Several key camera brands have now adjusted US list prices to compensate for increased tariff costs, including Canon, Sony, Nikon, Fujifilm, Leica and Sigma. But there are two names conspicuously missing from that list: Panasonic and OM System.
But rumors are now swirling that both brands will be hiking list prices on camera gear this fall. Reports on Photo Rumors claim that price increases on Lumix gear are slated for the end of September and increases on OM System gear in early October.
Neither brand has commented on whether or not a tariff-related price hike is coming.
But while the reported increases still sit firmly in rumor territory, Panasonic has already indicated in a previous earnings call with investors that price revisions could reduce the expected tariff impact down to less than 1%.
“We feel that we have to have all these details confirmed before we make any announcement,” a Panasonic representative said back in July.
But since that meeting, Malaysia – one of the countries where Lumix gear is made – has settled US tariff rates at 19%. Panasonic also manufactures camera gear in China, where tariffs have temporarily dropped to 10% through November 10.
Outside adjusting the price of a popular compact camera, Panasonic hasn’t yet seemed to touch its camera list prices in the US. The budget full-frame Lumix S9 dropped to its lowest price yet over Labor Day, a discount that is still in place.
OM System is privately owned, which means there’s no investor report to glean data from. While the brand hasn’t given any insight into a potential tariff price change, with larger companies unable to eat a 10% to 20% cost increase, a price change seems a likely scenario.
If the reports are accurate and Panasonic and OM System adjust prices in the next few weeks, that would have all of the top five selling camera brands sitting at higher prices in the US. Panasonic and OM System are both key players for the Micro Four Thirds system, while Panasonic also offers a line of full-frame camera gear.
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