M3 Bermuda Triangle equals Shintaro!

jaapv

jaapv

RFF Sponsoring Member.
Local time
8:13 AM
Joined
May 6, 2005
Messages
8,374
Location
Hellevoetsluis, Netherlands
View My Gallery
It has been eleven months now and now I am really P****d off! Last Februari I sent my excellent but scuffed M3 to Shintaro to be painted black, after a friendly e-mail exchange. I received an e-mail confirming the arrival of the camera, paid him 600$ and after that- nothing. Polite e-mails -nothing. Friendly picture post-card - nothing. Angry email-nothing. So I presume he either destroyed the camera, lost the camera or sold the camera. Anyway I presume it is a writeoff for me. Considering international lawyers fees and the Japanese law system it is a waste even trying to recover the 1000 Euro or so I am out of. So if you want to deal with this guy: Beware, beware.
 
...along with reputation of being good, also slow

...along with reputation of being good, also slow

I researched Shintaro a while ago, as I got into a real urge to repaint some cameras. Along with his reputation of being good, it was also that he was very slow, up to more than a year long to repaint.

During that research, I also discovered that it isn't that hard to do yourself, but it takes quite a bit of skill and preparation.

Sorry to hear of your troubles.

Have you asked him to simply return the camera, not painted?

Vick
 
Thanks- It is not so much the delay I mind, not at all. It is just that he does not have the common courtesy to reply to an e-mail - and I don't push him, over the year I have sent three mails or so- not to mention sending a short mail like < projected finishing time for your camera will be 18 months> - That would have been fine as well. In actual fact he does not even bother to hit the receipt button on my e-mails.
 
Hello; I was curious what his response were like before you sent your camera and paid the money to Shintaro. I'd be very cautious if he had changed his attitude after receiving the camera and money from you. Have you had his number when ordering his service in advance? I find his website advertising his leica repaint service; though not successful finding his telephone #. I can call him and see what's up if I have his number. But if he were such a jerk, it is possible that he intentionally doesn't give his number anywhere to avoid such a risk to receive angry phoe calls from his customers.
 
No- he did not change his attitude- he simply went silent. I don''t have his number, but I'll do some research. I would be very thankful if any Japanese speaker would be able to contact him.
 
jaapv said:
No- he did not change his attitude- he simply went silent. I don''t have his number, but I'll do some research. I would be very thankful if any Japanese speaker would be able to contact him.
Click to expand...

Write to Tom Abrahamsson...

He have a link to Shintaro, and T.A. have a few cameras painted by him, this might be a start.

On a lighter side, maybe you can go to Holland's Japanese Embassy? Just walk-in and said you are reporting an international fraud conducted on the internet etc?
 
Shintaro is no theif, but I've heard he takes a VERY long time to finish things and his customer service is bascially non-existant. I haven't seen his work in person but everyone who has a shintaro painted camera seems to think very highly of his work. In fact I saw a ebay auction labeled "Shintaro Black Paint Nikon S" and that thing went for over $1000 because it was so nice. I'm fluent in Japanese and whenever I write a letter in Japanese it takes me a VERY long time to do so (no, I'm not going to call on your behalf, sorry). Imagine if I wasn't fluent in a language, how long it would take to communicate something...

Even though it's been almost a year, I would give the guy the benefit of the doubt and some more time to finish the job. Either that, or try composing a coherant letter in Japanese and see how long that takes you.
 
That guy should probably have a disclaimer like Dave Parker (I think thats the right name) has over on his satinsnow.com site. cheap ground glass but very well made, however takes over 3 months before you'd receive it. He at least mentions this on the site that it may take several months even during the busy seasons. Custom work takes time it would seem especially if its good custom work.
 
Lonely Driver said:
Even though it's been almost a year, I would give the guy the benefit of the doubt and some more time to finish the job. Either that, or try composing a coherant letter in Japanese and see how long that takes you.
Click to expand...

Yeah right! Is that's how the japanese history and system became succesful? By taking months to write simple letters? I can't imagine their schools, then. Taking someone 50 years to finish 6th grade?

I'm gonna answer your question: Someone fluent in japanese will compose a simple few-line letter in 60 seconds or less.

