alternatives for Nikon's next big product launch

[rickk]

While I don't expect Nikon USA to pay any/much attention to internet discussions such as this one,
tis a way for us to express frustration about the uncertainty of acquiring a major piece of gear (D4/D800/D800e).
The combination of serious imbalances between initial supply and demand with an apparently new allocation scheme to retailers has pre-order customers and dealers riled up or at least wasting a lot of time thinking about when a delivery may happen.

So, when it is time for Nikon to start shipping the D600 or next high-end DX model, what could they do different?

initial thoughts:
sell only to a hundred or so reviewers plus NPS members at first, then delay further distribution until a large stockpile has been produced that can satisfy the market;
charge a premium for the first six months (take the lead from the scalpers and speculators);
permit pre-orders only through the Nikon store or a couple of efficient vendors so that there are only a couple of pre-order queues that are fully transparent and fulfilled in order;
encourage their Authorized Dealers to provide information to customers about their pre-order position;
etc.

Anyhow, there's got to be better ways than the current situation. Suggestions?

[Ellis Vener]

Nikon would love to have a torrent of D800 and D800E bodies in people's hands right now but there were several mitigating factors, some of which are inter-related, some are circumstantial.

Circumstantial 1st: an earthquake and resulting Tsunami in he region where Nikon's main high end body and lens factories are located. An ongoing major crisis at the nuclear power plant have led to disruptions in the supply chain, and infra-structure.

Prolonged flooding in Thailand where other Nikon components are built destroyed their factories there.

Acts of Man:

The ongoing world wide financial crisis and an even longer prolonged economic crisis in Japan made capital either very expensive and also hard to project what kind of demand there actually would be. This likely also made dealers skittish about tying up their capital and lines of credit in pre-orders  inventory prior to release.

Compounding these issues is both the role of Internet forums like this one creating uncontrollable and unknowable levels of desire, and pent up consumer demand for the D800. If Nikon's leadership had been as conservative with the D800 as Canon's was with the 5D Mark III  or if the US economy over the past two years had not bounced back to the extent it has,  do you think people would be feeling the frustration you are obviously feeling?

[rickk]

Ellis, thanks for those insights. I have no complaints about Nikon's production capacity or factors that impact their supply chain.
Many of us have just felt that the initial distribution to retailers and accompanying lack of information could have been handled better.
Personally, it really doesn't matter if some new gear arrives tomorrow or in September, but I'd like to have some clue as to which it might be.
From occasional posts from customer service reps at major retailers, their agreements with the distributor (Nikon USA or perhaps some middle man)
and a tendency to avoid informing competitors of business data prevent the big photo gear dealers from informing their customers about potential for
order fulfillment.  The absence of info has been the frustrating issue.

Regards,   Rick

[Ellis Vener]

A lot of the issue is at the dealer level - what they ordered vs. what they belatedly  realized they guessed wrong - which some dealers are happy to blame Nikon or NikonUSA for. Not true of all dealers but certainly for some.

[Wayne Fox]

A lot of the issue is at the dealer level - what they ordered vs. what they belatedly  realized they guessed wrong - which some dealers are happy to blame Nikon or NikonUSA for. Not true of all dealers but certainly for some.

Curious what dealer insight you are privy to?

I don't think any dealers have been able to get anything near the quantity they ordered.  Some dealers ordered excessive amounts with the intent of canceling orders to try and get more early inventory.  Nikon said no way, reallocated inventory.  That being said there certainly has been a fair amount of favoritism in the allotments so far. (as usual with all of the manufacturers).

We are a small dealer, and have money down on over 20 bodies still.  Nikon has a very limited manufacturing capability, and to be honest they've never introduced a camera with the demand of the d800.  And one unknown ... it very well could be Sony is having yield problems or limited productions of the sensors.

[arlon]

Considering the pixel density, I'd like to see them come out with a D3200E...

[Ellis Vener]

Curious what dealer insight you are privy to?

I don't think any dealers have been able to get anything near the quantity they ordered.  Some dealers ordered excessive amounts with the intent of canceling orders to try and get more early inventory.  Nikon said no way, reallocated inventory.  That being said there certainly has been a fair amount of favoritism in the allotments so far. (as usual with all of the manufacturers).

We are a small dealer, and have money down on over 20 bodies still.  Nikon has a very limited manufacturing capability, and to be honest they've never introduced a camera with the demand of the d800.  And one unknown ... it very well could be Sony is having yield problems or limited productions of the sensors.

Wayne I agree with all of your points . Nikon does not have a Foxconn size plant , I've visted the plant in Sendai where the D3 (and presumably now the D4 and maybe the D800's are made. It is surprisingly small and there is a tremendous amount of testing by hand and eye (with computers) that goes on. Sony may also be having yield problems. And  Japan, Inc. may likely still be having supply chain problems as well with many small suppliers. The pent up demand for the D800 ,which has been rumored about, and was being field tested apparently, has been building for at least a year and it is a camera that really changes the game. I'm not sure it is revolutionary , but it is a big evolutionary leap.

Your shop is as fair and honest as the year is long - you even point out the opposite of what i said with some dealers putting in large orders they knew they would cancel. but I'm sure you know shops that are not, I know I do.