Buying a Camera in Japan - HOW TO SAVE MONEY?

[@ThierryGibralta]

Are you traveling to Japan soon? Are you planning on buying a camera?

[@huntrrams]

Yes! Thank you for tips❤❤

[@JGushi87]

Yes! And I'm worried buying a fuji without warranty :/ haven't bought the camera and I'm getting remorse. Iol

[@ThierryGibralta]

In Japan you still get a 1year warranty when buying it second hand. From the store though but it is a testimony of the quality. I always buy second hand, except new products, and never had any issue@@JGushi87

[@inquisitvem6723]

Can you negotiate the price ?

[@inquisitvem6723]

So if you don’t have to pay tax as a tourist, do they seal the item in a bag, so customs knows it was tax free. The reason bags are used on tax free items, so that you can’t use or consume that item in Japan, thus the tax free. Also I read that if you order from Map Camera online, you don’t need to worry about paying customs or duty tax.

[@richardsimms251]

I have read once or twice on the Internet that at the airport you may NOT get back your taxes despite reassurance by the camera store. -Great video. Thank you. RS. Canada

[@Rixynator]

Hi sorry but mapcamera is where you want to avoid. You need to go to some of the hidden places when it comes to used cameras in Japan. This would be lemon camera, filmtokyocamera, used camera box, nisshin and many more. Champa Camera is the film pilgrimage for film users. Digital wise lemon camera is where you want to go. Map camera is heavily on digital side and much steeper despite their QA and QC. One of my strangest encounter was at map camera itself where they listed a F3 as new for a too good to be true price. When I asked that I wanted to check it out the staff told me that the unit is broken. Which is bizarre because it did list it as NEW.

[@dbkfrogkaty1]

When I buy used camera gear I always go to the Map Camera ebay page. I purchased a nice Pentax HD DA 18-85mm lens from. Also a couple of other older Pentax manual focus lenses. They deliver quickly and always wrap the lens well. Excellent place to purchase gear.

[@teddyroosevelt8870]

My story: bought an A7ii here in Japan and put one of those language patches on it (forgot the name) and was happy with it for the last 5 years. But, last year I put my EF 50mm 2,5 macro on it (with Sigma mc-21) and my camera just kind of when a bit nuts. The back dial and button didn`t work anymore, so I send it to Sony to ask for a repair quote... I got a very rude (for Japanese standards that is) reply that because it had non Sony approved software on it (which they claimed broke the thing - yeah sure after not breaking the thing for over 5 years!?) they did not want to repair it!!! WTF!?!? I mean, it is not that it was still in warranty or anything like that, and I was of course not expecting them to do it for free, but NO JOY, they bluntly refused to touch it! In the end, my Japanese wife got involved and the `compromise` they suggested was that if I removed the `illegal` language patch from the camera they would be willing to fix it... Well, try to get anything going with your camera with access to the menu and such (back dial and button don`t work anymore, remember). SO, long story short, I am being punished by Sony for being a dumb `gaijin` (foreigner) living in Japan who doesn`t read all the Kanji... WELL SHITsurei shimashita Sony!

[@ThierryGibralta]

I agree that it is annoying that they don't sell English firmware here in Japan but if you are going to put a firmware that is not approved by Sony and then expect them to take responsibility for anything... nothing to do with the gaijin aspect here. Any company would tell you the same thing.

[@JohnOpie]

Love Map Camera. My go-to in Tokyo!

[@PRIMECARVA]

Thanks for the tips! Will have these stores in mind when I visit in October

[@KevinMullarkey]

What about when returning home and you have received and declared a tax refund on an item? Wont it go on your 'passport record' when purchasing and flag up when you go through customs on return home (England in my case), even if you remove boxes and try and make the purchases look like your own tourist cameras?

[@himsxoxo]

thank you bro for all the info

[@ThierryGibralta]

No problem 👍

[@nelstalgic7878]

thanks for all these tips. very helpful

[@ThierryGibralta]

Thanks for watching

[@pedrocosta6242]

I’m a very beginner in the photography world. Which brands/cameras you would suggest buying, I’m thinking buying used gear. I’m going to Tokyo in one week. Thank you so much for the tips 😊

[@ThierryGibralta]

Brand does not matter much, just pick something that is within your budget and grow with it overtime

[@LEgoiste]

Excellent, thanks.👍

[@scchottu]

As a foreigner (indian) can I sell my camera at map camera japan? What i have to bring with the camera?

[@Enrique-the-photographer]

I’m curious about the prices of “new” gear in Japan, as I’m sure you know, when you buy (here in the US) a new camera or lens from Adorama, Amazon, B&H, Best Buy, etc., the prices are exactly the same, they (sometimes) “lower” the price by giving you a free camera bag, a filter or a cleaning kit, but the price of the camera/lens remains the same.

