*loach*s Photo Diary

[djr81]

You don't necessarily need an SLR. But generally speaking the bigger the sensor in the camera the better the image (All else being equal). There are the compact SLR's and the full size. The full size are $'s (Say a Canon 6D or a 5D Mk 111) but the compacts are reasonable money. Below that is the high end pro am sort of stuff.

For what it is worth I have had all three and unsurprisingly the more you spend the better the images you end up with but you can get good shots with the compacts

This is a high-ish end compact:

http://www.georges.com.au/index.php/digital-cameras-australia/canon-cameras-australia/canon-powershot-sx50-hs-digital-camera.html

Low end compact SLR's can be had for $500 but you need the lenses to go with. Then the 6D starts at $1600 in Oz which is a pretty good price for that size but the lenses are really expensive.

The SLR's wins big when the light is poor or the auto focus needs to work quickly or you want aperture - they are better everywhere but they are a lot better when conditions aren't quite right. Which is all pretty obvious. Best accessory to my mind is a circular polarising filter.

Downside is that SLR's are a balls ache to cart around everywhere.

Anyway the reason for me posting is really to ask where would you buy camera stuff in Japan and how cheap is it compared to, say Hong Kong. I read something about a sales tax rise?

Edited August 22, 2014 by djr81

[*LOACH*]

Thanks djr81. The poor light advantages of a DSLR are the main reason I want one as I have missed many good photo opportunities/ended up with poor quality photos because of my current camera (especially on the streets of Tokyo at night, for example the two AE86 Initial D replicas that were parked and then driving past me on the way home last week). Nevertheless I would rather the 500 dollars spent their time amongst others of their ilk in my bank account until I buy a house/unit in Japan. Thanks again for the advice though and it will be of great help when I do finally get one.

I don't think buying camera gear in Japan is cheaper than Australia let alone Hong Kong. My sister and I looked for a Sigma Macro lens (for a DSLR) for a few days in Tokyo, Yokohama and Kawasaki (this was after the consumption tax rise). She ended up buying the lens from an online store as it was cheaper and she wouldn't have the same hassles/costs if she had to make a warranty claim back in Australia. There may be cheaper shops that I don't know of in Japan but I don't think they would be much cheaper. We did find quite a price disparity with the shops we did visit, even at different shops from the same chain.

Edited August 22, 2014 by *LOACH*

[djr81]

Cheers man. Sounds like Hong Kong then for camera gear.

[*LOACH*]

No worries mate and good luck with buying in Hong Kong.

[GH05T]

i went looking to buy when i was in japan, although the prices were maby a little bit cheaper you could not get anything with english os or buttons, so i was shit out of luck.

[djr81]

Well that is not so much of a problem for lenses but for camera it would be a right pain.

Random question: Where would you get a Coca Cola Red Sparks Nick Cummins aka The Honey Badger jersey from?

[*LOACH*]

You can buy Red Sparks jerseys from Rakuten - http://search.rakuten.co.jp/search/mall/%E3%82%B3%E3%82%AB%E3%83%BB%E3%82%B3%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A9%E3%82%A6%E3%82%A8%E3%82%B9%E3%83%88%E3%83%AC%E3%83%83%E3%83%89%E3%82%B9%E3%83%91%E3%83%BC%E3%82%AF%E3%82%B9/%E3%82%B9%E3%83%9D%E3%83%BC%E3%83%84%E3%83%BB%E3%82%A2%E3%82%A6%E3%83%88%E3%83%89%E3%82%A2-101070/max.8899-p.1-s.1-sf.0-st.A-v.2?oid=018

[djr81]

Cheers man. Just out of interest in rugby big in Japan?

[*LOACH*]

No worries mate. Neither Rugby Union or League are big in Japan. I would guess that volleyball, baseball, soccer, golf, sumo and basketball are bigger than rugby.

[elrodeo666]

Sorry Roach but Rugby union is pretty bloody big in Japan and has been for awhile and getting bigger. Nowhere in the league of that skirt wearing fairy rounball game nor boring as batshit baseball but it has it's own national league, national tv broadcasts and a hell of a lot of international players at top level down through club level.

With world cup coming to Japan it will gain fair bit of interest and a national side that's getting competitive (they used to get drilled on the scoreboard) and whole lot of big coin getting thrown into the top league,its definitely gaining a lot of popularity. Got lot's of friends who have been playing professional rugby in japan for years.

With camera gear, hit the big shops like Yodobashi , Bic camera for their display shop models as these can be dirt cheap . Used yes for customers to test but always serviced before being sold.

