buy a camera in Tokyo?
 

I'm going to be in Japan in January. Would it be better (cheaper) to buy a digital camera there, or get in over the web before I travel? Would a camera in Japan have English menus and a US warranty?

It would not be cheaper. It most likely would not have a English menu, and would not have a US warranty. The US distributor <b>may</b> honor an international warranty, but may be not.

The only reason to buy a camera in Japan is to get the most advanced and newest model, which is not for sale here in the US yet (and some will never be sold here).

I wouldn't recommend buying in Japan if you don't live in Japan.

Domestic Japan models may be newer and have some features that export models don't have yet. They do have English menu function. They do not have English instruction books most of the time, though some are available for the same/similar export model if you ask. The price varies widely shop to shop, so you may or may not get a good deal...it takes time and research to price things, which tourists generally don't have to spare.

International models are not generally a good deal moneywise, as they are priced for duty free shoppers/tourists. They will have mulitlingual manuals and menus. They will have international warranty...but it's my understanding that you are limited as to where you can actually get service should you need it. Check the warranty information carefully, as each manufacturer is different. The international models will not likely be much different than you can get in the US.

You could price what you like at home then see if it's cheaper here.

You also might want to consider that if you get a new camera during your trip, your photos might not be as great as you like...you'll need some time to get used to your new camera to get the best results. The new cameras have loads of functions that are useful...but time is needed to learn to use them.

I agree. Price differentials would be minimum (given the dollar weakness) and most domestic models come with Japan-only warranty. English instruction is quite easy to get - either from dealers or downloaded from websites, and almost all cameras can be switched to English displays. I'd buy the best web offer in US.

If you are flying JAL you might notice the pilots getting oon the planes with electronics in the US.

Just did this. We were in Tokyo in October and compared prices online in the US with those in Japan. Much better in US. Of course we then left our camera on the train on the way to the airport in Tokyo and had to buy one in Bangkok (WAY more expensive)!!

We were in japan in october at the time we were getting 109yen per USD but I was actually surprised to see some good deals in akiharbara (tokyo electronics district)- I bought a memory card (512mb CF) for 35,000 yen , which I thought was pretty cheap. I don't think I would PLAN to buy a camera there - but there is alot of stuff to look at. I thought the prices were at many times comparable to US internet sites, some stores are duty free also. Many cameras are international warranty - but serveral stores were advertising 'US WARRANTY' - not sure how they could do that. there are so many stores (with many levels) that is is diffiult to sort out what is a good deal and what works for you - fo this reason I would buy in the US, but look for accessories, memory, etc in Tokyo. I noticed on memory chips prices varied DRAMICALLY from store to store (as much as 100%!)

If you need SLR lenses we found many camera stores (including the NIKON store in Ginza ) that had pretty good prices on USED lenses and lots of selection - But new lenses were Higher priced than US

oops sorry
bought a memory card (512mb CF) for 3,500 yen