D300 Made in Thailand

[matt1664883317]

<p>So David you are say as a consumer you should just accept an inferior product? <br /> Remember we are not talking about a cd player or cheap little point and shoot. If I am paying for a higher end camera I would expect higher end manufaturing. <br /> Personal experience with products made in Japan vs China can tell me that a product in China will be inferior so if given the choice why choose the "Made in China" option for any reason other than to save a few bucks. <br /> So to read into that a little further, if you have two equally priced cameras (the 50d and the D90) with similar features where it is made should be taken into consideration as it does have a bearing on the quality. My personal preference given the choice between a product made in Thailand or Japan is for a Japanese product. <br /> My reasoning to go with nikon was that I have an FE2 which I still used today that is got to be pushing 30 years. I figured if they can do good with that product the D90 should be good too. So yes I was shocked to see it came from Thailand and has little relation to my FE2 other than branding.<br /> Please note I am not knocking the D90 here or nikon in general, I am of course aware that it is a widespread practice but that doesn't mean I have to like it.</p>

[davebell]

<p>Matt, with all due respect you are speaking absolute garbage. Of course there are numerous very dodgy Chinese manufacturers making very dodgy goods which one couldn't expect to last more than a few weeks or months at best.<br>

You are being very naive making such sweeping statements to the effect that every single electronic device (and others) manufactured in China is of inferior quality. I have first hand experience to the contrary, first hand experience with some of the biggest global manufacturers. Quality standards are extremely high and are maintained across all, yes all, manufacturing sites. There are no compromises for China, or Thailand.<br>

Fell free to have your own opinion as it is mostly a free world, but I speak from years of first hand experience so there is no argument at all, end of story.</p>

[davebell]

<p>Matt (Beckett) - please name the product made in China with which you have had personal experience of poor quality, versus the same brand made in Japan. We are waiting....</p>

[mt4x4]

<blockquote>

<p>So David you are say as a consumer you should just accept an inferior product?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>So because the camera is stamped in Thailand, that makes it inferior? Why don't you go buy a Leica if you are so worried about country of origin. Of course, you aren't going to get one for the same price as your D300......You're probably the same guy who would whine about the price....</p>

[matt1664883317]

<p>David - I have lived an worked in Japan but that doesn't make me an expert on their camera manufaturing. I base my opion on results with products I have bought that have been made in China and I have just had two back to back failures on a made in china DSLR (see my first post Olympus E-510). <br>

I can tell you for a fact if you spend $500 on a name brand quitar that is made in china it will never sound as good as a $150 dollar guitar made in Canada. They spew that same line about their QA and management as well.<br>

Kieth I am talking about equal priced products, If you want to save a buck then sure why not. </p>

[matt1664883317]

<p>David - I have lived an worked in Japan but that doesn't make me an expert on their camera manufaturing. I base my opion on results with products I have bought that have been made in China and I have just had two back to back failures on a made in china DSLR (see my first post Olympus E-510). <br /> I can tell you for a fact if you spend $500 on a name brand quitar that is made in china it will never sound as good as a $150 dollar guitar made in Canada. They spew that same line about their QA and management as well.<br /> Kieth I am talking about comparing equally priced products, If you want to save a buck then sure why not. I would love to have a lieca though, sadly it is out of my price range.</p>

[Matt Laur]

<p><em>That argument that is often made to justify moving manufacturing overseas but it doesn't hold that much water. A company makes that move stricty for finacial reasons not social ones.</em><br /><br />You're confusing cause and effect. Of course companies buy what they buy where it helps the most to improve their bottom line. They are obligated to their shareholders to do exactly that. The <em>result</em> happens to frequently be an influx of jobs and investment in some of the places in the world where it's most needed. And those places - as their local economies become more open and see more spending power - become bigger and better customers for the rest of the world's businesses. There isn't some fixed pie, with only so many slices to eat. Economic growth is how you get a bigger pie. <br /><br />People can do two things to be competitive: do something cheaper than the next guy, or innovate, and do it better. Emerging economies have an easier time doing it cheaper. Mature economies have to focus on doing it <em>better</em>. The two are not mutually exclusive.<br /><br />As for your experience with the problematic Olympus product: wouldn't you consider that be Olympus' problem, not the nationality of the factory workers?</p>

[matt1664883317]

<p>Sorry about the double post above, I was attempting to inject some humour into my reply to Keith but it fails if you read it twice (maybe if you read it once too).</p>

<p>Other Matt - "People can do two things to be competitive: do something cheaper than the next guy, or innovate, and do it better. Emerging economies have an easier time doing it cheaper. Mature economies have to focus on doing it <em >better</em>. The two are not mutually exclusive." </p>

