buying gear from Japan

[hatidua]

I'm not sure if this is the correct forum for this question and apologize if it is not. That said, I'm wondering if some folks here that know more about radiation than I do can comment on the danger, if any, of ordering a lens from Japan now that there are radiation concerns stemming from their nuclear plant falling apart post-tsunami?

I'd simply call up B&H and order the lens in question but Mamiya equipment in the U.S. is significantly more costly than it is in some other countries.

Any input would be appreciated 🙂

 

[gavinlg]

Here's a link to MIT's nuclear information blog - please read:
http://mitnse.com/

And I quote from the latest update:
"Radiation dose at the west gate of the Fukushima Daiichi was 83 millirem per hour on March 18 at 7:10 p.m. EDT and dropped to 36 millirem per hour by 8 p.m. EDT, Edano said. Radiation levels have decreased since March 16. Although they are higher than normal, radiation levels near the reactors are within the range that allows workers to continue on-site recovery measures, the International Atomic Energy Agency said.

According to the IAEA, radiation dose rates in Tokyo and other areas outside the 30-kilometer zone remain far below levels which would require any protective action by the public."

"Radiation levels have increased above the federal government’s level in some food products from the Fukushima Prefecture and nearby areas. These levels were detected in samples of milk in Fukushima Prefecture and six samples of spinach in neighboring Ibaraki Prefecture, according to the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum. Edano said that if these products are consumed for a year, the total radiation dose would be equivalent to one CT scan."

So basically considering that consuming produce directly from from the Fukushima area for a year will be equivalent to one CT scan, which are done every day in hospitals, I think you'll be fine getting a lens from Tokyo, which lies about 200km away from Fukushima and is getting negligible radiation readings.

 

[hatidua]

Thank you, I appreciate the info. I've been trying to gather what I can via Google but haven't come up with as good a link as you had.

The lens in question is $1,800 in the U.S. or $700 in Tokyo, hence my desire to source it from Japan.

 

[FrankS]

Happy that you were able to obtain the information you were looking for.