SIGMA AF APO TELE MACRO 400mm F5.6 HSM

A review and sample images of the Sigma AF APO TELE MACRO 400mm F5.6.

Gallery

The example photo was taken using a SIGMA SD10.

Review

The Sigma AF APO TELE MACRO 400mm F5.6 HSM is a telephoto lens released by Sigma in 1995.

The lens name is APO TELE MACRO HSM, where “APO” stands for “apochromatic correction” and reduces chromatic aberration, “TELE” for telephoto, “MACRO” for close-up photography, and “HSM” for ultrasonic motor.

This Yongoro (400mm F5.6) lens was popular and in demand in the 1990s because it had a long focal length that was relatively easy for general photographers to purchase. The original Canon Yongoro has a list price of 185,000 yen, but this lens could be purchased for about half that price.

In the 2000s, the focal length and brightness of 400mm F5.6 were covered by zoom lenses.
Since this lens is from the era of film cameras, photographers who bought it must have had a hard time getting the shutter speed they needed in dimly lit scenes, even when using ISO 400 film.

This is a lens that I’ve been using since the Sigma SD10 days, and when cropped to the SD10 sensor size, it is multiplied by 1.7, giving a focal length of 680mm.
The lens uses internal focus, so the lens length does not change when in use.
The autofocus (AF) focus speed depends largely on the performance of the camera, so evaluations vary depending on the camera, but as far as I’ve used it with the SD10 and SD14, the early HSM (High Speed Motor / Canon’s USM) installed in this lens is not very fast or explosive. However, the advantage of the ultrasonic motor is the quiet and smooth lens drive, which makes it a pleasant tool to use. I’ve heard that this motor breaks down often, but perhaps because of the frequency of use of the lens I own, I haven’t had any problems with it even after more than 20 years.

Since it’s a fixed-focus lens, it has a focus ring, a shooting distance limit switch (three settings: no limit, infinity to 3m, 3m to 1.6m), and an AF/MF switch.
The hood is built-in, but even when pulled out, it is not very long, so the light blocking effect is not high.

The image is not as sharp as modern lenses, but it shows a reasonable level of resolution and color, and you can get a relatively satisfying image with a pixel count of about SD10. The sample photos are still, but in the shadows, many blurry photos are produced.

The minimum shooting distance is 1.6m, so it is a telephoto lens that can get close, so you can take close-ups of cats and dragonflies from a distance, making it a useful lens in the field.
However, the length was a little short for taking pictures of the migrating hawks at Shirakaba Pass, so I used a teleconverter in addition. Normally, this lens cannot be used because the total F-number exceeds the upper limit of AF drive, but the lens I have can be used with a teleconverter for the reasons described below.

I purchased a Canon EF mount lens for this lens and converted it to a Sigma SA mount by myself. I used to post articles with detailed photos, but I don’t think there is any demand for them now, so I will leave a simple record of how to do it.

This modified lens allows AF shooting using the Sigma SA 1.4x and 2x teleconverters. The AF focusing accuracy will decrease, but it will be possible to capture the subject unless the lens is very fast. However, the image, which is already slightly lacking in sharpness, will become even worse, so it is not practical.

The work from this point onwards is not recommended for modification.
If you do the same work and end up with more junk lenses or other problems, we will not be responsible, so please carry out the work at your own risk.

Things to prepare

Sigma SA mount lens – Since you will only be using the mount, it is best to find a cheap lens.
Sigma EF mount lens – Since this will be the subject of the modification, there will be no warranty and you should be prepared to break it if you fail.
Soldering iron
Solder
Electric wire (thin)

Work

Remove the screw on the SA mount side from the Sigma SA mount lens and remove the mount.
Remove the soldered signal flex cable from the mount. (Be careful not to get burned as the soldering iron will melt the connection)
Remove the screws on the EF mount side from the Sigma EF mount lens and remove the mount.
Remove the soldered signal flex cable from the mount. (Be careful not to get burned as the soldering iron will melt the connection)
Connect the SA mount removed in steps 1 and 2 to the flex cable coming out of the original EF mount lens in the same order. It is difficult to directly attach the flex cable to the mount, so it is easier to connect the mount and flex cable with a thin wire. If you attach it from the end, there will be one extra terminal, but don’t worry about it.
When you’re done, push the cable into the lens, attach the SA mount to the lens and screw it in. The screw holes are perfectly positioned so it was no trouble at all.
Now you can replace the Sigma EF mount lens with a Sigma SA mount lens.
The remaining lens can be made into an EF mount lens, but there is a high possibility that the lens will not be recognized by Canon cameras due to the lens ROM problem*1, so I think it is a waste of time to do the work.

*1: In the past, there were companies that made firmware (ROM) for third-party lenses by reverse engineering without the official permission of the camera manufacturer. Since they could not tolerate freeloading on cameras, camera manufacturers would determine whether the firmware (ROM) installed on the lens attached to the camera was genuine or not, and third-party lenses with non-genuine firmware would not work properly.

Sigma’s EF mount and SA mount not only have the same flange back, but also almost the same electrical signal. Of course, there is a possibility that the motor will burn out or the lens will not function properly due to minor differences in operating voltage and minor differences in control specifications, but so far it has been working without any problems.

SA mount lenses are generally in low demand, so I still have them on hand without selling them. When I use them occasionally, they don’t have the sharpness of modern lenses, but I can enjoy the depiction of old telephoto lenses.

I also own this lens’s sister model, the AF APO TELE MACRO 300mm F4, so I will introduce it at some point.

Specification

Items	300mm HSM	400mm HSM	EF400mm F5.6L USM	MINOLTA 400mm F4.5 HS
Sensor size	35mm full size	←	←	←
Focal length(mm)	300	400	←	←
Max aperture	4	5.6	←	4.5
Min aperture	32	←	←	←
Leaf blade	9	←	8	9
Lens Construction	10 elements in 7 groups	←	7 elements in 6 groups	9 elements in 7groups
Min distance (m)	1.2	1.6	3.5	3.0
Lens length (mm)	195(SA)	251(SA)	256.5(EF)	275(A)
Max diameter (mm)	87	←	90	95+α
Filter size (mm)	77	←	←	95(Front) 42(Rear)
Weight(g)	1298(SA) Without tripod mount	1408(SA) Without tripod mount	1,250(EF)	1920(A)
accessories	Front cap Rear cap Case	←	←	Front cap Rear cap Hood Strap aluminum Case Filter
Release date	1995	1995	1993.5	←
Lens mount	CANON EF SIGMA-SA NIKON-F（non HSM） PENTAX-K（non HSM） SONY-A（non HSM）	←	CANON EF	SONY-A
Price(Yen/No-tax)			¥185,000