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terrible experience trying to order a Sigma ... wanna hear?
I'm a recent DSLR owner. ....Going to Tanzania in less then a month, so stocking up with gear. A Long Lens is vital. I decided on a Pentax K10D for Camera. I already attained a wide zoom lens, and a fast 'portrait' zoom lens. I decided on a Sigma 100-300mm f/4 for a long lens ... or so I thought.
They were very amiable on the phone. Heck, they're basically right down the street from me here on LI; I thought there was "a connection" <grin> (I kid). So I narrrowed the selection down to the 50-500mm f4-6.3 [aka Bigma] or 100-300mm f/4. I decided on the latter for its faster constant aperture at longer zoom and ability to use it with their 1.4x TC and for better reach and still @ an acceptable f/5.6, or a 2x TC in bright light. But more importantly the amiable folks I spoke to @ Sigma were telling me they didn't expect the Bigma until July 31, and the 100-300mm f/4 for a Pentax mount was available now... Choice was simple then, no?
So, after my having a terrible experience @ B&H when I bought my gear with a completely dis-interested, and arrogant ('bastard' even) salesman I wished I'd walked out on, they recommended a local camera shop on LI ... and off I went to order it.
[EDIT: I learned after speaking with Sigma, this is "one side of the story". I learn the retailer recommended is more at fault due to delay in ordering it.]
I ordered it and the 1.4x TC. A 1/2 week later I spoke to my salesman and he tells me Sigma told his mgr it should be arriving the week of the 4th of July. Doesn't come. OK, I thought maybe the 4th would slow stuff down. But here it is a week later, and still not here. Remember, the Sigma Headquarters is only a handful of miles away. What could take so long?
Finally my salesman gets an answer today that they don't have it or the Tc and never did. Seems there was a guy downstairs [as was said to him] who simply is telling people they have "anything" regarless of the truth of that... My salesman is getting insensed (sic). He works his way up the chain of command. At a pretty high level he's told "well, that guy was just doing his job". My salesman was boiling now and let me know his response was "so you're telling me that his job is to lie to people?!". (what, did Edie Antar of Crazy Eddies go work @ Sigma?!) In the end it seems that camera shop doesn't intend to do much business with Sigma anymore; this isn't the 1st experience they have with troublesome delivery from them. They tell me to come and pick up my $500 deposit. To me, for any retailer to do such a thing, that's pretty serious.
What kills me is, I'm going to Tanzania. I -need- a decent long lens, I want reasonable speed (not f/6.3 or f/8 or higher), and I want it for under $1K. If I 'could' acquire that 100-300 f/4 lens I'd still [have to] buy it ... even though they don't deserve my business; regardless that's cutting off my nose to spite my face... :cry
I do however have an overwhelming desire to go to their office to slap someone :rambo ... but it appears there's multiple guilty parties. That the call for people getting slapped due to 'policy' is indemic to their corporate culture.
Would be interested to hear from a Sigma rep/exec if he or she reads this! Would be happier if you get me that lens in a Pentax mount before the end of the month.
Thanx for reading...
They were very amiable on the phone. Heck, they're basically right down the street from me here on LI; I thought there was "a connection" <grin> (I kid). So I narrrowed the selection down to the 50-500mm f4-6.3 [aka Bigma] or 100-300mm f/4. I decided on the latter for its faster constant aperture at longer zoom and ability to use it with their 1.4x TC and for better reach and still @ an acceptable f/5.6, or a 2x TC in bright light. But more importantly the amiable folks I spoke to @ Sigma were telling me they didn't expect the Bigma until July 31, and the 100-300mm f/4 for a Pentax mount was available now... Choice was simple then, no?
So, after my having a terrible experience @ B&H when I bought my gear with a completely dis-interested, and arrogant ('bastard' even) salesman I wished I'd walked out on, they recommended a local camera shop on LI ... and off I went to order it.
[EDIT: I learned after speaking with Sigma, this is "one side of the story". I learn the retailer recommended is more at fault due to delay in ordering it.]
I ordered it and the 1.4x TC. A 1/2 week later I spoke to my salesman and he tells me Sigma told his mgr it should be arriving the week of the 4th of July. Doesn't come. OK, I thought maybe the 4th would slow stuff down. But here it is a week later, and still not here. Remember, the Sigma Headquarters is only a handful of miles away. What could take so long?
Finally my salesman gets an answer today that they don't have it or the Tc and never did. Seems there was a guy downstairs [as was said to him] who simply is telling people they have "anything" regarless of the truth of that... My salesman is getting insensed (sic). He works his way up the chain of command. At a pretty high level he's told "well, that guy was just doing his job". My salesman was boiling now and let me know his response was "so you're telling me that his job is to lie to people?!". (what, did Edie Antar of Crazy Eddies go work @ Sigma?!) In the end it seems that camera shop doesn't intend to do much business with Sigma anymore; this isn't the 1st experience they have with troublesome delivery from them. They tell me to come and pick up my $500 deposit. To me, for any retailer to do such a thing, that's pretty serious.
