Sigma CEO Says They Are Trying Their Best To Make RF Mount Lenses

Canon Rf Mount

We know that Canon doesn’t really support or motivate third parties to build RF mount lenses. See here for more.

In an interview with Spanish site Photolari, Sigma’s CEO Kazuto Yamaki says his company is doing what they can to make RF mount lenses. The interviewer asks his questions in Spanish (with English subtitles) and Mr. Kazuto Yamaki answers in English.

Sigma Interview: Canon RF Mount is “discussed and researched”

Sigma Canon Eos R Art Prime Rf Mount

Mr. Kazuto Yamaki, CEO of Sigma, is one of the more interesting personalities in the photo camera industry. Here is an interview he gave to DPReview.

DPReview interviewed Sigma CEO Kazuto Yamaki. A lot is about the Sigma fp and the L-mount. Here are some excerpts from the interview.

Q: What do you think are Sigma’s unique selling points right now as a camera manufacturer?

Mr. Kazuto Yamaki: I hope that customers try the fp and fp L and discover how much fun they are to use. They’re really small, really easy to take anywhere, and easy and intuitive to use. A small camera makes a big difference when it comes to real photographic experience. I’ve personally learned that using the fp for two years, and it’s what our fp customers are experiencing.

[…]

Q: Can we expect faster autofocus technologies such as linear motors in future Sigma lenses?

Mr. Kazuto Yamaki: Yes. That’s probably one of the most challenging technical issues facing all manufacturers. In general, if the motor has higher torque, and more power, it’s slower. Motors with less torque can move faster. So it’s a trade off between power and speed. We already use linear motors in some lenses, but finding the ideal motor for the mirrorless camera lenses are still challenging.

[…]

Q: Do you think the era of the DSLR is over?

Mr. Kazuto Yamaki: I personally like DSLRs, but I haven’t used one for probably around two years. I hope they stay in the market for a while longer because a lot of customers love optical viewfinders. But I expect they will be largely replaced in the near future.

[…]

Q: Can you update our readers on Sigma support for Canon RF mount and Nikon Z mount support?

Mr. Kazuto Yamaki: I am aware that there’s a very strong demand from customers for Canon RF and Nikon Z. We believe, too, as a lens manufacturer, that it’s our mission to support as many mounts as possible. We would like to support those mounts, and we’re discussing and researching.

Read the interview at DPReview…

Sigma CEO Says Canon RF Mount Lenses Are A Possibility (but for the time being too much demand)

Sigma 14-24mm F/2.8 DG HSM Art Kazuto Yamaki

Sigma’s CEO Kazuto Yamaki revealed somewhat what his company’s plans are in regard to the Canon RF and Nikon Z mounts.

In an article he wrote for ICAN Management Review, Kazuto Yamaki talks about Sigma and how the company evolved over the years. He also reveals some bits about future Sigma lenses for the Canon RF mount and the Nikon Z mount. In a paragraph titled “The future lies in passion“, he writes:

It’s true that the photography market has been systematically shrinking for years – in keeping with more and more people simply using smartphones to make photos and videos. Less cameras sold also means less potential customers interested in buying a lens, which is why our short‑term strategy indeed involves a possibility of introducing lenses with new mounts – to such photography systems as Nikon Z or Canon EOS R. So far, however, the number of orders for our lenses is still above our manufacturing capacities, and especially the capabilities of our R&D department.

To me the statement above means “we will make RF mount lenses for sure but we can’t barely hold up with demand for our other lenses”. Hopefully they can start soon because Sigma lenses are a lot of bang for the bucks.

About the photography market:

Photography market is indeed getting smaller – but it won’t be getting smaller infinitely. According to our estimations, it will reach its minimal size next year, in 2021 – and since then it will stay pretty stable. I would compare the ultimate size of this market to the level of camera sales in times of traditional photography, before the great digital revolution. The true number of passionate people, who want to make photos with high‑quality cameras and lenses is now – and was then – probably very similar.

Mr. Kazuto Yamaki is a remarkable personality, and we recommend you read his thoughts in the article at ICAN Management Review.

[via DPReview]

Sigma Explains Operating Conditions Of Sigma EF Lenses On The Canon EOS R5

Sigma 30mm F/1.4 Canon Eos R

What motivated Sigma to release this advisory, have there been issues with EF mount lenses on the Canon EOS R5?

