Quantaray lens...

Zoom Raider · May 25, 2005

I discovered some play on my new Quantaray 28-90mm lens while it's in AF. I did not put even the slightest force on the focus ring while it was in AF, and no one else uses my camera. So I'm hoping this is normal. It just seems like with even a lil' play on the focus ring would cause it to be off a bit even after the camera beeps and shows it red glow...meaning it's perfectly focused.

Thanks!:):

~ZR~

tlittleton · May 25, 2005

I'm trying to stay clear of the Quantarays. I picked up a 19-35mm, and I haven't been very happy with the results. Guess you get what you pay for though, it was very cheap compared to Canon glass.

robscomputer · May 25, 2005

While I worked at Ritz we pushed Quantaray but that was only for the sales points. Personally I would stay with factory or Sigma, other brands are questionable.

Rob

NHBubba · May 25, 2005

I fell for it!
A few weeks ago I had some money to burn and had my heart set on a dedicated macro prime lens. On the radar were the Canon 100/2.8 and EF-S 60/2.8, and the Sigma 50/2.8 and 105/2.8. I walked into my local Ritz Camera to see what they had and what sort of prices they were asking. I asked for the Sigma 50/2.8.. they didn't have it. But they did have the Quantary lens of the same spec. They assured me over and over again that it was the SAME as the Sigma 50/2.8, even manufactured by Sigma. The price was quite right, even less than I had seen online. Ritz offers no questions asked, money back returns w/o any sort of stocking fees, so I made a snap decision and bought it.

I got the lens home and found it would not work on my DRebel. I went to my local indi (and more expensive) camera shop. He had the real Sigma 50/2.8. I tried it on my camera and it worked perfectly.

Since then I've discovered that there are at least two, possibly three builds of the Sigma 50/2.8. There is an EX and a newer EX/DG (designed for digital). Word has it the DG is recoated and 'rechipped' for use w/ the dSLRs. I've heard that there may actually be a non EX model as well w/ poorer build quality. I suspect that this Quantaray was a copy/rebrand of the non EX (and certianly non DG!) Sigma as the build quality of the one in the indi shop was better too. I quickly returned the lens and asked for my money back. I was very very disapointed w/ Ritz, the sales people, and the Quantaray brand.

Moral of the story is do not listen to their sales people. They are outright only interested in making the sale. Not surprising really, but.

I probably should have done more research and learned the difference between the non-EX, EX, and EX/DG branding in the Sigma line before even setting foot in the store. But I still mark it as a bad experience. I too will avoid Quantaray and insist on something from Sigma. .. Actually I'm finding I have fewer and fewer reasons to want to shop at Ritz altogether!

Red Bull · May 25, 2005

That is so true about Ritz. They pressure you so hard to make a sale. All my experiences in there have been bad. When I was going to buy a lens that they didn't have, I looked at a Quantaray lens that they had in the store. They were trying to convince me that Quantaray is Sigma with Ritz's house name on it. The Quantaray was noisy and the zoom was very tight and sticky. I don't like Quantaray...

Sandy · May 25, 2005

Thanks for the info about Ritz. I will buy the Canon 70-200 4/L soon and found the best price so far on buydig.com. I've done business with them a couple of times with no problem. The only thing is the 10% restocking fee, so you need to be sure you want what you are ordering.

luckyrwe · May 25, 2005

I have heard every story in the book about Quantaray.
They are the same as Sigma with a different name.
They are made by Nikon.
Nikon makes Quantaray.
Tamrons are QC rejected Quantarays.

They are setting themselves up for a lawsuit one day. Some salesmen will say anything. I really feel bad for the person who wants to learn photography and ends up with a heap of snake oil and washing machine parts for the sake of a one paycheck commission.

tlittleton · May 25, 2005

I've learned not to shop at Ritz (a.k.a. Wolf Camera). They are way overpriced on their website. I looked at the 75-300 Canon USM III and Ritz had it for $269 while BH had it for $189. I also learned not to trust the employees to know what they are talking about after I heard a sales rep tell one customer that Quantarays were made by Canon and then turn around and tell another customer they were made by Nikon. Not that all sales reps at their stores are bad, mind you, but I just don't see any point for me to shop there.

ExposeTheMoment · May 26, 2005

Where To Buy
I recommend www.keh.com either that or EBAY. I do both all the time and have had no problems.

robscomputer · May 26, 2005

I olny worked there for a year and a half but saw plently of questionable information come from the sales team. Since I was working on the printing didn't get to sell unless it was slow for the print side and usually tried my best to give honest information. I would just cringe when a customer asked for a SLR camera and the sales guy would push Canon over Nikon for sales points, then resure them it's higher quality (instead of the real reason).

Another place where Ritz would highly enforce with all camera sales is Quantaray filters and ESP protection coverage. If I remember you get $5~10 for each ESP you sell, it can add up alot if your a good sales person.

Also from working there found out just how many people take nude photos and ask for printing, while forgetting the print machine displays the prints at the front window for everyone to see. lol

Rob

NHBubba · May 26, 2005

More ranting about Ritz..
I just can't seem to get it out of my system!

