Looking to buy a TLR from Japan

[GregY]

A common thing on Japan sites is to find the same camera listed under multiple sellers. Do a search for a specific model and scan through the listings looking for photos that look alike, and then check serial numbers, etc. I do not know if this is a scam or what.

Yes.... i always check seriall # to make sure i get the camera i selected.

 

[GregY]

Yeah I know, I didn't say I don't buy from Japan, I often do especially as the prices can be great, but second hand Yashica Mats don't always travel well, great lenses but very flimsy insides. Given they are abundant in the USA and Canada I don't think it's worth the risk given the cost of return postage, which is what I said.

250....I'm not sure how you can tell abundance of a camera in Canada from the Pk District.
I was stating my experience...not reflecting on yours. I haven't seen even one TLR in a Calgary camera store recently and last week i was in Austin Tx......Precision had lots of used cameras..... 1 Rolleiflex & no Autocords or Yashicamats....

 

[retina_restoration]

A common thing on Japan sites is to find the same camera listed under multiple sellers. Do a search for a specific model and scan through the listings looking for photos that look alike, and then check serial numbers, etc. I do not know if this is a scam or what.

I saw this frequently when I was looking to buy a Zeiss Super Ikonta 2 years ago. And those same sellers often removed a listing after 48 hours and then immediately relist it, so they stay in the "new" listings. All of this made me want to avoid a fairly long list of eBay sellers, who appeared to be the same entity under twenty different names. No thank you.

 

[George Mann]

I saw this frequently when I was looking to buy a Zeiss Super Ikonta 2 years ago. And those same sellers often removed a listing after 48 hours and then immediately relist it, so they stay in the "new" listings. All of this made me want to avoid a fairly long list of eBay sellers, who appeared to be the same entity under twenty different names. No thank you.

These are different salesmen competing for the commission on the same item. Don't let this alone put you off.

 

[Kodachromeguy]

Don't you love (hate) the way so many eBay sellers show one photo of the camera (with the lens caps on), and two photos of the ratty old leather case? ;-)

Yes, the US sellers appear to be obsessed with the camera case, even if it is a nasty old torn thing. The show the torn hinge in closeup detail, but show the camera body in contrasty, blurred pictures. Even for a non-photographer, this is duuh, WTF?

 

[joelbolden]

I've been buying camera equipment off ebay for 20+ years, and I've learned never trust American sellers anymore. They're often scroungers: they go to estate sales, flea markets, thrift shops and buy whatever is cheap and post it on ebay. The last 3 items I did buy from American sellers were defective, and in two cases gave me a very hard time on returns. Ebay had to step in. I now only deal with Japanese camera stores that sell online. I have only had one instance where the item was defective, and since they offered free returns, sending it back was no problem and I received my full refund no problem. You do have to take care of course. One poster above mentioned that many of the sellers go into excruciating detail when describing their products. Those are the ones I concentrate on. My track record with them is 100%. Granted, the postage is high, but the delivery times are generally great; as little as 4 days from Japan to Pennsylvania. I recently went searching for a Mamiya C220; checking both American and Japanese sites. The American sites I checked (Keh, Roberts, Brooklyn Film, Michigan Camera etc) either only offered fair(they were honest) condition models or were vastly overpriced. I went through a long list of Japanese sellers and the ones I checked, most of them if you read their detailed descriptions, had defects. I finally found one that was both reasonable in price and shipping, and who's photos/descriptions showed only minor cosmetic blemishes. It'll be here this Monday(5 days). I also purchased a Ricohflex Super44(127 film) from a dealer who had sold me a literally pristine Mamiya C3. The pictures he posted show the same for this one. It'll be here Tuesday(5 days). The only two American sites I check now are KEH and Roberts. They're both honest in their descriptions and fairly reasonable on price. Both offer warranties.

 

[GregY]

I've been buying camera equipment off ebay for 20+ years, and I've learned never trust American sellers anymore. They're often scroungers: they go to estate sales, flea markets, thrift shops and buy whatever is cheap and post it on ebay. The last 3 items I did buy from American sellers were defective, and in two cases gave me a very hard time on returns. Ebay had to step in. I now only deal with Japanese camera stores that sell online. I have only had one instance where the item was defective, and since they offered free returns, sending it back was no problem and I received my full refund no problem. You do have to take care of course. One poster above mentioned that many of the sellers go into excruciating detail when describing their products. Those are the ones I concentrate on. My track record with them is 100%. Granted, the postage is high, but the delivery times are generally great; as little as 4 days from Japan to Pennsylvania. I recently went searching for a Mamiya C220; checking both American and Japanese sites. The American sites I checked (Keh, Roberts, Brooklyn Film, Michigan Camera etc) either only offered fair(they were honest) condition models or were vastly overpriced. I went through a long list of Japanese sellers and the ones I checked, most of them if you read their detailed descriptions, had defects. I finally found one that was both reasonable in price and shipping, and who's photos/descriptions showed only minor cosmetic blemishes. It'll be here this Monday(5 days). I also purchased a Ricohflex Super44(127 film) from a dealer who had sold me a literally pristine Mamiya C3. The pictures he posted show the same for this one. It'll be here Tuesday(5 days). The only two American sites I check now are KEH and Roberts. They're both honest in their descriptions and fairly reasonable on price. Both offer warranties.

