Customers eagerly awaiting some handsets from Nikon, Sony, and Canon could face a shortage in the near future as a massive fire at components manufacturer AKM Semiconductor in Japan put the supply of many of the best-selling models from the biggest makers in jeopardy.
This is particularly devastating news for the companies as the industry as a whole weathers a pretty tough 2020. The loss of this components manufacturer will impact many of the better selling products on offer from the trio.
The fire happened back in October on the 20th and raged for three days, Inside Imaging reports. The factory in Nobeoka produces digital-to-analog converters, integrated circuits, and other components essential to many in the camera industry as well as some audio equipment manufacturers. FStoppers reports that the impact of the Nobeoka factory fire prompted all three manufacturers to adjust the specials they were offering for the Black Friday informal shopping holiday.
How long could the factory be offline? Many are indicating that it will be half of a year at a minimum before production is restored on some level with longer waits expected to bring the factory fully online. As we said, this could be really devastating for these companies that need the revenue from their popular models to help burnish earnings reports that are increasingly dire.
If you have missed our coverage of the state of the industry, you can check that out here.
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