Originally posted by JCSullivan Does anyone have any knowledge about a Sigma 400mm with a bayonet mount made pre digital?? Right now that's the only info I have.
If you're referring to the Sigma A-series 400mm F5.6, then it's anything but a dog.
I've owned three of them, a MF one and two AF ones. I sold one of the AF ones to my Dad, and now that I've found another one, I plan to sell the MF one. Not that there's anything wrong with it, I just can't justify owning three 400mm lenses (I also have the Pentax SMC-A 400mm F 5.6).
Within its limitations it's well worth owning, IMO. It's light, smooth to use, and capable of good results.
It will give some purple fringing if you shoot high contrast shots against a white background, and wide open there's a fair bit of chromatic aberration.
I took this with the AF one last weekend; apart from the annoyance of the frame being a touch too small, it's not too bad. The original will stand a lot more enlargement than this:
I took the following two with the manual focus one:
As I say, they aren't stellar performers, but I also have the Pentax SMC-A 400mm F5.6, which displays less PF and CA, but which weighs a pound more and is a lot less usable hand-held.