Leica, Panasonic and Sigma Announce 'L-Mount Alliance'

Micro 4/3 will soon have a full-frame counterpart—a consortium of different companies building products around the same lensmount with shared specifications.

In Cologne, Germany, this morning, the site of this week's Photokina, three companies—Leica Camera AG of Germany, Panasonic Corporation of Japan, and Sigma Corporation of Japan—have announced the L-Mount Alliance (the official symbol is at right) centered around the L-mount already developed by Leica.

All three companies are cameramakers and all three companies are lensmakers, and all three will contribute future compatible products to the full-frame and APS-C L-mount system.

Due to legal regulations, the three companies will not coordinate their product roadmaps. The new dedicated L-Mount website states, "The three companies are competitors who manufacture and sell cameras and lenses. However, when we consider each company's standing point and strengths, there are very few areas where they interfere with each other. This is an exceptionally balanced partnership." Panasonic, which of course had an existing partnership with Leica and works in cooperation with Sigma on Micro 4/3 products, served as the "middleman" to bring the alliance together.

The owner of Leica, Dr. Andreas Kaufmann, said, "For photographers, the ability to choose from a wide range of lenses for their system of preference is extremely important. Especially in the strongly growing market for mirrorless system cameras, users seek increasingly greater product diversity to fulfill a wide range of different photographic needs. We have therefore decided to work together with prominent partners in the photographic segment as an immediate response to these needs."

Note that Leica's existing L-mount lineup comprises both full-frame (24x36mm) and APS-C cameras (the T/TL/TL2 and CL) with the same lensmount. The L-mount has a diameter of 51.6mm and a flange distance of 20mm. Although slightly smaller in diameter than the Nikon Z and Canon R mounts, Panasonic noted that Leica developed the first 35mm camera and "they know what they're doing."

The contributions of the two Japanese partners are still basically in development at this point.

Panasonic has has given a clear idea of what's upcoming: it made a development announcement of two cameras, one 24 MP (emphasizing speed, and pro wedding and journalist customers) and one 47 MP (emphasizing resolution, and enthusiast and artist customer), that will be available by early 2019, along with three lenses, and it has stated that its L-mount products will include no fewer than ten new lenses by the end of 2020.

A world of possibilities
The possibilities for us photographers are pretty heady. At the most basic level, it means a wide array of lenses available relatively quickly at a number of different price points. It would seem to offer the possibility, too, of greater ease in moving up within the system without obsoleting earlier investments. And of course there's the possibility of greater flexibility: Leica SL owners will be able to augment their mainstay Leica lenses with less expensive lenses for more occasional uses, for example. But more than that, the L-Mount Alliance tantalizes with the possibility of complementing capabilities within the same system: the coming Panasonic cameras will offer the "World's first support for 4K 60p/50p video recording in a full-frame Digital Single Lens Mirrorless camera," for instance, and it's likely, or possible, that Sigma will build a Foveon-sensor camera that is native to the L-mount at some point in the future.

UPDATE: Sigma CEO Kazuto Yamaki has reportedly confirmed the development of a full-frame Foveon sensor in an interview at Photokina. He also said that Sigma will be killing its proprietary SA lensmount in favor of L-mount.

It's Photokina day, and there's a lot going on, so that's enough for now.

Mike

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Comments

[John Robison]

Interesting that Olympus is not involved. I’d hate to see another old line camera company exit the business. Survival seems a near thing in a hyper competitive market.

[John Camp]

I think they're the best-looking of the current generation of FF cameras, and they certainly touch all the bases: dual IS, two card slots, great available lens set (although those Leica lenses are way expensive) and a choice of two sensors, one emphasizing speed and the other resolution. Although the FF GAS is building, I see that Leica/Panasonic is also offering a Leica DG f1.7 10-25 wide-angle zoom for m4/3. That's seriously tempting, but I bet it'll be a beast...

[Rodolfo Canet]

Well, it seems that Sigma has indeed confirmed there will be a Foveon-FF camera.

https://www.cnet.com/news/sigma-working-on-a-full-frame-foveon-sensor/

[Jeff]

Kazuto Yamaki confirms Sigma is going to make a full frame L-mount camera with Foveon sensor, according to the new L Rumors site....
https://www.l-rumors...-foveon-sensor/

[Doug C]

The Leica L-mount seems to have grown since last week. Friday it was 48.8 mm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lens_mount
Leica L 20 mm APS-C and 35 mm 48.8 mm Bayonet Still (Digital) Leica L mount (Autofocus MILC) series

Now it's up to a more respectable 51.6 mm. Not sure how that happened.

[Michael Perini]

Mr. Yamaki has made some great decisions at Sigma since taking over for his Father, the focus on quality lenses has remade the company.
His weak spot seems to be anything to do with Foveon.
In my opinion, the smartest thing he could do about that is to give 24% of all things Foveon to both Panasonic & Leica in exchange for sensor development help. The two sets of deep pockets could bring that sensor to true commercial viability.
Sigma has 2 strikes when it comes to sensor/ camera design and the worst thing they could do is bring out a version of the sensor that has the same problems as all past Foveon sensors..
The marvelous image quality alone, is not enough to succeed as a commercial product.
Panasonic & Leica could surely help with that, and ownership interest would be a strong motivator.
I really wish them well.

[Jeroen Pulles]

It's a nice detail to see the (Leitz) red dot in the L mount logo. It does make me think that the L mount will remain a pana-leica affair.

[Marcelo Guarini]

The only thing that will make me have an FF camera is when there is one with a Foveon sensor, even if I have to use it on a tripod at ISO 50-100. I have a Dp2 Merrill and its images are simply beautiful. Anyway, my main system will continue being M43.

[Andre]

A camera with a full-frame Foveon sensor could end up being the truly affordable "medium format" that Fuji seems to be chasing.

[Al C.]

Channeling the estimable Homer Simpson: Mmmmmmm, full frame Foveon...

I hope it's the drool-worthy Merrill, not the compromised Quattro, version.

[hugh crawford]

Oh A red dot with white logo. Looks vaguely familiar. Mattel? Beats? Texaco? Hoover? Coca Cola? Manfrotto? Pintrest? Lucky Goldstar? Hmm

https://www.logodesignlove.com/done-before

[MarkB]

Full-frame Foveon? Leica, Sigma & Panasonic as partners? Nikon and Canon with new mirrorless lens mounts? My head is spinning!

Strange days here in camera-town. Strange days, indeed.

[Kodachromeguy]

There are some spectacular new cameras coming out. Wow, my head is spinning. However, I'm a bit bothered by the size of some of these new full frame cameras. While on a business trip to Washington, I stopped at the Leica store and checked out the SL. Fantastic technical achievement, but it's huge and heavy. I might rent one, but certainly would not own one myself. That's a real pity.

[Bob Johnston]

A video about he new Panasonic FF has appeared on the BBC news website top stories section!

[Tom Simonsen]

There are two measurements that can confuse anyone - inner diameter and throat diameter. It is rather well described here: https://photographylife.com/what-is-lens-mount