Pentax prices in Japan vs. USA, etc.

tokyoso · 02-21-2010, 09:13 AM

Originally posted by Marc Sabatella

Those are almost exactly the prices in the US, too. It's possible you are being fooled by the list prices that initially show up in searches at some retailers, but once you add a lens to your cart the real price shows up.

Thanks. that seems to be it... actually the prices in US are cheaper than Japan now.

summonbaka · 02-26-2010, 11:37 PM

Originally posted by JesseDavis

And I don't agree that you can handle the lenses. Maybe, IF there is a demo model in a glass case, but there are usually only two pentax lenses there, if any. If its in a box then opening is verboten which is funny because they don't usually seal the boxes with tape.

In smaller camera specific stores though, 4 of 5 salesmen I've spent time talking to shoot pentax!

Actually, if you go to Yodobashi-akihabara they have all the current line-up (except for the FA Limiteds) as demo. Anything from the DA 12-24mm passing by the FAs 35mm and 50mm to the DA* 300mm (last time they had a DA* 200mm with a cracked front element there, worked fine) plus some third-party glass. I tried most of them, and let me tell you, its bad for your peace of mind and/or wallet.

tokyoso · 02-27-2010, 02:50 AM

Originally posted by JesseDavis

And I don't agree that you can handle the lenses. Maybe, IF there is a demo model in a glass case, but there are usually only two pentax lenses there, if any. If its in a box then opening is verboten which is funny because they don't usually seal the boxes with tape.

In smaller camera specific stores though, 4 of 5 salesmen I've spent time talking to shoot pentax!

It's true...

You can try them all... Pentax, Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc... they even have camera bodies like 5D, K7, K-x, etc. lining up right next to the lenses so you can swap them right on the show room.

oliver939 · 03-05-2010, 05:02 AM

Hi,

A friend of mine is going in Japan soon (Tsukuba I think) and I wanted to ask him to buy me a DA 40mm Limited lens.
But I checked price on Japan website and it's around 41000yen (460USD).

On another similar post (here), it sounded like this lens can cost 31000 yen in Japan.

Do you think it is possible to find this price (for a new lens of course, and in a shop)?

Thanks a lot,

julia · 03-05-2010, 09:07 AM

usually mapcamera at shinjuku has low price.
check the price at Kakaku.com, you can buy COD from Kakaku.com.

oliver939 · 03-05-2010, 10:27 AM

Thanks a lot, Julia.
I checked mapcamera website and prices look great indeed (compare to Europe but also USA prices).
ex: Pentax 21mm f3.2 at 31000yen, is it a new or 2nd hand one.

I could not turn this website into english langage version.
Do you know if I can order them lenses? It can still be interesting to buy from them and pay delivery cost (if my friend can not pass this shop).

By the way, what mean COD?

Pentaxor · 03-05-2010, 10:33 AM

Originally posted by oliver939

Thanks a lot, Julia.
I checked mapcamera website and prices look great indeed (compare to Europe but also USA prices).

I could not turn this website into english langage version.
Do you know if I can order them lenses? It can still be interesting to buy from them and pay delivery cost (if my friend can not pass this shop).

By the way, what mean COD?

COD = cash on delivery

or does kakaku.com sell COD fish?

henryjing · 03-05-2010, 01:19 PM

FA35mmF2AL $400

This offer is really cheap, can anybody tell me how I could get a FA35/2 in U.S.?

oliver939 · 03-05-2010, 02:59 PM

Originally posted by oliver939

ex: Pentax 21mm f3.2 at 31000yen, is it a new or 2nd hand one.

By the way, what mean COD?

Ok, I manage to translate the page it is a second hand one.
It looked too nice but price seems good anyway

Originally posted by Pentaxor

COD = cash on delivery

or does kakaku.com sell COD fish?

good to know.
English is not my langage so stuff like this are nto so obvious for me

Thanks

tokyoso · 03-06-2010, 06:57 AM

Originally posted by Pentaxor

COD = cash on delivery

or does kakaku.com sell COD fish?

you in canada? any import duties or VATs on oversea purchases there?

JesseDavis · 03-06-2010, 11:20 AM

Originally posted by oliver939

Ok, I manage to translate the page it is a second hand one.
It looked too nice but price seems good anyway

....
Thanks

2nd hand lenses in japan are in PERFECT condition, or else they are sold as 'junk' for even the slightest problem. I would not hesitate regarding the quality, especially if it's web listed.

