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I bought this lens as a cheaper alternative to the Minolta 400 f/4.5 HS-APO G. This lens of course cannot compete with with the Minolta 400mm, but at about 1/12 of the cost, I can't complain. I was lucky enough to find this lens for the Minolta mount in working order, as many of them that are now for sale do not have the updated ROM chip, and therefore do not work with late model film SLR's and all DSLR's. Sigma also is no longer able to update the ROM chip, so make sure you find one that has this updated chip if you're looking for this lens. After long hours of trying to research this lens, as there are three versions of the Sigma 400mm (the 400mm f/5.6, the 400mm f/5.6 APO, and the 400mm f/5.6 APO Telemacro), and very little information on any version, I found that this lens is very prone to fungus and haze. I happened to have this same problem with mine, and have recieved several reasonable quotes on cleaning of this lens. So before you buy it, make sure to ask if it has fungus/haze, and you can decide if you want to spend a few extra dollars to get it cleaned. The build on this lens is alright, a little on the cheap side compared to my various Minolta lenses. It is lightweight for its size, which makes it possible to hand-hold this lens in good lighting conditions. It has a tripod mount which you can loosen and rotate around the circumference of the lens, but is not removeable without taking out a couple of screws. It has a retractable lens hood, and although it tends to wiggle a bit, it does its job. The focusing ring is a little shady in my opinion. It moves very, very freely, unlike my Minolta zooms that you have to apply at least some effort to move. I can't say that I've had any problems with focusing this lens, though. The autofocus works very well, I've mainly used this lens with a shoulder mount shooting flying birds, and I have no problems keeping focus over the whole flight path. Performance-wise, I would say it compares most like the longer Minolta zoom lenses. I own a Minolta AF 75-300 f/4.5-5.6, and the optics are similar. I cannot provide much information as to the optical performance of this lens, because I don't know how much the fungus on the lens has affected it. This is a relatively slow lens compared to the high-priced Minolta super-telephotos, but it does its job. Unfortunately, as with the Minolta zooms, it's sharpness wide open is sub-par. Best stop this lens down to f/8 or f/11 for best results, which does limit this lens's abilities in low light. The only other thing that I can mention is I've noticed a very little bit of purple fringing in some photos, but it isn't very prominent, and is easily fixed in photo software. Overall I would give this lens a 7 out of 10. Although it does have some quirks, it's a nice, cheap lens. It's nice to have a little reach beyond the common 300mm zooms available when you need it. The autofocus is great, can't say the same for several of my Minolta lenses. It's very lightweight, which is nice for quick hikes and such. And its optics alright if work with them a bit, but that's how it is for many lenses out there. I would recommend this lens to anyone that's on a budget and needs a little extra reach with their lens.Read full review
It's a very good lens. I have two other sigma lenses.Sharp with no aberration. It's a little heavy and I use my tripod when I am using this lens.