The word "Sigma" is derived from Summation, the process of adding things together, and this video does that beautifully. It documents the journey to the factory in Japan, and what makes this video different, is the time spent with Kazuto Yamaki-san, the son of the founder of SIGMA corporation.
I'm not sure if it's the Japanese way of life or the Sigma company culture only, but there is a depth in thinking that is reminiscent of photography and a photographer's way of thinking. To harmonize the space, to communicate with each other, to use what you have — in this case old machinery — that according to him is more efficient than newer technologies.
Kazuto says that the factory cannot work with only computers, and if it had to do so, it'll have to be a very large system and it might not work in harmony with the factory as a whole.
SIGMA is one of the best third-party lens manufacturers in the world. They produce lenses for photography and film, as well as some cameras. For me it's incredible to be able to peek inside the factory and see a part of that piece of gear you use daily, and know where it came from.
What a great video. Thank you.
love these behind the scenes kinda stuff.
Very cool. That guy has his shit together, and he's taken his dad's company to new heights. Interesting that the old production technology was so advanced for it's time and refined over time that it still has it's uses in production and training. There's an old 30-minute promo Nikon made back in '66 that shows that machinery when it was state of the art. At 30 minutes, it's kinda long, but a cool time capsule.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXuwCZm6w8Y