[RobG]

Hi all,

After feedback from this forum, I decided to buy a DA35 f2.8 limited while I was in Japan. From what I saw, it appears to be possible to buy all the Pentax lenses cheaper in the USA than Japan, but I live in Australia and the Japanese prices were certainly better than here.

The stores I looked at were Yodobashi Camera (both at Shinjuku and Akiba), Map Camera (Shinjuku) and Bic Camera (Shinjuku and Ikebukuro). Yodobashi has the biggest stores and range, but also the highest prices. However, you can get something like 20% of the value of purchases in points to spend on other things. YMMV.

Map Camera is a little hard to find and they have two stores in the same street, only one of which sells Pentax DSLRs and digital lenses, but at least the second hand gear is in the same place. I bought the limited lens there for 8000 yen less than the list price at Yodobashi, since Map Camera also were able to sell it to me duty free.

Bic camera is a good place to buy accessories. I bought front and rear caps for the new lens (the Pentax slip-on cap is hopeless) very cheaply as well as Eneloop batteries with a charger, and a new 8GB SD card. The Sanyo charger is very quick and is multi-voltage so it will work in other countries with a socket adapter.

The main Pentax camera the stores were pushing was the Kx, which is available in Japan in a hundred different colour combinations.

If you are in Japan and want to try some Pentax lenses on your camera I recommend a visit to the Pentax Forum which is in a new location (the Lonely Planet Guide is wrong) near the Government Office towers in Shinjuku.

PENTAX?FORUM????????????????????????????

Also, Pentax Japan have a 10,000 yen rebate for a short time on the K7 and several lenses. Presumably this would be above whatever price you could negotiate at a store. I couldn't justify AUD$1400 for the Pentax 300mm telephoto to get AUD$120 back much as I wished otherwise.

I took some photos with several different lenses at the forum but it's probably not much point posting them here except to show a view of the display!

Rob

[timo]

Hi all,

After feedback from this forum, I decided to buy a DA35 f2.8 limited while I was in Japan. From what I saw, it appears to be possible to buy all the Pentax lenses cheaper in the USA than Japan, but I live in Australia and the Japanese prices were certainly better than here.

Rob

Thanks for the info. I may go to Japan soon so it's very useful.

Tim

[RobG]

Map Camera is a little hard to find and they have two stores in the same street, only one of which sells Pentax DSLRs and digital lenses, but at least the second hand gear is in the same place. I bought the limited lens there for 8000 yen less than the list price at Yodobashi, since Map Camera also were able to sell it to me duty free.

PS I got the lens in Japan for half the price it sells for in Australia. JR Kennedy (the Australian distirbutors) are not doing themselves any favours.

[julia]

search best price at kakaku.com
yes yodobashi and biccamera not recomended, prices is tooooo high
point only 3% - 10% for member

[RobG]

search best price at kakaku.com
yes yodobashi and biccamera not recomended, prices is tooooo high
point only 3% - 10% for member

Thanks Julia! That gave me a store selling the 55-300 for ichi man less than Map Camera. I think the points at Yodobashi are higher than Bic, but so are the prices.

Rob

[mickey]

Thanks for the info. I may go to Japan soon so it's very useful.

Tim

Just as a resource, Fujiya Camera in Nakano is well worth a visit.
They have 4 shops on the same street: one new and used gear, one used/vintage/junk gear and one bag/tripod shop.
One shop upstairs specialising in medium format and the like.

Easy to find from the North exit of Nakano station.
All behind KFC.

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[geerotron]

hi!
im a newbie here in PentaxForums.. ive recently purchased a Pentax K20D.
right now im here in Tokyo, Japan. I did buy my K20D Titanium Edition in Fujiya camera in Nakano.. I was happy to have found fujiya coz ive been really looking for this limited (japan only) version of K20D..

about the lenses in Fujiya, that is true!! it is very cheap indeed.. i bought my smc PENTAX DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED WR for around 14,000 yen only.. ive been into this shop lately.. coz their lenses are easily sold out, that if i saw on their web that they got a certain lens i want i certainly go there after work..

the other day there were a lot of lens stocked... but the following day i returnes.. whoa! i am really surprised the lenses were almost gone specially the DSLRs!

[RobG]

about the lenses in Fujiya, that is true!! it is very cheap indeed.. i bought my smc PENTAX DA 50-200mm F4-5.6 ED WR for around 14,000 yen only.. ive been into this shop lately.. coz their lenses are easily sold out, that if i saw on their web that they got a certain lens i want i certainly go there after work..

Was the lens you bought new or second hand?

Rob