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Sigma 135-400mm f/4.5-5.6 APO DG : Specifications and Opinions

Sigma 135-400mm f/4.5-5.6 APO DG

The Sigma 135-400mm f/4.5-5.6 APO DG is a tele lens for FF and APS-C, manufactured from 2005 (discontinued). The focus is done by In-camera AF motor, it does not have image stabilization. The average price, when it has been added to the JuzaPhoto database, is 600 €;

10 users have given it an average vote of 8.5 out of 10.

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Specifications
Focal lenght	135-400 mm
Angle of view	18.2 - 6.2°
Format	FF, APS-C
Max. aperture	f/4.5-5.6
Aperture blades	9
Lenses/Groups	13 elements in 11 groups
Min. focus distance	0.2 meters
Reproduction ratio	0.19x
Features
Zoom type	Ring, external
Stabilization	No
Focus	In-camera AF motor
Internal AF	Yes
Full Time MF	No
Built and notes
Tripod ring	Yes
Extenders	No
Filters	77 mm
Lens hood	Yes, supplied
Weather sealing	No
Weight	1245 g
Dimensions	83.5 x 183.6 mm
Buy
Sigma 135-400mm f/4.5-5.6 APO DG, buy on Ebay

Reviews

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Timk2

sent on August 05, 2015

Pros: Compact size, Light weight, (Removable) Tripod collar for tripod use; Sharpness up to 300mm, cost, general build, Apochromatic

Cons: (Almost) unusable handheld, position of manual focus ring, Image quality at 400mm f5.6; no stabilisation (but that's also a weight/size advantage);

Opinion: A budget Sigma long zoom that is actually quite useful, if you know its limitations and how to overcome them. At the same weight as my 70-200mm f2.8, this makes the lens very portable, meaning it will get taken out on walks a lot more than my mega heavy and huge Sigma 150-500mm, which tops 2kg. I used to own a Nikkor D (Mk1) 80-400mm and I really liked the extra 100mm, for long distance landscapes. Now with DX D7000, my excellent Tamron SP 70-300mm VC superbly handles long distance landscape work now. But that does not have a tripod collar and whilst its VC is superb, I struggle to get good night shots even with a heavy duty tripod. The 150-500mm is far better for birds and wildlife, where it is the only lens and for carrying short distances only. I took the 135-400mm on a walk for 12 hours, attached to my good Manfrotto monopod. It balanced perfectly holding just the rubber grip juts the below the head of the 'pod. That made it all seem light and portable. The 150-500mm is far too top heavy for that and the uncomfortable handle that is part of its tripod collar cuts into your hand. Handholding the 135-400mm at the long end and its lightness makes for difficult framing of the subject, let alone keeping it still for slow shutter speed shots. Even with the monopod, I still tried to keep shutter speed up to at least 1/250, due to side to side movement. AF is a bit noisy and can hunt on low contrast subjects, but that would expected. Manual focus is next to impossible when handholding, the ring is next to the tripod collar and you can't hold the lens properly at the same time. On a monopod, it is very easily done, a smooth light action. with the left thumb. Image quality: MTF figures I've seen show this lens to be similar in performance to Sigma's current offering - the 120-400mm OS (which costs a lot more and is a very weighty 1600g), except at 400mm. At this extremity, you need f8 to get good sharpness; wide open it is rather soft in both sharpness and contrast. F6.3 and f7.1 don't really magically improve on this either. But, for my intended tripod use, this stopping down is not so much of a problem, of course. However, long distances in England always have some haze, even on the brightest days and so will always appear soft. In fact, at closer distances, the lens is actually quite good even at f5.6 and 400mm. It is also worth saying that the lens is very nicely put together, it feels MUCH more robust than my 150-500mm. The large hood is a bit plasticky but effective and adds considerably to the lens' overall length. In conclusion: these 135-400mm's can be found on Ebay for 150-200 pounds sterling; I paid for 190 for an almost unused example. At this price, there must surely be no other lenses that reach 400mm, let alone one that is usable to a quality standard, as long, as I said, it is used within the confines of the lens' characteristics. It also came with a very decent Sigma case, too. Rating: Handling and everyday usability, well, not great, so just 6; image quality 8, if used sensibly; so overall 7, which might seem quite low but the modern competition has moved on considerably but I'm sure I will find it useful for what I intended and for the price paid too.

The following opinions have been automatically translated with Google Translate.

Mikidel

sent on March 24, 2016

Pros: Weight, sharpness up to 300, maneuverability, second-rate, resistance to flare

Cons: Lack zoom lock, sharpness at TA 400 mm, for what it is used nothing else.

