Going to Japan - should I buy a camera there?

Delorian

Not sure if this should be in the travel section or here but I'm going to Japan in December and want to get a decent camera to kick start my photography hobby. I'm looking at the Nikon D40 (if possible D40x). So I'm wondering, should I wait till I get there to get it or buy before leaving.

As I see it, pros of buying here:

• can spend time learning how to use it before going (I only used an SLR for the first time last week)
• I won't have to spend time on my holiday looking for a camera
• no risk of language, charger / power incompatibilities, etc.

Cons:

• selection is bound to be far better in Japan (can't find the D40x in any shops or on any sites here and think I should be spending to the top of my budget)
• price is surely far lower in Japan
• obvious language / cultural difficulties (am I supposed to haggle - "throw in a bag and memory card will you")

So if any of you guys could give me advise on what you'd do or have any experience with Japan or somewhere else, I'd be very grateful.

Laphroaig52

Agree with the previous comment about warranty...In most cases the warranty will be good in Japan only. Still, I have bought loads of stuff in Hong Kong and Japan over the years and never had any problems. It is a risk that you take however.

Assuming you will be in Tokyo:

Check out Bic Camera, Yodobashi and Sakuraya.

All three are to be found in the main shopping districts in Tokyo.
Yodobashi and Sakuraya are right beside each other at the east exit of Shinjuku station and Bic Camera are up the street about one or two blocks.

Bic Camera have their main store in Ikebukuro and they also have a large store right beside Yurakucho station.

If you have time, try to go to as many stores as possible because the prices do vary...even from branch to branch!

Also note that Bic Camera have a points card which you can get instanrly and may give up to 15% back on points for some purchases. The number of points available will be displayed alongside the price. You can then use the points to buy your memory cards, carry case etc. Other stores might have similar schemes.

The Akihabara district is not to be missed if you like electronics and stuff but personally, I think you will get better prices in the stores mentioned above.

Haggling is not really big in Japan. Don't try it in any of then upscale deparment stores but you might get away with a little in some electronic stores but don't expect much. Ask for 'bestu pu-rice' (That's not pigeon english but acutally a commonly used term in Japan!) Note that a sales tax will also be added to the displayed price.

* Yes you will see some models that you won't get at home
* Yes you will get a better price
* For most models you will be able to change the menus from Japanese to English but do check before you buy (or get the person in store to do it)

Enjoy - Tokyo (or any Japanese city) is a great place for city life photography - colours, crowds and of course neon....

4sb

A small note, I was in Japan a fortnight ago with family (I'm originally born in Japan but lived in Ireland all my life). Stayed in Ikebukuro, and didn't realise that there were at least 3 Bic Camera outlets there within a block of each other. The "main" or largest one was not the best one as it only had photographic equipment on one floor. There was one where the whole unit - 7 floors I think - was solely dedicated to photography. I've tried to put in a link to it on google maps - street view. Unfortunately the shop is obscured by trees in google.

They had just launched the Panasonic G1 for sale that day. Got to play with it for 30 seconds before got dragged away by the kids.:(


http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=ikebukuro+bic+camera&sll=35.730105,139.714315&sspn=0.006445,0.007113&date=11%2F13%2F08&time=1:16pm&ttype=dep&noexp=0&noal=0&sort=time&ie=UTF8&ll=35.732675,139.713575&spn=0.006445,0.01119&z=17&layer=c&cbll=35.729665,139.713112&panoid=5hYM2jrN7ss3YKDhGyHcqA&cbp=1,0.0014896285995860126,,0,5


Pic of it

jackdaw

4sb wrote: »

A small note, I was in Japan a fortnight ago with family (I'm originally born in Japan but lived in Ireland all my life). Stayed in Ikebukuro, and didn't realise that there were at least 3 Bic Camera outlets there within a block of each other. The "main" or largest one was not the best one as it only had photographic equipment on one floor. There was one where the whole unit - 7 floors I think - was solely dedicated to photography. I've tried to put in a link to it on google maps - street view. Unfortunately the shop is obscured by trees in google.

They had just launched the Panasonic G1 for sale that day. Got to play with it for 30 seconds before got dragged away by the kids.:(


http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=ikebukuro+bic+camera&sll=35.730105,139.714315&sspn=0.006445,0.007113&date=11%2F13%2F08&time=1:16pm&ttype=dep&noexp=0&noal=0&sort=time&ie=UTF8&ll=35.732675,139.713575&spn=0.006445,0.01119&z=17&layer=c&cbll=35.729665,139.713112&panoid=5hYM2jrN7ss3YKDhGyHcqA&cbp=1,0.0014896285995860126,,0,5


Pic of it

Jesus that shop is heaven on earth...

Imposter

Just some observations - I was there in August/Sept.