What kills me is, I'm going to Tanzania. I -need- a decent long lens, I want reasonable speed (not f/6.3 or f/8 or higher), and I want it for under $1K. If I 'could' acquire that 100-300 f/4 lens I'd still [have to] buy it ... even though they don't deserve my business; regardless that's cutting off my nose to spite my face... :cry
I do however have an overwhelming desire to go to their office to slap someone :rambo ... but it appears there's multiple guilty parties. That the call for people getting slapped due to 'policy' is indemic to their corporate culture.
Would be interested to hear from a Sigma rep/exec if he or she reads this! Would be happier if you get me that lens in a Pentax mount before the end of the month.
Thanx for reading...
Camera: Pentax K-5 & K10D / Profile: Introducing...Me on DGRIN / Some Pix: The 'm8o Gallery' Best of m8o In Tanzania '07
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B&H
Adorama
Sigma4Less
I am not sure about your problem with B&H, but my experience with them is always exemplary.
Right now, the Sigma 100-300mm f/4 EX APO DG IF is either back ordered or out-of-stock everywhere (in Pentax mount), so I don't think it's a viable option. Also, right now, both B&H and Adorama seem to not have a very broad selection of Pentax mount lenses.
Sigma4Less does appear to have the "BigMa" 50-500mm f/4-6.3 EX APO RF in Pentax mount in stock:
http://www.sigma4less.com/sess/utn;jsessionid=154696337eca901/shopdata/0010_Lenses/0010_Zoom/0040_Tele+Zoom/product_details.shopscript?article=0030_Sigma%2BZoom%2BNormal-Telephoto%2B50-500mm%2Bf%3D26slash%3D3B4-6%3D252E3%2BEX%2BAPO%2BRF%2BAutofocus%2BLens%2Bfor%2BPentax%2BAF%2B%3D28SG50500F4PX%3D29
They also have the Sigma 170-500mm f/5-6.3 APO DG:
http://www.sigma4less.com/sess/utn;jsessionid=154696337eca901/shopdata/0010_Lenses/0010_Zoom/0040_Tele+Zoom/product_details.shopscript?article=1020_Sigma%2BZoom%2BTelephoto%2B170-500mm%2Bf%3D26slash%3D3B5-6%3D252E3%2BAPO%2BDG%2BAutofocus%2BLens%2Bfor%2BPentax%2BAF%2B%3D28SG170500F5DPX%3D29
Considering your timetable, I think these are your best options for now, if you want to stay with the Pentax camera body.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
I'm actually leaning more -- if I have to -- to the 135-400mm then the 170-500mm as I can use the former with a 1.4x TC to get the same reach at the latter, but it's a 1/2 stop faster over much of the same focal length if I use it straight.
I don't want to 'bad mouth' B&H too much, because I know my experience is far far from the average of the bell-shaped curve in customer satisfaction. Let's just say the salesman
a) couldn't be bothered helping an 'inexperienced' 1st time [D]SLR buyer while he was cutting up his catalog to create some sort of collage, to actually give me more then either a 1 word or 1 sentence answer, and ...
b) didn't listen to what I'd say and/or ask, then would say "....you didn't say that..." when he'd reply with with an answer to a question different then I was asking,
c) didn't recommend accessories I find I need even though I pressed him about "what else will I need" or offered an extended warranty, that I would have bought and really really wish I had.
Getting back OT, I will edit my previous post, because after speaking with Sigma this morning, it becomes apparent that that story conveyed is "one side of the story"!
The short end of it is the retail store I went to to order it took my money on the Weekend. They didn't contact Sigma to [re-]check availability until the middle of the week (after I pressed them). They got a confirmation of availability then. However they must have delayed and must not have put the order in until the end of the week, by which time someone else had grabbed that item. ...So it took a week from the time they took my money until they put in the order.
I was encouraged to "keep my order open" as it might come in next week (the affable and helpful person @ sigma said she'll know what's coming in next week later today or tomorrow, and will keep be informed by e-mail.) However, I gather the retailer "closed" the order. I will arrange to buy a different way and pick it up directly from Sigma here on LI if it becomes available.
If you have questions about what to buy, ask them here. When you know what you want to buy, a couple of clicks on B&H and you'll have your gear in a flash.
Just my 2 cents...
-joel
Link to my Smugmug site
B&H was wonderful and as soon as they heard set aside a new lens (thankfully it wasn't backordered yet) and I sent back the other lens (they covered all extra shipping). I've had nothing but great experiences there. While there are a few other reputable online stores (Adorama, Sigma4Less as mentioned), you might want to reconsider B&H and try not to let one bad seed impact what's best and easiest, which (imho) is ordering from B&H to start with
That lens is great btw -- and works with the 1.4 TC without a hitch (the 2.0 loses auto-focus I think on the Sony). Anyway, it's a great choice and hopefully you'll find it, or something else that works.
I don't know why, but "local" stores seem to be impossible to get gear through. When I got my 20D back in 2005, the price from my local store was $150 more- I wanted to get it there anyway because the guy had given me literally months of help and advice, and I had certainly gotten service from him owrth that. But when push came to shove, he just could not get the gear in time for my trip. I waited 5 weeks, then I ordered it from B&H. 2 days later it was in my hands.