Nikon announces Zf shortage (Surprise!)

In what comes as a complete shock to absolutely nobody, the Nikon Shop has announced shipping delays for the much-anticipated and recently released Nikon Zf (buy here) mirrorless camera.

Who would’ve thought that a retro-styled, full-frame mirrorless camera that people have been begging for over the last few years would be popular? Apparently, it’s not Nikon.

Nikon doesn’t appear to have made an announcement through the usual PR channels, so it may not be a global issue yet. The announcement is on Nikon’s own online store listing. It states (Google-translated):

We have received more orders for the “Z f/Z f 40mm f/2 (SE) Lens Kit” than expected, so it may take some time for delivery. So thank you in advance for your understanding.

Pre-orders for the new Nikon Zf mirrorless camera only opened up three days ago, on September 22nd. It’s expected to start shipping on October 31st, but it seems that Nikon already has a backlog to catch up on. At least for their own store.

I would expect that if their own online retail store is running short, then we can expect to see similar shortages coming to international retailers. At least, we will if Nikon isn’t able to figure out a solution. If you’re on the fence about buying a Nikon Zf, I probably wouldn’t hesitate too long.

Even if you order it today, you could potentially be waiting a long time for it to show up. And if you change your mind before it arrives, you can always cancel it and free up the spot for somebody else.

I wish they’d stop coming out with this excuse, though. Not just Nikon but all camera companies. They know exactly how many they’re going to sell. Every new camera or lens announced by anybody gets one of these “we didn’t anticipate the demand!” alerts only a few days – weeks at most – after the announcement.

How is it still such a surprise to camera companies that people want to buy their products?

---