Viltrox Has Joined the L-Mount Alliance
Optics and camera technology manufacturer Viltrox has, alongside Leica, announced that it has joined the L-mount alliance and will develop future lenses for the standard.
In January, PetaPixel reported that Viltrox was in negotiations with Leica and the L-mount Alliance to become a member and that has borne fruit. Viltrox becomes the 10th company to become part of the Alliance since it was founded in 2018 and joins Leica, Sigma, Panasonic, Leitz, DJI, Astro Design, LK Samyang, Blackmagic Design, and Sirui. Now that it is an official member, Viltrox can develop products for L-mount photo and video cameras.
“The L-Mount was developed by Leica Camera AG with the aim of providing customers with a future-proof, flexible, robust, and precise bayonet mount that would fulfill even the most demanding photographic needs,” Leica says.
“After its initial appearance, development of the L-Mount was continued by Leica as well as by its strategic partners. This led to significant improvements with new and more sophisticated L-Mount technology, resulting in a constantly growing portfolio of cameras and lenses from all existing and new alliance partners, currently comprising over 20 cameras and more than 120 lenses.”
“Viltrox has joined the L-Mount Alliance, further expanding the system’s reach with high-quality, versatile, and accessible lenses. This collaboration complements Leica’s portfolio by inspiring a new generation of creators – from passionate enthusiasts to seasoned professionals – while reinforcing a dynamic and inclusive ecosystem alongside alliance partners DJI, Panasonic, Blackmagic Design, and Sigma,” Dai Jinhui, CEO of Viltrox says.
The addition of Viltrox lenses to L-mount would be a boon for Panasonic, Leica, Blackmagic, and Sigma camera owners. Over the last year, Viltrox has substantially improved its value proposition, especially with regard to its Pro and LAB series lenses.
Just this year, the 85mm f/1.4 Pro and the 35mm f/1.2 LAB both shone brightly as oustanding options for shockingly low prices.
“So far, the Viltrox lenses I’ve reviewed have proven themselves to be excellent value while still delivering premium optical quality. The LAB lenses in particular clearly show an emphasis on providing professional-quality results without asking photographers to wield a huge budget,” PetaPixel’s Chris Niccolls wrote in his review of the 35mm f/1.2.
“The value for the dollar is amazing here in a time when prices just seem to only go up and the ‘Pro’ moniker on this lens certainly lives up to its name,” he continues in his 85mm f/1.4 Pro review. “The only thing I don’t like about this lens is the fact that it is only available for Sony E-mount.”
That now can change.
The key word there, however, is “can.” It remains to be seen how Viltrox will go about expanding into L-mount. When LK Samyang announced that it had joined the Alliance in 2023, the expectation of many photographers was that its full line of E-mount lenses would be quickly ported over. The opposite has been the case, and LK Samyang has released multiple new lenses this year and none of them launched on L-mount.
Image credits: Elements of header photo courtesy of the L-Mount Alliance
