The Bad News [CR2]

[JoshObra]

I'm quite sad about the price rising so high.

I was planning on buying another prime lens this month but the current price is like roughly $60+ the normal prices!

 

[Stuart]

So here is a thought, if Canon knew it was less affected than Nikon. It could use this time to allow prices to rise as well as pent up demand, then release a camera/stock at a higher price for a good peak in revenue.

 

[obsoletepower]

Here I think is a good website for identifying when and where your lenses were made.

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/canon-lenses/canon-lens-aging.aspx

And to respond to Kuscali on the previous page, by INOP I mean INOPERABLE which is what the abbreviation is used for.

 

[Loswr]

Here I think is a good website for identifying when and where your lenses were made.

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/canon-lenses/canon-lens-aging.aspx

Which is exactly my point about lenses produced currently - that link (and there are others with the same info) - use the date code for age and production location. But, some new lenses do not have that code on them (and not all lenses have them, in any case, but all L lenses did...until they dropped it from the 70-200 II).

 

[Flake]

As I (and others) have stated previously, the location and operational status of Canon's plants is not the only concern. Canon products are assembled at Canon plants, but the parts come from both Canon plants and other vendor plants. Many silicon chip makers have plants in the Sendai area that were obviously affected more than some Canon facilities. If Canon sourced parts from those vendors for lenses and/or bodies, that will impact Canon's production lines.

Totally agree: the vital thing is not the finsihed camera or lens, but all those micro components that makes up the whole. While there's a Canon plant in Taiwan, lens production would run into problems if certain "made in Japan ONLY" components becomes lacking (like iPad2's battery, which I believe is made in Japan with no alternative).

On a side note, while note related to Canon or the camera industry per se, this English article from Asahi News gives a broader view of how damages to the supply chain will have an impact on the bigger international scene: http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201103280161.html

If only that was the Japanese way. They seem to have a pathalogical distaste for using foreign sourced components even if that would get them out of a hole, the only way they seem able to accept this is if the foreign manufactured components are made by a Japanese owned company.

An illustration of how stiff necked they are about this can be seen with the Fukushima Daichii nuclear plant, when they refused to accept foreign advice and certificated it for at least another 10 years when it should have been decommissioned this year.

If Canon cannot source Japanese make components it is unlikely they will source them elsewhere they'd rather the plant sat idle and production stopped. It might seem strange to us in the West but that's just how they are, having worked for them there's a definite 'alien' culture there.

Canon should be able to produce camera bodies even if it can't get straight back into lens production, I think they're in a better position than Nikon as most people will have a few L grade lenses and expect bodies to be replaced on a more regular basis, the cheaper DSLRs have lenses made in other countries so should be relatively unaffected.

 

[Loswr]

the cheaper DSLRs have lenses made in other countries so should be relatively unaffected.

The cheaper DSLRs themselves are made in other countries. Canon Taiwan produces, "Digital SLR cameras, EF lenses, LCD projector lenses and other lenses, precision-metal molds." The XS/1000D was made there. Apparently, the T3/1100D is made in Japan, but I'd bet that could be easily moved to Taiwan (and was likely planned to move there at some point anyway).

 

[transpo1]

Anyone know where the 5Dii and 7D are made? I'm assuming Japan since those are a step above the t3i build-quality wise but am curious to know...

 

[Admin US West]

All the Canon DSLR's are made assembled in Japan. Some of the consumer lenses, are currently made in Taiwan.

 

[obsoletepower]

Not true. The Canon Rebel DSLRs are made in Taiwan.

 

[obsoletepower]

Anyone know where the 5Dii and 7D are made? I'm assuming Japan since those are a step above the t3i build-quality wise but am curious to know...

Yup both of those are made in Japan.

 

[Admin US West]

Not true. The Canon Rebel DSLRs are made in Taiwan.

I stand by my statement, the bodies are all made in japan.

Thanks for the photos, apparently they were made in both Japan and in Taiwan.

Attach a post of your Rebel ID label that says in Taiwan. Only the lower cost lenses are made in Taiwan.

 

[ronderick]

Not true. The Canon Rebel DSLRs are made in Taiwan.

I stand by my statement, the bodies are all made in japan.

Attach a post of your Rebel ID label that says in Taiwan. Only the lower cost lenses are made in Taiwan.

In case anyone's interested, here's the list of production-related firms (in Japanese) for Canon:
http://web.canon.jp/corp/list03.html

From this list, the products of Taiwan' plant includes EF lens and DSLR (デジタル一眼レフカメラ).

