Last Updated on 11/20/2017 by Chris Gampat
Sorry, it looks like you may be getting your Sony A7R III a bit late
To say that the buzz surrounding the [amazon_textlink asin=’B076TGDHPT’ text=’Sony A7R III’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’a3282998-cbca-11e7-811c-8986c2c8d3fd’] was high is a bit of an understatement, and despite Sony knowing they pretty much had the best all-around mirrorless camera on the market coming down the pipe, early demand caught even them off-guard. So much so they have issued a public apology on the subject.Sony Japan today officially posted a public apology for delays in shipments of the highly anticipated A7R III due to pre-orders of the camera being much higher than the company anticipated they would be. This is significant because this is an indicator of how much the Sony announcement of the [amazon_textlink asin=’B076TGDHPT’ text=’A7R III ‘ template=’ProductLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’a9d6ac0a-cbca-11e7-acce-a1dcd6ec7002′]resonated with the photography community; and while we donât know how many of these preorders are by photographers who already own an A7 camera and how many are by newcomers to the Sony system; the ratio isnât important, the point is it is a camera that has people excited, for a variety of reasons, despite using the exact same sensor as its preceding model (a spec that initially drew some criticism).
In their apology Sony says they received orders âexceeding our expectations greatlyâĤâ and that due to this, there will be some delay getting all of the pre-orders out. The company then went on to say the shipments will be delivered in the order with which the pre-orders were made up through the initial release date, with all pre-orders made before the official A7R III shipment date being promised delivery by âearly Decemberâ.
This will surely be a disappointment to some who were hoping to get their pre-ordered A7R III on day one, but ultimately this is a good sign, both for Sony and for the market. But on the less expensive end of the spectrum, Sony also made one other announcement today, regarding the shipment of [amazon_textlink asin=’B00MHPAES4′ text=’A5100′ template=’ProductLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’b33385d0-cbca-11e7-aca4-a379ab9f5d92′] dual lens kits.
According to the second Sony release, the company states that due to âproduction circumstancesâ it will be impossible for them to supply sufficient kits based on the orders they are getting and that they are basically expecting the kits to run out of stock and have a shortage situation. This likely will not upset many reading this blog, but no doubt some consumers looking into the A5100 may be disappointed when they are hard to find.
Sony did not indicate what the production circumstances were, but given that both of these announcements were made on the same day, it wouldnât be a stretch to wonder if maybe Sony decided to ramp up the [amazon_textlink asin=’B076TGDHPT’ text=’A7R III’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’thephobl-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’bc10d00d-cbca-11e7-878d-31f610189f24′] production line at the expense of the A5100 production line. That is pure speculation, but it seems feasible.
Regardless, the stage has been set, and it appears if you have Sony gear on your list this holiday season you may want to get it while you can because the stock may end up being an issue.