<p>That is very relative to my point. As a consumer you have the choice of which product to buy, the developed nations higher quality item or the one that costs less but is lower quality. What has happened is that choice has been taken away. If you look at running shoes as a good example. They are exclusivly manufactured in china, indonesia or other developing nations and you can not find any running shoe I am aware of that is manufactured in a first world nation. Which is all and good but the shoes still sell for over $200 in some case. Which leads me to question why Canon and Nikon had similar products (arguable) but one is able to produce in Japan and the other in Thailand. By the logic that manufacturing cost is less the D90 at $1000 should be much better than the 50D at $1000. <br>

To the second point "As for your experience with the problematic Olympus product: wouldn't you consider that be Olympus' problem, not the nationality of the factory workers?" </p>

<p>It is a little circular, I would fully agree it is an issue with Olympus but Olympus moved their factory to China and is ultimatly responsable for the quality either way and I find it diffucult to believe that factory is operating to the same standards as it would in Japan or the US. You also have to consider all the raw ingredients that come from other factories not under the eye of said companies QA staff. </p>

<p> I also think it is more about people having a vested interest in the product they produce as opposed to nationality. If you had a factory running in LA with working being paid 50 cent a day I don't think you would turn out a quality product no matter how many QA personel you had but you could argue that those people would not have that 50 cents if you didn't run that factory.</p>

<p>Anyhow, Nice chatting with you all but it is a bright sunny weekend now where I live so I will take out my D90 and put your and my theory to the test.<br>

<br /></p>

[stephen_asprey2]

<p>My Honda is made in Thailand. Its better built than my last one that was made in Japan.<br>

Zeiss and Voigtlander are made in Japan, not Germany.<br>

My Cayenne is made by Audi, not Porsche.<br>

My Hitachi TV is designed in Japan, made in Taiwan, warehoused in Singapore and sold to me in Australia.<br>

Its irrelevant.</p>

 

[bill_dewberry]

<p>This just in, consumers in Thailand who have bought Nikon cameras Made in USA, saying, oh shit, made in USA, does that mean my nikon is no good ? Reps are currently researching this issue and will respond on Larry King Live within 48 hours. Please, save your sales receipts should massive returns be needed, to switch to made in Thailand. Dpreview is following this breaking article. Holy crap batman !</p>

[rubo]

<p>And that's exactly why i love my Rebel, Made in Japan. :)<br>

As is the EF 28-135mm. :))<br>

Running for cover, NOW.<br>

P.S. Steven, your Cayenne is made by Volkswagen (which ownes Audi and Porsche).</p>

 

[munim]

My Chevrolet Zafira is a rebadged Opel Zafira made in Thailand.

It it were made in Germany, I wouldn't be able to afford it.

 

Stuff made outside of USA, Europe and Japan would have the labor cost component a smaller fraction of the total cost. If

the quality control is up to it, I actually prefer stuff made in low-labor cost countries, so I would actually get more of the

stuff that matters from my money.

 

I would stay away from China-made stuff if a Taiwan-made equivalent is available. Bad QC in many factories. I'd never buy

China-made PC motherboards. On the other hand, my 50mm f/1.8 is only available China-made.

[ShunCheung]

<p>I have mentioned the F5's false battery low problem a few times before. It mainly affected the early samples manufactured in 1996 to the early part of 1997. Back then it was widely discussed in forums such as this one. A friend of mine bought two F5 bodies early on, and both had that problem. She sent one back to Nikon for repair several times and the problem was still there. Eventually Nikon replaced it with a new one.</p>

<p>Keep in mind that the F5 was the top-of-the-line Nikon SLR at that time. Based on my friend's experience, would one quickly conclude that (I am asking a question here):</p>

<ul>

<li>Japanese products are of low quality </li>

<li>All Nikon cameras made in Japan are of low quality</li>

<li>The F5 is a "bad" camera</li>

</ul>

<p>I believe none of those is true, but if one can draw conclusions based on two samples, you certainly can draw a lot of wrong ones.</p>

[pakwaan]

<p>Many electronics firms use Thailand as a manufacturing base, and have switched operations away from China, Vitenam and Korea in favor of Thailand, even though the labor costs more than in China. The labor force in Thailand in general is excellent and very detail-oriented. Most computer hard drives are now manufactured in Thailand also.</p>

<p>Nikon has been using their factory in Thailand to produce digital cameras for years - my old D70, which is now 5 years old, was made in Thailand.</p>

<p>Don't worry, be happy! That new D90 would be $4000 if it was made in the USA.</p>