Are any new cameras still made in Japan?

blockend · May 11, 2020

In recent years well known brands have carried a Made in China label. Are any "Japanese" cameras still made largely or exclusively in Japan? Also, are any other brands constructed of non-Chinese components or assembly?

nmp · May 11, 2020

blockend said:
In recent years well known brands have carried a Made in China label. Are any "Japanese" cameras still made largely or exclusively in Japan? Also, are any other brands constructed of non-Chinese components or assembly?

Last time I read Fuji still made their cameras and lenses in Japan. Also the higher end cameras from Nikon, Canon etc are manufactured in Japan, I think. Probably hard to find current data but there is some movement towards getting more and more production out of China and bringing back home in recent times. Post-covid, the world of manufacturing will look much different I would bet.

blockend · May 11, 2020

nmp said:
Last time I read Fuji still made their cameras and lenses in Japan.

Not the case I'm afraid. New Fuji cameras including the X-T4 are labelled Made in China.

nmp said:
Also the higher end cameras from Nikon, Canon etc are manufactured in Japan, I think.

The only information I can find is a 2015 article that says Canon intend to bring production back to Japan. I'm not sure about Nikon. I agree on the post-Covid sentiments.

Anon Ymous · May 11, 2020

Canon produces many cameras in Japan, not only high end ones. The 800D is made in Japan AFAIK and is regarded an amateur camera. Perhaps the 4 digit models are made elsewhere, but these are definitely low cost cameras, some of them made with parts of quite old models.

nmp · May 11, 2020

blockend said:
Not the case I'm afraid. New Fuji cameras including the X-T4 are labelled Made in China.

The only information I can find is a 2015 article that says Canon intend to bring production back to Japan. I'm not sure about Nikon. I agree on the post-Covid sentiments.

Apparently X-T4 is made both in China and in Japan, presumably the latter for US market and the former for the ROW - thanks in part due to the tariffs I suppose. I think the things are a little complicated.

https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/...ariffs-by-being-manufactured-in-two-countries

mshchem · May 23, 2020

I bought a Fuji X Pro3 in November, it's made in Japan, I have a D6 on order it's Japanese assembled with global components. There's a lot of Zeiss lenses made in Japan, I have a Zeiss ZM 35mm f 2.8 in Leica M mount, it's a little jewel. Anything made in Japan will be expensive, people in Japan fairly compensated (some may argue this point )

I don't have confidence in made in (insert your *****) products made by workers who are not treated fairly. Every big company seems to always chasing cheap labor. I don't like it.

blockend · May 24, 2020

mshchem said:
Every big company seems to always chasing cheap labor. I don't like it.

I agree. Cameras aren't essentials, they are mostly first world purchases whose buyers can afford the premium to support manufacturing welfare.

MattKing · May 24, 2020

If you went into a store (remember those) and were given a choice between two cameras that were similar except for the fact that one was made locally while the other was made where labour costs were low, would you pay a 30% premium for the locally made product?
Would your answer be different if the price difference was 10 percent?
What would your choice be if you were the camera manufacturer, and you were trying to compete against low labour cost alternatives?

mshchem · May 25, 2020

MattKing said:
If you went into a store (remember those) and were given a choice between two cameras that were similar except for the fact that one was made locally while the other was made where labour costs were low, would you pay a 30% premium for the locally made product?
Would your answer be different if the price difference was 10 percent?
What would your choice be if you were the camera manufacturer, and you were trying to compete against low labour cost alternatives?

Local is not as important as how people are treated. In November I bought a Fuji X Pro3, made in Japan. If it had been made in China I wouldn't have bought it. It's about quality, and the workers pride in the product. It's usually as simple as does the country have free elections, and democratic rule.
Fuji is moving a lot of their lens production to Philippines. I bought the standard 35mm lens, I thought it was made in Japan. All the other lenses I have for this camera I bought used in prime condition, made in Japan often from Japanese dealers on Ebay. I got one brand new lens from a seller in Thailand, made in Japan. I've bought 2 lenses from this fellow over the years, no problem.
I have a couple Leica film cameras I rarely use, on the nice M6ttl I have a Summicron 50mm, I wanted a matching 35mm Summicron, but the cost is astronomical, so I bought a cute little 35mm f2.8 Zeiss, Cosina made lens, made in Japan. The little Zeiss lens is very nice, couldn't be happier.

It's all about quality that comes from free people. MHOFWIW, American companies have a lousy track record in closing domestic production and moving to "low cost countries" . I've seen it first hand.

