strange sound coming from lens

[Kinz]

I just purchased the Sigma 18-125mm f3.8 DC OS HSM for Nikon. Sigma - Lenses It makes a sound. I know that sounds strange, although maybe it's supposed to do this, but none of my other lenses do it (two Sigma and one Nikon). It's a kind of hissing, sound, very low in volume, but audible when I have it at eye level to shoot. Is this normal? Thanks

[Ed Shapiro]

Hissing? That's a new one for me but sounds comming from certain equipment is certainly possible. This can be a gear train in the shutter or some mechanical noise form the auto focus system. There are no pneumatically driven parts in you gear that I am aware of. There was once a 35mm camera that operated on CO2 cartages to drive its mechanical parts.

Make sure the lens is properly seated in the lens Mount and that all of its automated systems are working. Contact the dealer, the distributer or the manufacturer and see of that sound is normal or unheard of. If something in the camera and/or lens is misaligned or scraping together it may be best not to use the camera withthat lens until a qualified technician has a chance to check out all of the possibilities otherwise some serious damage can happen to the mechanisms between the lens and the body. Let us know what happens.

Good luck. Ed

[cyclohexane]

It is the optical stabilization. Trust me on that.

[Kinz]

You say that with some conviction. Is this from personal experience? I did a little searching and found that it apparently is the OS like Cyclo says. I've got a nikon lens with their VR version of the same stabilization, but you don't hear it, except it does do some slight clicking. So I guess either I get over it, or send it back. I'll see if it bothers me over the next few days.

[KmH]

Originally Posted by Kinz

You say that with some conviction. Is this from personal experience? I did a little searching and found that it apparently is the OS like Cyclo says. I've got a nikon lens with their VR version of the same stabilization, but you don't hear it, except it does do some slight clicking. So I guess either I get over it, or send it back. I'll see if it bothers me over the next few days.

Agree it's the OS because the one Sigma I have sounds like that too.

I'm pretty sure they want you to hear it so you know it's there and working.

[cyclohexane]

I've got a nikon lens with their VR version of the same stabilization, but you don't hear it, except it does do some slight clicking.

Every OS/VR lens sounds a little different. Which lens do you have that makes a clicking noise? The older VR lenses (70-200 version I era) have a slight clicking to them, while the newer ones seem to be more of a consistent whirring noise (18-55 VR, 18-200 VR). Also, the 18-200 VR Nikkor is more high pitched than the other ones I've used.

[Ed Shapiro]

Yup! Sounds logical to me. I was think about auto focus, servo motors and things like that and forgot that image stabilization must have some kind of mechanical devices that can generate some kind of sound. I don't think the sound level of such a mechanism would become particularly annoying unless one is very sensitive to sound.

To me that is amazing technology! During my army days we had gyroscopic mounts to stabilize our cameras for areal photography- theses would isolate the camera from vibration coming through the airframe. Those rigs were big pieces of hardware- to think all of this kind of instrumentation can be incorporated in the confines of a relatively small camera and lens. I think I could live with the noise. What with the noise level of the rotors on a gunship with the doors off, I don't think I would have heard the hissing.

Interesting thread- thanks! Ed

[cyclohexane]

I don't think the sound level of such a mechanism would become particularly annoying unless one is very sensitive to sound.

What with the noise level of the rotors on a gunship with the doors off, I don't think I would have heard the hissing.

Yep. The sound is quite low, and people talking in a room can pretty much cancel it out for most people. Some people can't even hear it. One of my parents can hold an IS/OS/VR lens up against their ear in quiet room, activate the stabilization, and have no idea what I'm talking about.

I can barely see, and make up for it with very sensitive ears. My father owns the 18-200 VR, and it used to drive me absolutely insane when he or I used it in a quiet room. As I've been getting a little older, though, I can't hear it (or other things) as well. Must be all the time spent sitting in front of screaming fans while shooting.

I guess the first sentence should read something more like "...and used to make up for it with very sensitive ears".

[Mike_PEAT]

Suggest you first try disabling the IS/VR/OS whatever you want to call it, and the AF and see if you hear the noise.

Some electronic components do make noise (like a flash charging up) even if there are no moving parts...in standby I can hear noise from my laptop even though the HD, fan, and speakers are shut off.

Google your lens to see if others are complaining about the noise.

[xxloverxx]

Originally Posted by Ed Shapiro

Yup! Sounds logical to me. I was think about auto focus, servo motors and things like that and forgot that image stabilization must have some kind of mechanical devices that can generate some kind of sound. I don't think the sound level of such a mechanism would become particularly annoying unless one is very sensitive to sound.

To me that is amazing technology! During my army days we had gyroscopic mounts to stabilize our cameras for areal photography- theses would isolate the camera from vibration coming through the airframe. Those rigs were big pieces of hardware- to think all of this kind of instrumentation can be incorporated in the confines of a relatively small camera and lens. I think I could live with the noise. What with the noise level of the rotors on a gunship with the doors off, I don't think I would have heard the hissing.

Interesting thread- thanks! Ed

I also thought it would be the HSM motor - never paid any attention to my near-silent 30 1.4 HSM but I know some Canon USM lenses make a soft hissing noise when focusing.

I've never owned an IS/OS/VR lens or tried one in an area quiet enough to notice anything, so I can't say anything on that bit.

…hey, at least it's not the grinding sound some lenses make when focusing.

[Sparky98]

My Canon 28-135 lens makes a similar sound but I call it more of a frying sound. I don't notice it every time I use the lens but more often if I hold the focus for an extended period of time before I release the shutter. I have never tried to determine if it was the focusing motor or the IS because once I determined there was actually nothing wrong with the lens I quit worrying about it. However this post has got me to thinking about it so I may do some testing to determine if it is the AF or IS making the sound.

[cyclohexane]

I know some Canon USM lenses make a soft hissing noise when focusing.

You can really hear some of the USM/SWM/HSM supertelephotos go, but they're moving a lot of glass inside that thing.