LF in Tokyo ? ...again :)

**lethoncbon** · 25-Sep-2009, 04:04

Hi all,

I searched the forum to find place in Tokyo to buy used LF camera.

So far, I could only find old threads and I m really not sure those adresses are still good.

I'll be in Tokyo for 1 week starting tomorrow and I would love to get a Japanese made LF camera there.

As I'm travelling with my familly, I will not have that much time to search for different shops - I can manage to spend let's say a day for that - so that's why any help would be appreciated

Thanks in advance !

**paradoxbox** · 29-Sep-2009, 17:20

what kind of lf camera are you looking for? i bought a big monorail camera for the equivalent of 200$ including a 150mm f5.6 fujinon lens all in new condition at fujiya camera. at the time i bought it they had another camera just like it but in more worn condition. fujiya's in nakano which is near shinjuku.

there's of course map camera in shinjuku but their prices seem to be higher.

i don't think you'll find a camera like i did for so cheap, that was a pretty rare score, but if you don't mind paying around 500-1000$ you can find many new 4x5 cameras in the big retailers like yodobashi in akihabara or sakura camera, etc.

fujiya does sometimes have field cameras but they're usually in the 500$ range and of course used. 150mm lenses there will be 100-200$ but anything wider or narrower than 150ish mm will start costing around 400-500$. the upside is fujiya usually sells them on standard lens boards and in shutters.

**lethoncbon** · 30-Sep-2009, 07:54

I'm looking for a field camera and so far found only new non japanese camera in Tokyo (I went to Yodobashi and Camera Map). As they are imported, they are not cheap.

500$ is in my budget for a camera - I was searching ideally a Tachihara camera.

I'll go see tomorrow at Fujiya, hoping I'll find what I'm looking for

Thanks a lot for your help, I was a bit discouraged of finding that few LF camera here in Tokyo.

**paradoxbox** · 30-Sep-2009, 23:00

you won't find a tachihara for 500$, sorry. not going to happen. maybe for 800 or 900.

i doubt you will be able to find a field camera of any kind for 500$ in japan.

you may be better off buying a shen hao online or used off of craigslist or some such.

**lethoncbon** · 1-Oct-2009, 08:50

Just came back from Fujiya and they had only 4 field camera to sell : I looked at an Ebony at around 1000$ and a Toyo, don't know the model at around 600$.

the Ebony was really over my budget, but extremely nice and lightweight. The Toyo was way too heavy for me and had limited movement of the front plate.

I hope I'll be more lucky back in Canada, I'm leaving Saturday and I think I have very few chances to find a camera tomorrow.

I'm going to follow your advice and look locally for a wood field camera (whatever the brand).

Thanks again for all your advices

**Colin Corneau** · 1-Oct-2009, 09:27

Consider Shen Hao, as well.

I got mine in Beijing, but they are available here and are well made cameras at a good price.

**David R Munson** · 9-Aug-2011, 21:26

Bumping this as a sort of PSA. If you go to Fujiya Camera in Nakano (in Tokyo), find the small used-gear store across the street from the main store and they have a ton of used 4x5 holders. As in, a giant bin of them. Most of them are clean Fidelity and Lisco holders in good condition and are all marked at ¥315 each.