Will the earthquake in Japan make Binocular supplies dwindle? (1 Viewer)

[Pileatus]

Do you think the earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan could cause the Japanese made binoculars such as Nikon and Canon to be in short supply over the next year?

Yes.
http://optics.org/news/2/3/12
http://www.nikon.com/about/news/2011/0314_01.htm
http://www.canon.com/news/2011/index.html

 

[Mono]

Japan is a big country, Honshu itself is bigger than the UK, with the third largest economy. In most of Japan it is business as usual. For those in the UK with satellite TV it is telling to compare the "Everything's going to hell in handcart" coverage on the UK news with the "Keep calm and carry on" coverage on NHK.

 

[[email protected]]

I'm with you there. Speculation about the implications of this tragedy for our little hobby is not only callous but pointless (unless the idea's to rush out & buy what we can before it’s too late!).

I guess a better way of asking the question would be how long do you think it will take for Japan's economy to come back and will some goods that they produced be in short supply. They have been talking about it on the news every night especially as it pertains to Japanese made automobiles. I guarantee you I sympathize with their tragedy but one area essential to their recovery is that their economy does come back. I for one have donated to their cause and I am sure they will recover quickly in all areas. I have faith in them. Sorry if some people took the question the wrong way.

 

[John S.]

If any of us knew where the Japanese made Nikon bins were made, or how stocks compare to the rate at which they are sold, then we might be able to provide some real answers. These sorts of things are better known for camera production, and there have been informed discussions on photography enthusiast sites. Nikon has provided some information itself
http://nikon.com/about/news/2011/0314_01.htm
It seems very likely that the impact on the Nikon Sendai plant's operation will affect availability of its top-end digital SLR cameras (D700, D3s, D3x) and the release of their anticipated replacements (e.g. the D4), and impacts at the Tochigi plant will affect their Japanese made lenses. These issues are especially relevant for the company since Nikon already has a poor track record with photographers for supplying enough of their top-end products to meet demand.

--AP

P.S. I just checked prices for the D700 and they have spiked substantially, almost to suggested retail price. Remarkable for a 3 year old model that is/was about to be replaced.

Yes, I expect that for much of 2011 discounts for Japan branded goods will be difficult to find. I suspect that the resale price for popular used bins like the EII will tick up as well.

Japan is of course a highly developed country with the financial, physical and human resources to respond to a calamity of this magnitude. One estimate on NPR yesterday suggested that their GDP will take a 00.5% hit in 2011 but will largely recover in 2012.

 

[Jonathan B.]

I guess a better way of asking the question would be how long do you think it will take for Japan's economy to come back and will some goods that they produced be in short supply. They have been talking about it on the news every night especially as it pertains to Japanese made automobiles. I guarantee you I sympathize with their tragedy but one area essential to their recovery is that their economy does come back. I for one have donated to their cause and I am sure they will recover quickly in all areas. I have faith in them. Sorry if some people took the question the wrong way.

Dennis,

Sorry to see you get trashed for your original question, which innocently raised a lot of hackles. The situation in Japan is heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, and scary. I (and I'm sure all of us) watch in disbelief every day.

 

[kristoffer]

So how long time will have to pass before we discuss Japans ability to start exporting again? Is it OK to talk about how the end of ww2 affected Germanys export industry? If its ok now, why not while it happens? Does us waiting make it more ok? Still same suffering. The ability to start producing is essential to the economy, but if this thread must be closed now, then we can never mention this subject again.

 

[mayoayo]

But How to speculate about the consequences of an event ,without knowing WHAT is going on?..Nobody Knows the extent of this catastrophe. For what I am listening in the news,the situation is stil out of control ..Is like trying to predict How long will take for the Titanic to start cruising again,JUST after the Iceberg was Hit...Well ,...Lets Hope Japan situation can be Handled by the Japanese People,and Hope that other nations can help also to control what might prove not controllable.Then We can ALL LEARN,..not try to explain each other our visionary demostrative dotes of economic reckoning.

 

[dafi]

I think it is a legitimate question for someone so involved in the optics forums to ask. The answer is yes its probably going to cause a bit of a dent. Cannon and Nikon have addressed the situation on their web sites but i don’t really see the point in attempts to get the thread closed down. Its a terrible situation but its a situation that is saturating the media right now and to think we should be censored to protect the survivors feelings or indeed those of the tv witness is a bit lame at best and offensive at worst. I also don’t think that these pathetic attempts at politically correct suppression of free speech would cause a raised eyebrow to some poor folks on the Japanese pacific coast....They have real and increasing problems occupying them at the moment…….but we cant talk about how this disaster might affect birding in the coming months or year…..BF at its finest…..