I agree entirely JB. I think it's also worth mentioning that KEH, regardless of their generous repair/return policies does not post photos of the actual item you're buying....nor can you get an in-hand description as the people on the phone are not at KEH's warehouse.
In addition, for those of us in Canada, Ebay's latest international shipping system results in unreasonably long shipping times. Three items i bought this week (USA) are scheduled to arrived between Dec 19 and Jan 3. While a lens i bought from Ebay Japan is out for delivery today.

 

[Don_ih]

Ebay's latest international shipping system results in unreasonably long shipping times

It also almost without exception dings you for taxes and a brokerage fee at the door. At least the global shipping program hit you with that at time of sale.

Also, shipping charges for the international shipping thing are almost always outlandish.

 

[GregY]

It also almost without exception dings you for taxes and a brokerage fee at the door. At least the global shipping program hit you with that at time of sale.

Also, shipping charges for the international shipping thing are almost always outlandish.

Yes. Shipping charges from Japan are cheaper and faster. One of the items i bought is in Washington State...& I'm in Alberta. So it will be shipped across the USA to Kentucky....then cross the border and back to me.... expected to take more than a month.....
BTW the lens from Japan arrived today (bought late last week) it is spotlessly clean and the price was more than reasonable.

 

[btaylor]

I have also bought a lot of camera gear over the years from eBay, from Japan, US, a little from Europe. I can usually get a sense from the seller’s description or feedback history if they know anything about the item they are selling. If it’s clear to me the seller knows little to nothing about the gear they are selling I count on the cost of a CLA when I am buying. All my experiences from Japan have been great. But 99% of my other experiences have been good too. And of course if the item is listed as “used” on eBay it is expected to fully functional- if not you can return it even if the seller says “no returns.”
What I really dislike are the AI chatbox “descriptions” many sellers are using these days. A worthless word salad that tells me nothing about the actual condition of the item- hard pass on those.

 

[George Mann]

It also almost without exception dings you for taxes and a brokerage fee at the door. At least the global shipping program hit you with that at time of sale.

Also, shipping charges for the international shipping thing are almost always outlandish.

You have to stick with Japan Post Economy or EMS shipping to avoid the brokerage fee scam.

 

[GregY]

You have to stick with Japan Post Economy or EMS shipping to avoid the brokerage fee scam.

Well currently there's a postal strike in Canada. As far as scams, my most recent purchase from Japan arrived by Fedex...to my door in 6 days. I was charged a total of $13.50 USD on a $100 USD lens....of which includes both brokerage fee & govt tax.....
Costs me more to drive to Calgary one way...not counting my time.
The UPS Fedex DHL don't always skin you...

 

[Don_ih]

You have to stick with Japan Post Economy or EMS shipping to avoid the brokerage fee scam.

You don't get to choose the shipper when it's Ebay's international shipping (and also from the US). Canada Post has also been, more and more, dinging international packages for taxes.

Fedex...to my door in 6 days. I was charged a total of $13.50 USD on a $100 USD lens

Fedex is better than others, because their brokerage fee seems lower. I just had a delivery from Fedex of the same value with the same fee that you had. The phone call you get telling you that you have an amount payable sure is annoying, though.

 

[paul ron]

the main concern with buying internationally comes when you need to return items. shipping is on you.

buy locally. there are tons of cameras right here in the US. check KEH for used prices and great return policy.

as said before... post a want add here.

 

[Arthurwg]

Bellamy Hunt aka Japan Camera Hunter. I used him for a purchase a few years back, and it was simple and reasonable. He lives there and has regular contact with many of the stores. Knows the market too.

+1. JCH prices are toward the high end but you won't get a lemon. Most cameras come with some sort of warranty. I bought a perfect Nikon F6 from him a few years ago for a good price. Now it's going back to him for CLA, also at a reasonable price.

 

[xya]

Very interesting to run through this thread. Incredible, how much the experiences differ.

I'm in Europe. I bought tons of material from the US when shipping via USPS was really dirt cheap. In my opinion, most US sellers are honest and most of those who buy from estate sales and thrift stores do indicate this. So you know what you are buying. When shipping fees exploded, I was happy that Ebay offered their own services at a fraction of the price. Shure, this takes longer as parcels are shipped to their US shipping center and then go into containers to be shipped abroad. But you are kept up to date and they do all the customs work for you. So for me this is a nice option

I also bought loads of material from Japan. 20 years ago Japanese sellers were mostly very honest, but quite complicated to communicate with. JP Post standard shipping is not expensive, a bit slow, but reliable. So I bought beautiful cameras for nice prices. This has changed a lot. If you look at the photos carefully, you will notice that today's ratings are ridiculously overrated. The last 10 items I bought from Japan were all bad, very bad. Mouldy, sticky, leaking and stuck EXC + and ++ cameras. Seen the return fees, most just went to the bin. Accepted returns were nearly impossible to do. Since a year or so I have not bought anything from there.

