[Winder]

Photokina 2018: Sigma interview - 'There's no magic to it, we just try to be unique': Digital Photography Review

[BigMackCam]

Mr Yamaki comes across extremely well. His answers are excellent... you get a real sense of down-to-earth enthusiasm from him.

[UncleVanya]

Interesting that they use Hoya glass they developed.

[stevebrot]

Did you see the editor's note inferring Pentax K to be dropped from Sigma in favor of L-mount?


Steve

[BigMackCam]

Did you see the editor's note inferring Pentax K to be dropped from Sigma in favor of L-mount?

I didn't... That's a shame, but I wonder how much difference that really makes, taking recent years into account.

I'd like to see what Ricoh Imaging comes out with for Pentax by the end of 2019 and then assess what third parties like Sigma intend to do (or not, as the case may be)...

Although I'm generally positive about Ricoh's ownership of the Pentax brand, I'd love to see them either partner up or be more open with third party developers. I can totally live with Pentax's slower pace of development and product releases, but given that I think it would be a huge feather in its cap to allow one or more third parties privileged access and development for K-mount cameras...

[ramseybuckeye]

I would still not be surprised if Ricoh bought Sigma or Tamron since Pentax does not seem to have enough manufacturing capacity.

[reh321]

I didn't... That's a shame, but I wonder how much difference that really makes, taking recent years into account.

I've made a practice of carrying just three lenses in my bag .... a wide-angle lens, a normal lens, and a telephoto lens. In recent years, first as a Canon owner and now as a Pentax owner, the normal and telephoto lenses came from the body-manufacturer ... but the wide-angle has been a Sigma 10-20mm.

[automorphism]

I love this guy's interviews. He often seems to say what's on his mind instead of bland marketspeak. For example he admits that early Sigma firmware wasn't good and he says he's jealous of some of Canon's new RF lenses. Quite a down to earth guy, and a contrast to the typical interviews from Canon.

[Mistral75]

I would still not be surprised if Ricoh bought Sigma or Tamron since Pentax does not seem to have enough manufacturing capacity.

I would, considering that Sigma are a family-owned company and very proud of it and Tamron have close links with Sony, which are their first client and second shareholder.

I wonder where 'Pentax does not seem to have enough manufacturing capacity' comes from, considering their Vietnam plant's output from seven years ago was around twice the current one.

Pentax (or rather Ricoh Imaging) are EBIT-driven, which impacts R&D and marketing spend and explains the current pace of new products.

[Rondec]

Did you see the editor's note inferring Pentax K to be dropped from Sigma in favor of L-mount?


Steve

It seems more that the L mount is going to be the new S mount. Sigma for a long time has released lenses in their own S mount even though sales of those lenses have to be tiny. I'm sure they are hoping this new mount is more succesful, both in terms of cameras and lenses sold.

They haven't released new lenses in K mount for a long time, but I suppose a lot of that will depend on what Pentax has in store for next year.

[mecrox]

A super interview, but the ones he gives always are. Interesting that he said he thought the mix would be 70/30 in favour of mirrorless in three or four years, which sort of implies he thinks the Canonikon DSLR mounts are going to be mothballed, in effect. And that making more shorter production runs for several different mounts is a cost challenge for Sigma, rather than longer production runs for fewer mounts as has been the case to date. Makes me wonder for how long the many competing mounts on FF are going to last before there is a shake-out.

[Kunzite]

Interesting that he said he thought the mix would be 70/30 in favour of mirrorless in three or four years, which sort of implies he thinks the Canonikon DSLR mounts are going to be mothballed, in effect.

Does he think that way? Or is just saying that to support Sigma's move to mirrorless? Good ol' FUD?

This year will close with the DSLR:MILC ratio of about 1.6:1 or greater. 3 years for a ratio of 0.4:1? A decline way sharper than what we actually see... and don't tell me about the mirrorless who changes everything, we had it for years (Sony) and it didn't change things that much.
In "three or four year", IMO, MILCs will reach parity.

[dstar]

It seems more that the L mount is going to be the new S mount. Sigma for a long time has released lenses in their own S mount even though sales of those lenses have to be tiny. I'm sure they are hoping this new mount is more succesful, both in terms of cameras and lenses sold.

They haven't released new lenses in K mount for a long time, but I suppose a lot of that will depend on what Pentax has in store for next year.

Nothing surprises if look Sigma bosses interview from last year they very clear explaining why no investment to new lenses to Pentax

[mee]

Did you see the editor's note inferring Pentax K to be dropped from Sigma in favor of L-mount?

Outside of support for lenses they already offer in K, I think they're already dropped from Sigma a couple of years ago. Now they being in a big alliance for another mount just seals it imo. Same article, the Sigma rep also states SA mount is still going to be supported (at least in the near term) with new lenses. So I don't see any room for new K.


I think KAF4 came too late. A year or two sooner and we might have seen a bit more traction from them.. though I am still kind of surprised there aren't more 'holes' being filled by 3rd parties with the FF lineup. 24-105 f/4, 70-200 f/4, newer 70-300 and/or 100-400, f/1.8 primes, wide angle primes.. etc.. there are a lot of openings for 3rd parties to enter. Sales must be super slow compared to other manufacturers for them to balk at the thought..

[jpzk]

Did you see the editor's note inferring Pentax K to be dropped from Sigma in favor of L-mount?


Steve

That must be a hoax !