This one of the crazy camera rumors I've heard, but crazier things have happened: Viltrox is reportedly making a mirrorless camera that uses the Nikon Z mount.
If true, this might also explain the vigor with which Nikon has been legally pursuing the Chinese manufacturer.
On the surface, Nikon suing Viltrox over the Z mount seemed to be about the unlicensed production of third-party lenses. But if Viltrox is planning to use the Big N's mount wholesale, it becomes a much bigger issue.
Is Viltrox really making a Z-mount camera?
Viltrox has been rumored to be developing a mirrorless camera system since at least last August. When the brand joined the L-Mount Alliance in September, the dominoes seemed to line up for a Viltrox L-Mount camera.
Which may, indeed, still be the case. But Chinese social media has been rife with reports that Viltrox has – or, at least, had – its sights set on the Z mount.
Chinese social media, of course, is hardly the most robust source of information. However, when it comes to Chinese manufacturers, it has proven to be the most reliable insight into what companies in the region are up to.
It would be ballsy as all hell to make a completely unlicensed camera using someone's proprietary mount. Not unheard of, but certainly not from a brand as big as Viltrox.
As such, I'd personally take the biggest pinch of sale you can and file this one under "highly unlikely" – but that doesn't mean Viltrox wasn't developing something. Or, perhaps more offensively to Nikon, reverse-engineering something.
Why would Viltrox want to make cameras?
What would be the point in a third-party lens maker starting to produce cameras? It's a fair question. There is a mountain of R&D time and money involved in making a camera of any kind – let along a mirrorless camera that is going to compete with cutting-edge products from the likes of Nikon.
But you need only look at Sigma, which recently added the Sigma BF to the Sigma fp and fp L, as a lens maker who decided that the juice was worth the squeeze. Those cameras used the L Mount, with Sigma being a fellow (and indeed founding) member of the Alliance.
Then there's Yongnuo, another Chinese manufacturer, which launched a series of mirrorless cameras using the Micro Four Thirds mount – an open source standard, which would be a far less problematic route for camera development.
Still, it's a big expense and a big risk for minimal reward – Yongnuo's cameras were poorly received, and largely disappeared without trace, while Sigma's cameras are well regarded but hardly sell huge numbers.
However, Viltrox did say last year that, "Our commitment is to create a seamless and responsive ecosystem for creators," and this move would certainly serve that purpose.
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For cameras that you can safely buy without anyone getting sued by the Big N, check out the best Nikon cameras and the best mirrorless cameras from all manufacturers.
