Where to buy Mamiya 7ii

<p>Hello all,</p>

<p>I think I am going to go ahead and buy one of these Mamiya 7ii's. I was wondering if any of you guys knew some websites or forums that sold it for cheap such as Rangefinder.com and GetDPI.com? I've looked on ebay but it's a bit too expensive compared to some prices I have seen.</p>

<p>Thank you,</p>

<p>pedro</p>

<p>You can more often than not get yourself into trouble when you buy camera equipment with price as your main target. Keep searching for the lowest price, and sooner or later you will find it somewhere, and typically it will be a rip off that will end up costing you more money in the long run and / or supplying you with inferior product. The Mamiya 7ii is plain and simple an EXPENSIVE camera. If you want to play in this field, you just have to bite the bullet and spend the money on a camera from a reputable seller. Sorry if that is not what you wanted to hear, but that is my sincerest best advice to you. GREAT camera by the way, I have often thought of buying one myself, but the big bucks for the body and lenses keep me away.</p>

<p>keh.com might be a possibility. they have a few. The cheapest body for a 7ii is $725, so I'm not sure if it is your range.</p>

<p>Five thoughts:</p>

<p>1) With all due respect, if you've seen some prices that are less than eBay, why not buy it from those places?</p>

<p>2) If anyone here posts a "secret source" for Mamiya 7 bargains, chances are that someone else here will snap them up!</p>

<p>3) Mamiya 7 and 7ii bodies have been selling lately on eBay for $550-630. I don't think you're going to do much better than that no matter where you buy.</p>

<p>4) Unless the 7ii has something you really need that the plain 7 does not, be open to buying a 7 (not 7ii). The 7ii often commands higher prices because it's (often marginally) newer than the 7, even when the particular 7ii may not be in as good of condition as the lower-priced 7 and may be only a year or two newer (e.g., 1999 vs. 1997). Fortunately, it's usually pretty easy to tell whether a particular 7/7ii has been abused, lightly/gently used, or just plain used an awful lot.</p>

<p>5) Buying Mamiya 7's can involve some juggling and reselling because sellers often don't list lenses and bodies separately. If you see a great price on a Mamiya 7 kit (i.e., a package with at least two pieces, body and/or lenses) that has something in it you don't want, quickly figure out how much you could dependably resell the undesired item for and if the math works, <strong>go for it.</strong></p>

<p>"5" can require spending more money up front but can be cheaper in the long run than waiting for your ideal components to come up listed individually. Just be SURE that you can resell the undesired components for the price you need to make the transactions sensible.</p>

<p>Why would anyone knowingly sell a camera for less than they tend to go for on eBay? Why would anyone selling a moderately expensive camera not check to see how much they might get on the auction site, even if they then choose a different channel? Strikes me that you're looking to find someone that is either a bit dim, or who has a camera that may have a problem, or who will sell you a camera that you never get. If you buy a camera that needs a trip to the main repairer, you're going to wish you'd bought a more expensive one that works. <br>

If there were a supply source or channel thats cheaper, then buyers would move to it an prices would go up. Thats they way capitalism works. </p>

<p>I'm kind of inclined to the view expressed above that you can see approximately how much a Mamiya 7ii and lenses costs in today's market. If the camera is worth that much to you then buy one , if it isn't then don't. If I really wanted a camera, I'd be very preoccupied with getting a good example, dealing with honest people, getting a warranty or return clause. I wouldn't be letting myself get absorbed in tiny issues like how can I save $50 because there's bigger issues at stake.</p>

<p>David -- on some of the web forums people might sell lower than ebay since they just want to sell it to someone they know (from the forums), and they don't have to deal with ebay's fees or commissions. Or they might just want to sell it quickly. I agree with your general sentiment though -- going solely for the cheapest offer is not usually the best route. <br>

Pedro -- I think you have some of the right places -- the classifieds here, on GetDPI, Rangefinder Forum, Luminous Landscape, Fred Miranda and similar photo forums will probably get you the best deals along with Ebay. If you speak Japanese or have a friend who does, you might try to investigate the camera stores or classifieds there -- the Mamiya cameras were always much cheaper there than in the US where MAC pegged the prices much higher. But be aware that if you buy a non-US mamiya camera, I do not believe you can get it serviced by Mamiya in the US. Best to double check on that. The page is in Japanese, but Map Camera in Tokyo has a very large selection of used and new gear, and in my experience they are quite comfortable dealing with foreign customers (in person anyway): http://www.mapcamera.com/ <br>

You might also talk to Price Japan, they are a company that specializes in selling Japan only electronics to the rest of the world. I bought a pair of electrostatic headphones from them and can recommend them. They would probably be happy to buy a used Mamiya 7II for you if you asked them...they have a standard commission for this sort of thing. http://www.pricejapan.com/front/e_main_page.php</p>

<p>Thank you for all the replies.<br>

I agree that would rather pay more and be 100% sure I would get the camera than get ripped off hard by a sketchy dealer. <br>

Ralph - I have considered buying a 7 versus the 7ii, it is significantly cheaper and I could spend more money on lenses. I don't really ever use double exposures, and well I'm 20 years old so I think even if the 7ii has an improved viewfinder my eyesight is good enough for the 7 :D</p>

<p>I agree with Stuart: there are numerous online communities where one can often buy gear for less than it goes for on eBay (in the same condition, I mean).</p>

<p>Also, compared to eBay there's usually more honesty about an item's condition in those communities, and better photos of the items.</p>

<p>Best of all, the gear sold in those communities often comes with far more accountability than on eBay. In the online communities the equipment is often being sold by long-time, respected members of those communities who care about their reputations among their 'virtual' neighbors with whom they spend a lot of their time.</p>

<p>Pedro,<br>

I've bought a ton of used equipment. Literally--2000 pounds.<br>

The best place to buy a used camera is Keh or another broker where you have return privileges. You have 15 days from sale date to play around with it and make sure it works. You will probably not have this from an ebay or other private seller. Keh is conservative in their rating; what is bargain for them may be "excellent" condition to a private seller. Also, they have a 60-day warranty if something goes wrong after the sale. There are lots of things you can safely buy on ebay, but these are surprisingly complex cameras. Spend a little more for the peace of mind (used prices for these cameras is a fraction of their (ridiculous) new price anyway. On ebay, either you get into a bidding war, or you pay a high Buy-it-Now price. If you are considering a camera like this, you are a serious photographer--don't skimp to save a few bucks. Don't simply buy it from the cheapest possible source. It's not a commodity.<br>

Scott</p>

<p>I just sold a complete 7II system on rangefinderforum.com, and it was also advertised here on PN. I find the boards and user groups to be a much better source of good used equipment from people who are reputable than I can usually find on ebay (although I've experienced notable exceptions). My system was lightly used, and the buyer got a great deal. I recently saw another 7II system on one of the boards (PN, FM, or RFF) that was an even better deal. Patience may be required, but the good equipment and fair deals are out there. KEH is good, but their prices are generally a bit higher than what you get from a private seller, and their ratings are based primarily on an external examination of the equipment. You can usually get a better idea of the condition of the equipment by dealing directly from an individual seller. [Having said that, I just bought 3 medium format lenses from KEH this morning. Two of the lenses are hard to find, and the third lens was being sold for about what it goes for from private sellers.]</p>

<p>I went ahead and bought one on rangefinderforum.com and got an insanely good deal. Should be coming within the next few days!</p>