Rumors Will 2024 be an exciting year for L-Mount?

[dirk]

Hi,

I stumbled yesterday over a video of PetaPixel in which they talked about which brand had a great year 2023 for new products etc.



That video is around 2 months old. According to their opinion, 2024 will be a very good year for L-Mount and MFT. They did not mean only lenses, but also bodies.

My guess is, that they probably know more than we do.

I am really curious what we will hear or see over the next 2 months. My guess is, that all brands do not want to miss the opportunity to sell new products for the summer holiday season.

But there is another video to think about. From PhotoPXL about the Fuji X100VI



They have backorders worldwide of around 500.000 units for the X100VI. Fuji can only produce 15.000 units per month in China. That means 2 things:

1. If you order today, you will get your camera earliest in 2025, if at all. The former X100V was also sold out forever last year.

2. Fuji has proven, that a rangefinder style body is in high demand. All the talks about nobody would buy an RF style body are proven wrong. I know for sure, that the MFT Lumix GX80/85 model was the best selling Lumix body in Germany.

If you combine the information of the two videos, there seems to be a high probability, that we will see a rangefinder style body in MFT or LMount or both in 2024/2025.

But maybe it is just a hope...

 

[dirk]

Just imagine all the 500.000 X100VI backorders which will not be filled soon. They are all waiting and suffering. They sit there, frustrated, thinking about alternatives for the waiting time.

Now present them an alternative. A new Lumix GX10 with the Lumix 15/1.7 lens is as compact as a X100VI.

Or a Lumix or Sigma RF style body with the Sigma i-series 35/2.0 DG DN on it.

That might be slightly bigger than a X100VI, but you have a fullframe sensor, a better aperture for shallower DOF, a way better lens (image quality), a real aperture ring, better build quality, better haptic, the option to change lenses etc. pp.

I am sure many people on the X100VI waiting list would buy it and see whether they like it until their X100VI arrives in a year.

This is the opportunity for L-Mount and MFT to gain market share. I hope they do not miss this opportunity.

 

[Oíche]

They're buying them stoopid cameras like toilet roll and bleach at the start of Covid 19.

And that's all I have to say about that.

 

[D_Ch]

For as much a i like my GX-80 with the kit lens or the 15mm 1.7, i'd probably get an L-mount version of it with the sigma 35mm 2. Bigger but mo better.

 

[dirk]

For as much a i like my GX-80 with the kit lens or the 15mm 1.7, i'd probably get an L-mount version of it with the sigma 35mm 2. Bigger but mo better.

I am not sure about it. Depends on the sensor they would use in a GX10, how big a RF style L-Mount body would be and - if both have 24MP - whether the 15/1.7 is good enough for that sensor compared to the Sigma 35/2.0.

The lens of the Fuji X100VI is not very good compared i.e. to the new Fuji XF 23/1.4 WR. But still people love it for other reasons like size etc.

That could be also the case with a RF body for MFT vs. an RF body for fullframe.

 

[Pete_W]

For as much a i like my GX-80 with the kit lens or the 15mm 1.7, i'd probably get an L-mount version of it with the sigma 35mm 2. Bigger but mo better.

Yes, while I love my GX85 and would like to see a newer version, I would actually prefer to see an L-mount range-finder style camera with a tilting rear screen. Paired with the Sigma 35mm f/2 and 45mm f/2.8 that I have, and maybe the Panasonic S 18mm f/1.8 would be a great kit.

 

[pdk42]

If I were going to buy an X100-esque camera, it would be the Leica Q3! But it’s not cheap (and also in high demand).

 

[pdk42]

Although, I’m saving my pennies for the new S1R. I’ve sold all my m43 gear now, so I have some £ in the photo gear piggy bank.

 

[xaviergut]

Or a Lumix or Sigma RF style body with the Sigma i-series 35/2.0 DG DN on it.

Dirk, the Leica Q3 is also in high demand, right? Why do some people sell it? I'm just curious...

I would immediately buy a Lumix Q3 with interchangeable lenses...

 

[dirk]

If I were going to buy an X100-esque camera, it would be the Leica Q3! But it’s not cheap (and also in high demand).

I have two Leica Q3 here. Untouched, never used. One of a friend and one of me.

A third friend keeps his one. But after I have seen some comparison shots with my Ricoh GR3, we both were not interested anymore in the Q3.

Too expensive for the marginal better Image quality.

If someone wants one, contact me. It has a 5 year warranty and is unused.

 

[dirk]

Dirk, the Leica Q3 has a huge demand too, hasn't it?

You are selling one, aren't you? Why? I am just curious...

Mainly because the IQ is in my view not that much better than my GR3 and it is just very big. For that money I rather take the GR3 or a Xpro with the 18/1.4.

It all depends what you already have. If you want to buy only one camera, then buy the Q3. In my view way better than the X100VI.

If you have already several different systems, a Q3 does not give you really an added value IMHO.

