Purchasing used Fujifilm X cameras in Japan

Hi there.

I hope i can share some of my experiences. I have been to Japan multiple times and have spent a great deal of time researching this in the past.

My experiences / findings will probably be better suited in bullet points.

-There is alot of pride with camera companies as they are Japanese. I tend to be able to find better deals back at home (Australia). They don’t really negotiate much over there.

-Some cameras in Japan are only sold with Japanese menus, you won’t be able to change it. So you got to do some research / ask the shop assistance.

-It’s less about the price. But more about the opportunity to buy used equipment that’s in relatively good condition from a physical store. Especially in the context of equipment that is no longer sold new, there aren’t many places where you can go in the world and find “mint” condition with a physical store front. If you are all about the price (Yes, I am) ebay sellers from Japan are generally more competitive from my experience. But nothing beats handling the equipment and inspecting yourself prior to purchase.

-The main stores on main streets are slightly more expensive than “smaller cities”. Example: One of my favourite stores is mapcamera in tokyo. They have a comprehensive catalog online and you can do alot of research prior. Specifically take note on how they classify condition and how it impacts the price.

-Bargains (price wise) are harder to come by. But there is usually a “trash pile” where you can dive into old vintage zoom lenses and random assortment of stuff. My only “luck” was when i stumbled across a mint 200mm F4 nikkor non-ai that i used a few times before selling it for a small profit in Australia.

-Private ebay sellers from Japan. There are a number of japanese based sellers that ship goods internationally. I have purchased from them (film era lenses) on numerous occasions, and haven’t had a bad experience. But there are a few things to note

—Private sellers assessment of goods may not be as “strict” as the larger sellers. E.g. Lenses that contain a little bit of fungus could still be rated as “Exc condition A+”

—Taxes and duties may need to be paid

—Painful process if things go wrong (return process , package stolen etc)

My previous failed purchases

-Leica 35mm summilux non-aspsh in 2016 = I just found the prices over there too expensive. I passed on an opportunity to buy a heavily beaten up used. I ended up buying a mint copy in Melbourne (Australia) for a similar price.

-Sony 28mm F2 in 2018 = The retail price for this lens new is more expensive than Australia. The used prices in Japan weren’t compelling enough for me to pull the trigger … when compared to ebay used “mint + box” prices.

Personally for me it’s all got to do with the price. I did have a great time exploring the different camera stores, looking at all the different film cameras. But i’ll make the purchases at home.

Have fun.