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Viltrox has released a range of high-end lenses for Nikon Z-mount, including the 85mm F1.4 Pro. These appear to have been released without a license from Nikon. Photo: Viltrox |
Nikon has responded to reports of it taking legal action against the maker of Viltrox lenses by focusing on its work with licensees of its lens mount.
“Nikon has always worked with officially licensed partner companies to expand the Z-mount ecosystem.” the company said in response to questions about the lawsuit: “We promote technological advancement through healthy competition and encourage the use of third-party lenses from manufacturers licensed by Nikon.”
The statement notably neither acknowledges nor denies the reports of legal action being taken.
Up until now, a large number of lenses have been available for Nikon’s Z-mounts made by third-party makers that aren’t part of Nikon’s license program; these come in addition to the specific lenses it has issued licenses for, from Tamron and Sigma.
Translations of the court docket by Nikon Rumors suggest Nikon is claiming Viltrox’s lenses infringe on patented work. A hearing is scheduled for March 2nd, 2026.
“We… encourage the use of third-party lenses from manufacturers licensed by Nikon”
Like Canon, Nikon has been selective about which third-party lenses it’s issued licenses for, but whereas Canon pursued both Samyang and Viltrox to prevent them from offering unlicensed products, this is the first instance we’ve seen of Nikon taking legal action against companies that haven’t licensed the mount and its communication protocol.
If Nikon prevails in the case, we’d expect to see Z-mount Viltrox lenses withdrawn from the market. It’s unclear where that would leave existing owners of Z-mount Viltrox lenses. Firmware updates for cameras have previously caused compatibility issues with unlicensed lenses, and Viltox may be blocked from updating them if the patents in question relate to the communication protocol.
Success for Nikon may also prompt other third parties to withdraw their Z-mount lenses, if they conclude their designs touch on the same patented technologies.
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