Yahoo auctions are another matter though.

And don't forget that if you take a broken pentax lens to the pentax forum in shinjuku you can exchange it for a really good rebate on a new lens (depends on the lens you buy but you can exchange for any old glass with fungus, mechanical problems, cracks, etc.) It can be more than a hundred dollars. At the moment with the exchange-rebate, the DA 40mm Ltd is 27,000 yen (erm, last week)

Pentaxor · 03-06-2010, 11:48 AM

Originally posted by tokyoso

you in canada? any import duties or VATs on oversea purchases there?

yes and yes ! and as much as possible, I avoid shipment via UPS.

tokyoso · 03-06-2010, 06:16 PM

Originally posted by Pentaxor

yes and yes ! and as much as possible, I avoid shipment via UPS.

Ouch, I heard some bad stories about UPS shipping to Japan too.

oliver939 · 03-08-2010, 03:29 AM

thanks for all the advices.
I made my mind and the lenses I want (DA limited) look cheaper indeed, and i dont mind the 2nd hands ones.

Only one thing, I can not find any camera shop address in Tsukuba.
Anybody from Japan knows how to find this?

I need to provide my friend with few adresses so he can have a look.

Mike Cash · 03-09-2010, 07:28 AM

Originally posted by oliver939

thanks for all the advices.
I made my mind and the lenses I want (DA limited) look cheaper indeed, and i dont mind the 2nd hands ones.

Only one thing, I can not find any camera shop address in Tsukuba.
Anybody from Japan knows how to find this?

I need to provide my friend with few adresses so he can have a look.

I don't believe Tsukuba has big camera shops like Tokyo does. Have your friend check at the "Camera no Kitamura" shops. There are three locations in Tsukuba.

Kitamura sells the DA40/2.8 for about 37,000 yen. That link is to their online shop and the lens may or may not be available at any particular store.

02-27-2010, 02:50 AM	#18
tokyoso Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Tokyo Photos: Albums Posts: 723 Original Poster	Originally posted by JesseDavis And I don't agree that you can handle the lenses. Maybe, IF there is a demo model in a glass case, but there are usually only two pentax lenses there, if any. If its in a box then opening is verboten which is funny because they don't usually seal the boxes with tape. In smaller camera specific stores though, 4 of 5 salesmen I've spent time talking to shoot pentax! It's true... You can try them all... Pentax, Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc... they even have camera bodies like 5D, K7, K-x, etc. lining up right next to the lenses so you can swap them right on the show room. Last edited by tokyoso; 02-27-2010 at 03:10 AM.

03-05-2010, 10:27 AM	#21
oliver939 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: europe Posts: 156	Thanks a lot, Julia. I checked mapcamera website and prices look great indeed (compare to Europe but also USA prices). ex: Pentax 21mm f3.2 at 31000yen, is it a new or 2nd hand one. I could not turn this website into english langage version. Do you know if I can order them lenses? It can still be interesting to buy from them and pay delivery cost (if my friend can not pass this shop). By the way, what mean COD? Last edited by oliver939; 03-05-2010 at 10:35 AM.

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02-21-2010, 09:13 AM	#16
tokyoso Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Tokyo Photos: Albums Posts: 723 Original Poster	Originally posted by Marc Sabatella Those are almost exactly the prices in the US, too. It's possible you are being fooled by the list prices that initially show up in searches at some retailers, but once you add a lens to your cart the real price shows up. Thanks. that seems to be it... actually the prices in US are cheaper than Japan now.

02-26-2010, 11:37 PM	#17
summonbaka Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Kagoshima, Japan Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 237	Originally posted by JesseDavis And I don't agree that you can handle the lenses. Maybe, IF there is a demo model in a glass case, but there are usually only two pentax lenses there, if any. If its in a box then opening is verboten which is funny because they don't usually seal the boxes with tape. In smaller camera specific stores though, 4 of 5 salesmen I've spent time talking to shoot pentax! Actually, if you go to Yodobashi-akihabara they have all the current line-up (except for the FA Limiteds) as demo. Anything from the DA 12-24mm passing by the FAs 35mm and 50mm to the DA* 300mm (last time they had a DA* 200mm with a cracked front element there, worked fine) plus some third-party glass. I tried most of them, and let me tell you, its bad for your peace of mind and/or wallet.