Now, that shintaro guy, if he has the sense of taking 600$ up front, then he has to have sense to reply. At least just write saionara. Geez! Your common sense is freaking me out!
 
NB23 said:
Yeah right! Is that's how the japanese history and system became succesful? By taking months to write simple letters? I can't imagine their schools, then. Taking someone 50 years to finish 6th grade?

I'm gonna answer your question: Someone fluent in japanese will compose a simple few-line letter in 60 seconds or less.

Now, that shintaro guy, if he has the sense of taking 600$ up front, then he has to have sense to reply. At least just write saionara. Geez! Your common sense is freaking me out!
Click to expand...

It's saiyonara.
 
Shintaro painted my M4, which is on the camera & coffee spread somewhere. He told me it would be several months. I bribed him with a book, and got it back after about 16 weeks. I counted myself lucky.

I feel your pain, but SHintaro is known to be the premier repainting artist, and one has to wait, just as Pope Julius had to wait for Michelangelo to finish that damn ceiling. There are refinishers who are known to be more reliable, Peter at CRR for instance, but it won't add a premium to your camera, as will a SHintaro job. I think you're fully entitled to research some Japanese swear words, but I feel you'll get your camera in the end...
 
Problems with Shintaro very unusual

Problems with Shintaro very unusual

I know Shintaro, I met him in Tokyo. He is a great guy and an absolutely knock out classic camera re-painting artist. The paint jobs he did for me are as good as, or better, than the factory paint jobs of the same period -- on classic Leica, Nikon, and Canon rangefinders.

Yes, he does take a long time. That is true.

I have no idea what is happening in this instance, but I do believe eventually the problems will be ironed out and you will get back a beautifully painted camera.

Stephen
 
jaapv said:
I have his his telephone number. If anybody speaking Japanese would please contact him on my behalf I would be grateful.
Click to expand...

Hello again;
I saw Shintaro's website again and he says that he's a professional photographer and that that was the reason why originally he wanted black painted Leicas. I don't know what sort of photographer he is, but his schedule can be as erratic as one can imagine, and I think that is the main reason why his work is so renowned as slow.
However, You can still PM me his number and I'll call him if that clears out your doubts. Even though I 'll try several times both day and night, weekdays and weekend, I cannot guarantee any success if I can get any response from him. Please don't worry about tolls; I live in Japan and telephone tolls cost nothing to me. Also, I don't ask anything for return.
I'm bit interested in this matter since I already have another people painted one of my Leica M2s black. I think they only do business for the Japanese market. Some of their employees were ex-nikon line workers; their shop was very close to one of nikon's original locations (Oimachi, Tokyo), and I was told the paint used for their job was the same one as for the nikon FMs.
The severely dented M2 was returned nicely straightened out without using any fillers, and the satin finish black enamel pait was more masterfully finished than the factory original black Leica MP I had then (no dusts underneath and evenly applied paint unlike the MP of that early batch).
Ironically afterwords, I started to dislike the newly painted M2 and finally sold it online for a good price. It turned out too clean and gave almost plasticky impresson to me.
 
News from Shintaro

News from Shintaro

I forwarded the thread to Tom and Tuulikki Abrahamsson of Rapidwinder fame. They are best friends with Shintaro and managed to contact him. This is the reply:

"Hi Tom & Tuulikki,

Happy new year!

Thank you for important message.

I am holding some of cameras.
I think one of early M3 is his camera.

I think his mail were blocked.

I am tring to find imformations about him now.

His camera is almost done.

I will ship it to him end of this month.

Regards

Shintaro"



Stephen
 
CameraQuest said:
I forwarded the thread to Tom and Tuulikki Abrahamsson of Rapidwinder fame. They are best friends with Shintaro and managed to contact him. This is the reply:

"Hi Tom & Tuulikki,

Happy new year!

Thank you for important message.

I am holding some of cameras.
I think one of early M3 is his camera.

I think his mail were blocked.

I am tring to find imformations about him now.

His camera is almost done.

I will ship it to him end of this month.

Regards

Shintaro"



Stephen
Click to expand...


Translation: he hasn't started on it yet, but will try to find it and paint it now due to bad P.R.
 
I sent him a friendly email after reading about his painting here. Never received an answer. That was the end of it for me. Not sending my camera into that black hole.

/Ira
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom