Win a Pentax Limited Lens: Raffle Now Live!

You'd be amazed how much of my gear came from Yahoo Japan Auctions. Beats the heck out of paying the inflated prices at the shops.

Let me add another recommendation for Map Camera, just a beautiful store, even if you don't pick up anything it's like visiting a temple for my favorite hobby. Also the staff are really friendly (some of the girls are really cute, too!). I picked up a diagnl ninja strap (black rapid was just a bit too rich for me) and the girl was nice enough to go downstairs and bring up a k-r so that I could test it out on my own camera body.
The prices might be a bit high, but the selection is excellent. I got a white 35mm 2.4 that other camera stores said I'd have to special order, and actually the price was cheaper than Yodobashi, so I really have nothing to complain about. (it was 20,800. I went up to the counter to put down a special order and they just reached into the cabinet and pulled one out, said "how about taking it home now?" with a grin)
Well worth checking out if you're in Shinjuku.

I went to MAP camera (where I originally bought my K-r) a few weekends ago with my mind set on getting the DA40 ltd. When I got there, I saw they had the DA-21 ltd also and after putting them both on my camera I couldn't decide which one I wanted more so I didn't get either one :-/ I might make a trip out to Fujiya (I've never been there before!) to see what else they have and see if they have some older, cheaper primes that I can test out first to see if I like the 21mm or the 40mm :-D

Hi Hambino! I bought my DA35 limited from Map Camera (new) and I'm glad I got the lens. I used it at Floriade on the weekend and got sme great macros shots of the flowers. I guess it depends on what you want to use the DA40 or DA21 for - landscapes? Architecture? I should try to get to Fujiya next time I'm in Tokyo, or perhaps Grace (I think) which someone else mentioned in Akihabara.

I've just returned from eight days in Japan and am sorry to say that I could not find a camera store (for new or used gear) anywhere in the areas I visited. We were in Kyoto for three days, Fukuyama for a couple and three days in Shinagawa/Ueno. I confess I didn't go armed with addresses for specific stores, but based on my last visit, I figured I wouldn't have too much trouble finding one, particularly in Kyoto or Shinagawa. Never mind, perhaps next trip.

Peter.

Hi Peter - Shinjuku is the best place I've found in Tokyo, although there's a huge Yodobashi at Akihabara which has a camera section. I found prices at Yodobashi to be much too high - unless you get one of their point cards and buy a bunch of stuff for the bonuses, but even then it was better to buy duty free at Map Camera. Also in Shinjuku is the Pentax Forum where you can try some Pentax gear without having to buy. Check out some of the articles in this thread and you'll find some suggestions with links in some cases.

in front of yodobashi umeda (osaka) there is a shop called camera naniwa , it is shop only for second hand camera related stuff and there are usually nice deals. I bought k-x for 20,000 yen and pentax 135mm K F3.5 for 2000yen. Very good collection.

Shinjuku has so many stores concentrated in one areas that it really can be fun.
Start out at the Pentax Showroom. They often have great galleries set up too, sometimes with the pro-photog there to interact with visitors.
Then hit Yodobashi Camera. Make sure and visit the Camera bldg, not the main bldg and hit each floor. Sooooo much stuff! Also if you are into film make sure and visit the film store.
Next is Map Camera; both buildings; just a block apart. They have the biggest inventory of any used camera store in Tokyo, although their prices are easily 20%-30% higher than other stores.
Then visit Kitamura Camera. Their used section is on the 3rd or 4th floor. Not very big but some nice stuff.
Finally, visit Chuko Camera Ichiba which is hard to find but it's on the street between the two Map Camera shops that runs toward the big post office. It's on the second floor above the ABC Mart shoe store. It is absolutely full of rather old stuff, mostly from the film era. The clerks are not very friendly so you are more or less on your own, but it is definitely worth a visit. All of these stores are within 100-200 meters of each other. On the East side of the station there is another store right across the street from Forever 21 but I can't remember the name.

