Originally Posted by
Manfred M
Fuji badly underestimated how popular the X100VI would be, so they simply did not have the stock to meet the demand.
In a previous "life" I was responsible for introducing new product launches into factory production. We were dependent on the accuracy of the marketing and sales department forecasts (which were never accurate). About 80% of the annual sales of a product would take place in the first 3 - 4 months after the product was launched so we had to ensure that we had enough product available in the stores to be sold (this was a couple of decades before online business).
If the forecasts were to optimistic, we were stuck with inventory that did not turn over. If the forecast was too low, we could not get the product out quickly enough. It's more than just being able to product the goods (which meant the production lines could not produce other products that were also selling well). Supply chains could not always deliver the raw materials even if we had production capacity.
This is exactly what Fujifilm experienced with the X100VI. Demand exceeded expectations and they simply could not meet up with the demand. Nikon had exactly the same problem when the D800 was launched at it took close to a year for them to match production with consumer demand.
I would not get too upset at Fujifilm. Every camera manufacturer in the world could have this happen to them. I had the opposite experience. The GFX100s ii was extremely popular as well and I had mine in my hands about 2 days after the product was launched.