4season · May 25, 2020

Sigma lenses that I’ve seen were all Japan made.
Sony is mostly made in Thailand these days, Olympus mostly Vietnam.
Suspect biggest problem is finding and retaining workers in Japan.

MattKing · May 25, 2020

And they say that a Leica product made in Midland Ontario Canada couldn't possibly be as good as the ones made in Germany .
I do agree - it matters to me how employees are treated.
But it isn't necessarily the case that the particular employees in, e.g. Vietnam, are poorly treated.
It is difficult and complex.
My posts are oriented more to the buying public en masse. And with an eye to how difficult it is to be a manufacturer/distributor/retailer perhaps wanting to do one thing, but competing against others who are doing another.
By the way, I've heard stories that Sigma is so upset with Fuji, they are now refusing to make any new lenses for Fuji products.

mshchem · May 25, 2020

Sigma is definitely a player in sourced product, they also make some outstanding product with their name on it. If you want to see an example of worker exploitation, you only need to drive 50 miles in any direction from my house. Meat packing plants. Tyson in Waterloo Iowa, over 100 languages in the workforce. Due to low wages these folks tend to car pool, live together. Their visas aren't permanent, the company isn't going to sponsor these folks for a green card. If the company let them stay they would form a strong(er) union.

I think Tamron makes a boat load of Nikon stuff. If Sigma was making the X mount lenses for Fuji, that's fine nothing magical about Fuji. Still companies in Japan are competing for experienced skilled labor.
The recent pandemic is in part due to the mass migration of rural folks to the mega cities China has constructed in the last 30 years.

Sal Santamaura · May 26, 2020

Although this thread is in a digital subforum, it's worthwhile to note that the F6 is made in Nikon's Sendai plant.

Chan Tran · May 26, 2020

Many low end Leica's are made in Japan (I guess by Panasonic) but the Panasonic counterparts are made in China.

nmp · May 26, 2020

4season said:
Sigma lenses that I’ve seen were all Japan made.
Sony is mostly made in Thailand these days, Olympus mostly Vietnam.
Suspect biggest problem is finding and retaining workers in Japan.

Sigma Art lenses are all made in Japan, last time I read.

Pieter12 · May 26, 2020

A quick glance at the most current equipment I have shows the Fuji XPro-3 and all the lenses made in Japan, as well as Voightlander and Zeiss M-mount lenses (made by Cosina I believe).

Chan Tran · Jun 7, 2021

MattKing said:
If you went into a store (remember those) and were given a choice between two cameras that were similar except for the fact that one was made locally while the other was made where labour costs were low, would you pay a 30% premium for the locally made product?
Would your answer be different if the price difference was 10 percent?
What would your choice be if you were the camera manufacturer, and you were trying to compete against low labour cost alternatives?

If I have a choice of a Fuji made in Japan vs one made in China for 30% price premium I would choose the made in Japan. In fact I doubt that I would buy the Chinese made Fuji at all if it's the only choice. However, I would certainly buy a Seagull or a Shen Hao made in China. By the way I won't buy a Leica made in Japan.

luckypiglive · Jun 20, 2021

its not important where is made the camera if they follow the guidelines and specifications of the company. it could be made in Japan with lower quality than one in China.

guangong · Jun 20, 2021

Chan Tran said:
If I have a choice of a Fuji made in Japan vs one made in China for 30% price premium I would choose the made in Japan. In fact I doubt that I would buy the Chinese made Fuji at all if it's the only choice. However, I would certainly buy a Seagull or a Shen Hao made in China. By the way I won't buy a Leica made in Japan.

I share your sentiments. Generally speaking, also avoid food products made in China, especially packaged goods. Luckily, Chinatown, NYC is not that far away and locally made stuff is available.
Which reminds me, with summer weather, time for doufu fanand leung fen.

Jim Jones · Jun 20, 2021

Chan Tran said:
If I have a choice of a Fuji made in Japan vs one made in China for 30% price premium I would choose the made in Japan. In fact I doubt that I would buy the Chinese made Fuji at all if it's the only choice. However, I would certainly buy a Seagull or a Shen Hao made in China. By the way I won't buy a Leica made in Japan.

Many decades ago I bought one of the first four Seagull TLRs sold in Kansas City. It NEVER worked! However, I kept it for many years as a warning against buying any other precision equipment from China. However, we shouldn't blame the Chinese. They will likely be the first people to set foot on Mars. That takes some good engineering and production. Instead, blame cheapskates (like me, too often) who buy cheap instead of wisely, and thus continue to support cheap manufacturing. Often cheap products are practical for many unimportant tasks, but not for decades of intensive photography.

Are any new cameras still made in Japan?

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Are any new cameras still made in Japan?

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