RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM order wait time

[Pinballgov]

What would be the wait time if I order this lens thru canon, Thanks

Bill

[flyingron]

I ordered in mid-November and don't know when I'll ever get the lens.

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

At this point, given the demand and supply chain issues the entire world is experiencing, I'd expect to wait anywhere from 30-120 days.  I have a stock alert set on it myself.    

[Spoony]

No one knows the wait time -- even Canon USA, but it will feel like forever and a day. At this point it's pointless pre-ordering because by the time a lens is available for your preorder it probably will be generally available anyway. So why clog up your credit card with the frequent "pending" charge going on then falling off your account. Also you loose flexibility if you see the lens ready to ship somewhere else (it can be a chore to cancel a preorder -- stuck on hold, etc).

But if you are wondering if ordering from Canon will get you the lens quicker than somewhere else, the answer is probably not. The better option at this point is to call a few local dealers and get on their waitlist. Most keep them and do not require a deposit or CC. They'll call, text, or email you when the lens is available and if you don't respond within a day will just go on to the next person.

[flyingron]

No chore to cancel on the USA.CANON site.   There's a cancel button right on the order status and the customer service agent (once I got one) offered to do so as well.

THere are no local dealers near me and the ones that will ship all appear to be backordered as well.

[shadowsports]

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@flyingron wrote:

No chore to cancel on the USA.CANON site.   There's a cancel button right on the order status and the customer service agent (once I got one) offered to do so as well.

THere are no local dealers near me and the ones that will ship all appear to be backordered as well.

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This is the best answer.  Its easy to cancel with a few clicks if you are lucky and find one in stock to buy outright.

[carlman3]

OK, so I know no one (including Canon) knows (or is able to state) when any lenses will be available from Canon. (such as the 24-105/2.8 or the 200-800). However, I would think Canon could state whether they're making them.  And if they made them, did they ship them?  Are they on the water and dealing with the canal issues, etc.?  

It seems to me they likely shipped a container late last year that ran into issues while in transit/on the water.  A lot of people got lenses in Jan/Feb.  So, my question is, did they make more and ship another container?  Or not?  That tells me all I need to know. Carriers send updates with the exact location and estimated ship dates all day every day, electronically.  They can't predict the future but they can say where your shipment is.  This technology has been around for 30+ years.  Canon knows what's going on and I guarantee they know exactly where their lenses are.  They wouldn't be in business if not.

I understand a lot of the reasons for delays in overseas manufacturing and shipping (including customs).  What I don't understand is the complete "we don't know anything" response from Canon when I called.  I wondered if they were going to continue producing the lens.  The lack of info (or maybe Hiroki) eroded my trust in them a bit, as an American.  There is a cultural difference and I'm wondering if that is at play.  

I've invested a lot in Canon after leaving Nikon for years... I've just never experienced this before from a large company.  Why did they put this lens on 'sale' then make it unavailable with no estimate of delivery and no information?  This does not provide for a smooth experience for customers.  We're begging you take thousands of dollars per customer.

If anyone at Canon is reading this, please at least state whether you're making the lenses and if so, whether they're in transit.. and sure, re-state that there are a lot of factors in transit that you can't control.  

[Stephen]

Of course we're producing the lenses. They're brand new.

And, unfortunately, we haven't been kept in the loop as far as what might be causing the delays. I can promise as soon as we know anything, we'll share it. 

[carlman3]

I understand there are many links in this chain.  I just don't know what they are.  It's nice to know the manufacturing process is still ongoing.  Hopefully they're getting put into containers.  I'm on all the 'stock notification' alerts I can be.. so I'll probably get a few emails when the lenses are in stock.  I just wish there was a way to know something between manufacturing/production to being in retail inventory.. that's a big gap with lots of links in the chain! 

[Spoony]

Former Nikon user here -- Nikon has had major supply issues before too -- D850 comes to mind as one that took over a year to satisfy demand. More recently the Z9 took the better part of a year and before that the Z7 II took several months, though the kit version was readily available at launch. My point here is, since you compared Nikon with Canon, is that satisfying supply of popular products is just part of industry norms going back many many years (it's not a Covid-era supply thing).

Back to the 200-800, Canon never stopped making them, but demand does seem high plus we have no idea how many they can make per day, or how many units = a shipping container or how many units Canon USA is allocated per month. I don't expect Canon to disclose this kind of information but it would be nice if, when pre-ordering, they could give you an estimated shipping date like Apple does when you pre-order one if its products.

I've had my for about a month now -- did not preorder as I wasn't sure I wanted it since I already have the 100-500 and 1.4x extender. I usually don't preorder because I want to know what I'm spending all that money on first and wait for professional reviews. I've gotten lucky many times (and this time too) just emailing and calling up local dealers and ones in smaller markets and even Canada (US warranty included; it's not considered gray market).

I'll also add, as a 100-500 owners, the 200-800 is best on full frame cameras in my experience (I have R3, R5, R7). If you have an R7 you might look at a refurb 100-500 instead. It's only a few hundred more than the 200-800 and is much sharper on the R7 than the 200-800.