Hey guys,
Am heading to Japan for 4 weeks in a months time and am looking into buying my first "proper" camera. Gone are the days of Iphone photos.
Could people suggest good models in the 500-1000 range? Are there any accessories/lenses etc. I should get while I'm at it?
Anything else I should look out for?
Thanks :)
I see that many of the same models are available in Japan for 300+ cheaper. Not including the 10% duty free
I'm not sure what the 500-1000 cameras are that are 300 cheaper but when I went to Japan in May. Cameras were definitely not cheaper but I was looking at the higher end stuff. Almost the same when you factor in 10% TRS back locally and warranty.
also, they are like the states where sometimes, price stated does not include the sales tax.
Unless you're actually committed to investing in lenses in the future, I would personally stick to a compact camera like the RX100.
First of all you need to decide what type of camera you want to get. Three broad categories are:
Asking a broad question on a forum like this will just get you a million and one different answers.
You're way better off going to some photog sites and narrowing things down beforehand.
I like the look of the panasonic fz300, but the sensor might be a little small for your needs.
warranties issue would prevent me from purchasing overseas. esp when things go wrong.
If the price is right why not? But I do know from personal experience that some Japaneses market models do not have all the languages. I had a Panasonic GF1 that only had Japanese lanugage menus available, I had to jump through a bunch of hoops in order to firmware upgrade it to an international firmware (using extra bootloader software) to get English.
I would recommend a Sony A6000 in that price range. But remember to check to make sure you can select a menu language that you can use.
Hmm yess. I can barely tell my arse from my elbow with a camera so I can see why that could be a problem
I'd suggest buying here as you can get the GST back and you will have a local warranty, local language settings and a Aussie plug charger.
Consider a Sony RX100 MK4 this pocket camera is excellent in low light and is a seriously decent piece of kit.
These always go on sale at JB and similar so keep an eye on the sales!
Even a RX100 MK3 would be excellent.
You could grab some accessories in Japan. For example the spare battery charger pack and a case maybe?
Otherwise a DSLR like a 700D is a excellent way to get started on photography.
What are your needs?
Speaking from experience, cameras don't work out to be that much cheaper in Japan but what you do get is a much larger range of things that don't get released here or even any other markets. This is both good and bad, getting new features is definitly a plus however the drawbacks with those features could be warranty and language.
Also if you don't know what you want and don't know your products then chances are you won't even know what the differences or point of difference are anyway. Keep in mind it won't be easy to ask the sales guys for advice on what dos what and the product brouchures will definitly be in Japanese.
Best advice I can give is to do some hard and fast research here and narrow down what features/size/style you really want and what fits into your budget. Only then you can truly find a bargain, as you will be specifically comparing and shopping for models that are suited to you.
I use to live in Japan and consistently got cameras for about 20%+ off and you can get more models sold just in Japan though they may be under a different name, never had a problem with warranty etc. and I could claim tax back as I have a non Japanese passport. Family and friends that visited also bought cameras and hard to find parts and lenses. You can search for the model you want online on the Japanese sites which it sounds like you have already done this. May run into you at Akihabara. Will be there same time as you.
I'm going in January. Where is the best place to get electronics of any kind but particularly cameras in Tokyo?
Sounds a bit cliched but Electric Town/ Akihabara. It may not be the 'best' but I found a lot of staff spoke English and the variety is there, you can quickly compare prices between the big stores like Laox, Bic, etc. Most likely you will go here for a day trip anyway so pretty convenient. They were able to do the tax duty free paperwork for me then and there (I was on an AU passport but had a working visa but still eligible for the tax free) You will need to bring your passport and you may need to prove you have a flight out, can't remember this. When I lived there our dollar was around 75 yen = AUD$1 and was earning in yen but even with the conversions and frequent trips to visit family in AU still chose to buy a camera in Japan. If you are looking around the $100-200 range you may not save too much but my camera was about $800 equivalent and it was not being sold internationally yet, when it launched in AU about 8 months later it was sold for about $1200-1400. My father loves photography and invests a lot of money into lenses and was able to find rare and discontinued accessories for a reasonable price. We just went around with the model and part number and he was really happy as he could not find any of this stuff online on ebay or at speciality stores in AU. Rug up in Jan, so cold! Jan sales will be on so enjoy!
It's good because I'm staying in Akihabara via AirBnB. I really wish I went middle of the year or earlier. Dollars lost so much value
Thanks!!
Great that you are ditching the iphone for a decent camera.
It's probably not all that worth it to buy in Japan unless you are a saving a real significant amount. I have a 70D, I paid AUD$1002 for it, body only, from JB Hifi during a sale, the same camera over a year on in Japan at biccamera is over AUD$1200.
I'd recommend Map Camera in Shinjuku if you do decide to buy in Japan https://www.mapcamera.com/
I agree with a 700D as a great entry DLSR camera, which is called the Kiss X7i in Japan, but works out to be about the same price as buying it here though without warranty and other things. And they have been as cheap as $450 with a Canon cashback in the past.
Thanks guys. Looks like people are suggesting either the RX100 for compact or 700D for DLSR for if I want to invest more money.
I'm guessing that Lenses are interchangable with cameras to a degree? So if I were to go 700D, I could upgrade in the future and lenses may still work?
I guess in terms of price, I will have to see while I'm in Japan. Would be alot easier now since I have specific cameras in mind. If it isn't any cheaper I'll prob buy the camera in Aus and claim GST when I travel again mid next year.
There are lenses for full frame(EF) and crop sensor(EF-S) cameras.
I believe crop sensor cameras(such as the 700D) can take both types of lenses while the more expensive full frame cameras can only take the fancy EF lenses.
You should not buy camera in Japan as it comes with Japanese menu.
If it has English menu, it's not that cheap.
Better to buy just only lenses
I have to agree.
You'd might be better off buying a body + lens kit in Australia and grabbing a couple of lenses over there tax free.
That way you have the ACL for the more expensive parts.
I guess keep checking the prices here. JB keeps having camera sales.
why not get it here and claim the GST through the TRS?