Tsunami - Canon Impact?

[c jensen]

<p>Has there been any news yet on whether the events in Japan will impact Canon production (and therefore prices)?</p>

[wayne_campbell]

<p>Only heard about Nikon. One of their plants was in the affected area. They said to stock up now-parts will be scarce.</p>

[PuppyDigs]

<p>Canon's offices and factories are not in the tsunami area. There is a statement on Canon's website stating they are okay and the quake only caused minor problems at a single plant. Also, some of their low end products are made offshore.</p>

[davebarnes007]

<p>nice of you to think of the dead and the dying !</p>

[michael_lowe2]

<p>You have just posted the grossest, most insensitive post I have ever seen. And I can't believe two people actually responded and answered your stupid question.</p>

[Matt Laur]

<p>For all you two know, Chris has already donated a month's pay to relief organizations. Wanting to know whether and how a disaster has impacted one of the largest manufacturers in an industry to which one is deeply connected is hardly insensitive, and certainly isn't mutually exclusive with any other sentiments one might have. Likewise, <em>pretending you don't care</em> if the cost of a major pending purchase (which the Japanese folks at Canon would now be <em>even more</em> glad to have someone make) won't change what's currently going on on the ground in northeast Japan. A bit. <br /><br />It's quite possible to have more than one thing on your mind, right? I imagine that <em>a lot</em> of people in Japan are already thinking very hard about how the quake/tsunami is going to impact their ability to stay in business and pay their employees, and whether they need to be considering changes in their output and pricing as a result, so they can shorten the misery of the next few years they'll spend rebuilding. The employees of Canon and Nikon and everyone else there are certainly going to want us all to understand how this event will impact our regular and passionate interaction with them and their fellow staff. Japanese manufacturers are on the hook to meet all sorts of previously promised shipments and financial obligations, and many will now be unable to. That is serious, personal stuff in Japan, culturally. <br /><br />Insensitive comment? I'd say that accusing someone of not being able to think about two things at once is just that. And unless you are personally so busy with <em>actually doing something </em>for the people in Japan that any other conversation or thought is distracting you from that, then it's a little disingenuous to display so much umbrage over a topic that plenty of good people (including those who are painfully empathetic towards the devastated families in Japan) have in mind. A large portion of Japan's people sustain themselves by making things that the rest of the world wants and buys. I have no problem wishing Japan's many fine companies well, and wanting to know how they're all doing, because <em>they are all made up of Japanese people</em>.<br /><br />Do you find yourself wondering how many Japanese family farms and fishing boats have been devastated? That's no different than wondering if the Canon building that gives birth to 5DMKII's has suffered the same fate. Ellis V brought up the topic of the Nikon facility in the town most impacted by the event, and (quite correctly) nobody assumed that he was unable to have that conversation while also feeling sympathy for all of those affected.</p>

[danturcotte]

<p>To suggest that an individual's consideration of only one aspect of a disaster makes that individual insensitive or inconsiderate is childish and absurd; grow up.</p>

<p>The question is valid and in no way suggests any insensitivity.</p>

[rjtully]

<p>Matt, well said. I was going to say something earlier but I am glad I waited. You did better than I would have done. I for one thank you! I was also very upset seeing the devastation that occurred but the world will not stand still because of it. We can only do what each of us can to help out.</p>

[PuppyDigs]

<blockquote>

<p>You have just posted the grossest, most insensitive post I have ever seen. And I can't believe two people actually responded and answered your stupid question.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Obviously you haven't been around the block yet! In real life I sometimes pretend to be both PC and tear up thinking about Canon's financial woes but, after all, this is a Canon gear forum and gear is what we talk about. I have friends and relatives living in Tokyo and they're fine as are their homes and livelihoods. My good friend posted pics of the inside of his house in <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ageo-shi-Saitama-Japan/108120139216251">Ageo-shi, Saitama</a> (near Tokyo), and not a single book or dish fell. The poor souls in the Sendai area are a different matter and it would be extremely difficult not to feel your guts twist at their terrible fate. Incidentally there is a long thread on this very topic on the Canon gear forum at FM and it soon degraded into insults and name calling...</p>

[bobatkins]

<p>If this thread degrades to insults and name calling it will be ended.</p>

<p>Don't assume things about people you don't know. I'm sure we all feel the greatest sympathy for those affected by the disaster. However that doesn't mean we can't also be interested in whether or not Canon was affected.</p>

<p>Those who wish to help with disaster relief can make a donation to the Red Cross at this website - <a href="https://american.redcross.org/site/Donation2?idb=0&5052.donation=form1&df_id=5052">https://american.redcross.org/site/Donation2?idb=0&5052.donation=form1&df_id=5052</a></p>

