12-23-2023 12:21 PM
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?
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05-06-2024 02:51 PM - edited 05-06-2024 02:55 PM
Apologies for the late response, some health issues and I missed your post.
Actually, from my experience there have been similar issues with other brands, but since their market share is significantly smaller there are fewer voices expressing their discontent. I'm not disagreeing that this is frustrating, but given these factors impact a lot of other things that are more critical to people's wellbeing - I have seen issues in other contexts with medical equipment deliveries, for example. The first line of my signature is a truth - if your home is flooded, or flattened by a tornado, or you are made redundant and lose your job, a delayed lens will suddenly be somewhat less tragic.
The fact is we have become used to a world of predictability, convenience and fast service. Well, as factors like climate change (example Panama Canal issue) and conflict (Hormuz Strait bottleneck) start to become more prevalent, you can expect more to disruption to come. The world has changed a lot since the COVID outbreak - people are more stressed, and that is expressed as frustration, lack of tolerance, political extremism, anger and antisocial behaviour. We see it a bit on this forum from people who come to rant rather than seek solutions or explanations.
While I do a lot of photography, I am not dependent on any one piece of equipment, and I am not going to get myself in a twist over something I cannot control. I believe photography is more about technique than tech, and since I functioned perfectly well before I knew this or that gear existed, I can continue to do so until it turns up or I consider it economically viable.
I never personally pre-order gear, and usually wait until it has had some field use before purchasing, that way I am not tapping my fingers waiting in anticipation, and it's a lot less stressful. However, communication is a different issue and I agree that silence in these situations is not golden. I have worked with multiple large companies and can attest that not sharing bad news is a fairly common human characteristic in business and politics, and there are challenges in doing so when there are major variations. What if I issue a statement that such-and-such is critically delayed, but some folks get that item right away and then accuse the vendor of crying wolf? I have seen that happen with weather predictions: predicted bad weather never comes and the agency gets rubbished, so it they be more reticent to issue a warning for the next weather event, and if they don't and it causes strife, they are pilloried again. Furthermore, as I have also said, it seems to be a cultural characteristic of Japanese society in particular to hold back from the perceived shame of admitting an issue.
All I can say is that if you feel that Canon is acting poorly and think that another vendor will perform better in that context, then I would sincerely suggest moving to them - it's your right as a consumer to vote with your feet. I shoot Canon, Fuji, Nikon, Olympus and Sony and they are ALL great companies or they would not exist. Just be aware switching platforms usually costs, so research their performance carefully.
06-20-2024 12:43 PM
Quite true. In a way, it seems like they're taking their customers for granted, which is often a VERY bad mindset for a corporation...
06-30-2024 06:59 AM
Even nearly a year after release Canon UK never seem to have RF 200-800 stock, at least stock that is available for more than a few minutes. I receive an email alert occasionally but stock is never available when I check the site.
Either, there are manufacturing issues? The 200-800 is something of a loss leader and Canon don’t want to sell thousands at the advertised price? Demand is huge and has surprised Canon?
If it is the latter then surely it can only be good news for anyone interested in this type of product. I want one, but I’m prepared to wait until I can get one immediately and a few quid off rrp. There may also be V2?
10-24-2024 04:43 PM
It’s late October 24. Nearly a year after its release, it’s still not in stock. I’m at that crossroads and likely will move to Sony. There is something up with this lens and Canon isn’t talking, a terrible business practice. I’m ready to upgrade to an r5ii but now considering a complete switch to Sony since I’m not invested yet in RF mount lenses.
10-24-2024 04:51 PM
Count me among the people who got tired of waiting. I've asked various retailers multiple times about availability and nobody has been able to answer me. I have no intention of moving away from Canon because I have a lot of time and money invested in various bodies and lenses. Just last week, though, I traded in my 100-400 II (EF) and used what I got for that towards the purchase of the 100-500 RF. I put that on my R6 Mk II and got really good results from the first shot. Very happy with that purchase (didn't bother with an extender because of certain caveats I'd heard about), and that's going to be the extent of my purchasing for the foreseeable future. If the 200-800 actually becomes available (not that I ever expect Canon to either explain why the wait has been so long, and why they've been so entirely opaque about the availability), I may consider it. But trust me, after all this time, I'm not losing any sleep over it, regardless of that last phrase in my signature... 🙄
10-24-2024 06:33 PM
It is strange that Canon doesn't give an explanation or projections for the lens (or other gear) to be available/in stock and the back orders fulfilled.
Additionally, from what I have read it is going to be six months before additional R5 MkII ship in any quantity which means it will most likely be longer. They build some outstanding products which is fortunate for them, it holds their base but their back end business model is a train wreck. They need someone to focus on acquisitions/purchasing, production/manufacturing, fulfillment and logistics because they are absolutely clueless.
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10-31-2024 07:34 PM - edited 10-31-2024 07:37 PM
Got good news. 1 day shy of 2 months.
~Rick
Bay Area - CA
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11-01-2024 08:57 AM - edited 11-01-2024 08:57 AM
I'm glad for you, man! I hope you enjoy the lens. I still haven't gotten any in-stock notifications from any of the retailers I deal with, so my assumption is that we're still not at a point where these things are going to be regularly stocked.
11-01-2024 10:31 AM
I didn't need this for our travels this year so I procrastinated a bit. I finally ordered 9/1. Unless you walk in and find one in stock somewhere, the chance of you being notified (without ordering) is pretty low. Once you order, you get your spot in line.
Wait is about 6-8 weeks now.
~Rick
Bay Area - CA
~R5 C (1.0.7.1) ~RF Trinity, ~RF 100 Macro, ~RF 100~400, ~RF 100~500, ~RF 200-800 +RF 1.4x TC, BG-R10, 430EX III-RT ~DxO PhotoLab Elite ~DaVinci Resolve ~ImageClass MF644Cdw/MF656Cdw ~Pixel 8 ~CarePaks Are Worth It
11-01-2024 10:34 AM
Geez, then I guess I was misunderstanding things all along; I was under the impression that putting in a stock alert (at B&H and Roberts Camera, as well as a couple of others) would get me a notification. I didn't know I should have preordered it. Oh well, we'll see how it plays out. Having that new 100-500 RF takes a lot of the sting away. But thanks for that info. I think I'll reach out to a fellow at Roberts who is really good about answering emails quickly.
11-01-2024 11:03 AM
So yesterday BH notified me it was now in stock, at least at the moment. I just can’t imagine demand was so great they couldn’t meet it, after all it’s not a general use lens. I’m happy they are finally catching up but they really need to work on communication and transparency.
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