Shop recommendation to buy SLR digicam

ghettoracer

ghettoracer

Future pro racecar driver
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Can someone make recommendation? A buddy of mine wants me to pick one up for him since it's suppose to be cheaper here. He wouldn't mind a used one in good condition.

TIA!
 
ghettoracer said:
Can someone make recommendation? A buddy of mine wants me to pick one up for him since it's supposed to be cheaper here. He wouldn't mind a used one in good condition.
TIA!
Click to expand...

Hello and welcome!

I'd recommend a Canon EOS 400D / Digital Rebel XTi, via amazon.com. Free shipping, nice price, great after-sales-support.

According to many photographic magazines, it has the best price-performance-ratio. I got one myself and I love it.

Here is a shot of my cat Sly Thaddeus Stallone Shablonzky.



Cam review:

www.dpreview.com

Canon EOS 400D / Digital Rebel XTi/ Kiss X Digital Review

Almost exactly three years since Canon changed the digital SLR market forever (with the $1,000 EOS 300D) they announced the third generation of their affordable entry level series, the EOS 400D (Digital Rebel XTi). This new camera follows the design of the EOS 350D, being very compact and...
www.dpreview.com www.dpreview.com

By the way, I think you opened your thread in the wrong forum.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Do you mean amazon japan or usa? I was hoping to buy it from a local shop in jp. I'm going to watch Super GT/JGTC @ Suzuka circuit on March 17-18. I will probably need to pick up some big lens too. heheh.
 
When I was getting ready to come to Japan with the Navy in 1984, everybody told me to wait and get my camera gear after I got here as it would absolutely certainly be cheaper here....this being where they make it and all, doncha know.

It was bad advice in 1984 and it's still bad advice in 2007.

Advantages to buying outside Japan:

1. Often cheaper
2. Warranty considerations
3. Rebate options

Recommendation: Pentax K100D
 
I meant amazon US, but I guess prices and conditions are very similar.

Hope money's not an object, because those telephoto lenses are darn expensive.

I actually already started saving to get one for my Japan-Trip next year. I need a wide angle lens as well.
 
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Hint on buying lenses:

Buy used lenses.

The Pentax is backwards compatible with every lens they ever made. Attached to my modern digital SLR at this very moment is a screwmount lens that's around 35 years old.

And it takes fantastic pictures.
 
Thanks for the hint, Mike!

As far as I know, Canon SLR cameras are backwards compatible too. I'll start my search on eBay right now.
 
Another consideration is that the new Pentax DSLRs have their image stabilization built into the body of the camera, meaning it is usable with every lens. Canon builds it into the individual lenses and let's you pay several hundred dollars extra per lens for it.
 
i'm on a budget. i think I'm going to get either the Fujifilm S6000 or S9100. They are very cheap back in USA. ~$280 and $390. featured packed too. has gotten great reviews. it's not a SLR since it's fixed body... just SLR shape. i think for me, just a amature wanna be photographer it will be a perfect starter cam. the lens are super expensive. omg!! no SLR for me at this point.
 
When buying stuff in Japan, you need to play the market. The dollar/yen isn't too bad now. I doubt you would save much either way. What you will get, is a newer camera though. I bought a 7 Megapixel IXY in Japan when the highest you could get in the states was 5. From memory, the prices of each were about the same.
 
One thing to keep in mind when getting a digital camera is the ratio of megapixels to the size of the CCD sensor, as well as the quality of the software that powers the camera. Please check this article and this one for more information on the "megapixel myth."
 
ghettoracer said:
i'm on a budget. i think I'm going to get either the Fujifilm S6000 or S9100. They are very cheap back in USA. ~$280 and $390. featured-packed too. has gotten great reviews. it's not a SLR since it's fixed body... just SLR shape. I think for me, just a amature wanna be a photographer it will be a perfect starter cam. the lens is super expensive. omg!! no SLR for me at this point.
Click to expand...

If I had it to do over again, I would have just bought the Pentax K100D DSLR body and picked up used manual focus lenses dirt cheap off of eBay and www.keh.com ....something I've been doing hot and heavy to the chagrin of my wife. I've also picked up several off Yahoo Japan auctions.

