Anyone know of a cheap camera store in Tokyo or...

[AlbertSiegel]

Does anyone know of a chep camera store around the Tokyo or Saitama area? I am looking to buy a Tokina 12-24 (EOS mount) lens and Canon EX580 flash. Are there any used camera shops that are cheap?

[FG Lurker]

Does anyone know of a chep camera store around the Tokyo or Saitama area? I am looking to buy a Tokina 12-24 (EOS mount) lens and Canon EX580 flash. Are there any used camera shops that are cheap?

Decided that a wide-angle lens would be good? Makes for some great street photography images, definitely.

I was in my regular camera shop here in Osaka yesterday and they had a selection of used 10-22 Canons for 60,000 to 65,000. There was a 12-24, I think Tokina, for 45,000 or so. This is from memory and I didn't look at any of the lenses. I think the release of the 5D has caused a bit of a surge in 1.6x ultra-wide lenses. When I bought my 10-22 a few months ago there wasn't a used ultra-wide to be found.

[AlbertSiegel]

Decided that a wide-angle lens would be good? Makes for some great street photography images, definitely.

Yeah, I will be doing a great deal of indooor photography and really need some sort of ultra-wide lens. I have looked into my options and think the Tokina 12-24mm seems to be my best choice. Now if only I can make room in my camera bag for it...

[FG Lurker]

Not to hijack the thread, but I am thinking about trading a lot of my equipment and am wondering what you think.

This is what I am thinking of selling:

17-40 F4L
28-70 F2.8L
70-200 F2.8L
180mm F3.5 EX Macro (Sigma)
Canon 1.4x II Extender

And instead of that buying the new 24-105 F4L IS and a 100-400 F4-5.6L IS.

All the equipment I have to sell is in very good condition, perfect optics, no external scratches, always kept in an AutoDry box at 40% humidity. I have all the boxes, hoods, cases, etc. I think I could get about 250,000 for it. The two new lenses would be about 300,000yen total.

The good points:
- Gain IS
- Lose a lot of lens weight
- Fewer lenses to carry around
- Gain range on the long end (have a 10-22 for wide)

The bad points:
- Lose 20D's fast-focus ability with F2.8 or faster lenses
- Losing 1-2 stops of speed across the zoom range
- Losing the 17-40 that I will eventually have to replace when I move to a FF body.
- Losing the 180mm Macro -- which I rarely use but do enjoy when I do.

Thoughts?

[IkemenTommy]

Actually, I was thinking along the same line the other day when I was looking for a slim cam. I had an information overload at Yodobashi and Bicamera with the overwhelming amount of camera types and names so I ended up not getting one after all.

It was a toss-up between the Panasonic with the anti-blur or the Canon IXY which usually has better image quality and color.

[IkemenTommy]

OK, my last post sounded like a troll so I'm going to contribute something worthwhile.

I know of a couple locales in Shinjuku that sells used lens and cameras. One in particular is there at the Tobu-line building with Uniqlo in it. I think it was on the top floor and I think they specialized in Leica accessories. Other than that, you might have some luck in Akiba area.

[FG Lurker]

Decided that a wide-angle lens would be good? Makes for some great street photography images, definitely.

Yeah, I will be doing a great deal of indooor photography and really need some sort of ultra-wide lens. I have looked into my options and think the Tokina 12-24mm seems to be my best choice. Now if only I can make room in my camera bag for it...

This is exacly why I ended up having to get the 10-22. 17mm on a 1.6x body is not wide enough for indoor work, especially in small rooms.

I think the Tokina is about the best of the non-Canon ultra-wides. The 2mm lost is fairly major though -- 20%!! But the Tokina seems to be thought better of than the Sigma 10-20, and cheaper too...

[ojara]

Kamera no Kitamura.
I bought Akihabara shop.

Found many used cameras.
If you can read Japanese, coul'd get some good conditions.

recomendation Shinjuuku store, may be big, I know just Akiba shop.

very difficult to buy not speak Japanese.

http://www.kitamura.co.jp/

used net shop
http://www.net-chuko.com/guest/

Shinjuku shop map


Akiba shop map


sorry only japanese.

[FG Lurker]

I use Kitamura for most of my printing -- I like their Net Print service, although it tends to bork if you try to send over 100 images at a time...

However, for used stuff they are not all that reasonable. Not the one I use in Namba, anyway... It's not horrible, but the smaller shops seem to have a better selection and better prices.

Albert, if you can wait until you get down to Osaka I know a great shop (same one I mentioned above). The service is great, a couple of guys in there speak English well enough to communicate about camera stuff, and the prices are very good. They do not have an online presence though. I asked them about this once and they said they neither need nor want it. Too many hassles.

[AlbertSiegel]

Albert, if you can wait until you get down to Osaka I know a great shop

Let's see how my schedule works out. I need the lens for work, I just don't know when I am to start that project.

What are my options for a trip to Osaka from Tokyo? I was thinking a bus to Osaka for the view and stops in small towns (i hope) and a train to return quickly. What would a trip cost each eay?

[FG Lurker]

What are my options for a trip to Osaka from Tokyo? I was thinking a bus to Osaka for the view and stops in small towns (i hope) and a train to return quickly. What would a trip cost each eay?

The busses run on the expressways, basically nonstop except for one or two rest-stops along the way. I think most people who use the bus do it overnight as it takes about 8.5 hours. The cost one way is 5,000 to 6,000yen.

Train would be the shinkansen. You can expect to pay roughly 14,000yen for a 2.5 hour trip. You'll get the tickets a bit cheaper at a discount shop, probably about 12,000.

Hope this helps!

[ojara]

you have 5000 or 6000 yen the bus fee, added that money to buy camera!!

If you have the infomation of camera, you can pick up good used one.
most inportant things, just you could reach that shop.

[FG Lurker]

you have 5000 or 6000 yen the bus fee, added that money to buy camera!!

If you have the infomation of camera, you can pick up good used one.
most inportant things, just you could reach that shop.

He is coming to Osaka anyway.... It is not a special trip to buy a lens.

[Laced]

I went aall over Aki ot find a D70s but the cheapest place ended up being the Yodabashi near Kabukicho exit.

There's a 2nd hand shop called Map Camera you could try, it's in the sofmap/yodabashi area of Shinjuku, it's quite a nice place and the staff know what they're talking about.

[IkemenTommy]

Does anyone ever use kakaku.com or is that totally useless?

[FG Lurker]

Does anyone ever use kakaku.com or is that totally useless?

I use it as a guideline to check prices before I go to buy. I find I pay slightly more (maybe 1000yen for a 100,000yen item) at my regular camera shop, but to me their service is worth it.

Also, the rock-bottom cheapest places on their often don't have stock...