<p>Incidentally, Canon have donated 300 million Yen (around 3.66 million US dollars) to the disaster relief fund - <a href="http://www.canon.com/news/2011/mar12e.html">http://www.canon.com/news/2011/mar12e.html</a> and in February they donated 10 million Yen to New Zealand Earthquake relief -<a href="http://www.canon.com/news/2011/feb23e.html">http://www.canon.com/news/2011/feb23e.html</a></p>

[jack_nordine]

<p>Good to see some common sense responses here to Chris' very reasonable question. There are hundreds of aspects to this disaster. Many of them are business related. To believe that the asking of this question means the person asking it does not care about the dead and the dying is beyond me.</p>

[chris_clarke3]

<p>Maybe we should wait until the dead are buried before we worry about when our next lens is at B+H.<br>

Call me old fashioned but a bit of decorum on this would be appreciated. If I get a ban for saying that then so be it.</p>

[doug grosjean]

<p>The disaster has many facets.</p>

<p>Not just the dead, but concern for the living who will go forward to rebuild. How they'll go on living in the future, how they'll be housed and fed, where they'll work, how the destroyed tools they need for work and life will be replaced, what a housing boom would mean in Japan, how the huge numbers of dead will affect everything from funeral business to whatever fund Japan has equivalent to the US's Social Security benefits. </p>

<p>Example: if a huge chunk of Japan's fishing fleet has been destroyed, and fish is a staple of the Japanese diet, where does the food come from to replace the fish that can no longer be caught, due to lack of fishing boats?</p>

<p>How do you repair all the damage that's occurred? How to safeguard the living? How to move forward?</p>

<p>This is an incomprehensibly huge disaster. Nobody has the answers to the questions above.</p>

<p>I did not find the original question in poor taste. It's just one more facet of the disaster.</p>

[dhbebb]

<p>It would seem that the Canon company is facing the same problem as the surviving population in general, severe lack of electric power witn nearly half the country's generating capacity out. Canon's factories are currently not working in response to a government appeal not to use any more electricity than necessary. As the nuclear power plant problem is solved, it appearing that major disaster has narrowly been averted, the main priority will be distribution of food, clothing and fuel to homeless survivors. As soon as power is available, it would certainly be in the interests of Japan as a whole to restart industrial production as soon as possible.</p>

[boz]

I honestly don't know how Japan will recover frim this! As well as a terrible

humanitarian loss its also a financial disaster, effecting not only Japan! The

Nissan plant has shut down and one of the biggest Nissan plants is here in

England! But financial issues aside this is a catastrophic disaster and I cant

begin to imagine what all those people have gone thru and are still going

thru! You watch the news footage and just wish you could be there to help

out!

[art_thomas1]

<p>Add me to the insensitive list because I too am worried about how the disaster will affect Canon availability and prices. If both are adversely effected it could: <br>

<br />1. End their place in the industry. This would be bad for Japan's economy in general, Canon's corporate survival and/or well being in specific,<br>

<br />2. Destroy a place of employment for the already beleaguered employees. Losing their jobs on top of their homes and automobiles would be putting salt in the wounds. <br>

<br />3. Close down or lessen the business survivability of their suppliers, causing additional loss of jobs and compounding misery as they are unable to continue Japanese jobs. <br>

<br />4. Cause a business reduction to Canon wholesalers and retailers all over the world. Many of them are already on the ropes from the overall lack of demand for photography-type products. Loss of a major line over a substantial time period or forever could break the back of some, causing them to close their doors and terminate their employees. <br>

<br />5. Then there are all the suppliers of the material and labor input for the above. What is the grocer, shoemaker and home lender to all those employees going to do? All of them are already in rough shape because of the latest economic downturn. They can be forced to close down their doors and the layoff beat goes on. <br>

<br />So, what can we do? Stay loyal to our favorite Japanese brands and have a little patience while they get ramped up. There will be nothing like a surge of cash flow from pent up demand to help Canon regain financial health when they are able to produce again. </p>

 

[alwin_lai]

<p>I called up Canon Canada just last week (prior to the quake/tsunami) regarding my lens repair status. The rep told me to call back the following week which would be this week as the part is in order (<em>might be from Japan since it's an L</em>). I don't think i would after this. No point. If the lens come back fix great, if not I'll just have to somehow find alternate lens for my upcoming photo shoots.</p>

[savas_kyprianides]

<p>Don't go off all PC on a simple question. It's not as though the OP compared the imagery on TV to the unrealistic CGI in 2012.</p>

[pete_ferling]

<p>I think it's best that we continue to use a great product, and continue to buy bodies and lenses to keep the business going. Once the donations have dried up, the groceries have to be purchased with other means.</p>

[fotograf]

<p>What was the part you needed, Alwin? I always see new parts for L lenses on EBAY</p>