Tariffs Twist Hollywood’s 2025 Gear Game: A GearFocus Take

GearFocus

Apr 7, 2025

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Tariffs Twist Hollywood’s 2025 Gear Tale: A GearFocus Take

Hollywood’s been dreaming of a 2025 comeback—cameras humming, lights blazing, a fresh reel after years of stumbles. We’ve been rooting for it at GearFocus, where gear’s our lifeline to creativity. But as @billpryornow tweeted, it’s less a triumphant return and more a plot twist—tariffs barging in like uninvited extras. I’m no expert on global trade, and I’ll admit I’m still wrapping my head around this mess, but one thing’s clear: the gear that powers Hollywood’s stories is caught in the crossfire. At GearFocus, we’re learning as we go, leaning on our community and partners to figure this out together—because for us, 1+1 always equals more than 2.

We’ve watched Hollywood claw back from shutdowns, strikes, and wildfires—Ampere Analysis pegged a 20% production drop in Q1 2025 as the last big hurdle. Gear’s been the quiet hero—Canon R5s, Sony FX6s, Nikon Z6 IIs keeping shoots alive. GearFocus has been part of that, a place where pros and dreamers trade used gear to stretch budgets. Then tariffs hit: 10% on all imports since April 5, 24% extra on Japan, 34% on China by April 9, per Trump’s April 2 rollout. China didn’t blink—on April 4, they fired back with 34% tariffs on U.S. goods starting April 10, plus rare earth export curbs and trade bans on 16 U.S. firms (Reuters, April 4). It’s a gear storm we didn’t see coming, and we’re scrambling to keep up.

The numbers tell a story I’m still digesting.

Sony FX6 GearFocus

A Sony FX6 from Japan, $6,000 pre-tariff, now faces a $1,440 hike. A DJI Ronin from China, $700 base, jumps $238. Tony Northrup’s math—25-50% price spikes—feels right; a Canon R5 could go from $3,500 to $4,375-$5,250. Our used listings—say, an R5 at $2,800—might creep to $3,500-$4,200 as new costs ripple. Studios rigging crews with five bodies, ten lenses? That’s $50,000 ballooning to $65,000. Indies scraping by on $10,000 kits? Try $12,500. I don’t have all the answers, but I know this: GearFocus is built on making gear work for everyone, and tariffs are testing that promise. We’re learning fast—together.

Supply’s another knot we’re untangling.

Used Camera Lenses

Canon and Sony likely stockpiled stateside pre-April—I’d have done the same—but that’s a ticking clock. Fstoppers points out the U.S. doesn’t make consumer cameras; Japan and China do, and China’s rare earth restrictions—samarium, terbium for sensors—could choke production. A lens order stretching from six weeks to six months? Hollywood’s deadlines don’t bend for that—I’ve seen shoots bleed cash over less. Our used gear flow—pros selling, newbies buying—could slow if new stock stalls. China’s holding bigger punches, per The Guardian’s April 4 take, and I’m not sure what’s next. We’re leaning on partners to keep gear moving, because alone, we’d be guessing.

China’s 34% tariff on U.S. goods—soybeans to machinery—could nick Hollywood’s gear exports, like RED cameras, if studios lean overseas. Japan might counter too, per Reuters, tangling global flows. GearFocus’s marketplace—where a used RED funds a Sony—feels that pinch when trades lag. I’m no economist, but a recession (Variety’s call) could shrink budgets—fewer tickets, tighter ads—and studios might hoard gear instead of cycling it through us. Or maybe they dodge north—

Vancouver Skyline

Canada’s 70-cent dollar (CNBC) and tax breaks could pull shoots to Vancouver. More gear trading up there? We’d partner with those crews in a heartbeat—1+1 equaling 3 is how we roll.

I’ll be honest—this shakes us. We’ve faced pandemics and strikes, but tariffs grind slower, deeper. They tax every import—every body, lens, battery—and China’s retaliation ups the stakes. A 34% hit on U.S. goods, rare earth curbs—it’s not chaos yet, but it’s close. GearFocus isn’t perfect; we’re figuring it out like everyone else. Our used gear’s still cheaper—

Man shopping at GearFocus for Used Camera Gear

a Sony A7 III at $1,200 beats $1,500-$1,800 new—and listings jumped 15% since March as pros offload ahead of hikes. We’re not invincible, but we’re stubborn, and our community’s got our back.

Hollywood’s not dead in 2025—Ampere’s dip could lift if studios pivot—but tariffs rewrite the gear math. A Nikon Z6 II at $1,875 instead of $1,500, a lens at $1,240 not $1,000—it’s real, and it’s now. GearFocus keeps gear in play—used stock’s our edge—but China’s April 4 vow of “resolute countermeasures” (NYT) looms large. Studios might cut rigs or flee north; indies might pause. Spring 2025’s trade-ins could swell our listings—chaos breeds opportunity—and we’re ready to learn from it, with partners who make us better.

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