 

[fugl]

I think it is a legitimate question for someone so involved in the optics forums to ask. The answer is yes its probably going to cause a bit of a dent. Cannon and Nikon have addressed the situation on their web sites but i don’t really see the point in attempts to get the thread closed down. Its a terrible situation but its a situation that is saturating the media right now and to think we should be censored to protect the survivors feelings or indeed those of the tv witness is a bit lame at best and offensive at worst. I also don’t think that these pathetic attempts at politically correct suppression of free speech would cause a raised eyebrow to some poor folks on the Japanese pacific coast....They have real and increasing problems occupying them at the moment…….but we cant talk about how this disaster might affect birding in the coming months or year…..BF at its finest…..

I think you’re making much to much of this. I can’t speak for others, but I don’t want to censor anything. I was just reacting to the wording of the original question which given the circumstances I thought was a little callous. That’s all, just a comment, and certainly not an attempt to ban the topic or to quash free speech.

But "BF at its finest"? I don't think so.

 

[dafi]

fair enough fugl but i dont think it was callous at all!!


At its finest...i dont think so either

 

[Mari E]

Hi,
I have a family in Japan and I'm doing everything to help.
Yes, I'm worried about people, the economy, the whole country. Bins aren't high on my list but they would be affected too.
What's so heartbreaking about the earthquake is that teens my age are suffering from deaths, food shortage, power cuts, homeless etc. while I am off birding in peaceful UK, and discussing this on a computer.

 

[brocknroller]

Hi,
I have a family in Japan and I'm doing everything to help.
Yes, I'm worried about people, the economy, the whole country. Bins aren't high on my list but they would be affected too.
What's so heartbreaking about the earthquake is that teens my age are suffering from deaths, food shortage, power cuts, homeless etc. while I am off birding in peaceful UK, and discussing this on a computer.

Mari,

I hope your family is okay. If you haven't heard from them, the Foreign Office has set up a helpline for UK nationals to get in touch with their families in Japan. Not sure if this also applies to Japanese students in the UK, which I'm assuming your are, being based in Oxford, but it's worth checking out. The number is +44(0)207 008 0000.

I sent an email to Rick, one of our regulars from Tokyo, to see if he and his family are okay.

If he replies, I'll post his status on this thread (if it's still open, which I hope it will be).

Brock

 

[birdazzLED]

http://www.adorama.com/ALC/News.asp...&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=EmailALC030911

 

[Kevin Purcell]

RJM has been on recently (Sat at 0416 GMT) so I'm presuming he's OK.

http://www.birdforum.net/member.php?u=66340

I think the thread poses a valid question. It certainly raised my awareness of the impact of the quake and tsunami on specific Japanese industries. I didn't realize Nikon had a plant in Sendai along with the other major Japanese companies with precense on the "north" island.

 

[edwincjones]

to respond to the question initially asked,
of course there will be shortages
of electricity, food, water, electronics, cars, binoculars, etc
but Japan will bounce back,
better than ever,
other than the cost of the hugh loss of life
humankind always does

edj

 

[brocknroller]

I heard from Rick. He and his family had been traveling for the past 4 mos. on vacation (who said all Japanese were workaholics?); you might remember him posting about his adventures with his Kowa spotting scopes in Hawaii.

They returned to Tokyo the week before the earthquake, but things weren't looking good in the aftermath, so he and his family flew to his family's ranch in South Texas.

He said he won't be posting for a while.

Brock

 

[HoosierGuy]

If disaster would happen in the mid east I'm positive the talking heads on the 24 hour news networks (and Wall Street money networks like Fox Business) would be talking about rising oil prices. So I see nothing wrong with a discussion on an optics forum as long as it's not tastefully.

I was listening to Coast to Coast a few nights ago (I'm not a regular listener) and heard a commercial from C.Crane using the Japan disaster to push one of their wind up radios. If found that very disgusting.

 

[HoosierGuy]

If disaster would happen in the mid east I'm positive the talking heads on the 24 hour news networks (and Wall Street money networks like Fox Business) would be talking about rising oil prices. So I see nothing wrong with a discussion on an optics forum as long as it's not tastefully.

I meant to say "distasteful." I see nothing wrong with a discussion on an optics forum as long as it's not done in a distasteful tone.

 

[brocknroller]

http://www.adorama.com/ALC/News.asp...&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=EmailALC030911

Thanks for posting that information. It provides a better balanced view of the situation.

Good to hear that "no serious injuries or fatalities among employees of Japanese camera and consumer electronics companies".

But also note that some factories were damaged and that some companies have stopped operations and have no set plan to reopen.

The economic side to this tragedy is that like New Orleans after Katrina, even after people were rescued, housed, and fed, many had no jobs to come back to.

I'm with those who are optimistic about Japan bouncing back.

Brock

 

[Alexis Powell]

Nikon has an update
http://www.nikon.com/about/news/2011/0322_01.htm
in which they confirm one employee dead and three missing, along with info about the status of the damaged facilities.

--AP