Sony Corporation announced that it will disclose the basic specifications of its “E-mount” for interchangeable single lens cameras, without fee, to manufacturers of lenses and mount adaptors, starting 1 April this year. 

 

This opens the way for manufacturers of various lenses and mount adaptors to effectively develop products conforming to “E-mount” specifications, garnering support for Sony’s new compact range of DSLRs. Unlike regular DSLRs systems, the E-mount system is mirrorless, allowing for the implementation of APS-C sensors in very compact bodies (read our review of the NEX-3 here).

 

Users of Sony’s NEX-3 and NEX-5 DSLRs, the NEX-VG10 camcorder and other “E-mount” compatible Sony digital imaging products to be launched in the future, will now be able to use interchangeable lenses from both Sony and various other manufactures, while they will also be able to attach non-Sony lenses to their Sony digital imaging products via a mount adapter.

 

These basic specifications will be disclosed to manufactures of lenses and mount adaptors following a predefined process of approval and the signing of a license agreement with Sony.

 

As of yesterday, the decision to disclose basic specifications of the “E-mount” has been endorsed by Carl Zeiss AG, Cosina, Sigma and Tamron.

 

Sony’s announcement comes on the back of news that both Carl Zeiss and Schneider Kreuznach have agreed to manufacture lenses for Sony’s competition in the small form-factor segment, the Micro Four Thirds group.