Points card is not possible without a Japanese address.
The tax refund is 'only' 3/4% and only possible on purcahses over 10k yen (about 60€) in BIC anyways. Often the 3/4% is already built inot the price and it might be cheaper to buy elsewhere.

I was looking at Olympus stuff (lens as I already had the camera) but generally price was either the same as I can find from europe online, or for some lenses about 20% cheaper. If you get rumbled by customs that 20% will be paid and probably more.

Laphroaig52

Imposter wrote: »

Points card is not possible without a Japanese address.
.

Not true - for Bic Camera at least.

I was signed up on the spot and no questions asked about a Japanese address.

DeVore

If you like that, you'd LOVE Akihabara... its basically a street about twice the length of O'Connells Street that has nothing but shops like that one (and in fact, that one looks a bit tame compared to the others I remember )

If you like gadgets and electronics.... its just like chocolate-land for Homer Simpson.

DeV.

Laphroaig52

Just as a guide to the prices:

In October, I bought a Canon HF11 HD Camcorder in Bic Camera. I paid 106,400 Yen for it and it hit my credit card at €786. In addition I got ~17000 Yen in points which was the equivalent of €140 to be spent in Bic Camera.

The cheapest I have seen the HF11 online in Europe is £789.95 excluding shipping (~€940).

In fairness, I got a good deal and not all pricing will be that attractive but still if you have money burning a hole in your pocket and you are in the market for some electronics, Japan is not a bad place to be. Of course, the current exchange rate helps also.

Mr. Grieves

I considered buying in Tokyo last June. Didn't find the prices amazingly cheap, so for me the best option was to buy online from the UK, taking advantage of the weak sterling and the fact that you'll get a European warantee and no chance of being charged extra import tax in Ireland. Don't know what D40 prices are like at the moment, but for these reasons I'd personally say buying in Japan isn't worth it.

Thirdfox

In the past the pricing was USA, Japan, China and Ireland dead last... I bought my camera in China before travelling in Japan (just so that I can get used to it and take some good pictures of the holiday) ...so have a look at currency exchange rates nowadays - the euro has weakened against the dollar (I'm not sure about the yen) so it might not make as much economic or practical sense anymore.

Btw - I got my D40 in China 2 years ago for 450 euro, I think it was about 600 back here (it was funny, the sales assistants there thought the camera was too advanced for me and tried to persuade me not to buy it )

Third_Echelon

Delorian wrote: »

Not sure if this should be in the travel section or here but I'm going to Japan in December and want to get a decent camera to kick start my photography hobby. I'm looking at the Nikon D40 (if possible D40x). So I'm wondering, should I wait till I get there to get it or buy before leaving.

As I see it, pros of buying here:

• can spend time learning how to use it before going (I only used an SLR for the first time last week)
• I won't have to spend time on my holiday looking for a camera
• no risk of language, charger / power incompatibilities, etc.

Cons:

• selection is bound to be far better in Japan (can't find the D40x in any shops or on any sites here and think I should be spending to the top of my budget)
• price is surely far lower in Japan
• obvious language / cultural difficulties (am I supposed to haggle - "throw in a bag and memory card will you")

So if any of you guys could give me advise on what you'd do or have any experience with Japan or somewhere else, I'd be very grateful.

Got my Canon EOS 400D in Japan last year. In Ireland at the time it was around €900 just for the body and the basic lens.

For €650 in Akihabara I got the body, basic 18-55 mm lens, 55-200 mm zoom lens, bag, 4 GB memory card and money back vouchers for my next visit/loyalty card.

All of that in Ireland would have easily cost be €1100 -> €1200. So you are talking around half price in that case.

Every other model I priced over the few weeks that I was there was so much cheaper...

You'd be mad not to buy there. So many different shops as well. Yodobashi in Shinjuku I thought was good.

4sb

Just checked the Bic Camera and Yodobashi Camera websites. D40 with kit lens is identical 49,800 yen, which at todays rate (Approx 120 yen to 1 euro) - which makes it about 414 euro. UK Warehouse Express has it at 248.99 stg, which is about 294 euro.

The current financial turmoils have not been kind to the euro yen rate: back in August the rate was around 165 yen to a euro, making that price a near comparable 301 euro.

Delorian

Ok guys, despite most of you speaking positively on buying in Japan, I decided to go with the D60 for €400 with a bag from Amazon. I was all geared to get it in Japan, but I at that price, with time to learn to use it before I go, and the fact that the Yen does seem to be taking a whallop, I decided to get it here. I actually had to get it posted to a friend in England as Amazon won't post electronics to Ireland.

Thanks so much for all your help. It seems more ppl know more about Japan here than the Travel forum, so if any of you feel like giving me some tips, please feel free to write there or PM me as I'm going by myself for over two weeks at the beginning of December, and could use all the help I could get.