The Sigma 50mm f/1.4: the IQ of the Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 for ¼ of the price!

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I’ve received an information from a new source, who had a conversation with Sigma. He asked them if they plan to release X-mount versions of their lenses. Well, in short, Sigma’s answer to this source was:

• The Fujifilm X-system market share is too small.
• Due the restricted market share, Sigma currently has no plans at all to release X-mount version of their lenses.
• Fuji should have adopted the M4/3 mount
• Fuji’s fault? By not using the M4/3 mount and offering their own X-mount, Fuji resigned X-shooters to a limited lens selection [Really? Take a look at that, Sigma]
  

That’s a bad news. Especially since over the last year, when Sigma managers were asked if they will offer X-mount versions of their lenses, they didn’t deny this possibility, giving answers like [quote from this video interview] “We always plan to expand our product line for mirrorless cameras. If possible, we would like to support as many systems as possible.” Also to DSLRmagazine Sigma said [google translated]: “I’m pretty sure the market for CSC will grow in the future, do not know how, but we have the belief that we must support as many systems as possible“.

After these statements, a slender hope arose amongst us X-shooters, but according to this information today, waiting for X-mount Sigma lenses is like waiting for Godot.

Now, it’s true that Fuji is not really a giant in the digital camera industry. However, over the last years the X-system grew and it now has a respectable number of followers. I’m convinced that, with the right lens offering & an interesting price tag, Sigma could make some nice money with us X-shooters, as also the Poll here could indicate:

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I do NOT agree with Sigma, when they say that, by not adopting the M4/3 mount, Fuji resigned X-shooters to a limited lens selection. Really? There is plenty of great Fujinon glass out there (and more coming soon). And manufacturers like Samyang, Zeiss, Lensbaby, SLR Magic & more have their X-mount offerings, too. As shown in the amazing complete X-mount glass overview, there are overall 56 X-mount lenses on the market and 6 more are coming soon.

Fujinon glass alone already covers most needs of photographers… and that’s maybe part of the problem for Sigma: all the great Fujinon glass that is already available on the market! It must be hard & risky to compete with it, also for Sigma.

Zeiss tried it with the Touit 12mm and 32mm, but completely failed. Those lenses were too close in FL to existing Fujinon lenses, optically great, but not superior (probably even inferior) to the XF glass and even more expensive than the Fujinons. Result: you can now get them for a fraction of their original price!

Samyang seems to be more successful when it comes to X-mount lenses. They are offering lenses that are still not covered by Fuji (like the Samyang 8mm fisheye) and their probably most successful X-mount lens, the Samyang 12mmF2, convinces with a very low price and good IQ. So no surprise that over at our Fuji X Forum, the Samyang 12mm thread now has 31,828 views and 133 comments… in just 4½ months!

So maybe we should add one more point to Sigma’s thoughts shared at the beginning of this post

• There is so many awesome Fujinon glass out there, that we are afraid to fail when we compete with it, just like Zeiss!

But competition is a good thing for us customers. C’mon Sigma, join the X-mount party and make some pressure on Fuji ;) . Combine the great IQ of your glass with an aggressive price, and you will find many X-shooters ready to invest into it.

And what do you think, should Fuji really have adopted M4/3 mount?

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