The sales people there aren't necessarily all that informative either. I recently got into an argument w/ a guy regarding IS. He insisted that IS was the ticket for sports/action photographers as it permitted you to stop action even better. I can't for the life of me figure out how someone PAID to be knowledgable about photography would have that opinion! Nevertheless I took the bait and ended up in a pointless 10 minute discussion. I should have just smiled, thanked him for his time, and continued on my way.. Guess it's the Irish in me!

Also when I was shopping for the macro lenses the sales guy told me that all Canon glass was crap unless you went for the 'L' stuff. My eyes just about popped out of my head at that one, especially since he said this as we were talking about the 100/2.8 macro, which from every report I've read says this lens is nothing short of spectacular.

Ritz salespeople strike me as very best-buy or compusa-esqe. They are not as knowledgable as they put on and should not be relied on for factual or complete information. As always, buyer beware! Always do your own research before going into Ritz. Although I suppose that advice applies to any store/retailer anyhow.. The apeal of Ritz in my view is the instant gratification (no waiting on mr UPS) and their excellent no-static return policy.

I cringe when I'm in there just poking around while my GF is in the trendy-whatever store down the way and I see some helpless sap having an overpriced load of junk sold to them for way too much!

ziggy53 · May 26, 2005

Questions and answers
There are so many informed and experienced people here, why ask a store salesperson at all?

ziggy53

Seymore · May 26, 2005

Here... Here...

ziggy53 wrote:

There are so many informed and experienced people here, why ask a store salesperson at all?

ziggy53

Hey Zig...

Zoom Raider · May 26, 2005

Yes, and this is why I come in here to ask certain things that many of these shops don't know. Like when I first became a member in here, my first question was where could I get a seriously high-powered adaptor lens for my recent Schneider Kreuznach lens that was already on my Kodak DX7590.

I wanted to use only the optical zoom and 10x wasn't enuff, so the sales-people at Staples told me I could get a lens to connect to the Kodak and bump it up to 400 to 500x. I was like, "Wow"! and that's one reason why I bought it. Well, I took it back,`cos after I called Kodak, they said they don't make any for that camera and that they wouldn't trust those after-market 2x's they sell on Ebay, so it's gone.

Then I bought a MSLR at Wolf that I'm very happy with. Even the Q-ray lens is working fine. I see Q-ray and Ritz/Wolf are having some bad raps in here...lol But when I bought my N75 at Wolf, I asked for an additional 40x lens. Well, me thinking that SLR lenses are so massive, that I could easily get something of that power. So when I asked, they said that no one makes any lens of that power, not even for SLR's.

They said the most powerful one I can get that won't be long as an arm is a 500mm. I asked what would that be like in an X, and I got about 5 different answers,`cos I asked more than one sale-person there within about a week's time. Like..."380mm is a 30x", "400 is just below a 30x", "135mm is a 10x", "300mm is a 12x". I was like, "Ahh, forget it...I'll figure it out on my own". My theory is since 50mm is normal, then 750mm must be 15x...if they even make a 750mm.

Well, my question was...are lenses suppose to have any play at all on the focus ring when it's set on AF? I can move it clockwise and counter-clockwise about 1/8 of an inch. This question seems to have sparked into a "sales-people are idiots" topic.

Anyway, I want at least a dang 40x SLR lens...lol

Thanks!

:

~ZR~

NHBubba · May 26, 2005

ziggy53 wrote:

There are so many informed and experienced people here, why ask a store salesperson at all?

Very true. Unfortunately not everyone here (or on other forums) has the time or inclination to answer every question I have. ... Even then, I don't know what I don't know, you know? It's tuff to walk in there, be handed a lens that LOOKS like the Sigma, has a sales-guy standing there telling me it is as good as a Sigma and not start to believe them. I'm one of those fools that still thinks there's a way to get something for nothing (or more for less) in life! Before I entered the store I had no idea that there were two (maybe three) instances of the Sigma 50/2.8 macro and sadly didn't know exactly what to look for. I'm not sure how any questions to forums like this could/would have helped.

Fortunately I DO know enough about IS to know the sales guy is talking foolishness. Likewise about non-L Canon primes and their quality. Fortunately..

Red Bull · May 26, 2005

Every time I go into Ritz I always get very frusturated. In one of them I went into, the guy told me that Q-ray is the same as Sigma but with their house name on it. I was also talking about refurbished Canon glass. The guy behind the counter said that Canon refurbished glass is crap because of how they refurbush their lenses. It was so hard not to laugh. When I was looking at the Quantaray 70-300 lens, I didn't like it because it was too noise, slow, and the zoom wasn't smooth. I said I liked the Sigma better because it was faster, quieter, and it didn't make nearly as much noise. Yet the guy kept saying that it was a Sigma motor. Oh yeah, I also had one guy basically tell me that I was wrong because he had worked there for 14 years.

I always try to avoid Ritz. The only reason I was in there was because I had a $50 gift card.

luckyrwe · May 26, 2005

robscomputer wrote:

Also from working there found out just how many people take nude photos and ask for printing, while forgetting the print machine displays the prints at the front window for everyone to see. lol
Rob

But that's WHY I take my nudies there for processing!

And anyone who works at Ritz for 14 years...I dunno about that unless they are the VP.

Quantaray lens...

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