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The following is an extraction from an email from Onyx today, folks watch out your lust:

"The 80-400 is joining the 70-200 shortage - soon stocks will dry up and won't be replenished. So what you have in your stock will be the last of them probably until mid-year. Also, Stubbsy's lens (with the USA packaging) came from the US! Mr Poon said supplies in HK, Japan and China were all gone, and he had to source one from the US. So that is a genuine Nikon USA lens!!"

Why is there a lens shortage?

Are Nikon not making lenses at the moment?

Nnnnsic wrote:Why is there a lens shortage?

Are Nikon not making lenses at the moment?

As you aware, Nikon is prepared to launch some new products at the Asia show in March, these releases will amaze Nikon fans.
Therefore all other production line was stopped since Oct. 04.

Huh.

Seems silly to me.

Why not just lessen the production of the already released equipment in preparation instead of outright stopping production?

Nnnnsic wrote:Huh.

Seems silly to me.

Why not just lessen the production of the already released equipment in preparation instead of outright stopping production?

They have to cope with the production of new line of products as:D2hs + D2x + D____? and other stuff and these are main priorities.

As you seen the demand of D2x in Australia.
This morning I saw a registered of pre-order of the D2x from Maxwell 485 unit, and they got today for tomorrow or Monday release is 50 units.
So the rest of the backorder won't be fullfilled until July or August 05.
And the D2x same as the D2Hs are manufactured in Japan.

I would like to understand how this works.
In a car assembly line for example, if you are manufacturing a commodore, you can;t just stop production of that and turn it into a Barina production line.
Can you turn a lens production line into a camera production line? Or are you taking all the personnel from one line and put them to work on another?

Birddog114 wrote:As you aware, Nikon is prepared to launch some new products at the Asia show in March, these releases will amaze Nikon fans.
Therefore all other production line was stopped since Oct. 04.

Perfect timimg - in the comming two months is bonus time for me

huynhie wrote:

Birddog114 wrote:As you aware, Nikon is prepared to launch some new products at the Asia show in March, these releases will amaze Nikon fans.
Therefore all other production line was stopped since Oct. 04.

Perfect timimg - in the comming two months is bonus time for me

Trust me, you won't see them until Oct or Nov 05.

phillipb wrote:I would like to understand how this works.
In a car assembly line for example, if you are manufacturing a commodore, you can;t just stop production of that and turn it into a Barina production line.
Can you turn a lens production line into a camera production line? Or are you taking all the personnel from one line and put them to work on another?

The production line of each manufacturer is difference, in this case I just know and heard from what the other explained to me and I can see it correct, cos we knew the 70-200 + 80-400 will be shortage since Nov 04.
I got the warning once Poon was here last Xmas.
What do you think about the shortage of lens? and why?

Perhaps new range of Dx + VR lenses as well, who knows!

Maybe 70-200 is old style now? Maybe new 70-300 2.8 smaller, lighter with better VR. Unusual to let one of their top lenses drop out of production

Glen wrote:Maybe 70-200 is old style now? Maybe new 70-300 2.8 smaller, lighter with better VR. Unusual to let one of their top lenses drop out of production

Exactly! we have just to wait to see the outcome! but it ain't cheap and stock is not fullfill immediately.

So soon there will be a healthy stock of used 70-200VR on Ebay

Hmmm.....well as soon as you hear whispers let me know

phillipb wrote:So soon there will be a healthy stock of used 70-200VR on Ebay

PhillipB,
Prepare your crispy 50 dollar note for each lens
Well dreaming! Once the 70-200VR released, people wishing that way but not so many of the AF-S 80-200 seen on eBay, and now a hold bunch of people still have and happy with their AF-S 80-200/2.8

Birdy, I have the 70-300g when the 70-300VR comes out I will stick the VR letters on top of the g and join you in the VR club

This is all very confusing.... For starters, it is very unlikely that lenses and cameras are made in the same factory, let alone the same city or perhaps even the same country (D70 is a good example of this). Making lenses and cameras are about as different as making guns or butter (to dredge up old high school economics) so it is unlikely that the workforce is easily transferable.

If the production of lenses such as the 70-200 and 80-400 was stopped last October, what the hell have they been doing for the last 4 months? They weren't laid off, that would have been big news, they're not getting paid to sit around and scratch their bums.... QED.. they have been busy making new "somethings", presumably lenses.

So if they've been busy making our fantasy lenses, they must have a reasonable stock by now, so why should we have to wait to nearly Xmas to get hold of them ??? This (and a lot of other things relating to Nikon lately) just don't make sense. The timelines are out of whack.

If what Birddog has heard is true, then both the 80-400 and 70-200 are due to be punted. The 80-400 doesn't suprise me, it's 5 years old now, but the 70-200 is still fairly young in the lifecycle for a lens....

