Sigma’s New Full-Frame, Leica L-Mount Compatible Foveon Makes Waves

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Joining partners Panasonic and Leica in supporting the L-Mount-based ecosystem the three optics giants are building out over the next couple of years, Sigma showed off their all new, full-frame Foveon camera as part of its contribution to the joint effort.

Sigma sd Quattro H Camera from Sigma.

Based upon a sensor using Sigma’s Foveon technology the camera will use what PetaPixels calls a “proprietary three-layer structure in which red, green, and blue pixels each have their own full layer” as opposed to the traditionally shared layer for an effect that Sigma says results in a sharper, more vibrant image.

There is some sad news for fans of Sigma’s SA-Mount ecosystem: The company has committed itself to the Leica L-Mount alliance wholeheartedly and has no plans to release any new SA-Mount products in the future according to a statement from Kazuto Yamaki, Chief Executive Officer at Sigma. In a statement to the press, the CEO writes that “All future interchangeable-lens camera systems developed by SIGMA will feature the L-mount…SIGMA does not plan to develop new cameras equipped with an SA-mount.” Current owners of SA-Mount lenses will have the option of having them converted and there will also be an adapter on the market in the future so everyone is not left out in the cold.

In a somewhat tacit acknowledgment of how much of a money sink investing in these systems can be, Yamaki addressed this future support directly in his press release: “SIGMA treats our continued support for SA-mount lenses as a top priority…This commitment of ours will not be affected by our move to a new mount system, and SA-mount lenses will continue to be part of our production. Please be assured that we are creating the next generation of our cameras with all of our customers in mind.”

More concrete details about the Foveon will be released in the near future but it is expected that the camera and L-Mount compatible accessories will launch sometime in early 2019.

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Kehl is our staff photography news writer since 2017 and has over a decade of experience in online media and publishing and you can get to know him better here and follow him on Insta.

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