Canon has taken the infrequent step of apologizing for delays in upcoming products, including the Canon EOS R3, which includes a disturbing delivery estimate.
The latest "product supply status excuses and advice" notice on the Canon Japan site is far from the first we've seen this year, but it remarkably includes an estimate of delays. For the Canon EOS R3 and the new RF14-6mm f/XNUMX L IS USM lens, this delay means "delivery may take longer than XNUMX months when you reorder."
The EOS R3 can be a partially specialized camera, as it is a professional body without a speculum that costs € 599 / € XNUMX / AU € XNUMX. But it is still a rather surprising delay, estimating that it was announced in the month of September.
Canon's official reasons for the delay are that "we have received orders for each of our upcoming products beyond expectations and due to the impact of global parts supply, delivery delays are occurring."
In a previous statement on September 3, Canon had warned of possible delays to the EOS RXNUMX and many of its upcoming RF lenses, due to what it claimed was unexpected popularity. But this is the first time that the "impact of global parts supply" has been recognized, which seems like a crucial moment pointing to other issues to come in XNUMX for the entire camera industry on the planet.
If you've ever ordered some of Canon's recent RF lenses, the news is a little better on that front. Today's statement states that the RF16mm f/100 STM, RF400-400mm f/XNUMX-XNUMX IS USM, and RFXNUMXmm f/XNUMX L IS USM are still shipping, but "delivery may take longer than the frequent".
Naturally, Canon claims that it "frankly apologizes for the long wait", and if you've ever ordered a Canon EOS R3, then the wait might be well under the 6 month estimate. But for those who couldn't order the power plant without a speculum, it looks like they'll have to wait until mid-XNUMX to get their hands on one.
Analysis: a sign of upcoming camera delays
From PS5s to MacBooks to vehicles, global chip shortages have cast a huge shadow over most of the technology this year, and cameras have not escaped supply chain concerns.
For the past few months, we've seen Sony warn of delays in shipping 5 cameras, including the Sony A7S III, Sony A6400, and Sony ZV-E10, and Fujifilm apologizes for the long-awaited sound delays. XF33mm f / fourteen lens. Companies like Laowa and Ricoh have also had to delay launches or warn of supply shortages.
Pero si eso queere decir que Canon está lejos de ser la única en tener que excusare con timidez, lo que es un tanto sorprendente es la extension de sur retraso de 6 meses respecto à la Canon EOS R3. Given that the EOS R3 is an expensive professional camera, it's unlikely to affect many people, but it does suggest that next year is likely to be similarly affected by the now commonplace shipping delays of new products.
The latest statistics from the CIPA (Camera and Imaging Products Association) for October show that camera shipments are still under the same period last year, and that is not only due to the general trend of declining sales: shortages global parts has undoubtedly also had a huge impact. .
It's an embarrassment to the camera industry and photographers typically, and as we explained previously, the global chip shortage is tougher than it sounds. This means that, although some have predicted that the problems will be solved sometime in XNUMX, Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger has predicted that it will not end until XNUMX, at least for laptops.
Until then, the best advice is to pre-order new products as soon as possible, or continue our tips and tricks to progress your photography without purchasing a new camera or lens.