"Availability: IN STOCK"

<p>I remember not to long ago when you had to wait months to get a Nikon D800 or a Canon 5D III. I quick look at B&H's web site and it seems that all DSLR models are currently in stock. Is this because Nikon and Canon increased initial production due to prior shortages? Or could it be that the demand for DSLRs is waning due to alternative camera competition (e.g. mirrorless) or that the world economy is weak? I did look for a Tamron 150-600 and they are in stock but both Sigma 150-600s are out-of-stock. </p>

<p>There are likely other things that determine *IN STOCK* availability. The 150-600 Sigmas © have been out since the announcement (maybe elsewhere they might be available). I tried to rent one over a month ago.....and lensrentals keep changing the date of actual availability. Anyway, I think the conditions in contrast to Tamron are different.<br>

On top of what you said, it's perfectly possible (another speculative wrinkle) that the camera makers may have something up their sleeve and want to introduce yet another camera model/s.</p>

<p>Les</p>

 

Both the 5DIII and D800 have been out for a few years and have been superseded by newer models. Not surprised by their easy availability at discounted prices. Perhaps the Canon 5DSR may be harder to find. I think the demand for all cameras has declined as most people just use their phones for casual photos (and some serious images too).

<p>"Out of stock" on new items is usually due to limited supply (for various reasons such as manufacturing problems or unanticipated levels of demand). When they become "In stock" it's usually because of increased production, not waning demand.</p>

<p>Some manufacturers may make announcements very early in the product cycle (before they actually have mass production capability) in the hope that consumers won't buy a competitor's product and will wait for theirs. If company "A" is selling a 24-1000 zoom. company "B" might say "we have one too", but take 6 months or more to actually get it into mass production.</p>

<p>So if you're waiting for the Sigma 150-600 rather than buying the Tamron 150-600, perhaps Sigma made a wise move in announcing their lens so early!</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I doubt its a production capacity issue. - Revolutionary DSLRs cause demand at announcement. Some guys have a "need" for cutting edge equipment, so they pre-order. Others wait for their 8 year old cam to finally fall apart and buy a new one.<br>

Once the wave of preorders is satisfied Canikon stuff has to be in stock to pass as "professional". Thats how they sell. I can ruin whatever I have, beg a smart phone owner to call maximally 2 local stores and have replacement "flown" in by cab. (Wedding shooters have their stores on short dial and order replacement <em>backup.</em>) <br>

I know nothing about the world economy but Canikon have been in business for a while. - I guess if they overproduced their SLRs the'yd notice and slow down. Availability is really more a model cycle related issue. Folks waited almost a year for their CMOS Leica Ms and now they are "in stock". Even discounted "Demo" versions don't sell imediately.<br>

I believe the other options don't matter much to the big companies. Otherwise they'd try harder to sell their current line? - 40 to 50 euro cashback for a Canikon aren't much and the 100 euro cashback Pentax K3D has been around for a while. <br>

Sigma are a small company and seem to make unbeatable products. - Maybe some folks are reluctant to buy a DSLR now because a D760 might be out once they get hold of their 150-600?</p>

<p>There certainly can be production problems. I know of at least a couple of cases where companies found they couldn't make enough lenses to keep up with initial demand. They didn't reveal the source of the problems. It could have been holdups in component supplies from 3rd party suppliers or unexpected difficulty in meeting their QC standards but whatever the reason the lenses in question just couldn't be produced as fast as had been anticipated.</p>

<p>More revealing would be the number of units in stock and not the fact that they are simply in stock. Top of the line cameras are important for a seller to have in stock, even if the sell in smaller numbers than the less expensive models.</p>

<p>2012 happened to be the peak year of DSLR manufacturing. Mirrorless sales increase and decrease from year to year, there isn't any real breakthrough there which could explain the reduction in DSLR sales. A couple of reasons for the decline: economy in most of the world is not too good and purchasing power is low. Cameras are vanity items for most people and many people already bought a camera of sufficient quality for their needs. I don't believe infinite growth of industrial production is realistic nor would it be a good thing (for our planet) if it were happening. I think it is a good thing that camera sales is declining to a more sustainable level now that image quality has reached its peak. Of course, some manufacturers will suffer economically but if they manage the decline well, they can continue business in the future, at a scaled down level of production.</p>

<p>Notice also that Nikon's operations were severely interrupted by several natural disasters in 2011, basically the earthquake in Japan hit Sendai badly and the tsunami flooded a lot of the infrastructure into the Pacific. This was followed by flooding in Thailand which required Nikon to build new factories to replace destroyed ones. This meant they were not able to provide enough cameras for sale in 2011, and the demand and production increased in 2012, which partly contributed to the peak. I think some other manufacturers also had similar problems in 2011. So the 2012 figures are higher than they would have been if the natural disasters hadn't happened.</p>

<p>One area which could help camera manufacturers is collaboration with mobile device manufacturers that could integrate "serious" cameras better with the modern lifestyle of being biological processing nodes for the organism known as the internet. I think manufacturers are working on this, and in a few years we will see better integration. Of course, it would be silly to send 50MP raw files over mobile broadband to social media sites; so most cameras are overkill for the photo-sharing needs of today. However, still, for the rapid dissemination of photos, mobile integration of cameras is helpful. Hopefully it will work fluidly and enhance the photography experience.</p>

<p>In my experience 'in stock' means nothing. If it says 'out of stock' then people will go elsewhere - and bending the truth to get the order is not an issue with todays retailers. It may mean that Canon or Nikon have stock which the shop has reserved - and paid for on account. They most likely don't have boxes sitting on the shelf for the latest and desirable gear.</p>