Photographers in japan (amateur / pro)
 

Heyya,

I'm just wondering if perhaps someone on this forum, that's living in Japan (pref. Tokyo area, is into photography? Thing is, I'd like some recommendations on the best (read: cheapest but no scammers) photo stores around Tokyo. I know of biccamera and yodobashi etc, but from what I've read they're not the places to go for the best deals.

I've been checking kakaku.com for prices on lenses/bodies etc, which seem to be much lower than in my country (which would be good). But is it reliable? I think i saw some store called EC-Current, or something like that, which had nice prices. Anyone heard of?

Anyways, If youre into photography, and live in Japan, where do YOU buy your stuff?

I don't live in japan, but i do do a lot of photography equipment shopping everytime I am there, as a matter, i would wait till i go to Japan to get my stuff :)

Takeya is a good place for cheap equipment, I also found some good deals along alley stores in Akiba

Thanks, I'll check that.
Aren't you from the US tho?

Nope, your friendly neighbour Canada.... why?

I'm an avid photographer myself, it's a good excuse to get out each weekend and see new things.

I buy most of my stuff from a few different places in Tokyo. I've always used Nikon equipment, and there is a lot of it to be found here. I got a good deal on some used equipment at one of the Sofmap stores in Akihabara, and there are a couple of Nikon specialty shops near Higashi Ginza station and Yurakucho station.

At Sofmap, you'll be able to avoid paying tax by showing your passport, and on some items you may get a discount.

There are numerous Bic Camera stores located in the metro Tokyo area, they sell only new stuff, but their selection is awesome, and for cameras and lenses you'll get a better deal than what you'll get in America.

On a side note, I agree, you want to shoot as much as you can to practice and improve, even as a hobby photographer.

Sangetsu, you have any good pictures to share with us? I posted a few over at the photo session (4 I think) that I took last year with a crappy lens (Canon equipment)

Oh, nothing in particular. Just that I thought camera gear wasn't really any cheaper in Japan compared to the US? Don't know bout Canada though.

Also on a side note:

Fun to see some other (hobby or not) photographers on here. I will turn up my photography "rate" a big notch when I get to Japan in a couple of months. For anyone interested, I'll post a link to my photos.

Please do, photography or not, people on this forum are 99% interested in Japan and its culture, so pictures are always welcome... just try not to use picasa, they block it here at work

As for the price of equipment, they are head to head, but given the high Canadian dollar, everything seems "reasonably cheap". The cheapest is still Hong Kong, I am not sure how they manage, but after conversion, I am saving like $200-300 on camer bodies and up to 600 on lens, the one major problem with these good is that they come with a very very short and limited warranty term - for example, Tamron lens has a warranty term of 7 years here in Canada, but if you get the same lens in HK, it will only be 1 year, which lead me to believe that the HK market didn't get it from the proper channel