It was recently reported that Viltrox, a brand known for their affordable lenses, has discontinued Canon’s RF mounts after rumors that Canon had asked them to withdraw their products. Canon recently confirmed that news, and it certainly raises questions about the future of third-party lenses for their mirrorless cameras.
German Photografix Magazin published a statement from Canon Germany on the matter:
SHENZHEN JUEYING TECHNOLOGY CO.LTD, manufactures Canon RF mount autofocus lenses under the brand name “Viltrox”. Canon believes that these products infringe their patent and design rights and has therefore requested the company to cease any activity that infringes Canon’s intellectual property rights.
It’s unclear what exactly about the Viltrox lens infringed on Canon’s patents and rights, or whether Canon plans to go after other companies with RF lenses on the market. Both Sigma and Tamron are significantly absent from Canon’s RF mount, and it’s unclear when or if we can expect lenses from them. Canon is already well known when it comes to lens design, with decent pricing, and they may be trying to protect their lineup, but if that’s the case, it’s unclear how rigorously they intend to do so. any .
