buying in japan

[ahab]

i think i will be in japan for a few days in the near future and am considering buying an r-d1 there. the cheapest i think i could get one for in the US is USD 2,800, but i've heard that with some fierce negotiatiing it may be possible to get one in tokyo for something closer to USD 2,200. of course, the tradeoff here is that i would not get a US warranty, which is an issue for a camera that has had some QC issues.

in addition to being intrested in hearing from anyone that has bought in japan, i have a question for current r-d1 owners about electrical compatability. the US runs on 120v/60hz while eastern japan runs on 100v/50Hz. i would assume that as a piece of digital equipment the r-d1 can handle both, probably through a built-in transformer in the power cord, but i don't know. can anyone give me some guidance on this?

 

[pab]

The R-D1 does not connect to mains electricity, instead you remove the battery to recharge. You should have no problem with this in the US or Japan.

I would not buy in Japan simply for the lack of US warranty. I made the mistake of buying a Bessa R3A at a seemingly very good price at Yodabashi Camera in Tokyo. On returning to the UK I found that the rangefinder was front focussing by a few inches and now I'm trying to send it back to Japan via Robert White in the UK. I've no idea if it will get fixed and how much it will cost. The saving just wasn't worth the hassle!

The R-D1 is an outstanding camera by the way, but only if the rangefinder is properly aligned!

 

[ahab]

thanks for the information.

 

[Phil_Hawkes]

I bought my R-D1 in Japan. My only issue so far has been the focus, which I have learnt to correct myself. The instruction manual was in Japanese, but you can find English translations on the web IIRC.

The battery charger for the R-D1 works with any voltage between 100-240V. I live in Australia (240 V) and I have had no problem with the charger when moving around different countries and different vlotages.

Phil

 

[Chaser]

www.calumetphoto.com has em for $2800 with us warranty