Nikon, Made in Japan or Made in China (Page 2): Remember when people made jokes about "junk" that was "Made in Japan"?

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

OnDSnap wrote:

I suppose it's just a mental thing, being around Nikon product for 40 years and seeing "Made in Japan" Nikon & Japan, Japan and Nikon... and lets face it... knowing all well and good, China & Crap can be synonymous. But hey, it is what it is...

Remember when people made jokes about "junk" that was "Made in Japan"?

Wabbit Loc: Arizona Desert

OnDSnap wrote:

Is anybody other than myself bothered by this...I recently purchased a Nikor 105 Micro, and it is stamped "Made in China"...I understand why, what I'm having a problem with is this going to degrade the resale value of Nikon products.
Am I over thinking this?

Hey Doc ..... I think you are ..... some are made in Thailand ..... it's still a Nikon product ..... Seiko Watch Co sets up manufacturing in other countries ..... lots of products coming out of China .....

camerabuff58 Loc: Ontario, Canada,

I,m a long term loyal Nikon owner,however I must admit to being suspicious with anything made in China.
Ok Nikon claims to keep quality at it,s highest, but so did Nike, gucci, toy manufactures and the like.
Eventually ,counterfeit products hit the market that was very hard to identify from the original EXCEPT from the cheap parts and materials that went into them.
Don't kid yourself, the same thing can happen to cameras.
I'm not a skeptic, just a realist.

OnDSnap wrote:

Is anybody other than myself bothered by this...I recently purchased a Nikor 105 Micro, and it is stamped "Made in China"...I understand why, what I'm having a problem with is this going to degrade the resale value of Nikon products.
Am I over thinking this?

saxkiwi Loc: New Zealand

OnDSnap wrote:

Is anybody other than myself bothered by this...I recently purchased a Nikor 105 Micro, and it is stamped "Made in China"...I understand why, what I'm having a problem with is this going to degrade the resale value of Nikon products.
Am I over thinking this?

I have the same lens and the hood has made in china on it while the lens says made in Japan. I don't think the quality will be any less but I do think it may have some degradation of resale value.

OnDSnap Loc: NE New Jersey

jerryc41 wrote:

OnDSnap wrote:

I suppose it's just a mental thing, being around Nikon product for 40 years and seeing "Made in Japan" Nikon & Japan, Japan and Nikon... and lets face it... knowing all well and good, China & Crap can be synonymous. But hey, it is what it is...

Remember when people made jokes about "junk" that was "Made in Japan"?

I do remember, but they proved (after how many years) they could make a good product and we had confidence in it, IMO, China hasn't reached that point yet.

jecanes Loc: Taumarunui, New Zealand

there was a time (40 or so years ago) when 'Made in Japan' suggested inferior products. They learnt by copying the 'West'. Now 'Japanese' products are made worldwide. Now China are doing the same.

Al FR-153 Loc: Chicago Suburbs

jecanes wrote:

there was a time (40 or so years ago) when 'Made in Japan' suggested inferior products. They learnt by copying the 'West'. Now 'Japanese' products are made worldwide. Now China are doing the same.

Exactly.... And would you believe.....Some Japanese cars are marked Made In USA ? Just think, maybe we could get some of the camera manufacturing too.

Yes, you are over-thinking the issue. Your TV, coffee maker, computer parts, automobile parts, and even the gas pumps where you purchase your gas, have parts made from all over the world, including Korea, China, India, Mexico and numerous other countries. They all work don't they? The big shame is why not the USA ???

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

OnDSnap wrote:

quote=jerryc41 quote=OnDSnap I suppose it's just... (show quote)

Much of that Japanese success can be credited to American W. Edwards Demming. When American companies rejected his ideas for improving quality in manufacturing, he went to Japan. The rest is history. The Japanese still present a Demming Prize for quality improvement.

yaterman96 Loc: Southern North Carolina

I am glad my is made in Japan /Canon/ To bad everything made in China is junk. Got a paint brush from home depo payed $8 went home started painting within an hour small brisels started coming out. Took it back an got one made in USA Washington paid $16. No problem with this one. You get what you pay for.

