400mm Sigma lens mount for Nikon F - (not 499mm)

ezcam357 · Dec 22, 2023

I hope someone can help me with a problem. I purchased a used Sigma AF Telephoto 1:5.6, f=400mm lens online, for Nikon F mount. Just received it today, and per add is absolutely beautiful, however the mount is not for Nikon and will not fit either my F 2 AS, or F 2. Looking at the add I realized the lens is non-returnable. Is there an adapter that would allow me to use this lens? The mount on lens is similar to the Nikon mount but larger.
{Moderator note: typo in title fixed}

Paul Howell · Dec 22, 2023

Can you share a image of the mount?

ezcam357 · Dec 22, 2023

That was 400mm, not 499mm sorry.

ezcam357 · Dec 22, 2023

Chuck1 · Dec 22, 2023

If it's not a nikon f mount the item is not as described, you shouldn't have any issues if it was ebay, if the seller didn't describe it correctly that their problem. Not yours

lobitar · Dec 22, 2023

Looks like Minolta AF (or possibly Sony Dig., I belive they are interchangeable).

Chuck1 · Dec 22, 2023

That might be Minolta maxxum (the ribbon contact looks like that) Minolta has pins in the body to make (electrical)contact with the lens, nikon usually has pins on the lens with the ribbon in the body. Look at some pics.If it had a rear lens cap it might say something on it.

Paul Howell · Dec 22, 2023

As far as I know there is no adaptor for Sigma A mount to Nikon F If your 400 5.6 is Safri Green or a dark gray it is likely a version of the lens that will only work on first generation bodies, the A9000 (top of line) and A7000 (pro consumer level) bodies. Not sure why this lens will not work on later models. I have one that I use on an A9000, the lens is sharp enough, and only a stop slower than the Minolta F4 version. If you cannot return the lens, then I would pick up a A7000, not very expensive, takes AAA batteries. The A9000 is a nice camera, for wildlife you will the motor drive or a winder. The A9000 is the only pro level AF body that took a drive or winder, with motor drive that takes 12 AA batteries it is heavy. Both the 9000 and 7000 are now going on 40 years, have some bleed in the top led panel. The A7000 has a very good viewfinder and the winder is integrated, 2 or 3 FPS. Although I have not tested as dont own one, the A5000 and 3000 might work as well.

ezcam357 · Dec 23, 2023

Thank you all for the information you have provided. I will have no other option than to return this beautiful lens. Thank you again.

MattKing · Dec 23, 2023

ezcam357 said:
That was 400mm, not 499mm sorry.

Fixed that for you.

xkaes · Dec 23, 2023

Paul Howell said:
As far as I know there is no adaptor for Sigma A mount to Nikon F If your 400 5.6 is Safri Green or a dark gray it is likely a version of the lens that will only work on first generation bodies, the A9000 (top of line) and A7000 (pro consumer level) bodies. Not sure why this lens will not work on later models.

That's definitely an a mount lens -- and will fit on any Minolta Maxxum or Sony a-mount (full-frame or APS) camera. And, as mentioned, if it is a first generation Sigma a-mount lens (AKA, 1980's) then it will not work on auto-focus. You can manually focus it, but that's irrelevant since there is no way to get it to fit on a Nikon camera.

The "problem" is that Minolta changed their computer chips in their Maxxum cameras over time. Sigma, in their first generation "Maxxum" lenses, did not use a Minolta-certified chip. Although it worked with the first generation of Minolta Maxxum cameras, it is not compatible with later Maxxum cameras -- which use a newer chip. Dumb, DUMB, DUMB move by Sigma.

As far as I know, there is no way to visually tell if a Sigma lens has a non-Minolta-compatible chip -- other than testing it on a first generation Maxxum camera (it will work) and a later generation Maxxum camera (it won't work). That's the only reason I keep a Maxxum 7000 around -- I got it cheap. It's beat up, but works.

Paul Howell · Dec 23, 2023

My Sigma Safri green will only work on my A9000 and 7000, will not work on 800SI, 9 or 7Xi, Minolta 9, 7 or 5, when I had a working 600si did not work. Not on any Sony A mount, when mounted reads "no lens", will not work AF, MF not at all. I also have a Tonkia TX 400 5.6 another first generation AF in Minolta A mount it works on all A mount bodies. Too bad about the Sigam, I think it is a bit better wide open than the Tonkia.

xkaes · Dec 23, 2023

If you can set the early Sigma lens to manual-focusing-mode before you attach it to a later a-mount camera -- assuming you can -- it should work in manual-focus mode on the camera. Not a perfect solution, but better than nothing.

