Ebay - lenses from Japan

[Ari]

One of our members, Kumar, is in Japan, and regularly sells Fuji lenses.
It's a good idea to contact him as well for anything coming out of Japan, not only lenses but LF camera besides and accessories.

[Dan Fromm]

To add to the chorus, I've bought from Kumar, who is first rate, and also from Japanese sellers on eBay. Fuji lenses, Horseman exposure meter. I discussed the meter with the seller before buying it, he assured me that it had been properly tested and functioned correctly. It works well, as he reported. I wouldn't hesitate to buy from a Japanese seller on eBay.

[David Karp]

I have purchased several Fujinon lenses from Japan. All were in great condition, better than described. I have also purchased a camera from Kumar. I recommend him highly. If you are looking for something in particular, consider contacting him to see if he can find it for you.

[Alan Gales]

I bought a Fuji 180mm lens from Japan and am very happy with it.

[erian]

My recommendation is, Japanese or not, that you ask about the smells before bidding or buying. I have not yet seen this information described adequately.

The issues might be, but are not limited to, the following

1) smell of cigarettes because the previous owner was a smoker and smoked at home or near equipment or both,
2) smell of mold or mildrew due to the storage conditions,
3) other weird smells like smell of dead animals etc.

Perhaps we have forgotten but smoking was much more socially acceptable when a lot the older equipment saw its glory days. Equipment stored in the moldy storage will also acquire the smell and the older the equipment the more likely it is that it has been store in a such location.

I have experience with two Japanese sellers.

One seller described after request very honestly that the camera I was interested in had cigarette and mold smell and he did his best to remove it but some smell still remained.

In another case I made the mistake to not clarify it (because it was more recent lens) before purchasing and discovered at home that the lens had a strong mold smell. While the seller claimed that he did not notice the (strong) smell, he accepted the return anyway (it was also stated in the policy, please verify this before bidding or buying).

What bother me about some sellers, and this also includes Japanese sellers, is listing items multiples over the market value.

[Andrew Plume]

fwiw

I've bought a 11 x 14, filmholder and film + a separate 135mm Fujinon lens, all from Kumar, the experience has been nothing other than 101%, enough said imho

andrew

[Dan Fromm]

What bother me about some sellers, and this also includes Japanese sellers, is listing items multiples over the market value.

If the asking price is too high, offer as much and no more than you think is right or don't try to buy. No one is forcing you to pay more than you think is right.

[Patrick Gauthier]

A required precaution is to always ask the ebay seller regarding certain aspects of the items that are not described in the auction listing. For example, lens condition may be described but shutter condition may not be. The only times I have ever been burned was from damaged/semi-functional shutters. I no longer make the mistake of assuming that no detail/description is indicative of no problem. That being said, while still being inconvenient, a polite and respectful complaint to the seller (from japan) has always led to a timely and fair refund for me.

I have yet to be disappointed with lenses/gear acquired through this forum (from Japan - via Kumar - or otherwise).

You have already acquired your lens from Ebay and I hope you are satisfied. In the future, if you are looking for a particular lens and can only find it in an ebay auction from japan, I'd recommend contacting Kumar to see if he has or can acquire the same lens. Even if the price is the same, with Kumar you can be certain the condition is as described.

[Steve Williams_812]

I just purchased a 240mm Schneider G-Claron from Japan. Was exactly as described and shipped fast and without trouble. I had concerns but a friend who makes his living on eBay said it's a no brainer for a buyer. As someone has already said -- eBay jealously protects buyers. I won't hesitate to purchase from a Japanese seller with a lot of positive sales numbers.

[pchaplo]

I’ve read that for avoiding additional fees for Japan>US purchases, shipping via EMS is preferable. Not Fedex. Others here have more first-hand experience.