Focusing Issues and Horrible customer service (Rant)

Last Friday, I purchased an inexpensive Tamron 70-300 VC Zoom to take on a trip from my local camera store. They don’t have very good reviews, but I know they have been trying to improve their reputation, and I have had good luck with them in the past year, so I went ahead and purchased the lens there.

Saturday afternoon I took the lens out with my Sony A6000 to a local park. I found the AF wouldn’t work above 200mm, nor was it accurate above 135mm. Switching to manual focus is one of the reasons why I love the A6000 so much, being able to zoom into the subject in the viewfinder and focus, theoretically should bring sharp shots. Not with this lens. In the end, only 15% of my pictures were in focus and 2 were ‘sharp’.

Sunday I took the lens out with my Canon 6D to the same park. I had better luck as the AF worked at all focal lengths. About 40% of Sunday’s photos were in focus with 15% ‘sharp’. Using live view resulted in more in focus and sharp shots, however, I expect to have a higher hit rate than that. Before you ask, the lens was microcalibrated with FoCal.

I had expected that the ‘in focus’ results would have been better with the A6000, than with the 6D, given less of the image circle is being used, or did I get that wrong and am dealing with defraction on the A6000?

I had used the Tamron 70-300 VC before and had no such problems getting in focus shots, so I returned to camera store to get a replacement. And that is where is all went to hell…..

The salesmen were shocked I was returning the lens. Initially I asked if I can trade in the lens and go with the Canon 200L 2.8 (I was willing to get a replacement of the Tamron), then we started discussing my issues with the Tamron.
• “we have sold dozens of this lens, and we have never had one have focus issues”
• “Are you sure you have your camera set up correctly”
• “Here, let’s test it out on this 5D Mk3….hey the VC is broken, did you drop the lens?” After explaining how the VC works…”Oh I guess its ok, I am not getting sharp shots at 1/30”….at 300 mm in a dark store at high ISO’s.
• “The photos look fine to me” said looking at the back of the camera.
• The salesmen head outside for some photos & return: “Hey, I thought you set it to jpg, why can’t I find the pictures….oh they look fine to me” I look over they are looking at a blurred picture of a spider.

At this point, I am rather annoyed; I have owned, at one time or another, over 50 lenses, and if I had any problems with a lens or body in the past, my regular camera store (which is 60 miles away) exchanged it with a smile and no questions asked.

They are still fumbling around with getting photos out of the camera, when one guy notices some dust on the lens:
• “You went to the beach didn’t you!!!” No, I went to such & such park…it could have been a little windy
• “Well there is dust here on the front element, and it could have gotten inside the lens and damaged the focus mechanism or made the lens blurry” No, it has been proven that dust inside a lens doesn’t damage the picture quality. And you can blow off the dust, see (as I blow the dust off….)
• “We can’t exchange it until we send it to Tamron to check if you damaged it” O_o It isn’t damaged “It is”
• “If you send it to Tamron, they will clean it, fix the problems, and if it is broken, send you a new one” I don’t want to do that….I am leaving on a trip soon. Just replace the lens and you send it back.
I grabbed my lens, stuffed it back in the box, and left. So in a nutshell, they are saying that I damaged the lens by taking it to the beach, and I am trying to get a new one because I damaged it. Tomorrow I will call my credit card company and file a BBB report.

Has anyone heard of camera stores not willing to exchange a lens?

"Has anyone heard of camera stores not willing to exchange a lens?"

Quite the opposite. The store I went to felt so bad for selling me the lens, knowing I'd put up with Tamron issues for months they'd given me a full retail credit to put the money towards the 24-70 Canon 2.8 II. (despite having no legal requirement to do so). The Tamron was decent on my 5d MK III but absolute garbage on my 5ds. Given the runaround I had I'd never buy a Tamron lens again.

In the UK we've got a period (30 days) where the shop has to replace or give a full refund on the item bought as long as you've not damaged it. It's call consumer rights. They should offer a replacement lens or full refund on your purchase. I'd take it back and demand to speak to the manager not one of the organ grinders.

Very sorry to hear about the bad experience. It sounds as if they have not improved as much as they would like.

Most places have a good return policy at least within the first 30 days. I've bought my gear through Amazon, Adorama and B&H. Never had a problem returning anything from those three. I have also bought a good amount of refurbished gear from the canon store. I have yet to try to return anything, but I did look into it once and they seemed like they would be more stringent.

I haven't had to try Adorama or B&H's customer service, but I can vouch for Amazon.

A few months back I placed an order for a game (Uncharted 4), and two new inks for the Pixma Pro-100. Canada Post claimed to have delivered it to our community mailbox (ie: the locked boxes in the neighbourhood, ours is directly across the street)... but it wasn't in my box, and there were no keys for the large parcel section either. So, it was lost, and entirely Canada Post's fault. Amazon apologized profusely, and offered me a choice of refund or overnighting shipping me replacements.

Wow. Sorry you're going through that. Personally, I would have left the store with the lens in the box still on their counter, and a firm statement: "You have seven days to resolve this and refund my money. On day 8, I'm calling my credit card for a chargeback, stating that I returned it to you in exactly the same condition it was when purchased (defective), and you've failed to honor the manufacturer's guarantee and their own guarantee."

That's ridiculously stupid on their part. I may have pulled out my cell phone and called my credit card customer service right in front of them.....then leave the lens on the counter and walk out. They should realize how a few incidents like this will kill their business....with the net and social media "word of mouth" is much more powerful than ever before.

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Originally Posted by Joel Eade

That's ridiculously stupid on their part. I may have pulled out my cell phone and called my credit card customer service right in front of them.....then leave the lens on the counter and walk out. They should realize how a few incidents like this will kill their business....with the net and social media "word of mouth" is much more powerful than ever before.

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It is called "modern natural selection", sad but true.

Sorry you're going through that, bad customer service... really bad :(

You know I got burned. My first experience a few years ago should have kept me away. I will steer other photographers away from the store, although their reviews on Yelp and Google are horrible, it is a wonder how they stay in business. The credit card company is 'checking into it' and, for now, the charge is off my bill.

Turns out, 1 of the 2 salesmen was the owner. :(

Thank you for the comments. My younger self would have ripped the door off the hinges on the way out.....LOL