By unveiling its first lenses for Nikon’s Z mount, Sigma may increase the pressure on Canon to reverse its decision to keep its RF mount restricted to third-party lens makers.

Nikon Rumors is sure that one of the most well-known lens manufacturers, Sigma, will reveal its first lenses for Nikon’s mirrorless camera system in the first few months of 2023. The website “expects to see the formal announcement during the CP+ event in Japan,” which takes place in February 2023.

Though we can only speculate as to which Sigma lenses are on the way, this news would be exciting for Nikon and Canon mirrorless camera owners and shoppers alike.

Tamron’s announcement in August that it was making the first third-party autofocus lens for Nikon’s Z Mount demonstrated that the system was now ready to accept lenses other than those manufactured by Nikon. Canon, on the other hand, has come under fire for being stubbornly guarded about their RF mount, with the camera giant even issuing a warning to lens manufacturer Viltrox about possible patent infringement.

We’ve reached out to Nikon for comment on the likelihood of Sigma producing Z-mount lenses and will revise this article accordingly. Nikon users may not have to wait long, either, as Sigma’s lenses for Sony E mount and other competitors are now available.

Both the popular Art line, which consists mostly of high-quality primes with fast apertures, and the more cheap Contemporary series, which is designed to work with smaller and less expensive cameras, are examples of Sigma’s renowned lens offerings. There may be a place for some of its Art lenses in Nikon’s current lens portfolio, especially those with f/1.4 apertures.

In October, we inquired as to whether Canon had any plans to allow third-party lenses to be used with their RF mount, and the company responded that “we are carefully reviewing each request in keeping with our business strategy.” If Sigma lenses were available for the Z mount, I think Canon would think twice about making that move.

There is increasing pressure on Canon

When the mirrorless camera systems from Canon and Nikon first debuted in 2018, the selection of native lenses for each was quite restricted. The camera industry’s heavy hitters have spent the past several years racing to fill up their respective RF-mount and Z-mount lens lines with cutting-edge optics, yet gaps remain.

That’s why Nikon finally started letting companies like Tamron and presumably Sigma make lenses for their Z mount. Yet Canon remains committed to its original plan, which sees the company earn the lion’s share of the revenue generated by the lenses purchased by the owners of its mirrorless cameras.

Sony, on the other hand, has allowed other lens manufacturers access to its E-mount for a number of years now. As a consequence, consumers shopping for a new camera have the best selection of lenses to choose from with Sony cameras like the Sony A7 IV and Sony A7R V.

In order to close the gap in its own lens range, Nikon has shifted its lens approach, and it appears likely that Canon will do the same in the future. Since Canon’s EF-mount DSLRs are compatible with third-party lenses from manufacturers like Tamron and Sigma, it seems to reason that the company would do the same here.

The real question is how soon that will occur. The pressure on Canon to make a course correction might become too great if, in February 2023, Sigma does release many lenses for the Nikon Z mount.