 

[Miker]

L mount is starting out OK in 2024 with 5 new products.
One new camera, Leica SL3
2 lenses from Panasonic 28-200 and 100/2.8
2 lenses from Sigma 500/5.6 and 50/1.2

Highly likely that there will be a new camera from Panasonic, maybe 2?
2 lenses have been on the Panasonic road map for awhile, that have a good chance of showing up in 2024.
Almost certainly Sigma has more planned in the way of L mount lenses
Leica, who knows, one or more rehoused sigma or Panasonic lenses is likely. Would be nice to see an original design from them, but doubtful.

So for 2024, 2-3 cameras and 6-10 lenses. Not bad.

 

[dirk]

There have been already 6 new LMount lenses in 2024. Check our lens overview sheet and order it by year (last row).

 

[Miker]

There you go! Even better

 

[dirk]

I am very confident with new lenses for the rest of 2024. Most likely a Sigma 85/1.2, Sigma 28/xx and Sigma 70-200/xx (small and compact) and probably a few more from Sigma and Panasonic and maybe also from Samyang.

But cameras are more difficult. More expensive to develop, less units and higher production/development costs for the manufacturer.

One customer buys 1 body and 2-3 lenses in average.

But to keep a system attractive, you need choice for the very different user needs. It does not help to offer 5 times a more or less S5.

The LMount alliance has to enlarge the shooting envelop to attract more customers to the system. A RF style body would be a significant step forward in this direction.

That does not mean, that we do not need an SR2 etc. But we need a broader camera lineup than the same like in 2020.

 

[pdk42]

I am very confident with new lenses for the rest of 2024. Most likely a Sigma 85/1.2, Sigma 28/xx and Sigma 70-200/xx (small and compact) and probably a few more from Sigma and Panasonic and maybe also from Samyang.

Why do you think there'll be a small Sigma 70-200 Dirk?

 

[dirk]

Why do you think there'll be a small Sigma 70-200 Dirk?

Because this is missing in their line up. Sigma made the trinity 16-28/2.8, 24-70/2.8 and 70-200/2.8. Mission accomplished.

Then there is the 28-70/2.8. What is missing is a compact zoom that fits here. Like a 70-200/4.5-5.6 or even a 70-300/ F5.6-6.3. So this is a gap.

The 16-28/2.8 is compact enough and I do not think that the target group of the 28-70/2.8 would be willing to spend a lot of money on an even more compact WA zoom. I do think they would be more intereszed in a compact telezoom then in an even more compact WA zoom.

Same trinity strategy for the F1.2 FFL. Sigma launched a 35/1.2 and a 50/1.2. The next logical step would be a 85/1.2 to complete the F1.2 trinity.

Then they have the 24 in F2 and in F3.5, the 35 in F1 4 and F2, the 50 in F1.4 and F2, the 65 in F2 and then the 90/2.8. So the 28mm is missing either with F2 or F3.5 maybe additional in F1.4 to make this focal lenght attractive to even more users.

There are also around 5 Sigma DSLR lenses which do exist with an converted LMount only, but not yet as a mirrorless DG DN version. The 40/1.4 for example. Sooner or later these will be offered in a new design as a DG DN version.

But this is no insider knowledge and Kazuto Yamaki did not tell me anything. I would never ask him these kind of questions and then talk about it in a public forum

It is just my Interpretation when looking at what they released so far and which lens would make sense as a next step. But as you know I was wrong on the 28mm too. I would have never thought that this takes so long

 

[Roger J]

Just imagine all the 500.000 X100VI backorders which will not be filled soon. They are all waiting and suffering. They sit there, frustrated, thinking about alternatives for the waiting time.

Now present them an alternative. A new Lumix GX10 with the Lumix 15/1.7 lens is as compact as a X100VI.

Or a Lumix or Sigma RF style body with the Sigma i-series 35/2.0 DG DN on it.

That might be slightly bigger than a X100VI, but you have a fullframe sensor, a better aperture for shallower DOF, a way better lens (image quality), a real aperture ring, better build quality, better haptic, the option to change lenses etc. pp.

I am sure many people on the X100VI waiting list would buy it and see whether they like it until their X100VI arrives in a year.

This is the opportunity for L-Mount and MFT to gain market share. I hope they do not miss this opportunity.

Ya, me to. I hope Sigma does something strange again, like a Leica CL with a Foveon sensor
Roger J.

 

[Nevyn72]

But maybe it is just a hope...

IF the following is true, you might be a very happy person Dirk. And I do wonder if the kit-lens with it would be a 28-200. I think that would make sense in a way, because Panasonic is also trying to find a new group of customers:

 

[Oíche]

That'll be good if they release several compact pancake primes to go with it. No point sticking the Lumix 50 f1.4 Pro monster on a rangefinder.

No doubt they'll sell more of these rather than a S1 ii or whatever.