A report from Japanese online news agency AERAdot says Nikon will move all production of camera bodies to its factory in Ayutthaya, Thailand, which opened in 1990.
The Nikon factory in Ayutthaya, Thailand.
Most of the company’s entry- and mid-level DSLR cameras – including the D610, D750, and D850 FX bodies, all DX bodies, Coolpix cameras and some DX and FX lenses are made and assembled at this facility. Production of the Z 7 and Z 6 was transferred in October and the ‘flagship’ D6 camera will be transferred to Thailand by the end of 2021. The main reason for the shift is said to be cost reduction.
The Sendai factory, which has been operating since 1971, will play a support role in the future and continue to produce high-performance, high-precision parts, with an emphasis on production technology and mobility. It will also be used as a start-up facility for new business endeavours. Nikon has also announced it will cease operations in Malaysia, the site of its imaging and industrial metrology businesses. A complete exit is slated for 1 January 2021.
