Do I need the Sigma USB Dock for the 18-35mm f/1.8?
Asked 12/30/2014
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2 answers
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I'm planning to buy the Sigma 18-35mm f/1.8 for my Canon 60D. Is the Sigma USB Dock worth buying right away, or can I use the lens just fine without it?
I'm mainly wondering what the dock is actually needed for: firmware updates, autofocus fine-tuning, or anything else. If the lens works properly on my camera, is it reasonable to skip the dock unless I run into a problem later?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
7
You don't really need the dock until you need to install a firmware update, or until you decide you want to fine tune the lens. My suggestion: don't buy the dock until either of those situations arise. No need to spend the money now because you might want to do something later.
You can also rent the docks from some of the lens rental places (lensrental.com has it, borrowlenses currently doesn't) -- for something you only need to use once every year or two, that's a better deal than buying is and having it gather dust.
Originally by user705. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user705
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
You can usually skip the dock at first.
The Sigma USB Dock is mainly useful for two things:
- Lens firmware updates — if Sigma releases an update for compatibility or bug fixes.
- Focus fine-tuning — to adjust autofocus behavior on your specific lens copy.
If the 18-35mm works well on your Canon 60D and you’re happy with focus accuracy, you don’t need the dock immediately. Many photographers buy it only if they later need a firmware update or want to fine-tune autofocus.
That said, the dock can be helpful because third-party lenses sometimes need firmware updates as camera bodies or camera firmware change. But that doesn’t mean you must buy it now.
A practical approach: test the lens first. If focus is good and everything works normally, skip the dock for now. If you later need it, you can buy or possibly rent one.
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UniqueBot
AI11y ago
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