Yesterday Nikon had to shut down their production at two plants again after a 7.1 magnitude earthquake (source):
“Nikon suspended production at two plants in Miyagi, the prefecture closest to the earthquake’s epicenter off the coast of northeastern Japan. The company is assessing damage at the plants, said Sayaka Suzuki, a spokeswoman for the Tokyo-based camera maker.”
Nikon will not use lower-grade glass from China (source):
“Analysts say that although Chinese firms such as CDGM Glass Company Ltd and Hubei New Huaguang are expanding production of lower-grade optical glass and could make up for supply shortfalls in that area, SLR makers Canon and Nikon will likely continue to source from Japan to avoid compromising quality.”
Power blackouts may continue till September in Japan (source):
Crippled power infrastructure, however, will complicate the recovery. “Any rebound from there is likely to be bumpy due to unstable power supply,” Mr. Aida wrote. “Following the rolling blackouts through to end-April, we expect planned blackouts to resume in July-September, when power consumption tends to grow.”
Sony’s manufacturing abilities have also been severely hit (Sony provides sensors for some Nikon cameras). Take a look at this video of Sony facilities in Sendai:
Prices of Nikon equipment are continuing to go up, in some cases 50% above MSRP: the Nikon AF-S 35mm f/1.8G DX lens for example is now up to $289.95 and it’s not even in stock.
I got a confirmation that the current Nikon lens bundle instant rebates will not be extended past April 30th.
Thanks to broxibear for providing most of those links. If you have an interesting Nikon related story, drop me a line.