14 DAY TRIAL // In a recent interview for Impress Magazine, Sigma CEO Mr. Kazuto Yamaki has revealed a few inside information about the company's plans for 2014.
Although recent rumors stated that the Japanese optics manufacturer was planning to release its first mirrorless digital camera, Mr. Yamaki said that, for 2014, the company planned to release a new camera model that won't be a mirrorless and won't feature a full frame sensor, but he doesn't rule out these possibilities from 2015 onwards.
This doesn't really come as a surprise, as the Nippon manufacturer can't be compared with industry giants like Sony, Canon, or Nikon, which can release plenty of new camera models in a short period of time. Furthermore, the Foveon sensor is hard to work with, and in order to make a full-frame sensor, it would require a lot more time compared with usual Bayer sensor manufacturing process.
In addition to that, Mr. Yamaki announced that Sigma was working to improve its current line of digital SLR cameras (SD-series) with an improved Foveon APS-C sensor that would better fit the needs of enthusiast photographers.
When it comes to Sigma's compact camera series (DP Merrill), Mr Yamaki said that the company was planning to announce one or two new models that will address customers request for other focal lengths. This could be done in a few months after the decision is taken and maybe we will have the chance to admire them at Photokina, which takes place in Cologne starting September 16 through September 21, 2014.
Recently, a few rumors emerged that Sigma was about to announce a few new lenses next year, including a 16-20mm f/2 DG and a 135mm f/2 DG OS lens. Whether these rumors are true or not remains to be seen in the following months.
You can find the whole interview in Japanese on Impress Magazine. What do you think about Sigma's plans for 2014? Let us know in the comments section below.