Paul Howell · Dec 23, 2023

I tired that , at least my copy the camera does know that a lens is attached, the shutter is locked. I assume that the issue is with the electronics, the early Sigma lens (at least the 400) can only talk to the 9000 or 7000. And with Minolta A mount, the AF to M switch is on the body not on the lens. My guess is that when Sigma backward engineered some of the A mount lens the workaround only works with 1st generation bodies. At some point they fixed it, I have a 50 2.8 macro and 1.4 (not arts) and both work with all my A mount bodies.

xkaes · Dec 23, 2023

I guess it depends on the camera and the lens. I have a very nice Sigma 35-135 (1st Gen). It works as expected on my Maxxum 7000.

On my Maxxum 5, it works fine in manual-focus mode. It automatically reverts to that no matter what mode I select. So no problem.

On my Sony a-850 & a-900, it lets me set auto or manual-focus. It works fine in manual-focus mode, but freezes the focusing ring in auto-focus mode. I don't know why the Maxxum 5 does not act the same way.

Paul Howell · Dec 23, 2023

The only Sigma 1st generation lens I have is the 400, but I did try the 5, it dose shoot in MF mode, but not the on the 7 or 9 and not with any of my Sony A mounts. Very odd.

xkaes · Dec 23, 2023

Do your Sony cameras allow you to set them for "release shutter with no lens attached"? That might make a difference.

ezcam357 · Dec 23, 2023

Thank you all for your input and advice. After reading your replies I decided to return the lens through ebay, and have wrapped and boxed the lens up and will post Tuesday. Thanks again for your much-needed help. Wishing you all Happy Holidays.

dynachrome · Dec 24, 2023

I had kind of an opposite situation with a lens from the auction site recently. My collection includes a fair number of versions of the "plastic fantastic" Vivitar 100mm f/3.5 Macro, in different mounts. A seller was offering the lens, with the Vivitar name, in Yashica/Contax mount. The photos of the lens were not great but it looked to me like it was in Nikon mount. I e-mailed the seller, who changed the description. By then I guess no one else wanted to take a chance. I got it for $20. It's in Nikon AIS mount and is in excellent condition. It did not cone with the 1:1 adapter but I have plenty of those.

Paul Howell · Dec 24, 2023

xkaes said:
Do your Sony cameras allow you to set them for "release shutter with no lens attached"? That might make a difference.

I could try that, but I have a 400 G and the Tonkia, so I don't really need iy for anything but the 9000, which I use less and less.

dynachrome · Dec 24, 2023

Paul Howell · Dec 24, 2023

If you mean how come? The 400 F4 G is heavy, and expensive, even first generation Gs have held their. price to some degree, and it is not weather sealed. So if I am shooting in good light the Tokina 400 5.6 at F8 to 16 is pretty good. I save the G for low light, or travel. The A9000 with a motor drive has 2AA in the body, 12 in the motor drive, then add a flash + 8 AAs, and 400 F4, really too heavy. Although I have tested I think the Sigma is a bit better than the Tonkia wide open. The 9000 is a fussy camera to use. Need to make sure the film counter in the camera matches the film counter on the on the film drive, the top shutter speed is 1/4000 of a second, I have found the 1/8000 on my 800, 7 and 1/12000 on the 9 or 9xi to be helpful when shooting Tmax 400 I rate at 800. And last just old, I have (or had) 3 9000s one of which is dead.

xkaes · Dec 26, 2023

Paul Howell said:
I tired that , at least my copy the camera does know that a lens is attached, the shutter is locked. I assume that the issue is with the electronics, the early Sigma lens (at least the 400) can only talk to the 9000 or 7000. And with Minolta A mount, the AF to M switch is on the body not on the lens. My guess is that when Sigma backward engineered some of the A mount lens the workaround only works with 1st generation bodies. At some point they fixed it, I have a 50 2.8 macro and 1.4 (not arts) and both work with all my A mount bodies.

Here's a new twist to this story. Apparently, Sigma is not the only culprit lens maker that used non-Minolta certified chips. Today I received a lot of Minolta-mount and Maxxum-mount lenses. One is a Sigma 35-135. It's exactly the same as the one I have that only works one my X-7000. So, I tried the new one with the same result -- works fine on the X-7000, but only in manual-focus mode on my other a-mount cameras.

Also in the lot is a very nice Tokina 35-300mm. It's obviously an early a-mount lens with only five pins, and works fine on the X-7000, but only in manual-focus mode on my other a-mount cameras.

So the problem is larger than I thought. Who else has the same problem????

Paul Howell · Jan 2, 2024

Looking back it seemed that Sigma had issues with both early Minolta A and Canon EOS F mount, My Sigma 400 may have a damaged chip it will only MF on my Minolta 5, on my 800, 7 and 9 will not work at all the shutter is locked. Have no idea why it will MF on the 5 but the 7, other than the shutter on the 5 shutter top out at 1/4000 rather than 1/8000 or 1/12000 of the others, different chip set? Still make no sense.

xkaes · Jan 2, 2024

My "problematic" Sigma and Tokina five-pin lenses will manually focus on my newer (post X-7000) cameras, but it makes no difference since none of them allow me to set the f-stop in any MODE.

400mm Sigma lens mount for Nikon F - (not 499mm)

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