Cameras from Japan

Why is Japan the place to buy used cameras and lenses?

Because the major camera makers are Japanese, the domestic used market is large and its shops grade precisely. Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, OM System, Pentax, Ricoh, Sigma and Tamron all sell their fullest ranges at home, and Japanese used-camera shops — Map Camera, Kitamura, Fujiya Camera and others — list every body and lens with a condition grade, a shutter count where available and a note on fungus and haze. Yahoo Auctions holds the film-camera and vintage-lens stock that Japanese owners kept. Those shops and marketplaces deliver inside Japan only, so OneMall supplies the Japanese address and yen payment and forwards from our Japan warehouse.

What do カビ, クモリ and バルサム切れ mean on a Japanese lens listing?

Fungus, haze and balsam separation — the three optical faults that decide a used lens's value, which Japanese sellers name explicitly rather than folding into a grade. カビ (kabi) is fungus on an element; クモリ (kumori) is haze; バルサム切れ is separation of cemented elements; and チリ or ホコリ is dust, which is normal. A listing that says カビ・クモリなし states the lens is clear of both.

How do I read a used camera body listing from Japan?

Shutter count, testing and, for film cameras, the light seals. シャッター回数 is the shutter count, stated by shops and many private sellers; 動作確認済 means tested; 実写確認済 means the seller took test shots; モルト劣化 means the foam light seals of a film camera have deteriorated, a routine repair; and ジャンク means sold as-is. Japanese-market bodies may restrict menu languages, so check the model before ordering if you need a menu in your language.

• シャッター回数 — shutter count
• 動作確認済 / 実写確認済 — tested / test shots taken
• モルト劣化 / モルト交換済 — light seals deteriorated / replaced
• ファインダー内チリ — dust in the viewfinder
• 元箱付き / 付属品完備 — original box / all accessories
• ジャンク — as-is

Where are cameras sold in Japan?

New from Amazon Japan, Rakuten and the camera shops' online stores; used from the same shops with grades, and from Yahoo Auctions and Mercari with seller descriptions. Map Camera and Kitamura grade with their own scales and state what is included; Yahoo Auctions is the deepest source for film cameras and manual lenses.

Can cameras with batteries be shipped from Japan?

Bodies with their battery installed are subject to each carrier's lithium-battery rules, which decide the shipping methods offered; loose spare batteries should be asked about first. OneMall's prohibited items list names wet batteries and magnetic materials rather than lithium cells, so the carrier rules apply. Lenses, film bodies without batteries and accessories ship as ordinary goods.

• Lenses, film bodies, tripods, bags — ship normally
• Digital bodies with battery installed — carrier rules; methods may be limited
• Spare lithium batteries — ask first

OneMall's prohibited items list for shipments from Japan →

How much does shipping a camera or lens from Japan cost?

Lenses are dense and heavy and bodies are boxed, so both are moderate parcels priced on weight. At order time you pay the yen price, OneMall's service fee, shown before you confirm, and the seller's domestic shipping if charged; when the item reaches our Japan warehouse you choose an international shipping method and pay for it. Cameras carry a declared value that customs will assess, so import duty or tax is likely to apply in countries that charge it. Consolidating a body and lenses from different sellers into one parcel costs less than separate shipments.

Estimate shipping with the OneMall calculator →

How do Japanese sellers title camera and lens listings?

Maker in katakana or Latin letters, model, and the optical condition phrase. Lens listings add the mount; film cameras add whether the seals were replaced.

• キヤノン / ニコン / ソニー / 富士フイルム / ペンタックス — makers
• Model + カビ・クモリなし — model with clear optics
• マウント / Eマウント / Fマウント — lens mount
• シャッター回数 / 実写確認済 — count / test shots
• フィルムカメラ / モルト交換済 — film camera / seals replaced