New camera, same old story. Freshly announced cameras mean fresh delays – and the Canon EOS R8, as has been the case for other recent EOS R releases, is not immune.
So if the new Canon EOS R8 is your dream camera and you can't wait to get your hands on it, well you're in for some bad news I'm afraid; in an official statement, Canon Japan says:
"Thank you for your continued patronage of Canon products. Currently, we have received more orders than expected for the following products, and due to the global supply of parts, delivery delays are occurring. We apologize for the inconvenience caused to our customers and business partners.
"We apologize again for making our customers wait so long. We will continue to take measures for stable product supply so that we can deliver products as soon as possible. Thank you kindly look forward for your understanding."
The R8 is the latest new Canon product (and new imaging product in general) to be affected by component shortages, and joins other members of the photographic family:
| Product name | About supply |
|---|---|
| Canon EOS R6 Mark II | We are planning to ship in order, but it may take longer than usual to deliver. |
| Canon EOS R8 | Row 1 - Cell 1 |
| Canon EOS R7 | Row 2 - Cell 1 |
| RF 135mm F1.8L IS USM | Row 3 - Cell 1 |
| RF 400mm F2.8L IS USM | Row 4 - Cell 1 |
| RF 800mm F5.6L IS USM | Row 5 - Cell 1 |
| Speedlite EL-5 | Row 6 - Cell 1 |
This will be a bitter blow for all those customers that have pre-ordered this exciting camera, but this isn't the first time that Canon has announced a product and then later said that the demand outweighs the supply – and quite frankly I think this is going to be the new normal for some time, which isn't really good enough in my personal opinion.
I must point out that this statement is from Canon Japan only, and doesn't necessarily represent the whole of the Canon business across other regions. However, the cameras are made in Japan – think of that what you will.
For those still thinking about ordering your Canon EOS R8, my advice would be to still put your name against it – but be prepared to wait a little while longer than usually expected. While it might be in stock in your local camera shop or favorite online retailer, their stock has to come from somewhere…