DaveMM Loc: Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Hypno wrote:

So, if it is cheaper to make it in China or Thailand, Nikon must be making more money on those products than the ones made in Japan. I think what is troublesome is the feeling of being cheated by the company that is now charging the same for cheaper made products. We develop a psychological relationship when "branding" with a product that makes us feel a certain entitlement, like an old friend. Our friend is now taking advantage of us by making a bigger profit.

Anyone who thinks that the price is related to the cost of production has never studied marketing. Companies price their goods to match or be below the brand leader. If they can produce it cheaper they make more profit.

Assuming the manufacturing equipment and the quality of construction are the same, why worry where it is made. It is not Chinese manufacture that makes some Chinese good inferior, it is the particular manufacturer who makes the cheapest good possible.

Some years ago the most reliable Toyota made was made in Turkey, not Japan. Yet who wants to buy a turkey?

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

DaveMM wrote:

Anyone who thinks that the price is related to the cost of production has never studied marketing. Companies price their goods to match or be below the brand leader. If they can produce it cheaper they make more profit.

That's true up to a point. As manufacturing costs rise, prices rise. Having manufacturing done in an area with cheap labor does not lower the price significantly. It might prevent a price increase, but the main reason for lowering the cost of manufacturing is to make more profit. Where profit is concerned, more is never enough.

DPFotos Loc: Pembroke, Ma

very interesting topic...I pulled out my camera bodies...my D600 is made in Thailand and so is my D7000...then I checked 3 lenses. All made in Thailand. Tamron 24-70mm,Nikon 18-200mm and a Nikon 70-300mm. If I know they are made in China I probably wouldn't buy it.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

DPFotos wrote:

very interesting topic...I pulled out my camera bodies...my D600 is made in Thailand and so is my D7000...then I checked 3 lenses. All made in Thailand. Tamron 24-70mm,Nikon 18-200mm and a Nikon 70-300mm. If I know they are made in China I probably wouldn't buy it.

Manufacturing in Thailand is what caused Nikon so much trouble when they had that severe flooding there. Factories were shut down for months.

F16 Club

OnDSnap wrote:

Is anybody other than myself bothered by this...I recently purchased a Nikor 105 Micro, and it is stamped "Made in China"...I understand why, what I'm having a problem with is this going to degrade the resale value of Nikon products.
Am I over thinking this?

Me to bothered , for two reasons
I had tested three D7000 and had to returned because in one, three features does not work properly; the second exposimeter does not bring acure exposition,; the third does not bring good sharpennes even pushing sharpeness to 9.
So yes I do care. The same economic reason Nikon move its factory to there, is my reason I pay for quality product and my dollar has also to be respect as their Trade Mark.
And Nikon shall care because it look like the factories workers are doing on purpose in protest for their slavery wage and government corruption.
All link posted to said the contrary you had to remember that they are exposored by the manufacture, only you with you much or litle experience shall said if it good or not good for you.

FredB Loc: A little below the Mason-Dixon line.

camerabuff58 wrote:

I,m a long term loyal Nikon owner,however I must admit to being suspicious with anything made in China.
Ok Nikon claims to keep quality at it,s highest, but so did Nike, gucci, toy manufactures and the like.
Eventually ,counterfeit products hit the market that was very hard to identify from the original EXCEPT from the cheap parts and materials that went into them.
Don't kid yourself, the same thing can happen to cameras.
I'm not a skeptic, just a realist.

It's a hell of a lot easier to make a factory turning out flip-flops and tee shirts than it is to make a factory turning out complex assemblies like digital cameras and lenses. Even sneakers are simple. I don't think knock-off fake DSLRs are a big problem at the moment.