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What’s Hot In The Tokyo Used Camera Biz?
Classic Imports Command Top Dollar
By S. "Fritz" Takeda • September, 2004
Over 50 percent of the Leicas
ever produced exist in Japan, says one photojournalist. While this seems
to be a bold statement, it seems to be true, at least when you look
at show windows of used camera stores in Tokyo. What do you see? There
are Leicas, Leicas, and more Leicas. But they, of course, are not the
only cameras that are being sold. You’ll also see a fair sampling
of Contax, Rollei, Voigtländer (of genuine German species), Agfa,
Ikonta, and Exakta cameras, as well as those of higher price echelons
such as Hassselblad, Contarex, Sinar, and Linhof. Indeed, those who
would come to Tokyo to see used camera stores would be amazed by the
variety of brands that they could find.
To the majority of used camera enthusiasts in Japan, a “classic,”
or an ideal used camera, must be one that was made in Germany, or at
least somewhere in Europe or the US. Mass-produced Japanese cameras,
sometimes called “Nicanolympaxes,” are too ubiquitous, too
commonplace, and hence lack that important halo of exclusivity. A “classic”
camera is what today’s buyer and collector used to passionately
gaze at through gleaming shop windows when they were younger and poorer.
Now they see these classics as something they can afford and own. But
getting that dreamed-of classic should not be something easy. Instead,
it must be a target they can achieve with only a due amount of aspiration
and strain. It cannot be anything less than something imported and expensive,
which provides the owner with the joy of possession.
If this observation is valid it might provoke a legitimate question:
Where do the millions of mass-produced, used Japanese contemporary cameras
go? Most if not all are bought by buyers from the US as well as European
and Asian countries at used camera fairs held at least four times a
year in Tokyo. It seems that those Japanese cameras go home with foreign
buyers who want to satisfy the need of the users there for the imported
cameras from Japan, which are now known for their quality.
Despite the very swift transition to a digital system in the realm of
new photographic equipment, the world of the used or “classic”
cameras, at least here in Tokyo, still remains quiet and unaffected.
Although used digital cameras appear occasionally in stores, they are
bought for utilitarian reasons, and not as collectibles or user classics.
When and if silver halide photography becomes obsolete in the practical
world, it will continue to live in the world of classic cameras.
What are the top sellers among the used cameras in Tokyo these days,
and what are their approximate prices? The following report is based
on interviews at five of the most famous used camera stores in Tokyo.
One note about the prices. The used cameras at reputable stores in Tokyo
(and the rest of Japan) are usually sold with six months warranty for
free repair service.
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KATSUMIDO
at Ginza is the biggest used camera shop in Tokyo, specializing in rare
items in mint condition. KATSUMIDO is known as the most expensive and
the most quality-intensive used camera boutique in Tokyo. In the central
oblong showcase of the store, the best and the rarest cameras that one
can find in Tokyo are always displayed, inviting the eyes of the lovers
of the real classical masterpieces. But looking at the price tags would
convince the visiting guests that this is the place for the selected few.
The business is not as vibrant as it once used to be, perhaps because
of the slow recovery from the depression that Japan has been undergoing,
according to Mr. Usami, the store manager. He tells us that the best-selling
items now are:
• Current prices in dollars as of press time.
Leica M3 of 700xxx series in mint condition: $2600-$2800
Leica M4: $1300
Leica M6: $1100
Contax IIa with 50mm f/1.5: $1100
Hasselblad 503CX with 80mm f/2.8: $1700-$1800
Rolleiflex with Xenotar 80mm f/2.8: $3700
Rolleicord: $590
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SUKIYA CAMERA at
Ginza is one of the oldest used camera shops in Tokyo, specializing primarily
in Leica. SUKIYA CAMERA used to be the landmark at Ginza, the Tokyo counterpart
of 5th Avenue, when it was at the ground floor. Stage actors, novelists,
and other celebrities were among their important Leicaphile clientele.
Now since it has moved up to the 8th floor of the same building,many camera
enthusiasts lost their rendezvous spot. Mr. Wolschke, a senior sales representative,
says that the best-selling items now are:
Leica M2, M3, and M4 in black paint: $2800-$9000, depending upon the condition
Contarex Super Ex++ with 50mm f/2: $1800-$1900
Contax IIa and IIIa Ex++ with 50mm f/2: $900
Nikon SP black Ex++: $9000
Nikon SP chrome Ex++: $3800
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SANKYO CAMERA at
Ginza is one of the best known used camera shops in Tokyo. Mr. Yonei,
a senior sales representative, says that the best sellers now are:
Leica MP in mint condition: $2000-$2500
Leica M4 black in mint condition: $6000
Hasselblad 503CM with 80mm f/2.8 in mint condition: $4000
Rolleiflex with f/2.8 and f/3.5 Planars Ex++: $450-$850
Wide angle lenses for Contarex, Leica M and R, as well as for Hasselblad,
in various conditions and prices, are selling well, according to Mr. Yonei.
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HAYATA CAMERA
at Asakusa is the key used camera shop located in the heart of the old
part of the city of Tokyo. Mr. Hayata, the owner, says that the Baby Rollei
is a very good seller to young girls, who love this camera because it
is “cute,” and to whom the appearance of the TLR seems to
appeal as the “camera of the grandpa.” He sells 127 film for
Baby Rolleis made in Germany by Hans O. Mahn & Co. KG with the brand
name Macochrome for color reversal and Macophot for black and white. Mr.
Hayata is also known as a good repairman. He recently repaired three Ektras
with several spare magazines for His Excellency Mr. Howard H. Baker, the
US Ambassador to Japan. The reason why he did this job for Mr. Baker is
that the president of Kodak Japan had recommended Mr. Hayata as the only
party with whom Ektra could be entrusted. Among these three Ektras, one
was Ektra Model II. A Dr. Nishizawa in Osaka, a collector who is believed
to have some 3000 cameras, including Leica H and Contax VK 21, has an
Ektra II. If, as reported, there exist only six units of the Ektra Model
II in the world, two of them are now in Japan. According to Mr. Hayata,
the best-selling items now are:
Rolleiflex in Ex++ condition with f/3.5 or f/2.8: $900
Rolleicord in Ex++ condition: $250
Voigtländer Superb in Ex++: $900
Baby Rolleiflex: $550-$600
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AKASAKA CAMERA
in Akasaka is the only used camera shop at an uptown location in Tokyo.
Mr. Kawagoe, the president, observes that there is a trend among the younger
segment to move away from imported cameras and buy Nikon F3-F5 at $500
and up, or Canon EOS 55 at $200-$280. Younger users, he adds, tend to
ignore the obvious fact that used cameras do not maintain the same performance
level as when they left the factory. He is worried that this thinking
could result in a far less tolerant attitude toward used cameras than
what common sense would dictate. Mr. Kawagoe says that the best-selling
items now are:
Leica wide angle lenses: Elmar 35mm screwmount; Summaron 28mm screwmount;
and Summaron 35mm in screw and bayonet mount. These come in various conditions
at prices over $420.
Summilux 35mm f/1.4 Ex++ in bayonet mount: $2100 and up
Summicron 35mm f/2 Ex++ in various versions in bayonet mount: $1200 and
up
Contax IIa with 50mm f/1.5: $1100
Contarex Super with 50mm f/2: $2500
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