Opinion: Excellent optical zoom to tele to super telephoto, used with FF and APS-C (the latter reaches 600-620 mm of low sensor), allows you to capture frames of particular power or animals at a considerable distance without the weight of several kilograms following. The sharpness is good at TA up to 300 mm and then became only fair to 400 mm, but already closing of a stop is sfruttabbilissimo even at this focal length. Excellent resistance to flare, so that photographing with the sun at sunset is absolutely not a problem. Constructively well made, presents the MF ring a little set back which is hampered by the presence of the ring for the tripod mount (though removable) and the lack of zoom lock for transport, which in view of the weight of the lens group front, it allows easy involuntary extension. In position 400 with lens hood becomes quite long, we recommended that (in the absence of stabilizer) the use by at least monopod at longer focal lengths, while the dense sensors dive advicenta essential. Find used between 250-300 if in good / excellent condition is a more than fair price in relation to the optical quality. The lack of stabilizer while it penalizes him, on the other hand makes it slim and lightweight for carrying and then at the end when there was still the stabilizer long focal they used the same, maybe we have forgotten the basic rules for doing photography in addition to taking unnecessary bursts in full automation.

Giulgiulio

sent on November 05, 2013

Pros: affordable price, a little heavy, invoice decent for the price

Cons: lack of stabilization, not fully exploited to the maximum opening to 400 mm

Opinion: I use it for photo hunting seen walking his weight quite content, of course I use a tripod since the lack of stabilization, 400 mm discreetly shooting only from f8 to close if you open the iris photos are coming out blurry and lacking in definition from 135 to 300 mm while the photos are much better at all focal lengths

Photos taken with Sigma 135-400mm f/4.5-5.6 APO DG

Fabric in the Fields

by Timk2
103 comments, 11265 views

HI RES 16.1 MP

Basilicata waves

by Fernando X
80 comments, 1211 views

Sheep In Seas of Sunrise Mist

by Timk2
64 comments, 3053 views

HI RES 23.6 MP

Tree between the lines

by Fernando X
32 comments, 660 views

Icelandic waterfall

by Marmor
25 comments, 3218 views

Stop Light at the Railway Station!

by Timk2
41 comments, 2491 views

HI RES 14.4 MP

Golden Ripples

by Timk2
38 comments, 2882 views

HI RES 16.1 MP

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Bristol - Housing Doesn't Have to Be Boring?

by Timk2
59 comments, 2726 views

HI RES 24.0 MP

Osorno volcano cloaked in a single cloud

by Marmor
24 comments, 2240 views

Great Egret

by Gianluca Porciani
5 comments, 2356 views

HI RES 5.4 MP

Wavy field

by Fernando X
37 comments, 675 views

HI RES 4.2 MP

The guardian

by Fernando X
16 comments, 589 views

Early Morning Grazing

by Timk2
51 comments, 2471 views

HI RES 15.9 MP

Sunset over Devizes Brewery!

by Timk2
37 comments, 1995 views

HI RES 13.8 MP

The Light of the Forest

by Timk2
29 comments, 1930 views

HI RES 10.9 MP

Frosty Sunrise Ponies Grazing

by Timk2
45 comments, 2533 views

HI RES 16.1 MP

Hythe Pier Electric Railway

by Timk2
31 comments, 1833 views

HI RES 20.4 MP

The Solstice Sunrise Spills out over Stonehenge!

by Timk2
27 comments, 2225 views

HI RES 18.2 MP

Up, Up and Away - 2 (Up to the Moon)

by Timk2
50 comments, 2155 views

HI RES 22.8 MP

The Beach Butterfly...

by Timk2
40 comments, 2696 views

HI RES 24.0 MP

Church of the Redentore 2016

by Ellebi
5 comments, 728 views

Nice Day at the Seaside, Dear?

by Timk2
28 comments, 2077 views

HI RES 15.9 MP

The Big Steam Line-Up!

by Timk2
18 comments, 2027 views

HI RES 11.7 MP

Storms over Wiltshire...

by Timk2
31 comments, 2090 views

HI RES 15.4 MP

American colorful

by Marmor
24 comments, 2162 views

"I Fear the Forest"

by Timk2
25 comments, 1693 views

HI RES 12.5 MP

Standing End to End...

by Timk2
54 comments, 1949 views

HI RES 16.1 MP

Bee-eaters

by Marco Marchelli
21 comments, 3475 views

Group of egrets

by Imeil
17 comments, 1382 views

The Golden Molten Mudflats...

by Timk2
13 comments, 1440 views

HI RES 21.8 MP

Lomcevak ... or the heart?

by X_plane
6 comments, 1291 views

HI RES 15.1 MP

New Forest Mare and Foal

by Timk2
38 comments, 1904 views

HI RES 24.0 MP

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Owl

by Marco Marchelli
3 comments, 2260 views

Cansiglio3

by Ellebi
6 comments, 1062 views

Cloud across the Setting Sun

by Timk2
18 comments, 1627 views

HI RES 14.3 MP

The Tiny Church Under the Big Hill

by Timk2
19 comments, 1510 views

HI RES 23.0 MP

The sea of ??Myrthos, Kefalonia

by Marmor
19 comments, 1399 views

HI RES 6.1 MP

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Reviews » Lenses » Lenses Sigma » Sigma 135-400mm f/4.5-5.6 APO DG