Canon profits down slightly in Q1

[Mike Ca]

Canon release results for Q1. Profits were down slightly.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/26/canon-idUSL3E7FP23S20110426

Canon said there main camera factory is now running at 70% capacity because of part shortages. They expect it to be June or July before their supply chain fully recovers and production is back to normal.

I guess that means we can expect tight supplies of Canon lens and cameras till this fall.

 

[Admin US West]

Unfortunately, it will take time to refill the stores and warehouses, and will really hurt 2nd quarter / 3rd quarter profits. Stores are raising prices on most if not all lenses due to the shortage, thats painful as well. Some used lenses are selling for more than new ones did a few months ago.

 

[ronderick]

By the time supplies return to normal and stores restock their inventories, would the
price of camera and lenses fall back at all?

It seems like an annual hike with lens prices is the norm...

 

[Admin US West]

By the time supplies return to normal and stores restock their inventories, would the
price of camera and lenses fall back at all?

It seems like an annual hike with lens prices is the norm...

This is just my opinion, but when a store like Beach Camera is selling a 35mm L go several hundred dollars over the MSRP, as soon as the lenses are available, we will go back to seeing them priced below MSRP rather than much higher. Beach Camera is asking $1999 for the 35L. Apparently, they believe that they can get it as lower priced competition runs out of stock.