Others have already mentioned Fujiya Camera in Nakano. This is my all time favorite store and I visit it at least a couple times a week. One more shop that no one has mentioned is Sanpou Camera in Meguro. It's hard to get to, but you can either take a bus from Meguro station to the Meguro Post Office stop and walk a couple minutes or walk about 15 minutes from Gakugei Daigaku station on the Toyoko Line. Sanpou is a bit smaller than Fujiya but has a very nice selection and prices are often similar to Fujiya.

By the way, if you visit the Kitamura Camera web site you can do a search for any used item and they will check every one of their stores nationwide and ship the product to you for a very reasonable price if they find it.

Finally, Ginza is known for lots of used camera stores that specialize in old, even antique cameras that tend to be priced very high. If you are into that sort of thing it is a real Mecca.

Some great ideas in this thread. Thought I'd add a map and street view ( from Google ) to help find some of the tricky Shinjuku ones.

Street Map. I never go to Yodobashi but noted here for orientation :



Shinjuku Used Camera Ichiba, mentioned in the post above, where I now see from the picture below it is indeed more accurately named "Chuko Camera Ichiba". Second floor, above ABC Mart, no windows and a shop entrance from the side street, makes it one you either know or will likely miss. Don't miss it though. At an estimate, at least a hundred or so Pentax used lenses in stock from Takumars, Zeiss and Ricohs to the recent stuff. There is a "Pentax" labelled section towards the back of the shop, but also a dedicated M42 section towards the front on the same wall. Check both !



And if that one is too easy to find, how about Camera Box ( or Box Camera ... or something, my memory is bad ) ? Basement, entrance here :



You can see Map Camera's sign just around the corner for reference. Lots of stuff. Including plenty of junk to be fair, but well worth a browse.

Paul

Thanks for the great photos. There is also a Kitamura used camera shop on the same street as Map. It is almost directly across the street from the second Map Camera, up on the 3rd or 4th floor.

Yes, theres a Kitamura there too, forgot that one. The branch in Shibuya, 3F next to Don Quixote, is a bit larger for reference. Picked up a Pentax 58mm lens cap for 100 yen there recently. Noted they had a Takumar hood ( 800 yen ) and quite a few old Taks as well as more recent Pentax stuff. Not nearly as good as the Shinjuku and Nakano shops but worth popping in if you are in Shibuya.

Paul

Thanks! I bought some second hand and new lenses at Map camera, and I didn't know that there were other options so close by!
I also bought some Takumar lenses at Kitamura some years ago, using the service revdocjim is referring to in comment no 23: I asked for two lenses of the same kind to be sent to a small Kitamura shop ( in Isawaonsen, small town in Yamanashi), checked which one was the best and bought that one. No extra cost for the other one, very customer friendly. You need to understand Japanese for ordering ( or someone who does :-) , btw.

Bumping this thread since I am going to Tokyo soon.
Found this good site after a google search.

Camera shopping in Tokyo pt. 1 – Shinjuku | Japan Camera Hunter

Part 2 is Ginza and part 3 is Northern Tokyo.

Very good guide with a good map on the site.

Cheers

Yos

Yos, where are you going to in Tokyo?
I moved back to England, but lived i Koenji for years.

Will be staying in a hotel very close to the big Shinjuku trainstation. Will have like 500m to the closest camera shop
I am hoping Mapcamera still have some of the stuff they are listing atm on their website. Will kill a few hours running between camera stores in Shinjuku.
If the weather is good I want to revisit Ueno park and the temple in Asakusa (Asakura?) forgot the name...
Also gotta buy some kitchenware at the "restaurant street".
This time I gotta see the Ghibli museum! Ran out of time last time I was in Tokyo.
Other than that I hope two of my friends will have time to see me.


Mickey: Do you have any recommendation that is not in a guidebook? Always wanna try new food and Japanese microbrewery.

Cheers!