On April 16, 2016 a series of High magnitude hits Japan including a Magnitude 7.0 mainshock that strikes at 1.25 JST beneath Kumamoto City of Kumamoto. Camera Companies such as Fuji, Nikon and Sony are heavily affected by the earthquake and issues press release with additional details related to loss and delay in product announcement / shipping
Sony Press Release
Operations at Sony Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation’s Kumamoto Technology Center (located in Kikuchi Gun, Kumamoto Prefecture), which primarily manufactures image sensors for digital cameras and security cameras as well as micro-display devices, were halted after the earthquake on April 14, and currently remain suspended. Damage to the site’s building and manufacturing lines is currently being evaluated, and with aftershocks continuing, the timeframe for resuming operations has yet to be determined.
Nikon Press Release
Official press text:
Delays in the release of new digital cameras
The new Nikon compact digital cameras, COOLPIX A300 and B500 will be available in May 2016, the COOLPIX A900 and B700 will arrive in July 2016 and the Nikon KeyMission 360 action camera will be available in October 2016 as more time is required for software adjustment.
The new COOLPIX products were originally scheduled for release in April and the KeyMission 360 action camera was announced for a spring 2016 release.
In addition, the premium compact cameras, Nikon 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 the serious issues with the integrated circuit for image processing built into the three new premium compact cameras, originally scheduled for a June 2016 release.
The new release date has yet to be determined and we will announce the information as soon as it is decided.
The effects of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes
The suppliers of parts for Nikon products such as digital cameras with interchangeable lenses, interchangeable lenses, and compact digital cameras, which include those mentioned above, were affected by the series of earthquakes that started on April 14 in Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan, and this will inevitably impact our production and sales.
We are currently investigating the situation, and we will announce the details as soon as they are confirmed.
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.
Fuji Press Release
FUJIFILM Kyusyu Co., Ltd., Kikuyo-cho, Kumamoto, Japan established an emergency task force right after the earthquake and has been working on collecting and assessing information, while also considering necessary actions and recovery measures. We would like to inform the current situation of FUJIFILM Kyusyu.
They stopped the operations immediately after the earthquake. They have been checking and assessing the facilities for the resumption of operations
No serious damage found in the facilities
It is not decided when they resume all the operations, they however will start the first trial running this weekend
They have confirmed the safety of all employees in the factory
They also have been investigating the stock of the warehouse. The shipment of investigated products has resumed since yesterday
The infrastructures such as electricity have been recovered this week. However, the aftershocks are still continuing. They will do their best to resume the operations, and all FUJIFILM group will support them. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.FUJIFILM Kyusyu Co., Ltd., Kikuyo-cho, Kumamoto, Japan established an emergency task force right after the earthquake and has been working on collecting and assessing information, while also considering necessary actions and recovery measures. We would like to inform the current situation of FUJIFILM Kyusyu.
They stopped the operations immediately after the earthquake. They have been checking and assessing the facilities for the resumption of operations
No serious damage found in the facilities
It is not decided when they resume all the operations, they however will start the first trial running this weekend
They have confirmed the safety of all employees in the factory
They also have been investigating the stock of the warehouse. The shipment of investigated products has resumed since yesterday
The infrastructures such as electricity have been recovered this week. However, the aftershocks are still continuing. They will do their best to resume the operations, and all FUJIFILM group will support them. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