However, Sigma “verified the operation with our SIGMA GLOBAL VISION (SGV) interchangeable lenses (Contemporary, Art, and Sports lines) for Canon EF mounts used on the“ Canon EOS R5” with Canon’s mount adapter “EF-EOS R Series”, and confirmed that there were no problems with general operations such as AE, AF, and image stabilization”. Good to know.

Sigma advisory:

Operating conditions of SIGMA’s lenses for Canon EF mount with the Canon EOS R5

Thank you for purchasing and using our products.

We would like to share the results of our investigation regarding the operation of SIGMA’s lenses for Canon EF mount, when used on the Canon EOS R5.

We have verified the operation with our SIGMA GLOBAL VISION (SGV) interchangeable lenses (Contemporary, Art, and Sports lines) for Canon EF mounts used on the“ Canon EOS R5” with Canon’s mount adapter “EF-EOS R Series”, and confirmed that there were no problems with general operations such as AE, AF, and image stabilization.

Please note the following points when using our products.

1. For SGV interchangeable lenses released before 2017* , it is necessary that the lens firmware is updated to Ver.2.00 or later.
* The release year can be confirmed by the edition number (A017, C015, etc.) engraved on the lens barrel.

Please refer to the following page for details of the lens firmware.
https://www.sigma-global.com/en/download/lenses/firmware/

2. After setting the Digital Lens Optimizer to [OFF], set the “Peripheral Illumination Correction”, “Chromatic Aberration Correction”, and “Distortion Correction” of the “Lens Aberration Correction” function to  [ON] to achieve the appropriate corrections in accordance with the optical characteristics of each lens.

3. AF can be used within the area of approximately 80% of the height and 80% of the width of the sensor surface.

4. For lenses without an OS (Optical Stabilizer) mechanism, the in-camera image stabilization can not be used when the Full-time MF setting is set to “Full- time MF ON” via SIGMA Optimization Pro. When using in-camera image stabilization, please set the Full-time MF setting to “Full- time MF OFF”.
* The default Full- time MF setting is “Full- time MF OFF”.

5.  Image stabilization does not work optimally with interchangeable lenses which are not from the Contemporary, Art or Sports line. Please turn off the camera’s Image stabilization setting, or turn off the OS switch for lenses equipped with an OS (Optical Stabilizer) mechanism when using.

6. For interchangeable lenses which are not from the Contemporary, Art or Sports lines, using MF is recommended, since it may be difficult to achieve sufficient focusing speed and accuracy when AF is used.

For further information, please contact your nearest authorized SIGMA subsidiary / distributor.
https://www.sigma-global.com/en/about/world-network/

We appreciate your continued support for our company and products.

Sigma Announced Pricing And Availability Of Art Prime Cine Lenses

Art Prime Cine Lenses

Sigma announces price and availability of their upcoming Full-Frame Classic Art Prime Cine Lenses and /i Technology-compatible Cine Art Prime PL-Mount Lenses.

Sigma press release:

Sigma Announces Pricing & Availability for its Line of Full-Frame Classic Art Prime Cine Lenses and /i Technology-compatible Cine Art Prime PL-Mount Lenses

The set of 10 Sigma Classic Art Prime Cine lenses will be available early 2020; Select /i Technology-compatible Cine Art Prime PL-mount lenses will ship in late December 2020

Ronkonkoma, NY – December 6, 2019 – Sigma Corporation of America, a leading still photo and cinema lens, camera, flash and accessory manufacturer, today announced pricing and availability for its all new line of full-frame Classic Art Prime Cine lenses and /i Technology- compatible Cine Art Prime PL-mount lenses. Available as a set of 10 lenses, the Sigma Classic Art Prime Cine lenses will be available in early January 2020 for $43,999 USD from authorized dealers. The Sigma PL-mount i/ Technology-compatible Cine Art Primes will be released in two waves; the Sigma Cine 20mm T1.5, 24mm T1.5, 35mm T1.5, 50mm T1.5 and 85mm T1.5 will be available in late December 2019, and the Sigma Cine 14mm T2, 28mm T1.5, 40mm T1.5, 105mm T1.5, and 135mm T2 will be available in late January 2020.

Pricing for Sigma PL-mount i/ Technology-compatible Cine Art Primes is as follows: 14mm T2, 105mm T1.5 and 135mm T2 will retail for $5,499 USD each from authorized dealers. The 20mm T1.5, 24mm T1.5, 28mm T1.5, 35mm T1.5, 40mm T1.5, 50mm T1.5, and 85mm T1.5 will retail for $3,899 USD each from authorized dealers.

Art Prime Cine Lenses
Sigma FF Classic 40mm T2.5 Art Prime
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