thursday 1 Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 availability. When the 24-70 came out all the lens otakus scrambled creating a waiting list several months long. Nikon couldn't make them quick enough. When a shipment arrived and some scumbag got hold of one, it'll appear on eBay for double the shop price. I got mine a year after its launch. Some discontinued lens are also sought after because of rarity. The older lenses were invariably better built with better materials. These days anything made outside of Japan is thought to be inferior. True or not, that's the perception. The top end lenses from Nikkor are only made in Japan. Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 Thats interesting. Does the "better build with better materials" translate into better quality pictures? Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 definitely Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 So muika probably best to keep his mits on that lovely 12-24 then? Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 really pick up a lense these days and just feel the plastic everything everywhere. An old one with a metal barel feels so much more robust and the movement is so smooth. Link to post Share on other sites
scouser 4 Posted June 12, 2009 Share Posted June 12, 2009 They do look very cool do those lenses. Perhaps I will get a decent camera someday soon. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted June 12, 2009 Share Posted June 12, 2009 I have an airtight cabinet to store the lenses and cameras. Others use a dehumidifier to keep the moisture low and hence avoid mould. A bit of TLC to keep the stuff healthy. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted June 12, 2009 Author Share Posted June 12, 2009 Well I can't see a reason to get rid of 12-24, it sure gives me wide enough and it takes great images. I have retired from the tempted zone. Also got a cabinet for the camera, lenses and vidcam. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted June 12, 2009 Share Posted June 12, 2009 It may sound nuts but it is perfectly normal to get the gear out occasionally for a good wipe down/fondle. No, really, it is. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 Rubbish weather this weekend everywhere I wanted to go, so went and found a tripod to add to my equipment. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 On the subject of tripods, it was interesting to see the huge range of what they had. Some were 2000 yen (and obviously cheap and nasty). Then there were the ones that were around 80000 yen. I didn't want to spend a huge amount on this, went with one that was on offer and looked pretty sturdy. Anyone got a monopod? They look funky. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 nope. Got plenty of crappy tripods that they give you for a camera purchase. The heavier ones are better. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 Put this in the bank thread but thought I'd mention it here. Sigma 150-500mm - online 89000 yen - shop 125000 yen Nikkor 400mm - online 150000 yen - shop 220000 yen Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 were they expecting a haggle at the shop by any chance? Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 the 400 looks like a good price. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 Possibly but it's a laughable starting price! 400 is a relatively good price online, pity it needs a new version. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 If you go to Yodobashi or Bic, and you mess around with the lense, then ask the salesman for the best price, they do a bit of calculator tapping and come up with several thousand yen off. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted June 15, 2009 Author Share Posted June 15, 2009 I'm well aware of that thursday and have done it myself when buying things in a shop (getting rarer these days!) But lets say they take off a whopping 2man which they probably won't. That still makes the lens 200000 yen which is 5 man more than what you can get online. That still sounds like a rubbish deal to me. Link to post Share on other sites
NoFakie 45 Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 Judging from what people write on the notice boards at kakaku.com, the cheapest prices for common electricals seem to be through a combination of haggling at certain shops on certain days and getting points on that shop's point card. I only ever skim read them in the conbeni or on the rare occasions I get my hair cut, but the "new stuff" magazines generally say the same thing. You don't have to pay delivery, bank charges, or extra for a cc either. For folk in inaka, online is easiest though. Link to post Share on other sites
joshnii 2 Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 I was in Yamada yesterday 'haggling'. Points are good but lots of 'cash deals' don't get the points. They are bringing the price down instead of the points. Of course this is going to be to some extent case by case, but in my experience the big shops can often not match what you can find on places like kakaku (even with those relatively insignificant pay delivery/bank charges). I'm sure professional price hunters can get better deals, but I need to get on with my life rather than spend days and days trying to save relatively small amounts. Link to post Share on other sites
69 5 Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 Often wonder what they are punching into their calcs there. They seem to have purpose, I just don't know what it is. Link to post Share on other sites
miller 1 Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 Got some great lenses there. I am jealous. I'd really like the wide. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 I have a friend who used to work in Yamada. He said he used to have to go away and get "the bottom price" from his boss. Said it was getting quite annoying with all the people turning up with printouts from amazon and kakaku etc. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 couldn't he just pick up the phone? Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 Gonna go look at some lenses today. Not in a buying mood, just a looking mood. Link to post Share on other sites
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