Today, Nikon revealed it will stop accepting orders for its the AF-S NIKKOR 180-400mm f/4E TC1.4 FL ED VR lens — citing “production reasons” for the delays.
Nikon posted the announcement on its Japanese website. According to the post, Nikon will suspend all NIKKOR 180-400mm f/4E TC1.4 FL ED VR orders after May 21, 2021. The post blames production reasons for the delays and admits the company will need to take some time to fulfill all the orders they’ve received for the lens.
“Due to production reasons, it will take some time for some products to be delivered to customers,” the post reads.
When will Nikon start accepting orders again?
Judging by the announcement, it doesn’t seem Nikon will have the AF-S NIKKOR 180-400mm DSLR back on the market any time soon.
“We will consider the delivery time and the resumption time of orders while observing the situation and will inform you again as soon as it is confirmed,” Nikon wrote in its post.
Before Nikon makes any promises, the company said it wanted to look at both the delivery time and the resumption time of orders. It added that it will “do our utmost to deliver the product as soon as possible,” and voiced its appreciation for Nikon customers understanding the delay.
How will this affect Nikon’s bottom line?
Nikon Rumors reports the AF-S NIKKOR 180-400mm DSLR has been out of stock for some time now, citing retailers such as Adorama, B&H and Amazon.
Nikon continues to phase out its DSLR cameras and DSLR-related gear due to the shrinking DSLR market. Just this year, the Nikon video division began transitioning its production from DSLR to Mirrorless. However, there’s no official word if the shift towards Mirrorless is the culprit for the delay.
At $12,400, the backordered product is one of the higher-end lenses in Nikon’s lineup. Hopefully, Nikon can resume AF-S NIKKOR 180-400mm f/4E TC1.4 FL ED VR orders sooner rather than later.
