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Sigma interview: We will continue to develop unique lenses that other companies cannot imitate

Sigma President Kazuto Yamaki has been interviewed by PHILEWEB. The interview is in Japanese and here is the google translated text from the summary made by Digicameinfo. Kazuto says:

By this time last year, I was prepared to halve the sales compared to the previous year, but in reality, I was a little relieved without falling that much.
Even after the corona converges, online activities should be firmly established and expanded as one solid flow, and new activities will be carried out with a strong awareness of how to promote the appeal of products and how to enjoy photography through online. I’m starting.

Since the camera body is miniaturized by mirrorless, the lens must of course be the size that matches the body. Moreover, as the number of pixels increases, of course, quality is not compromised.
In advancing the mirrorless exclusive design, the first thing we worked on was improving the resolution. Know-how will be accumulated by continuing to pursue it, and after a certain stage, there will be room to make it compact at the same time. Furthermore, it is not enough to just make it compact, but it will be possible to pay attention to the finish of the photograph, such as how to suppress axial chromatic aberration and coma.

F1.8 to 2 class compact single focus lenses are generally made of plastic, and the cheap impression cannot be wiped out. I can’t find anything that meets the needs of a compact product with a good texture. The “I series” meets such needs. The operability and texture that cannot be achieved by mass production are points that cannot be imitated anywhere else.
In the I series, the original schedule was overturned in various places, and in order to create a solid structure to give a texture, parts that are not always necessary are added, which costs a lot of extra. .. I think that this kind of “selfishness” is one of the strengths of an unlisted company.

(About the big boom as a fp webcam) I was really surprised because I thought that no one really thought about using a camera that costs more than 200,000 yen as a webcam. Of course, the traditions of the past are important, but I would like to actively take on the challenge of more free-thinking video devices for the next generation.
Sigma will take on new challenges because it will not be a match even if it stands on the same ground as a major manufacturer. Nowadays, there are professionals who shoot music videos and short movies with smartphones such as iPhones, so manufacturers who think that cameras should be like this become obsolete.

I dare to put out something that major manufacturers can never put out. Even if you take some risk, put it out with something different. That is what our company is essentially required to do. In the end, I believe that it will contribute to the revitalization of the industry in no small measure.
We will continue to develop unique lenses that cannot be imitated by other companies. I want you to look forward to Sigma in the future.