OM Digital and Panasonic’s statements about the global chip shortage

Amateur Photographer asked company managers what’s their situation regarding the worldwide chip shortage:

OM digital said:

‘We are facing some limited product shortages which are not unique to us – for various reasons (high demand on key lines, Covid, assorted supply chain glitches) but we do not foresee any delays in our launch plan for new products based on current info.’

Panasonic said:

‘The imaging industry is currently facing a number of global challenges that are affecting all camera manufacturers and Panasonic is not immune to these. We continue to do our best to meet the demands of our customers and we are excited to show our latest updates in Spring 2022.’

Sigma said:

‘Since last year, the supply of not only semiconductors but also materials and components has been tightened due to the shutdown of factories and disruption of logistics caused by the COVID-19 lockdown in cities around the world, which is a problem common to all industries, not just cameras and interchangeable lenses. As for Sigma, despite the problems mentioned above, close cooperation with suppliers and our own efforts have resulted in no major impact on production and we have been operating smoothly so far. However, the outlook for the supply of materials and parts has become increasingly uncertain since the beginning of 2022, and there is a possibility that our production will be affected in the future. Sigma will do its utmost to fulfil its supply responsibilities in order to avoid causing inconvenience to our customers.’

Engadget: “the global chip shortage isn’t ending anytime soon”

Let’s face it: The global chip shortage isn’t going away in 2022. This means most camera announcements will be pushed towards end 2022 with slow shipments til 2023. Engadget reports:

“I’d like to say things have improved, but they actually have gotten a little bit worse, and I’m not surprised,” O’Donnell said in a recent interview with Engadget. In April, he argued that the global chip shortage would continue throughout 2022 and into 2023. Now, he’s even more convinced that we won’t see any major relief until then.

If you are on the list for the new GH6 or OMD cameras well, don’t count to get them any time soon :(