Shopping for camera equipment in Japan

I (and many others here) am often asked by people coming to Japan for a visit where to buy camera equipment.

Camera shops are not as widespread as some seem to believe, especially once you get out of the cities. BIC Camera and Yodobashi Camera are often mentioned as good places and they can be. However, not all are. Some branches have a very poor selection or horrid service or both. If I have to go to one of them, my favorite is the Yodobashi Camera at Yokohama Nishiguchi. It has a wide choice of lenses, cameras, and accessories. The one in Akihabara is also good. I avoid the BIC Camera at Yurakucho near Ginza like the plague as it is poorly stocked and the service--at least in my experience--is near nonexistent.

Another problem with these two chains is that their prices are not especially low. Smaller shops can often beat them for no other reason than the fact that they don't have the "point" system that the big chains use. (Buy something and get 10% of the price in points so you can use it toward future purchases. They often have add about 10% or more to the price to give a discount.)

If you are looking for cameras or lens and not tripods or other accessories, I'd try MAP Camera in Shinjuku. They have a huge selection of used lenses, especially older manual focus lenses. They also have used cameras as well as new. The only problem I have had with them is that they seem to run out of stock on new, popular items frequently.

I went there today to look for a Tokina 10-17 fisheye. They had a used one for ￥47000 and a new one for ￥52000. Unfortunately, the new one was not in stock and I could not see buying a used one for a mere ￥5000 discount.

The same lens is selling at Yodobashi and BIC Camera for over ￥67000, a huge difference which the 10% in points would never make up for.

I finally found one in stock at Amazon Japan for ￥53000. There were others on the site (Marketplace) for as low as ￥49000, but I don't trust Amazon Marketplace all that much.

Anyway, there are a lot of smaller shops in the Tokyo area which are a better choice that the big chains in many cases. They may not speak English at them, but if you know what you want, I don't think that would be a huge problem. It would certainly be easier to deal with that than the extra cost at the chains where most don't speak English either. (I believe some staff does at places like Akihabara and Shinjuku).

By the way, you are not likely to get a better price on new equipment here than you can get in the US.

Downpour in Okusawa

Very heavy thunderstorm (kaminari in Japanese) on Sunday, Sept 7. Since I was hiding under an apartment entrance, I had plenty of time to play with the camera.

Okusawa, Tokyo

Saturday night and she is stuck walking the dog.

From Japan's "Digital Photo" Magazine

Something that I have not seen mentioned anywhere on North American websites: Kenko has introduced a 800mm f8 DX mirror lens (supposedly in May). They are also introducing a 500mm f8 DX lens. From the July issue of Digital Photo (デジタルフォト) page 142 D.P. News. List price will be about ￥40,000 for either. Somehow, I doubt that the quality will be very good.

A similar-looking Kenko 500mm mirror lens is on auction here---while it lasts. Not sure if the 800mm is of similar in quality.

Damp and dark in Kyoto

Near Ohara Temple about an hour from downtown.

Waiting for the train at Kyoto station

This spring has been the rainiest in 120 years. Things are becoming even more moss covered than usual. Rainy season has started 20 days early in Kanto.

This photo is from Kyoto, in Kansai. Still plenty rainy there too.

After the rain

Another trip to Kyoto in what must be the coolest, rainiest year in the last 5 or 6. In the woods near Ohara temple about an hour by bus from the center of Kyoto.

From April Showers

Along the Tamagawa. Most of the herons and egrets have made themselves scarce to care for their young I suppose. Anyway, they aren't hanging around the river near my place. Perhaps some rain tomorrow which is good, because I plan to be out in it to try to get a photograph of tree in the rain. Maybe it will even work out like I hope. Or not.

Horai Park karugamo/D300 focus

The herons and egrets on the Tamagawa River have become a bit more difficult to find and approach over the last month---caring for young ones perhaps. Horai Park in Denenchofu does have a resident population of spot-billed ducks, lots of turtles and an occasional out-of-place grey heron. Only the karugamo---spot-bills were there last Sunday, but the light was good and I could get close enough to spend an hour or more taking photos. My wife complained, "They're just ducks."

My D300 still has occasional focusing hiccups. When I switch focus to auto area focus, it will hang and refuse to focus for 2-3 attempts. I have had to switch it back to dynamic or single point, focus it, and then switch back and it works. I don't know if this is a problem with the camera, or if it is with the subject. It doesn't happen all the time and I have not been able to determine any patterns. It most often occurs with the Tamron 200-500 lens. Otherwise, I have had no further failures to focus like I did a few months ago.

Horai Park Denenchofu

I have actually seen grey herons in this park. After three solid days of rain, it was nice to get outside.
This is a male karugamo. Complete with redeye.

Nikon software

Gets better all the time.