Here is a note from Nikon announcing price increases due to the imposition of tariffs.
I guess others will follow.
Here is a note from Nikon announcing price increases due to the imposition of tariffs.
I guess others will follow.
Can’t wait for the American mirrorless camera brand, any minute now.
Couple of other brands, incl Canon, have already suggested the same, according to this report.
I got my link from an article on Slashdot, there was a comment that asked why the US shouldn’t do its own manufacturing.
It was pointed out that:
Pixii is a good example of how expensive cameras get without economies of scale, which traditional brands already struggle with, and higher wages for workers. Of course a french worker earns way less than an american one (making cameras) so an american full frame camera would probably be as expensive as a Leica.
Although Leica benefits from low paid workers in my own country (Portugal) to do the majority of the work, and then are “finished” in Germany for that “Made in Germany” tag.
Also, you cannot really replicate the variety of a global market within a single country. If the US chooses autarky, some goods just won’t be manufactured.
The emerging consensus (among economists) is that the US (like many countries) should do some form of industrial policy, which includes promoting some sectors of manufacturing, for various reasons (see eg Juhász, Lane, and Rodrik (2023) for a lit review). But it should be evidence based and way more nuanced than wholesale, astronomical tariffs that seem to change daily.
The Stars 'n Snaps FRDUM 365 will be a very good camera from a big beautiful company.
I generally avoid political comments on this forum, but I am not seeing much evidence based decisions coming out of the US at the moment. And if the US does make a made in the USA camera I for one will not be buying it on principle alone. I won’t even buy Oreo biscuits in my local supermarket. Tarrifs wars work both ways.
It is difficult to cut out everything American, given the amount that American companies own. For example, the high quality chocolate chain, “Hotel Chocolat” is owned by Mars.
However, one can avoid Starbucks (not difficult given the poor quality of its coffee), and the American fast food outlets (I refuse to call them restaurants), and buy books from local retailers rather than Amazon (I now avoid Abe Books, since they are owned by Amazon).
Fortunately, we live in an area with lots of independents, so actually purchasing local (even if the prices are slightly higher) isn’t difficult.
A lot of Americans just love buying imported. So embarassing for us. The first time was bad enough; this time around I’m getting ready to ignore all the political cheap shots we can withstand from the non-US tourists while abroad this summer.
Sadly there are some American companies I can’t avoid. Amazon and Netflix. I know many people here don’t like Amazon, but I live in the island state of Tasmania, Australia and often depend on online shopping to get what I need and I have only had a very positive experience with Amazon. And Netflix has no competition for me as I am addicted to Korean dramas (my dark shameful secret) and hate mainstream shows without subtitles except for a few quaint British shows.
We need to know which ones (for research purposes)
As to American-made cameras, can we even do it?
Anything I’ve bought marked as “Heavy Duty” was barely up to the job.
It’s hands down the easiest shopping experience for me where I live too. I live in a small city, so I do have options, but no one comes close to offering the same variety of products at good prices with fast and cheap shipping to my door, not to mention the ease of returns (they come to my door too) and the customer service that has always done whatever I’ve asked. And there are just some products you can’t find anywhere else locally, including obscure batteries and machine parts.
So I don’t blame anyone for continuing to use Amazon, and it was a hard decision for me to cancel my Prime membership. But it was the model I liked, not the company (nor Bezos).
I’m hoping a local Canadian company starts to offer a similar service, and I think it would do well (for those who are familiar with it, I think Canadian Tire is well placed to rise to the challenge).
The first one I recommend to start the addiction process is Mr Sunshine. The series is set in Hanseong (present-day Seoul) in the early 1900s, and focuses on activists fighting for Korea’s independence.
Even my wife watched this one and rang me at work when she watched the ending and couldn’t believe what they had done to the main character.
Watch it if you dare.
Thanks!
That’s a very mild way of putting it
I was talking about an ideal scenario. A focused industrial policy (which may include tariffs, but a lot of other tools) could help the US retain key manufacturing capacity.
This, of course, has nothing to do with blanket tariffs that seem to change on a daily basis.
You think that Trump and his minions are capable of producing anything like this?
My understanding, from reading American and other newspapers, is that Trump didn’t put people in place for their competence, but for their loyalty to him.
(Tongue-in-cheek, I would claim that they were DEI hires, chosen for their colour and gender rather than any other qualities)
Not defending him at all but it’s funny that Trump doesn’t seem to discriminate on gender or sexuality when it comes to “selecting” people for certain jobs. A woman ran his campaign and got him elected, one of his cabinet members is the first homosexual man there, etc. Not saying he doesn’t discriminate but I’d say for him those qualities are way down low compared to loyalty and boot licking
Just a few days ago he threatened 35% tariffs on all iphones simply because Tim “Apple” refused to go to the middle east with him.
I did say that it was tongue-in-cheek. I would add that feeding his narcissism is a major factor.
Where the kind of colour/gender selection does come into play is with his handlers from the religious-right. I would contend that they don’t actually see women as persons (i.e. they do not have a personal identity.