Sigma indefinitely postpones full-frame camera with Foveon sensor

Sigma announced last year that the upcoming full-frame camera with a Foveon X3 sensor would come out in 2020, but that is not going to happen. The camera has been delayed again and will not be released this year anyway. When and whether the camera will be released is uncertain.

Sigma’s CEO Kazuto Yamaki said in a statement that tests have shown that it is unfeasible to release the camera this year. He indicates that it is not yet possible to say when the Foveon X3 sensor will actually go into production. Yamaki apologizes for saying Sigma has failed to live up to expectations.

The company cannot yet provide specific information about a possible new release period. Sigma has decided to restart the project ‘with a clean slate’, putting the production plan for the new camera back on the drawing board. The company says it will go back to developing sensor technology.

The full-frame camera would have an L-mount and use a Foveon X3 sensor that consists of three layers with all the same number of pixels. Because all color information is captured on the three layers broken down by primary color, the Foveon technique provides more color information and more detail compared to traditional Bayer sensors. Disadvantages are increased battery usage and iso values ​​above 200 are actually unusable. The lower layers of the sensor also capture less light, making shooting in low light difficult.

The project was first announced at the CP+ trade show in 2018. The camera was supposed to hit the market in 2019, but last year the company announced that the camera would be delayed until this year.