Also there's a lot of good bargains on Yahoo. Picked up quite a bit of Pro level gear for buckleys. Always check that gear has been serviced in last 12 months and ask how lenses are stored.

Cheapest gear I've found has been in Korea in Seoul. There's an area that has bucket load of used/new camera gear and you can drive a good bargain. Hlped having the misso who is Korean tightarse but walked away with some great gear at very good prices.

[niZmO_Man]

IIRC, [rugby league/NRL] Sonny Bill Williams left the Bulldogs a few years ago to play in Japan.

[*LOACH*]

Marcus, it's highly likely that if you have spent most of your recent time in Japan hanging around with Aussie ex-pats and tourists in Hokkaido that you are going to think Rugby is big in Japan. However, if you ask the average Japanese person on the street to tell you the name of a player in one of the sports I listed they will more than likely be able to rattle off names like Ichiro, Hakuho, Kimura, Honda, Ishikawa or even foreigners like Jordan, Bekham etc etc. Try asking the average Japanese person on the street to name a rugby player. In the almost 3 years I spent working at a 600 student Junior high school (12 – 15 year olds) I never once saw a kid with a rugby ball. Whereas other team sports such as volleyball, basketball, soccer, handball, baseball etc were practiced both in PE class and also had school teams which practiced several times a week. Heck, I have seen several people at different times and cities carrying Lacrosse gear and wouldn't be surprised if that was considered more popular than rugby. As far as TV coverage goes only the big rugby games (ie the occassional international match) are shown on terrestial TV whereas league games would be on pay TV. Compare that to the sports I listed. In addition Japan's national league for rugby is semi professional not full professional. There are the occasional highly paid international players bought in to try and raise interest in the sport but there are many more players in the top level of rugby in Japan who are working other jobs to make ends meet or work part time in an office for the company team they are a member of. Please list the names of the "lot's of friends who have been playing professional rugby in japan for years". People in Japan will take an interest in rugby when the world cup is on, just as they did when the soccer world cup was on, with even most housewives and kids taking an interest. I don't see that interest being maintained though as there just isn't the infrastructure to support grass roots involvement in rugby. I practiced Aussie rules with Nagoya's (4th or 5th largest city in Japan) only team. They almost always practice on gravel fields due to the lack of availability of appropriately sized grass fields. Gravel fields are acceptable for baseball, handball, soccer etc but good luck with trying to play rugby on it.

As far as camera gear goes I did visit Yodabashi and Bic camera in Tokyo, Kawasaki and Yokohama. As I stated the price was cheaper online. Have you visited these shops since the consumption tax increase earlier this year? Plus you have the warranty and language hassles associated with buying in Japan.

Edited August 27, 2014 by *LOACH*

[darksky34]

Hey Loach, I assume you would have already done this but have you looked around in the basement/upstairs kind of stores in Akihabara? I remember when I was there it was a goldmine of technological treasures. Evidently you'll know much more than me, but I haven't seen anyone mention Aki yet so thought I'd chuck it out there (well I only read this page).

[GH05T]

Bic Camera in shinjuku was fun. 8 or 9 flors of latest tech stuff. huge TVs and cameras and computers and just heaps of stuff to browse, but the best part was you can use and play with anythig. especially cameras, just picking up cameras and lenzes and havin a play.

[darksky34]

u 'avin a fiddle mate?

[*LOACH*]

Hey Loach, I assume you would have already done this but have you looked around in the basement/upstairs kind of stores in Akihabara? I remember when I was there it was a goldmine of technological treasures. Evidently you'll know much more than me, but I haven't seen anyone mention Aki yet so thought I'd chuck it out there (well I only read this page).

I have been to Akihabara countless times but there are still plenty of basement/upstairs stores that I would have missed and you may have been to. The robot store is pretty cool as is the store that sells fossils, replica weapons and has a 3D printer in operation. I went to Akihabara with my sister looking for camera gear there too but again it was cheaper online. I don't have many photos of Akihabara because the cosplay girls and some of the shops don't allow it. My next mission is to hire the road legal go karts and go for a cruise...

[GH05T]

some shops...
http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.timeout.jp%2Fen%2Ftokyo%2Fvenue%2F9921%2FMs-Pop-Life-sex-department-store&ei=5HIGVO-TN4K8uASRgILIDQ&usg=AFQjCNFyLMMS4YkM6nMhwwapD7gaqIPpLw&bvm=bv.74115972,d.c2E

did visit

[darksky34]

LOL the road legal karts!!! Saw one zoom past, I had a WTF face for the next 5 mins

[*LOACH*]

A few photos I took this week.

[*LOACH*]

I have never been so happy to be in Ginza.

Edited January 2, 2015 by *LOACH*