Sigma hits pause on Micro Four Thirds

In an apparent setback for the open-standard Micro Four Thirds system used by camera makers OM and Panasonic, Sigma has announced it is not planning any new lenses for the system.

In a recent interview with French-language website Phototrend, Sigma CEO Kazuto Yamaki noted that demand for Sigma-designed MFT lenses had declined in recent years.

Sigma has no plans to develop new Micro Four Thirds lenses though it will continue to support it's current lineup of four MFT lenses (pictured, left to right): the 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens, 30mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens, Sigma 56mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary Lens and 30mm f/2.8 DN Art Lens. Image: Supplied

"We still have several models that we will keep in our catalog," he said. "However, we are not planning to design new Micro Four Thirds optics at this time. Perhaps because of this, the demand for this format is decreasing very strongly, and it is therefore quite difficult for us to develop completely new optics for this ecosystem."

Sigma is now focusing on full-frame and APS-C mount lenses, though Yamaki noted that APS-C lens sales are also falling: "I think the Micro 4/3 has many advantages, especially its compactness. Personally, I really like this system. But currently, the trend is clearly in favour of full-frame, alongside APS-C, which is also in decline by the way."