For example:

50mm/1.4 (M) - about $100 (a highly rated lens)
28mm/2.8 (A) - about $100 (excellent performer, supports program modes)
135mm/2.5 (M) - about $50 (underrated, but good)
50mm/2.0 (A) - about $50 (does well, and allows for program modes)
105mm/2.8 (M42) - about $60 (superb 35-40 year old screwmount lens)
35-70 zoom (A) - about $30 (just arrived today, supports program modes)
55mm/1.8 (M42) - about $40 (screwmount, should be here tomorrow)
200mm/4.0 (M42) - about $30 (screwmount, should be here tomorrow or next day)

To my way of thinking, a fellow would have to be either rich or an idiot to shell out for brand new lenses.

That being said, the Fuji Finepix cameras you're thinking about are nothing to be sneezed at, and I was leaning heavily toward them until I decided on getting back into SLR after a long absence.

Want to see some Japan photos that show off what a skilled photographer can do with a Fuji Finepix 9000? Take a look at Duncan Galbraith's photoblog:

Duncan Galbraith's Photoblog Archive - The ghost of 'lectricity...

Archive of Duncan Galbraith's daily photos.
duncangalbraith.aminus3.com duncangalbraith.aminus3.com
 
I've got the Digital Rebel XTi, and I'd get my lenses new if mainly for the warranty - if you dish out $1000+ for a nice high quality lens you want the warranty even if it means paying 20% more.
 
Not cheaper here--Buy Nikon

I've looked at prices a lot.
They are NOT cheaper in Japan.
I'd definately recommend the Nikon D50 or D70
 
Does anybody know what kind of return policy Yodobashi have? Since the Fuji S9100 is WAY cheaper in USA, I'm going to buy it back @ home. However this weekend I'm going to a big car race (Super GT/JGTC @ Suzuka) and I want to take some photos. My little digital elph ain't gonna cut it (no zoom). So I was thinking of picking one up for the weekend and then returning it... are the return policy here just like in the USA? Ie, 30 days no questions asked from the major retailer??

I can't read any Japanese except for kanji... so any help in regards to return policy here is appreciated. Thanks.
 
Returns must be unopened/unused and returned within 8 days of delivery.
 
ghettoracer said:
Does anybody know what kind of return policy Yodobashi have? Since the Fuji S9100 is WAY cheaper in USA, I'm going to buy it back @ home. However this weekend I'm going to a big car race (Super GT/JGTC @ Suzuka) and I want to take some photos. My little digital elph ain't gonna cut it (no zoom). So I was thinking of picking one up for the weekend and then returning it... are the return policy here just like in the USA? Ie, 30 days no questions asked from the major retailer??

I can't read any Japanese except for kanji... so any help in regards to return policy here is appreciated. Thanks.
Click to expand...

You want to make us a party to your unethical behavior?
 
That's just the policy of US stores. There is nothing unethical if you follow the rules. Did you know that at Cosco, you can return anything you want, even things from 20 years ago? I heard someone return a Tandy computer from the 1980s... it was like a $3000 computer back in the days, and the store took it back and gave full credit. Is that crazy or what??
 
It's unethical is what.

How would you like to be the customer who goes in and buys the camera you used and returned?
 
Furthermore, Costco has recently revised their return policy.
 
*shrug*. it's simply store policy. some stores wants the customer to be 100% satisfied. taking advantage of what's legally allowed is not unethical in my book. if it is in yours, so be it. if it was my store, and the customer returns items according there will be nothing i can do about it even if i knew that's exactly what they did. back in the mid 1990's i worked for several months at "the good guys!" it's an electronics retailer. we had customers like that... it was obvious that they bought photo stuff for the weekend trip and returned it the next week. there is nothing we can do if the product come back in like-new condition.
 
it's simply store policy
Click to expand...

You will be hardpressed to find a store policy in Japan that allows you to buy items for small fortunes, use them, and return them. The only time I've been able to return used items is when I had a compatibility issue, or it was broken.
 

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