Canon finally opens up RF mount to Tamron and Sigma
Canon RF users rejoice: after years of the RF mount remaining exclusively for Canon's in-house lenses only, Sigma and Tamron have confirmed they will each release lenses for Canon’s APS-C mirrorless mount.
Earlier this year Canon said in a statement to PetaPixel that it was actively working to bring third-party lenses to RF mount, and the company has been good to its word - with the announcement overnight that both Tamron and Sigma are set to release their own RF-mount lenses.
Canon has long been the only major camera manufacturer to not allow third-party lens makers to produce 'fully supported' lenses for its mirrorless cameras. But not anymore.
Sigma says it will release six of its Contemporary lenses already available for other mounts: the 18-50mm f/2.8 DC DN, the 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN, the 16mm f/1.4 DC DN, 23mm f/1.4 DC DN, 30mm f/1.4 DC DN, and 56mm f/1.4 DC DN.
Tamron will dip their toe into RF with just one lens at this point, the 11-20mm F/2.8 Di III-A RXD.
Both companies say that the lenses will be fully supported on Canon RF.
For Sigma, this means both lenses will work with the company's control algorithm for the autofocus drive and communication speed optimisation.
“In addition to realizing high-speed AF, the lens also supports AF-C (Continuous AF), in-camera aberration correction, and in-camera image stabilization. The mount is rubber-sealed to cater for use in a variety of environments,” Sigma says.
Tamron says that after “receiving many requests from customers to offer lenses compatible with the Canon RF mount, Tamron made the decision to develop a lens for the Canon RF mount under a license agreement.”
Tamron expects to launch the lens sometime in 2024.
Canon has previously said that its choice to keep its mounts closed is a business decision and it remians unlikely that mentality has changed for its full-frame R mount.
However, this thinking has no doubt been challenged by the relatively limited number of RF lens options available to consumers.
The move to open up RF mount could also be read as an acknowledgement from Canon that it has been unable to meet demand from its RF users, who are likely tempted by other camera brands with greater lens options.