However, to the best of my knowledge, there's one (only one? not sure...) DSLR body that has a "MIT" version - the 300D. Now that's quite a while back... (the 300D is one of the 4 DSLRs CR Guy mentioned in the last contest). Given the years that the factory has been around, I won't be surprised if it plays an important role in the production of entry DSLRs.

 

[Loswr]

However, to the best of my knowledge, there's (only?) one DSLR body that has a "MIT" version - the 300D. Now that's quite a while back... (that's one of the 4 DSLRs CR Guy mentioned in the last contest)

I believe that the Rebel XS/1000D was also produced in Taiwan (as well as Japan), and that body was current until the very recent release of the T3/1100D.

 

[Admin US West]

There have been a number of posters who read the box and see Taiwan, rather than reading the label on the bottom of the camera. The box may list Taiwan due to the 18-55mm lens being made in Taiwan.

When I bought my 300D in 2003, and the body was made in Japan. I have photos of the camera, but not the id plate.

Here is a photo of my 400D nameplate

If someone has a Canon DSLR made in Taiwan, snap a photo of the label on the bottom and post it.

I've owned the D30, 300D, 350D, 400D, 20D, 30D, 40D, 5D, 5D MK II, 1D MK II, and 1D MK III.

 

[Loswr]

If someone has a Canon DSLR made in Taiwan, snap a photo of the label on the bottom and post it.

I don't. But, dpreview.com does. This is from their preview of the new T3/1100D:

 

[Admin US West]

If someone has a Canon DSLR made in Taiwan, snap a photo of the label on the bottom and post it.

I don't. But, dpreview.com does. This is from their preview of the new T3/1100D:

Interesting, I've learned something for today.

I've seen listings on Amazon for the T3i say made in Japan, perhaps the Kiss versions for the Japanese market are made in Japan.

This T3i review mentions:

The bottom of the Made In Japan DSLR has a metal tripod mount and battery compartment

http://www.digitaltrends.com/digital-camera-reviews/canon-eos-rebel-t3i-review/

Photos trump all word descriptions, however.

I'll check out best buy store if I'm in there.

 

[ronderick]

There have been a number of posters who read the box and see Taiwan, rather than reading the label on the bottom of the camera. The box may list Taiwan due to the 18-55mm lens being made in Taiwan.

When I bought my 300D in 2003, and the body was made in Japan. I have photos of the camera, but not the id plate.

Never had a 300D, but here's a picture of the 300D with a "Made in Taiwan" tag at the bottom. It's near the bottom of the page:

http://www.digital.idv.tw/DIGITAL/dc-test/Canon/CanonEOS300D/opera/canon-eos300d-opera.htm

Again, there are both MIT and MIJ versions of the camera, so I guess it really depends on where you purchase your camera.

 

[Admin US West]

There have been a number of posters who read the box and see Taiwan, rather than reading the label on the bottom of the camera. The box may list Taiwan due to the 18-55mm lens being made in Taiwan.

When I bought my 300D in 2003, and the body was made in Japan. I have photos of the camera, but not the id plate.

Never had a 300D, but here's a picture of the 300D with a "Made in Taiwan" tag at the bottom. It's near the bottom of the page:

I think you are correct, they were made in both places. I stopped by Best Buy yesterday while I was buying something next door, but the keeper they attach to the bottom of the camera blocks view of the ID Tag..

http://www.digital.idv.tw/DIGITAL/dc-test/Canon/CanonEOS300D/opera/canon-eos300d-opera.htm

Again, there are both MIT and MIJ versions of the camera, so I guess it really depends on where you purchase your camera.

 

[Flake]

It's interesting to take a look at the news board of DPReview where announcements are kept in date order. Since 11 March the only announcements out of Japan have been a few firmware updates posted, (presumably well tested before the earthquake & easy to deliver over the net).

The only Japanese equipment announcements have been a Sony Pro Camcorder 23/3 and Sigma announcing they intend to ship the DP2X camera from the end of this month. They go to say that it will be available to buy from stores at that time so presumably stock has already been shipped from Japan.

The most positive announcement is from Fuji who have said the X100 large format 'compact' has resumed production.

If other camera manufacturers follow suit and announce when they restart production (and they do all seem to behave in the same way) then perhaps we can assume production at the main plants has not recommenced.

 

[ronderick]

I think you are correct, they were made in both places. I stopped by Best Buy yesterday while I was buying something next door, but the keeper they attach to the bottom of the camera blocks view of the ID Tag..

Followup on the EOS 1100D: Here's a picture I just took at the showroom of a local
exhibition.

BTW, I'm not sure if the 18-55 that comes with the kit is I or II. The sales told me that there's no specific "II" printed on the lens, but you could feel the difference when rotating the lens because the new one is a lot tighter (supposedly the lens kit with 1100D is 18-55mm II).