I killed my Tamron 24-70 f2.8

Searcy

Lasts week I was shooting at a fashion show with my Tamron 24-70 f2.8. After the show I had some models ask if I would do some close ups so I was switching to my 35mm 1.8 which I always keep in a little belt pouch. As I made the swap and tried to return the Tamron to the pouch it slipped out of my hand and hit the cement floor hard enough to make the little panel for the switches pop out. I freaked out. I popped the little panel back in and put the lens back on my d7200. It was spinning the rings and seemed to be trying to auto focus and would even lock in on a focus point but it was not in focus at all.

I wrote to Tamron who asked that I send the lens in for repair. It's on its way to New York now. I'll post updates. Hopefully it won't cost too much.

Expensive lesson..

spraynpray

Argh, sorry to hear that. Hope they fix it quickly, cheaply and completely Searcy.

Pistnbroke

If it was 24-70 why would you need to swop to a 35mm?

Searcy

Pistnbroke said:

If it was 24-70 why would you need to swop to a 35mm?

The d7200 is a crop sensor so the 24-70 2.8 ends up being about 39-112. In a crowded room where space is tight the 35mm is a little better. Also the 35mm 1.8 is better in lower light. At this sort of show the models are well lit on the runway but the lighting away from the runway is more like club lighting. So I tend to swap back and forth....

But I'm rethinking that strategy...

WestEndFoto

Isn't dimn lighting what ISO 25,000 is for?

Searcy

WestEndFoto said:

Isn't dimn lighting what ISO 25,000 is for?

I have not been happy with my results shooting high ISO. I need to rent me an 850 and see if it serves my style better.

WestEndFoto

I was joking. I get cranky when ISO is more than 800.

Sports

Searcy said:

The d7200 is a crop sensor so the 24-70 2.8 ends up being about 39-112.

And when you mount the 35mm lens, the D7200 is still a crop sensor so the 35 ends up being about 53mm.
That being said, as the 35 is better at low light, and if you in general like it better for those shots, then that's the right lens to use.

Pistnbroke

Sorry dont get it ..35mm on the zoom is 35 mm and at 1.8 or 2.8 the DOF is minimal .
In the darkest 13th century churches I shoot at at least F5.6 even when I used a 7100.

I think you will find they have invented flash which if above the lens and close to it like a SB 400 leaves no side shaddows. Dont use a hammerhead style flash.

KISS and the 7 Ps of photography Prior Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Photography

Searcy

Pistnbroke said:

Sorry dont get it ..35mm on the zoom

I think you will find they have invented flash which if above the lens and close to it like a SB 400 leaves no side shaddows. Dont use a hammerhead style flash.

KISS and the 7 Ps of photography Prior Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Photography

35mm on this zoom with the 7200 is not 35mm. I have a number of flashes but using them at a pro fashion show is a no no.

So hopefully I'll hear back from Tamron soon.

Pistnbroke

After the show .....you arenot disrupting with your flash
35mm is 35 mm zoom or prime...???

Searcy

Thank you. That's very helpful.

Searcy

Well damn. I just got notice back from Tamron today that they will not work on my lens because it is "gray market". Ain't that a kick in the head.

So now I'm in the market for a new 24-70 f2.8

WestEndFoto

Very expensive lesson. Any grey market repair alternatives?

Vipmediastar_JZ

wouldn't the 1.8 let more light in than the zoom if both were stopped to 2.8?
Use two bodies for events. I have dropped a body with lens due to no securing the tripod correctly. I know the feeling.

Searcy

I'm going to see if I can find someone here in Nashville to look at it. For now I'm getting reacquainted with my old Nikon 18-70 DX..

Strange business this whole "gray market" thing. It's a real Tamron but they won't fix it because it's Gray Market. Odd..

Vipmediastar_JZ

seems like nonsense to me unless there is a valid reason to not service an item because the serial number doesn't start with US

WestEndFoto

It is the same with Nikon. Probably Canon too.

Capt_Spaulding

I think the reason is Tamron/Nikon/Canon US did not get their cut. Can't speak to the validity of that, but...

PB_PM

WestEndFoto said:

It is the same with Nikon. Probably Canon too.

Just about every large company handles overseas sales through subsidiaries, like Samsung, LG, Sony, Apple, HTC, Sigma, Asus, Microsoft, etc all do this. It would be far to complicated for large companies to handle globe operations otherwise, also for tax purposes, not to mention that they almost have to because different countries have different warranty and after sale support laws.

For example, with Nikon, as far as I know the only place that accepts the 1 year global warranty is Nikon Japan itself. I don't know if Tamron has such a global warranty, or just distributor warranties. If they do, I suppose you could try contacting Tamron in Japan, but that could be complicated of course.

Technically when you buy a Nikon, Tamron, Canon, Sony device outside of Japan you are buying from the national reseller, not the corporation proper. Therefore the warranty is through them, not the global brand, which then allows them to download support costs to the subsidiaries.

Searcy

I bought the lens used so I never figured Tamron would treat the job as a warranty repair. I even told them it was used and I dropped it when I first emailed them. They said everything should be fine and to send it in. So I did. Then I get this notice that the lens is "grey market" so they won't even look at it.

This just seems odd to me. It's like saying "Yes this is our lens. We made it but it's shady that you have it so we aren't going to work on it." I mean if I buy a Toyota in Japan and have it imported into the U.S. then take it to the dealer to have it serviced they don't say "We won't work on this. It's grey market."

I suspect this has more to do with marketing and sales agreements with North American retailers and distributors than anything else. What they are saying is you might be able to find a less expensive deal over seas but we have put in place a system that makes that adds some extra risk to that prospect by making sure it can't be serviced.

I'm a wiser man now. I'll be more careful in the future.

spraynpray

In spite of what some say about laws, grey imports have a risk that is not worth the saving IMHO.

Sorry to read my fears are well founded Searcy.

HankB

Consumers in many smaller market countries are royally screwed by high markups of importers who collude with "competing" importers, and/or have exclusive rights to competing brands, and/or can otherwise bully retailers with trade restraining practices. In some cases, these profiteering importers may actually be subsidiaries of the manufacturers themselves, thus making the manufacturers complicit with these practices. Such complicity would appear less egregious if local market exclusivity was supported consistently across all markets including those in large, more competitive and lower taxed markets like the US.

Restrictive repair policies are the last resort of importers to maintain their gravy train.

retread

Have you checked into a third party repair facility?

Searcy

retread said:

Have you checked into a third party repair facility?

I'll be checking with Dury's in Nashville next weekend to see what, if anything, can be done.

silverstonedotmedia

retread said:

Have you checked into a third party repair facility?

I have also been in the hunt for a third party repair shop for my tamron sp 24-70 2.8 A007. After contacting 7 stores so far, no luck. All with the same response that they don't have parts because tamron won't supply them and they recommend that I send it to tamron. I did do that the other week to which they returned it immediately due to it's grey market status, thanks to me trying to be frugal and saving some money and buying from ebay. My next and apparent final option is to attempt to fix it myself, won't be holding my breath...