topic Re: What’s going on with the RF 200-800 backorder in EF & RF Lenses

What’s going on with the RF 200-800 backorder

LaneW — Sat, 23 Dec 2023 17:21:07 GMT

Estimated shipping date was Dec 14. I ordered through Adorama, and they just say that they are backordered. Seems to be the same story ordering direct from Canon and other sellers. What is really going on here?

Re: What’s going on with the RF 200-800 backorder

Waddizzle — Sat, 23 Dec 2023 18:27:24 GMT

I understand that it may have just begun shipping to those who placed pre-orders. Did you?

Re: What’s going on with the RF 200-800 backorder

LaneW — Sat, 23 Dec 2023 20:18:18 GMT

I pre ordered on the first day. But from Adorama, not Canon

Re: What’s going on with the RF 200-800 backorder

icecoldbier — Sun, 24 Dec 2023 05:33:01 GMT

I ordered the 200-800mm directly from Canon on Black Friday. MyCanon order page just says Backorder for this lens. No timeframe.

Re: What’s going on with the RF 200-800 backorder

LaneW — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 18:43:03 GMT

Any information on this?

Re: What’s going on with the RF 200-800 backorder

Waddizzle — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 18:53:17 GMT

@LaneW wrote:
Any information on this?

Negative. I do not work for Canon. This is a User Forum. I suggest that you contact your vendor, instead of social media.

Re: What’s going on with the RF 200-800 backorder

shadowsports — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 19:38:30 GMT

Greetings,

Unfortunately, we have no insight as to shipping and availability. However, we absolutely understand the anticipation and buildup of new camera or in this case lens day. I had to wait about a month for my R5 C. In my case it was because I was out of town for business and waited a week to order.

The RF 200-800 "re-appeared" briefly for order on B&H's website a few weeks ago. I read this was due to people pulling the trigger, then changing their mind. Not because there was anything wrong, but because of introductory hype.

I almost ordered one a few days after LaneW ordered. I decided to wait since we don't have any travel plans, and I am more of a landscape and architecture shooter. I also really like my 100-500 too.

Adorama is showing an anticipated ship date of 2/2024

Ordinary Filmmaker (youtube) states demand far exceeded expectations

Best Buy - Just says "Sold Out"

B&H - Taking orders, no ship date. I have an auto-notify set for this retailer.

DP Review- LaneW, I saw your post on the 200-800 availability thread 🙂

CanonPriceWatch - Just states shipping starts 12/14

Hope you will receive confirmation soon. The fact you ordered 11/2 should mean you'll be one of the first to receive your gear. Waiting is hard, I understand.

Re: What’s going on with the RF 200-800 backorder

mdougc — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 16:11:59 GMT

Canon.UK is estimating ship date of January 4th. What do they know that Canon.USA doesn't?

Buy Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM Lens — Canon UK Store

Re: What’s going on with the RF 200-800 backorder

LaneW — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 17:16:46 GMT

I wish I knew. Adorama emailed me this morning, just telling me that my order is still back ordered, which I knew. They tell me that they have no info and Canon sales was of no help either. Seems that Canon is not being very transparent on this. Very frustrating.

Re: What’s going on with the RF 200-800 backorder

shadowsports — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 17:21:19 GMT

@mdougc wrote:
Canon.UK is estimating ship date of January 4th. What do they know that Canon.USA doesn't?
Buy Canon RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM Lens — Canon UK Store

Happy Holidays,

Respectfully, you're speculating or pitting one distribution channel with another. Canon UK knows nothing different than USA, APAC, ANZED, etc. Each region might have slightly different (anticipated) delivery dates. General availability started 12/14. So even if retailers had product available, it couldn't be made available until that date. Christmas is one of the busiest shipping times of the year

Like most manufacturers, Canon has the sales data it needs in order to make a initial production projection. It involves supply chain and manufacturing. They get commitments and production begins. Based on this they advertise and star taking pre-orders.

The 200-800 (example) is probably going to be one of Canon's best selling lenses ever. Canon isn't limited financially so I'm sure they allocated whatever was needed in order to ensure an adequate number of lenses would be available at release. Canon is a leader. They did over a trillion dollars of revenue in the last 12-18 months.

Demand for this lens exceeded expectations. Good for Canon. Not good for those eagerly waiting for their lenses. I know they are being manufactured as quickly as possible. We are talking millions of lenses.

This article is a few years old:

Canon celebrates significant milestone with production of 150 million interchangeable RF and EF lenses | Canon Global

It demonstrates the scale and commitment of Canon's production. Delivery dates are anticipated. Most are going to be set to manage expectations effectively. Under promise, over deliver. If you say next week and it takes a month, people aren't happy. If you say next month and send it next week, people are happy.

