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Good time to buy used lenses from Japan?

oguruma
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Good time to buy used lenses from Japan?

I remember a couple years back shopping for lenses on Ebay. There were a lot of lenses for sale in Japan. At the time, $1 USD was about 100 JPY. Now, $1 USD is about 150 JPY.

It would seem to be that that would mean it might be a good time to shop for Japanese lenses, unless there is some other arbitrage or factors I am not considering (possible import duties)?

Nov 02, 2023 at 04:26 PM

Bacalhau
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Good time to buy used lenses from Japan?

warranty for sure, and return for repair or DOA
I bought a lens from Japan and had no import duties; Europe it's a differenbt story

Nov 02, 2023 at 07:02 PM

pendennis
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Good time to buy used lenses from Japan?

It's usually always a good time to buy used lenses from reputable Japanese dealers. I've bought several lenses, and have always gotten a great deal with high quality. Most are very underrated in assigning quality codes.

There's an amount, above which you must pay import duties, but I've exceeded that amount a number of times, but have never paid a dime in duties.

They ship lightning-fast, also. I've ordered things on, say, a Tuesday, and had them by Thursday. Their Postal System is super-efficient, especially when the flights go directly to Chicago.

Nov 03, 2023 at 09:40 AM

oguruma
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Good time to buy used lenses from Japan?

pendennis wrote:
It's usually always a good time to buy used lenses from reputable Japanese dealers. I've bought several lenses, and have always gotten a great deal with high quality. Most are very underrated in assigning quality codes.

There's an amount, above which you must pay import duties, but I've exceeded that amount a number of times, but have never paid a dime in duties.

They ship lightning-fast, also. I've ordered things on, say, a Tuesday, and had them by Thursday. Their Postal System is super-efficient, especially when the flights go directly to Chicago.

Everything about Japan is super efficient; truly an incredible culture.

Nov 03, 2023 at 11:22 AM

Pixelpuffin
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Good time to buy used lenses from Japan?

Each to their own
But I’ll never buy used from Japan again
I bought a lens via eBay It looked flawless, optics were pristine in the pictures. It arrived, got hit with import duty .

Yes, it did indeed look great.
Fast forward a couple of months during which I hadn’t used that particular lens once, however it had been stored inside a sealed plastic tube with 2 giant bags of silica.

Edit : ALL my L lenses are stored inside sealed clear tubes with a minimum of 2 giant (50g) sachets of silica.

Took the lens out to use, peered through and to my absolute horror noticed fungus spores everywhere.

Hoping it was my imagination and would be nothing more sinister than dust I tried cleaning…no, the tell tale faint lines from each blob proved my worst fears.
I messaged the seller, no response.

Given how humid Japan is I have my own thoughts.
I suspect many of these eBay sellers are in fact previous employees from the Japanese lens manufacturers. They will possess the skills to know how to dismantle, clean and rebuild lenses at home. My guess is they pick up cheap defective lenses, strip back, clean and rebuild to make them look mint. They then list on sites like eBay at lower prices to attract western buyers looking for a bargain.

Fun fact, met a guy whilst out shooting, exactly the same thing had happened to him, bought a used mint lens from Japan , within a few months fungus was visible.

Hence I’ll never touch anything used from Japan now.

Edited on Nov 05, 2023 at 01:27 PM · View previous versions

Nov 05, 2023 at 04:04 AM

jcolwell
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Good time to buy used lenses from Japan?

Pixelpuffin wrote:
Each to their own...

I was going to say something useful, but the last phrase in your post (which has been reported), is the most openly-racist statement that I have ever read on FM. Not acceptable!

Nov 05, 2023 at 06:24 AM

Pixelpuffin
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Good time to buy used lenses from Japan?

jcolwell wrote:
I was going to say something useful, but the last phrase in your post (which has been reported), is the most openly-racist statement that I have ever read on FM. Not acceptable!

No, sorry I agree I shouldn’t have said that. I deliberately didn’t swear but wanted to convey my disgust.
The lens in question was the canon L 50-200mm
After it arrived I spotted the non-L version listed on eBay here in the uk so bought that too.
Condition wise they were both very similar with the non-L having no fungus issues. The real tragedy is the non L absolutely blows away this so-called L
My guess is it isn’t really a L after all, just the regular 50-200 that’s been fitted with the L red ring.
Just trawled back through eBay purchases …. I paid $266 plus postage, plus import duty, plus courier charge for handing import duty!! In short it cost a fortune
The non L was £29 and boxed!!

So please forgive my use of profane language ( noticed it’s been edited out but to clarify to others it wasn’t a racist slur at all - the slang word for poo is hardly racist) but hopefully you will sympathise with me.

I’ll never EVER buy used from Japan ( or ANY eastern country again)

Utterly despicable

Nov 05, 2023 at 11:10 AM

Peter Figen
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Good time to buy used lenses from Japan?