[@ThierryGibralta]

Interesting. Here they have some sale sometimes, or also some cash back where you can get back some money after 2 months or so

[@southsun1149]

If I buy a large lens (e.g., 400 mm f2.8), is Map Camera responsible for shipping the lens to US?

[@ThierryGibralta]

I don’t think they ship, people usually buy and take the gear with them.

[@cstpa1]

anyone know of a spot in tokyo that might have a minilux? map camera doesnt have em..

[@VanirEnde]

Hey bro, I dont know if you still read comments of this videos, but I will to Tokyo in a few weeks. I want to find a good camera to capture my traveling; any camera + lens recommendation that you can give me with a budget of 500 usd? I want to capture landscapes and birds

[@jen123]

where did you get that fuji bargain, map or fujiya? Also, can I use the new camera upon purchase or will my tax refund get void? Thank you!

[@ThierryGibralta]

Both have great prices. To my knowledge you can as they do it in store

[@danielthorsten7291]

Do you need to bring the box as well if you want to sell your gear?

[@ThierryGibralta]

If you still have it bring it, it might get you some extra money.

[@paulodotong2737]

Hi @ThierryGibralta im wondering if they offer english version of a camera body? most of reddit threads and some shops i visited last year only offers japanese lock or no english menu mostly sony

[@ThierryGibralta]

It depends on the brands. For Sony cameras for example, resellers in Japan only have a license for the Japanese version. Fuji is fine.

[@dennismacwilliams196]

Can you buy from them online sale ?

[@ChristopherYardin]

Merci Thierry !

[@ThierryGibralta]

De rien! Merci pour le commentaire!

[@thegeneral123]

My biggest concern would be buying a camera that does not have English menu options as I know a lot of region specific products sold in Japan specifically don't have English as an option.

[@ThierryGibralta]

That is actually less and less the case. Most of the new cameras do have English nowadays. If you want to buy older model it might be an issue

[@BabaGanooshOFS]

As far as I know, this is only an issue with Sony cameras. Do not buy a Sony camera in Japan.

[@satyabratapradhan4151]

Hey, I am a true beginner to use camera, which camera should I buy initially ?

[@ThierryGibralta]

What you can afford!

[@martingreenberg870]

What about purchasing on line? Do you recommend this? Your video showed the stores website and no surprise they are in Japanese. Do they have an English option? What kind of discount can I expect vs a site like KEH or MPB? Mask On Nurse Marty (Ret)

[@dbkfrogkaty1]

The thing about KEH and MPB is they don't have nearly as much stock that the Japanese stores have. So there is so there is much more to choose from.

[@sundawnvisual4811]

Hi, Thierry! Does Fujiya and Mapcamera offer tax free deduction directly in their stores?

[@ThierryGibralta]

They do!

[@ChessBoxin]

By any chance do you know if they fix cameras? I have a GH5 that needs fixing. Thanks for the video! I was hyped to goto Bic but now i know where else to go. I leave for Japan in a week.

[@ThierryGibralta]

They do but they might need to send them out for a while so it sometimes take a while…

[@ThierryGibralta]

Also you might want to try Fujiya or Map Camera for fixing

[@datadps9142]

Hi, when you sell your camera do you need to bring the box? And when you buy used, do you get a box? Thanks!

[@ThierryGibralta]

If you do bring the box you might get a better rate. And usually yes, if the camera is not too old, you get a box with it

[@disaar3679]

I was reading that a lot of these bodies don't have English menus, is that true? Thanks!

[@ThierryGibralta]

That is only true for Sony cameras

[@Natstalgically]

Hey there! I wanted to ask if you know if map camera offers tax free? Also I’m planning to get a camera there but I’m worried that they will seal it in the “tax free” plastic bag so I can’t use it until I get back :/

[@ThierryGibralta]

Hello! They do offer Tax Free. What is that seal you are talking about? I don't think they seal anything

[@kaltask1]

For electronics my friend told they do not seal the packages, that is usually for consumables. So you can buy and use the camera in japan, but in airport have the item in its bag and box.

[@amitkhurana101]

Is the tax refund same for new and used camera gear? How much is the refund?

[@ThierryGibralta]

I think it should be the same new or used. The tax is 10% so you save that much

[@sin-style]

本当のお宝はハードオフに眠っている!日本人トレジャーハンターはハードオフでお宝を見つける!あなたの幸運を祈る!

[@zakariyatomal2309]

do Map camera accept credit card?

[@ThierryGibralta]

They do no problem

[@nerucheung]

**cries in EU prices** The used XH2s's are so 'cheap'. I love buying used gear in Japan because they sometimes look brand new for almost half the price

[@ThierryGibralta]

With the rate also, it is a good time to visit Japan… Yup, used is rarely a bad way to go…