As a European, buying in Europe is easy. As regulations are strict, Ebay has to be on your side. So I would not love to be a European seller....

 

[Kodachromeguy]

A worthless word salad

No, it is a worthless word vomitus. US sellers are the worst with these useless garbage descriptions.

 

[GregY]

the main concern with buying internationally comes when you need to return items. shipping is on you.

buy locally. there are tons of cameras right here in the US. check KEH for used prices and great return policy.

as said before... post a want add here.

Easy for you to say living in NYC.....

 

[Sirius Glass]

the main concern with buying internationally comes when you need to return items. shipping is on you.

buy locally. there are tons of cameras right here in the US. check KEH for used prices and great return policy.

as said before... post a want add here.

The return policy alone makes KEH alone makes KEH worth it. But consider what if the purchased used camera or lens needed a CLA? I purchased a 500mm Hasselblad lens for $475 and it needed to have a CLA. The cost of the CLA was over $750 because the lens needed to be completely disassembled, reassembled and recolliminated, and it cost me nothing, not even shipping.

 

[MattKing]

The return policy alone makes KEH alone makes KEH worth it.

If you are in the USA - and probably only the contiguous 48 states.

 

[paul ron]

The return policy alone makes KEH alone makes KEH worth it. But consider what if the purchased used camera or lens needed a CLA? I purchased a 500mm Hasselblad lens for $475 and it needed to have a CLA. The cost of the CLA was over $750 because the lens needed to be completely disassembled, reassembled and recolliminated, and it cost me nothing, not even shipping.

i think if you got it from KEH in need of a cla, you bought it from the "as is" bin. my experiance with keh has been more than satisfactory just buying their bargain bin. they tend to under rate their stock. many things rated bargain were in excellent condition. in fact many things i bought "as is" for parts turned out to be easily repaired.

as for the cost of a cla more than the lens... that has never been cheap when pros were analog. they made money off their equipment so a cla was just an oil n lube on a taxi cab... regular maintenance they recouped in one shoot. the balking about cla costs n repairs was mostly hobbiests that bought old stuff sitting in closets since pros went digital and flea bay garbage finds.

i guess cla has gotten expensive, maybe because many repair shops shut their doors and so few are still around? i retired because it wasnt worth my time anymore dealing with the diyer screw ups n the tight wad hobbyists. to do it right takes alot of time and time is money... we arent working at min wadge ya know. a car mechanic is getting $100/hr... whats my time worth? would you want me to do a naptha dunk on your shutter for $50 or a full tear down at $750?

 

[Sirius Glass]

i think if you got it from KEH in need of a cla, you bought it from the "as is" bin. my experiance with keh has been more than satisfactory just buying their bargain bin. they tend to under rate their stock. many things rated bargain were in excellent condition. in fact many things i bought "as is" for parts turned out to be easily repaired.

as for the cost of a cla more than the lens... that has never been cheap when pros were analog. they made money off their equipment so a cla was just an oil n lube on a taxi cab... regular maintenance they recouped in one shoot. the balking about cla costs n repairs was mostly hobbiests that bought old stuff sitting in closets since pros went digital and flea bay garbage finds.

i guess cla has gotten expensive, maybe because many repair shops shut their doors and so few are still around? i retired because it wasnt worth my time anymore dealing with the diyer screw ups n the tight wad hobbyists. to do it right takes alot of time and time is money... we arent working at min wadge ya know. a car mechanic is getting $100/hr... whats my time worth? would you want me to do a naptha dunk on your shutter for $50 or a full tear down at $750?

No it was rated at EX+, but since I had recently brought other Hasselblad lenses from them recently they gave a big discount because it was a 500 C lens.

 

[paul ron]

i would have returned it, keh would have been glad to refund you.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

If buying off evilbay, only deal with sellers having a high number of feedback ratings and a rating of 100% or darn close to that. Read the description carefully and reviews all the photos of the item zoomed in. Pan around so you can see every part of the camera. Make sure they have a good return policy; free returns is best because it won't be cheap to ship a camera back to Japan. Pay in a way that you're totally protected, even beyond evilbay's policys.

Same tips would apply to buying direct from a dealer.

Good luck!

Also ask them if the checked the shutter. Don't be afraid to negotiate price. They can only say no.

 

[Sirius Glass]

No it was rated at EX+, but since I had recently brought other Hasselblad lenses from them recently they gave a big discount because it was a 500 C lens.

i would have returned it, keh would have been glad to refund you.

Once the CLA was completed and the lens returned to me [it took about a month], the 500 mm C lens performed well. At was purchased at a low price compared to the CF lenses and does not get a lot of use, I was happy to keep it, although as you pointed out, I could have returned it.