Sigma Celebrates You, the Photographer, As It Marks 65th Anniversary
Amid the shuffle and chaos of Apple’s annual iPhone event, yesterday also marked Sigma’s 65th anniversary, and the company celebrated in very Sigma fashion with a sincere letter to the world and a beautifully animated video featuring technicolor camera and lens parts.
Starting with the letter, shared overnight by DPReview, it’s a vibrant celebration of the independence that ultimately makes Sigma different from many of its fellow Japanese photography companies. Unlike Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Sony, and Panasonic, Sigma isn’t publicly traded. This is a big deal.
Rather than answer to shareholders, Sigma answers to itself and its employees, and ultimately, its customers. As Sigma’s CEO, Kazuto Yamaki, told PetaPixel last year, he runs Sigma like it’s a family business — because it is. He took over for his father, Michihiro Yamaki, who founded Sigma in 1961.
“My father was a really poor photographer, but he loved photography. And he always told me to take over the business because photography is a wonderful business, because people take photos when they are happy. So, the photo business is about happy business. So, he always asked me to take over the business — it’s really nice business — and I’ve tried to take over his philosophy,” Kazuto Yamaki told PetaPixel.
As part of this “happy business,” Sigma has proven time and again to be extremely committed to its local community in Aizu, where it not only has its headquarters and factory, but also now a rice farm that is as much about keeping people in the area employed and fed as it is about making money.
But make no mistake, photography is a hard business. Since Sigma’s founding in 1961, so much about the market has changed. How people interact with photography and video has changed too. But as Yamaki writes in his letter, presented in full below, what hasn’t changed is how much photography matters.
On September 9, 2026, Sigma celebrates its 65th anniversary.
Our company was one of the last to enter an industry once so crowded with camera and lens manufacturers that it was said a brand existed for almost every letter of the alphabet. Over the decades, fierce competition and shifts in the market and business environment forced many to withdraw. That Sigma has been able to maintain its independence and continue operating to this day is entirely due to the generous support of everyone connected to us, for which we are deeply grateful.
First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere thanks to our customers who use and love our products. Although our products and services may have fallen short at times, your unwavering support has been our greatest source of strength. The stern feedback we received on occasion served as invaluable lessons that fueled our growth. We are also profoundly grateful to our dealers, business partners, and suppliers for their many years of support in sustaining our business, as well as to the local communities where we operate for their warm understanding and encouragement. Sigma exists today because it has been nurtured and supported by so many of you.
Guided by the philosophy of our founder, Michihiro Yamaki — “For Happy Moments,” reflecting his belief that photography accompanies people in their moments of happiness — we have strived to create products that are not only of high quality and performance, but also innovative, original, and beautiful. None of this was ever easy, but we feel we have been guided here by the sheer fascination of photography and filmmaking. Working within a field so deeply rooted in culture and art makes us feel truly fortunate.
While technological innovations continue to transform the nature of photography and video, their core significance has not faded — if anything, it has become even more vital to humanity. As we look ahead, we will continue our daily efforts while reflecting on the role Sigma should play, and how we can contribute to the development of photographic and visual culture, social peace, and human happiness.
With heartfelt gratitude for all your support,
Kazuto Yamaki
Sigma, CEO
It’s a great letter, and it is safe to say Sigma has done a superb job living up to its founding legacy. The company continues to make outstanding lenses that are fun to use and relatively accessible.
Alongside Yamaki’s letter to the photography world, Sigma also released a really beautiful, somewhat trippy video. It features X-ray-like images of cameras and lenses, some great music, and a ton of colors. You really need to watch it; it’s unlike anything else I’ve seen.
Please note that the video below has flashing lights and patterns that could affect people with photosensitive conditions.
Congratulations on 65 years, Sigma. And here’s to another 65.
Image creditsSigma. Sigma’s 65th anniversary video was directed by Daihei Shibata with music by Cornelius, creative direction by Ichiro Iwasaki, and video production by WOW inc.
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