I'm not making excuses. There are any number of possible reasons why there are delays. Part of it could be demand. Some of it could be due to a supplier failing to deliver what they promised. Its also not exactly safe to be boating in the Red Sea at the moment. 2 wars going on. I think Canon is probably doing a good job considering.

Re: What’s going on with the RF 200-800 backorder

woodwoman — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 19:30:50 GMT

I understand all about supply chain issues. All I'd like to hear is something from Canon regarding a potential next round of shipments and/or some information on what may be impacting their ability to ship or to give a projection on when people can expect to receive lenses.

Re: What’s going on with the RF 200-800 backorder

Waddizzle — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 19:45:38 GMT

@woodwoman wrote:
I understand all about supply chain issues. All I'd like to hear is something from Canon regarding a potential next round of shipments and/or some information on what may be impacting their ability to ship or to give a projection on when people can expect to receive lenses.

As noted above, this is not the proper venue for those questions. This is merely a user forum. It is social media. This forum is neither Canon Sales, Service, or Customer Support. I suggest you contact your vendor, whomever that might be.

Re: What’s going on with the RF 200-800 backorder

woodwoman — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 19:45:16 GMT

I know this is a user forum. I was simply expressing an opinion on a topic of interest to me and wondering what other users opinions were. Canon has no answers. I wasn't expecting one from them in this medium. I have reached out to them directly and they have no timeline or information.

Re: What’s going on with the RF 200-800 backorder

Waddizzle — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 20:04:40 GMT

@woodwoman wrote:
I know this is a user forum. I was simply expressing an opinion on a topic of interest to me and wondering what other users opinions were. Canon has no answers. I wasn't expecting one from them in this medium. I have reached out to them directly and they have no timeline or information.

My mistake. You seemed to be requesting a response directly from Canon.

Was Canon your vendor? You should be reaching out to your vendor. What does your vendor say? The vendor is the party who seems to have made promises, to you, not Canon. Every vendor is in a different situation.

Re: What’s going on with the RF 200-800 backorder

Tronhard — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 20:24:19 GMT

As has already been exhaustively pursued, we are not associated with Canon sales or logistics. However, it has been clearly indicated in media and my other information sources, that supply chains and logistics are seriously interrupted by shipping and supply issues. This impacts such things as simply getting specific screws to manufacture lenses, to shipping the actually completed lenses around the globe. There are now several choke points that are seriously hampering logistics including:
Diversion of shipping through the Red Sea due to attacks on shipping by Houthi rebels and Iran, and there have now been similar attacks in the Indian Ocean. While the Houthi claim they are attacking shipping associated with Israel, that is hotly debates and many shipping companies are taking a safer route around South Africa, which adds considerable time (and no little cost) to the shipping process. Even the war in Ukraine is have impacts far outside of the actual combat zone itself.

Shipping moving across the South China Sea are being cautious as confrontations between China and Philippian authorities have increased - China claims most of that body of water, against conflicting claims from Vietnam and the Philippians. Then of course there is the Taiwan Strait which is also very busy shipping route and choke point.

On top of that there are supply issues of raw materials caused by strikes and other forms of industrial unrest. China is itself experiencing some issues with industrial disruption and disjoint internal logistics according to the material I have seen.

My point is that no single issue is going to be able to be pinpointed as THE cause, but they form a picture of global disfunction that is causing challenges on many levels.
Down in Oceania, I am told that each authorized dealer got one 200-800 lens and that's it until more can make it here. There are no indications when more will arrive. I somehow doubt that Canon are rejoicing over this and are likely far more frustrated than we are.

Re: What’s going on with the RF 200-800 backorder

LaneW — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 23:17:33 GMT

Rick. Thank you for your considerable insight. You make many good points.

I guess my frustration, and concern, is the lack of any of this kind of information from Canon. I have called and written but got little from them, and there is not a way that I know of, to communicate with higher ups. So I can only hope that someone there is reading these concerns. If the issues you express are causing delays, I would just like to know what’s going on. If it’s now going to be February, rather than December 14, I would like to know. And I don’t have any confidence in a February date based on what I have seen so far.

Re: What’s going on with the RF 200-800 backorder

woodwoman — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 00:15:45 GMT

Yes, I have. I purchased from Canon. I simply asked here to see if anyone had heard ANYTHING other than nothing.

I have contacted Canon and their customer service has no information.

Re: What’s going on with the RF 200-800 backorder

woodwoman — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 00:16:21 GMT

Canon was my vendor.

Re: What’s going on with the RF 200-800 backorder

tomynysmon — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 14:02:15 GMT

you know we use dd/mm/yyyy over here ? So I reckon its 1st April not 4th Jan

Re: What’s going on with the RF 200-800 backorder

mdougc — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 16:22:17 GMT

Well buggers! I did know that, and I failed to translate.
We lived in Swansea for a couple years. My spelling has been cocked up ever since. 🙂

Thank you.