I was going to order one of these lenses next week, but bugger 'em, I'm keeping my money in my pocket till Xmas if necessary and learn to love my 70-300 and tripod

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh................ Noooooooooooo............

Have to wait until April till I can get one .

Oh well thats life If I cant get one. As with everything as soon as you buy something , something better comes along.


MATT

Nikon lenses don't normally have such a short shelf life, particularly the ones that get the rave reviews like the 70-200 VR.

I'm looking forward to what comes next.

Rather than waiting for "the next big thing", I'm a believer in buying the current best of breed. I don't get disheartened when something new comes along.

You're a long time under the lid, kid.

johndec wrote:This is all very confusing.... For starters, it is very unlikely that lenses and cameras are made in the same factory, let alone the same city or perhaps even the same country (D70 is a good example of this). Making lenses and cameras are about as different as making guns or butter (to dredge up old high school economics) so it is unlikely that the workforce is easily transferable.

If the production of lenses such as the 70-200 and 80-400 was stopped last October, what the hell have they been doing for the last 4 months? They weren't laid off, that would have been big news, they're not getting paid to sit around and scratch their bums.... QED.. they have been busy making new "somethings", presumably lenses.

So if they've been busy making our fantasy lenses, they must have a reasonable stock by now, so why should we have to wait to nearly Xmas to get hold of them ??? This (and a lot of other things relating to Nikon lately) just don't make sense. The timelines are out of whack.

If what Birddog has heard is true, then both the 80-400 and 70-200 are due to be punted. The 80-400 doesn't suprise me, it's 5 years old now, but the 70-200 is still fairly young in the lifecycle for a lens....

I was going to order one of these lenses next week, but bugger 'em, I'm keeping my money in my pocket till Xmas if necessary and learn to love my 70-300 and tripod

Oh Yeah! you guy can have many guessing and imagination! there's a shortage and someone gave you some explanations and now you're all confused.
Ok put your dough back to where it was, go out and shooting with what you have, don't lust and thinking about lust, they're evils stuff, they're all go to hell! Keep your dough in your deep pocket!
How can we know what happenned behind the back of Nikon? No one can tell you the truth! Ok, just dream of one day with tit and tat, you'll be happy.

Birddog114 wrote:As you aware, Nikon is prepared to launch some new products at the Asia show in March, these releases will amaze Nikon fans.
Therefore all other production line was stopped since Oct. 04.

Where and when is this show?

johndec wrote:

Birddog114 wrote:As you aware, Nikon is prepared to launch some new products at the Asia show in March, these releases will amaze Nikon fans.
Therefore all other production line was stopped since Oct. 04.

Where and when is this show?

Where have you been lately John?
People are reading and looking since yesterday!

cricketfan wrote:Nikon lenses don't normally have such a short shelf life, particularly the ones that get the rave reviews like the 70-200 VR.

I'm looking forward to what comes next.

Rather than waiting for "the next big thing", I'm a believer in buying the current best of breed. I don't get disheartened when something new comes along.

You're a long time under the lid, kid.

I totally agreed! buy or get what you can and suit you now! the day of tomorrow never come!
Have you heard about the old story: "Free dinner tomorrow".

Birddog You've got me wrong my friend. I've got lens lust as bad as anyone else, but just out of curiousity (and because I'm a stubborn bugger) I'm going to sit on my wallet for another month. PMA was a disappointment and if Nikon don't announce anything at this show next month, I'll be over to Belmore, order what I want and get on with my life

Birddog114 wrote:Where have you been lately John?
People are reading and looking since yesterday!

Here or on dpreview? I try to avoid dpreview, my computer feels so sleazy after a visit there

http://forum.d70users.com/viewtopic.php?t=3128

This might help John

Glen wrote:http://forum.d70users.com/viewtopic.php?t=3128

This might help John

Glen, thanks for the link and double thanks for the straight answer

The rumour is...a 1mm - 5mm zoom VR F1.2!

Apparently is it ideal for a "different perspective".

Matt,

well spotted (1-5mm lens, zoom VR 1.2)
The perspective changes reagrding to the number in front of the decimal point.
The number in front of the deciamal point shifts from 3 digits to four digits going to f2.8
However going to f1.2 puts 5 digits in front of the decimal point.
This lens would have to be a stinker in performance and price.

Cheers
CD

christiand
Sounds like you are describing a Zenith lens. 56 elements in 12 groups to make a 50mm f5.6 lens. The sweet spot is at f32. The minimum arpeture is f 16. The lenscap is actually a hubcap from a Skoda sedan. They are no longer a collectors item.

Matt,
I want one uRGENTLY! Can't help

Matt,

IIRC, 3 of those elements came from vodka bottles (rather than Coke) so you also were able to enjoy a vodka and Coke while shooting.

Are you sure about the Skoda hubcaps? Skodas would have been imported into Russia ....