03-05-2010, 05:02 AM	#19
oliver939 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: europe Posts: 156	Hi, A friend of mine is going in Japan soon (Tsukuba I think) and I wanted to ask him to buy me a DA 40mm Limited lens. But I checked price on Japan website and it's around 41000yen (460USD). On another similar post (here), it sounded like this lens can cost 31000 yen in Japan. Do you think it is possible to find this price (for a new lens of course, and in a shop)? Thanks a lot,

03-05-2010, 09:07 AM	#20
julia Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Shizuoka-ken Posts: 130	usually mapcamera at shinjuku has low price. check the price at Kakaku.com, you can buy COD from Kakaku.com.

03-05-2010, 10:33 AM	#22
Pentaxor Veteran Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,513	Originally posted by oliver939 Thanks a lot, Julia. I checked mapcamera website and prices look great indeed (compare to Europe but also USA prices). I could not turn this website into english langage version. Do you know if I can order them lenses? It can still be interesting to buy from them and pay delivery cost (if my friend can not pass this shop). By the way, what mean COD? COD = cash on delivery or does kakaku.com sell COD fish?

03-05-2010, 01:19 PM	#23
henryjing Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: United States Posts: 467	FA35mmF2AL $400 This offer is really cheap, can anybody tell me how I could get a FA35/2 in U.S.?

03-05-2010, 02:59 PM	#24
oliver939 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: europe Posts: 156	Originally posted by oliver939 ex: Pentax 21mm f3.2 at 31000yen, is it a new or 2nd hand one. By the way, what mean COD? Ok, I manage to translate the page it is a second hand one. It looked too nice but price seems good anyway Originally posted by Pentaxor COD = cash on delivery or does kakaku.com sell COD fish? good to know. English is not my langage so stuff like this are nto so obvious for me Thanks

03-06-2010, 06:57 AM	#25
tokyoso Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Tokyo Photos: Albums Posts: 723 Original Poster	Originally posted by Pentaxor COD = cash on delivery or does kakaku.com sell COD fish? you in canada? any import duties or VATs on oversea purchases there?

03-06-2010, 11:20 AM	#26
JesseDavis Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Yokohama Photos: Albums Posts: 180	Originally posted by oliver939 Ok, I manage to translate the page it is a second hand one. It looked too nice but price seems good anyway .... Thanks 2nd hand lenses in japan are in PERFECT condition, or else they are sold as 'junk' for even the slightest problem. I would not hesitate regarding the quality, especially if it's web listed. Yahoo auctions are another matter though. And don't forget that if you take a broken pentax lens to the pentax forum in shinjuku you can exchange it for a really good rebate on a new lens (depends on the lens you buy but you can exchange for any old glass with fungus, mechanical problems, cracks, etc.) It can be more than a hundred dollars. At the moment with the exchange-rebate, the DA 40mm Ltd is 27,000 yen (erm, last week)

03-06-2010, 11:48 AM	#27
Pentaxor Veteran Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,513	Originally posted by tokyoso you in canada? any import duties or VATs on oversea purchases there? yes and yes ! and as much as possible, I avoid shipment via UPS.

03-06-2010, 06:16 PM	#28
tokyoso Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Tokyo Photos: Albums Posts: 723 Original Poster	Originally posted by Pentaxor yes and yes ! and as much as possible, I avoid shipment via UPS. Ouch, I heard some bad stories about UPS shipping to Japan too.

03-08-2010, 03:29 AM	#29
oliver939 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: europe Posts: 156	thanks for all the advices. I made my mind and the lenses I want (DA limited) look cheaper indeed, and i dont mind the 2nd hands ones. Only one thing, I can not find any camera shop address in Tsukuba. Anybody from Japan knows how to find this? I need to provide my friend with few adresses so he can have a look.

03-09-2010, 07:28 AM	#30
Mike Cash Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Japan Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,950	Originally posted by oliver939 thanks for all the advices. I made my mind and the lenses I want (DA limited) look cheaper indeed, and i dont mind the 2nd hands ones. Only one thing, I can not find any camera shop address in Tsukuba. Anybody from Japan knows how to find this? I need to provide my friend with few adresses so he can have a look. I don't believe Tsukuba has big camera shops like Tokyo does. Have your friend check at the "Camera no Kitamura" shops. There are three locations in Tsukuba. Kitamura sells the DA40/2.8 for about 37,000 yen. That link is to their online shop and the lens may or may not be available at any particular store.