# New Supply issues with Canon gear?



## Aussie shooter (Nov 25, 2020)

I have heard there was a fire in Japan recently that may mean the current shipments of canon gear could be the last untill 1st qtr(end of) 2021. Is this true? Or have I been told a furphy?


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Nov 25, 2020)

Why not check before spreading a unlikely rumor. What have other photo sites said? What has Canon said?


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## Aussie shooter (Nov 25, 2020)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> Why not check before spreading a unlikely rumor. What have other photo sites said? What has Canon said?


That is what i am doing which is why I asked if anyone knew the validity of it and NOT stating it as fact. I kind of figured this would be a good place to verify it. However the factory is AKM? and apparently supplies semiconductors to japans camera industry. it suffered a 3 day fire. There is little doubt the fire actually happened(on oct 20) but I am wondering if anyone here may be able to confirm the reports of how badly it will affect the supply chain.


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## Valvebounce (Nov 25, 2020)

Hi Aussie Shooter.
I would imagine in an age of just in time delivery and minimal stock levels that any manufacturer using chips from this supplier will by looking for an alternative or in the mire!
As if things this year haven’t been bad enough having your facility damaged / destroyed by fire totally sucks! 

Having just had a look around the net, it seems like they make audio DAC, ADC and Bluetooth chips. 
There was a list of chips known to be affected but stock levels at the manufacturer are unknown, so there may be a short buffer period? 

Cheers, Graham.



Aussie shooter said:


> That is what i am doing which is why I asked if anyone knew the validity of it and NOT stating it as fact. I kind of figured this would be a good place to verify it. However the factory is AKM? and apparently supplies semiconductors to japans camera industry. it suffered a 3 day fire. There is little doubt the fire actually happened(on oct 20) but I am wondering if anyone here may be able to confirm the reports of how badly it will affect the supply chain.


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## unfocused (Nov 25, 2020)

After your first post I googled some keywords and found the fire you mentioned. It was a third party supplier to the industry but I cannot find anything that indicates they are a Canon supplier.


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## Aussie shooter (Nov 25, 2020)

unfocused said:


> After your first post I googled some keywords and found the fire you mentioned. It was a third party supplier to the industry but I cannot find anything that indicates they are a Canon supplier.


I read that they supply to pretty much the entire Japanese camera industry(so it would be Nikon and others affected as well) as well as a large number of other tech industries such as audio/visual etc. My initial info came from a camera store worker and while that does not mean the info is accurate it was noted that what is in transit or warehouses now may be the last to be manufactured for a while. Unless they can find an alternative supply(in the case of cameras I guess it is mostly the ADC and/or DAC chips). From what I can gather though they are integrated chips and would require redesigns to incorporate into existing products. I hope the info is wrong of course as it could mean no new cameras for quite a few months


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## unfocused (Nov 25, 2020)

Aussie shooter said:


> I read that they supply to pretty much the entire Japanese camera industry(so it would be Nikon and others affected as well) as well as a large number of other tech industries such as audio/visual etc. My initial info came from a camera store worker and while that does not mean the info is accurate it was noted that what is in transit or warehouses now may be the last to be manufactured for a while. Unless they can find an alternative supply(in the case of cameras I guess it is mostly the ADC and/or DAC chips). From what I can gather though they are integrated chips and would require redesigns to incorporate into existing products. I hope the info is wrong of course as it could mean no new cameras for quite a few months


It appears that the primary impact will be on the audio industry. I'm not seeing any mention of cameras. 

More Information:



Recording - Mixonline










AKM Fire: 2020 was Almost Over, Then Disaster Struck Again


You thought 2020 was almost over - then a major new disaster appears that will cause a disruption in the 2021 supply of critical A/V products




www.strata-gee.com












About the AKM Factory Fire - Blog


Learn more about how the semiconductor factory fire at AKM in Nobeoka, Japan is effecting you and your orders.




suntsu.com












Fire Destroys AKM Audio Chip Factory: Can 2020 Get Any Worse?


An inferno that blazed for three straight days devastated the AKM semiconductor factory in Nobeoka City, Japan. Read on to learn how this will this affect audio products from your favorite manufacturers.




www.audioholics.com












AKM Factory Fire Impacts Audio Chip Supplies | Production Expert


We have become aware of a fire at the Asahi Kasei Microsystem (AKM) semiconductor factory in Nobeoka city in Japan on 20th October 2020. The plant is known for the production of high-end DACs/ADCs IC components for high-end audio devices. We have the latest details…




www.pro-tools-expert.com


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## Aussie shooter (Nov 26, 2020)

unfocused said:


> It appears that the primary impact will be on the audio industry. I'm not seeing any mention of cameras.
> 
> More Information:
> 
> ...


Yeah. I read a lot of the same stuff but i did see somewhere that it would possibly affect the video side of things in the camera industry and as video and audio are fully integrated in all imaging systems nowadys who knows. As I said, I hope what I have heard is wrong. Supplies already seem thin on the ground. But time will tell


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Nov 26, 2020)

Canon has said in the past that they have alternate sources of supply after being badly affected by a Earthquake. With Covid-19 raging, those alternate sources might already be under stress.


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## unfocused (Nov 26, 2020)

Aussie shooter said:


> Yeah. I read a lot of the same stuff but i did see somewhere that it would possibly affect the video side of things in the camera industry and as video and audio are fully integrated in all imaging systems nowadys who knows. As I said, I hope what I have heard is wrong. Supplies already seem thin on the ground. But time will tell


Okay, it looks like your concerns may be legitimate.

Gordon over at CanonPriceWatch is now reporting it could impact supplies.









EXCLUSIVE: Chip fire to hit camera supply? - Inside Imaging


A devastating three-day fire which broke out on October 20 at Japanese high-end IC components factory, AKM Semiconductor, is reported to be having serious ongoing supply impacts for several camera manufacturers.




www.insideimaging.com.au


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## Aussie shooter (Nov 27, 2020)

unfocused said:


> Okay, it looks like your concerns may be legitimate.
> 
> Gordon over at CanonPriceWatch is now reporting it could impact supplies.
> 
> ...


The more I read, the more amazed I am that i not only got an R6 but that we got decent BF deals on them.


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