)

00Q said:


> ...
> 
> the bug is really small. about 1.5mm in length.
> 
> Shall I keep it? Or sell it?



LOL, taken out of context this is really funny  In any case, enjoy your new lens; seems like a good deal to me.


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## shashinkaman (Aug 28, 2013)

"Dust to dust..." the seller told you the truth 8)


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## LetTheRightLensIn (Aug 28, 2013)

TinaLovesCanon said:


> I don't think you'll get much for the bug, and after eBay and Paypal fees, it will hardly be worth it.



+1

doesn't make sense to try to sell off the bug on ebay, try CL instead


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## LetTheRightLensIn (Aug 28, 2013)

Man, after reading all of this I'm sort of bummed I don't have a bug behind the front element of any of my lenses. Maybe I should dump my Canon (and Tamron) junk and pick up some Sigmas. Sure, sure it has a red ring.... well BIG freaking deal! Now a bug. Now that's class. Now you're talking. That's style. That's pizzazz. If that doesn't speak of luxury then nothing does. You know when people talk about things having a special magical je ne sais quoi? Well, I do know what. And it's having a bug behind my front element.

And for the techies out there: Who cares about fluorite elements when you can have a bug in the optical pathway? I bet the longitudinal CA performance of his lens is at a near unheard of level. Forget APO designs those are so 20th century. What you really want are BBFE designs.

About what about my precious Zeiss! Does it have bugs behind its front element? Does it? ANY? Not a one?! Enough is enough! I have had it without these monkey fighting bugs inside this MF lens!


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## Ewinter (Aug 28, 2013)

They've already got the bug, it's why they bought the Lens!


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## TommyLee (Aug 28, 2013)

we all have to go sometime

maybe if he was still alive...
you could hook up the Sigma Dock..
and he could walk out...on the dock


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## troy19 (Aug 28, 2013)

no need to argue with Sigma / the seller.

This is Sigmas recent attempt to search for lighter material than glass. So they chose amber. We all know sometimes there are little insects included, millions of years old. So the bug is a sign of quality. You may ask an archaeologist and if the species is yet unknown, you - as the first to see it - are allowed to give a name to it. Think of "Sigmania buginienis", doesn't that sound good, tribute to the developer included. ;D


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## padmasana (Aug 28, 2013)

Though I hate that there was a bug in the Sigma 50, I have to say this has been a tremendously entertaining thread.


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## distant.star (Aug 28, 2013)

.
Be thankful it wasn't in your soup!


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## sandymandy (Aug 28, 2013)

Be happy ur not one of those unlucky guys who got an insect inside their tft screen!! it happened to me once only...but i was so mad lol...like some black pixels moving around -.-turned off screen and luckily the insect decided to leave when i came back next day


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## anthonyd (Aug 28, 2013)

distant.star said:


> .
> Be thankful it wasn't in your soup!



Oh yeah, a 50mm Sigma would definitely ruin a good soup.


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