Tokyo, Japan—Nikon Corporation announced delays in the release of several digital cameras and the effects of the series of earthquakes that started on April 14, 2016 in Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan. Fujifilm Corporation also announced disruptions due to the tragic earthquake.
Nikon reported that its new compact P&S cameras, the Coolpix A300 and B500, will be available in May 2016, and the Coolpix A900 and B700 will ship in July 2016. All four were originally scheduled for an April release.
In addition, the Nikon KeyMission 360 action camera, originally announced for spring 2016 release, will be available in October 2016, “as more time is required for software adjustments.”
Nikon’s new line of premium compact cameras, the DL18–50 f/1.8–2.8, DL24–85 f/1.8–2.8 and DL24–500 f/2.8–5.6, will be delayed due to “serious issues with the integrated circuit for image processing” built into the cameras. They were to reach retail in June; a new release date has yet to be determined.
Nikon also noted that parts suppliers for Nikon digital cameras and interchangeable lenses were affected by the series of earthquakes and that this will inevitably impact production and sales.
“We are currently investigating the situation, and we will announce the details as soon as they are confirmed,” Nikon Corp. reported in a press release. “We sincerely apologize to our customers, business partners and all those who have expressed interest in these models for the delays. We are making every effort to bring these models to market at the earliest possible date without compromising on our standards and the total Nikon product experience.” nikonusa.com
Fujifilm Issues Statement on Earthquakes’ Impact
In a corporate release, Fujifilm Corporation expressed its “sincere sympathies and condolences to the people affected by the earthquake centered in the Kumamoto region in Japan. We also appreciate all the concern for our facilities and employees in this area.”
The company reported that Fujifilm Kyusyu Co., Ltd., located in Kikuyo-cho, Kumamoto, Japan, established an emergency task force right immediately following the earthquake and has been working on collecting and assessing information, while also considering necessary actions and recovery measures.”
The situation at Fujifilm Kyusyu on April 22 was the following:
• Operations were stopped immediately after the earthquake. They are checking and assessing the facilities for resumption of operations.
• No serious damage was found in the facilities
• It has not been decided when operations will resume, however, they did attempt a trial run over last weekend.
• They have confirmed the safety of all employees in the factory.
• They are also investigating the stock of the warehouse, and the shipment of investigated products has resumed. fujifilmusa.com
