Leica pricing in Japan

[HuubL]

I've just returned from a trip through Japan. In Sendai and Sapporo I checked out a few stores selling film camera gear. Quickly spotted some prices on Leica stuff. M4s went from 150000¥ (almost $1800) for regular used chrome ones to 400000¥ for a black chrome. IIIg: 150000¥, IIIc: 80000¥, IIIf: 85000¥... In both stores there were a couple of prospective buyers being informed on classic cameras from last century's 50-80s. relatively cheap SLRs (10000-20000¥), but also RFs, and folders. They were young, 20-30 years old I guess. Japan doesn't seem to be a country where you can negotiate about prices. Are these prices for real? Do people really pay them?

 

[jonmanjiro]

Well, Sapporo and Sendai are not exactly the hubs (no pun intended 😉) for cheap gear. So to answer your question, no-one (well, almost no-one) buys at those prices. Did you check out any shops in Tokyo?

 

[johnnygulliver]

about 3/4 years ago when the Yen was low, in Tokyo I bought a cheap M6 (by London standards) and a couple of lenses, and was even thinking of buying a bp M3, which would have been hugely expensive in the UK. The exchange rate is very different now.

 

[HuubL]

Well, Sapporo and Sendai are not exactly the hubs (no pun intended 😉) for cheap gear. So to answer your question, no-one (well, almost no-one) buys at those prices. Did you check out any shops in Tokyo?

Unfortunately, no, we weren't in Tokio, just a trip through Northern Honshu and Hokkaido. Beautiful country though!
So would you consider pricing in Japan similar to that in the USA or Europe?

 

[maddoc]

I used to live in Sapporo for nearly seven years and always envied anybody in Tokyo because of the much cheaper M Leica stuff and the many shops here ...

 

[nandemofoto]

Well, I still live in Sapporo and most of the time shop on line : )