Supplies of the Canon EOS R5 have been notoriously limited, but the manufacturer has advised retailers in the US that the next shipment will arrive in October – accordingly, North American customers have been told that their orders will be shipped "before the end of October".
However, those stocking the Canon EOS R5 in the UK don't appear to have had the same update, as retailers have been unable to provide any information as to when their next shipments are expected.
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While the R5 was technically available from its 30 July release date, the camera was in such high demand that stock has been virtually impossible to come by. Pre-orders were apparently off the charts and, combined with challenges to the global supply chain (due to the ongoing health crisis), even some who placed an order in July are still waiting for their gear.
It's a frustrating situation – especially for those who traded in their existing cameras in part-exchange for the new body – but at least we have an update on when stock might be available… at least in the US.
"In our last email, we shared that Canon R5 preorders were very strong and Canon’s deliveries to US retailers have been extremely limited," wrote B&H to patient R5 customers (as reported by Canon Rumors).
"Since that note, we received an updated shipment schedule from Canon. Based on this latest information from Canon, we expect to ship your order before the end of October. Please note that this information could change if Canon updates its schedule."
B&H's information matches that provided to the website by Canadian retailers such as Downtown Camera, so the big picture is that North America won't be receiving a significant volume of stock until the latter part of October.
While that's a long time to wait for a camera that people ordered in July, at least it's a timeframe; customers in the UK, however, don't have such an indication of when their orders will be fulfilled. We spoke to Wex and Park Cameras, and neither retailer was able to provide even a ballpark as to when stock will arrive.
Ultimately, the Canon EOS R5 is a camera that's well worth waiting for. However, whether or not customers will keep waiting when there are new cameras like the Panasonic S5 (not to mention existing cameras like the Sony A7R IV and Nikon Z7) to tempt them to cancel their orders, is another matter…
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Canon EOS R5 review
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