I've purchased half a dozen or so lenses from reputable Japanese eBay sellers in the last couple of years and have never had any sort of an issue. All lenses were in perfect working order, in better condition (almost new) than advertised and no hint of fungus or mold.

As for people complaining about import duties, you have to understand the legalities of them. There IS a free trade agreement between the U.S and Japan, but that only applies to purchases under $2500. Over that and you'll get hit with a charge, but usually it's fairly minimal and if they ship DHL, which they usually do, DHL makes the whole process super easy. I bought a lens for $3300 and the duty was $114 I think.

The free trade agreements between the U.S. and both the UK and the EU are no longer in effect due to Brexit and those agreements have not been renegotiated, plus it's not where you buy the item from, it's where it originated from. For instance, a year and a half ago I purchased an expensive Rodenstock macro lens from Linhof Studios in the U.K. for 4200 British pound sterling which at the time worked out to be about $5300, but since that lens originated in Germany it was subject to the E.U. tariff, and many stores both in the U.K. and the EU will have one invoice for the purchase price and one that they put in the box for the inspectors. I paid $49 duty on that Rodenstock lens. BFD.

Not being in the U.K. I cannot speak to the duties that might be incurred there in addition to VAT.

Nov 05, 2023 at 01:03 PM

doady
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Good time to buy used lenses from Japan?

jcolwell wrote:
I was going to say something useful, but the last phrase in your post (which has been reported), is the most openly-racist statement that I have ever read on FM. Not acceptable!

He's the same guy who made that thread to complain about how he had a big argument with his wife about her wanting him to spend a few hours walking around London with her, and how the city has become a "shithole" and "hell on earth" due in part to the "massive influx" of Eastern Europeans. I am sure you remember that thread also.

Nov 06, 2023 at 10:47 PM

jcolwell
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Good time to buy used lenses from Japan?

I remember.

Nov 07, 2023 at 06:14 AM

AmbientMike
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Good time to buy used lenses from Japan?

I'm curious about the returns can the seller get the eBay fees back? They're about 12% and that could be a good amount if you can't get it refunded. But years ago I got stuff from Norway in about the same amount if time as the NE USA, so the reports above about shipping times not too surprising

Also I've heard Japanese in general much more interested in the latest gear so older gear potentially more readily available. Adaptall-2 got really inexpensive years ago, I suspect a lot got imported.

Nov 07, 2023 at 10:29 AM

bobby350z
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Good time to buy used lenses from Japan?

Any recommendations for reputed shops to deal with? Now that I need more junk (according to the wife).

Nov 09, 2023 at 10:17 PM

Ancocene
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Good time to buy used lenses from Japan?

I've considered buying used Sigma cameras from Japan and the dealers are seem to overprice them to begin with so even with a favorable exchange rate there isn't much of a benefit to buying them.

Nov 12, 2023 at 11:31 AM

Pixelpuffin
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Good time to buy used lenses from Japan?

doady wrote:
He's the same guy who made that thread to complain about how he had a big argument with his wife about her wanting him to spend a few hours walking around London with her, and how the city has become a "shithole" and "hell on earth" due in part to the "massive influx" of Eastern Europeans. I am sure you remember that thread also.

Guessing you don’t live in the UK??
Believe me, most north of Watford Gap regards London as a shithole, the further north you go the deeper the feelings. As for saying it’s now full of Eastern Europeans, that’s no different as saying San Francisco is regarded a a gay capital of the US, you may disagree but facts are facts.

Don’t get me wrong if you are wealthy (very) then I imagine London has its charms, but for the other 99% it’s a shithole.

Everyone I know would rather stick pins in their eyes than endure london. Utterly rank, dirty and unfriendly.

Nov 15, 2023 at 07:20 AM

sjms
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Good time to buy used lenses from Japan?

isn't there other particular wording you can use w/o lowering yourself?

Nov 15, 2023 at 08:54 AM

djmCLT
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Good time to buy used lenses from Japan?

Pixelpuffin wrote:
Guessing you don’t live in the UK??
Believe me, most north of Watford Gap regards London as a shithole, the further north you go the deeper the feelings. As for saying it’s now full of Eastern Europeans, that’s no different as saying San Francisco is regarded a a gay capital of the US, you may disagree but facts are facts.

Don’t get me wrong if you are wealthy (very) then I imagine London has its charms, but for the other 99% it’s a shithole.

Everyone I know would rather stick pins in their eyes than endure london. Utterly rank, dirty and unfriendly....Show more →

How would you know what "most [people] North of Watford Gap" think? Seems to me you barely leave your own house. I know many people in the UK and none of them share your opinion of London. As I said previously, I think the problem is closer to home for you. You're unhappy and go looking for things to be unhappy about. You took what could have been a nice day out with your, presumably, loving family and turned it into a moan. You're nothing but a miserable sod. Have a sh!te day!

Nov 15, 2023 at 01:15 PM


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