mikemulcahy Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 I am looking to acquire a used F3HP. I have been shopping on ebay because there are a lot of them listed there. However, I notice there are quite a few for sale in Japan. Since I live in the US, I'm wondering if I'll have to deal with customs if I make a purchase there. Does anyone have experience with this kind of purchase? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy Vongries Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 I have bought from Japan quite a few times, excellent quality, Used Camera gear, no issue with customs. Use Pay Pal if you have it, but I've never had a problem. F3 one of my favorites! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chulster Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 I also have never had to pay an import duty. I think as long as the seller marks the goods as used, there will be no duty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vincent Peri Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 I've bought my share of Nikkor lenses from Japan, but I don't believe in buying cameras from there because there is so much more that can go wrong with a camera. I'm in the US too, and I really wouldn't want to fill out customs forms in order to return a camera to Japan. I bought most of my cameras from ebay, Usedphotopro.com, and KEH. Never had any problems returning the few defective cameras I've gotten to any of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCL Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 I'm in the US & have bought lots of camera gear for over 15 years from Japan and China. Customs duty on purchases isn't an issue, although it might be on returns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodeo_joe1 Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 but I don't believe in buying cameras from there because there is so much more that can go wrong with a camera. And paying inflated Ebay prices is a safer and better option? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vincent Peri Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 And paying inflated Ebay prices is a safer and better option? Well, I bought an excellent condition F3HP Titanium for $350... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeBu Lamar Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 I think there are more good condition used film cameras in Japan than in the US now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDMvW Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 I have bought a number of items directly from Japan on eBay. Like the others, no difficulty. Some models (like my Canon VL2) are hardly available in the US. Prices are competitive too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_jack1 Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 I've seen some nice hardly used F3 bodies from sellers from Japan on Ebay. I've purchased many camera bodies and lenses from Japan on Ebay and only had a problem once, but that was remedied very quickly. I love my F3 but have switched to the non FP finder because I like the view better and it makes the body smaller. Good luck with yours it's a great body. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orsetto Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 (edited) For whatever reason, many camera models that used to be plentiful and common in North America and Europe seem to have evaporated from those markets, leaving Japan as the exclusive source for any kind of decent selection. As others have said, buying from Japan is usually safe and doesn't involve import duties or delays. If anything, I receive orders from Japan faster than I do from California: most sellers use a form of Express Mail. This is great when you buy, but not so good if you need to return something: due to Congressional mismanagement, our USPS has international rates higher than any country in the known universe. You might pay $20 to have something express shipped from Japan to USA, but return shipping from USA to Japan for that same camera can easily run $60. So shop wisely and read descriptions carefully: you want to avoid any unpleasant surprises that would necessitate a costly return. I've found Japanese sellers to be very honest and scrupulous, but the language barrier sometimes causes unclear written listings (and photos don't always show common defects). The most common issue afflicting used Japanese gear is fungus: if present, this is usually visible in lens listing photos, and noted by a written checkbox or boilerplate listing phrase. But it can hide inside cameras, in places some sellers don't notice. In Nikon F-series bodies, it might turn up inside prism roofs: if the listing doesn't offer a clear photo of prism bottom glass showing internal condition, ask for it. If you see any fungal evidence like the white spiderwebbing inside the Nikon DP-11 prism below, skip that camera. Most Japan-sourced used F3 bodies will be totally fine, but it is best to confirm as many condition points as possible before purchase. Edited June 19, 2019 by orsetto 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennisbrown Posted June 21, 2019 Share Posted June 21, 2019 I've bought a number of camera bodies and lenses from dealers in Japan. The Japanese dealers tend to underrate their equipment. Their "good condition" translates roughly to Excellent-to-Mint. Their service is great, and in many instances they enclose a piece of origami and/or green tea. Nice touch. I believe the minimum amount on duty on used equipment is $800 here. However, I've spent more than that on occasion, and there's never been the first question by U.S. Customs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian1664876441 Posted June 23, 2019 Share Posted June 23, 2019 If the camera comes through the postal service you will not likely pay customs. The other international services- you could easily pay customs, maybe they get a cut of it. KEH is a good place to look for an F3HP, with return privilege and warranty. The worst problem I ever had was a meter marked INOP when I bought it. The meter worked perfectly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemulcahy Posted June 23, 2019 Author Share Posted June 23, 2019 Thanks for all your replies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donbright Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 I have no advice to your purpose here today, other than to pay homage to the F3 and how great of a camera it really is and to wish you luck finding a good copy and knowing your efforts will pay off greatly with this camera. The Nikon F3 must go down as one of the best cameras ever made. I bought mine new here in the US in 1984 for $424.00 it was my first camera in a life of Photography ever since. After one CLA I still use it. I love the feel of it and actually like the weight of it. A true hockey puck of a camera, Simple, ergonomic, no-nonsense, amazing viewfinder in the HP. The diopter choices online you'll find that they are interchangeable with the F-100. I'm using a +1.0 now. Best of luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glen_h Posted June 26, 2019 Share Posted June 26, 2019 Not counting anything in the last two years and five months, US import duties, if any apply, are very low. I don't know about Japan, but there are special postal rates from some countries that are less than US postage rates. I have bought things (mostly not photographic) from China for less than the US postage cost. (Specifically, less than $1.) -- glen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ-Suzanne Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 I've seen some nice hardly used F3 bodies from sellers from Japan on Ebay. I've purchased many camera bodies and lenses from Japan on Ebay and only had a problem once, but that was remedied very quickly. I love my F3 but have switched to the non FP finder because I like the view better and it makes the body smaller. Good luck with yours it's a great body. I too, prefer the non-HP finder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian1664876441 Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 If you wear eye-glasses, the HP finder offers better relief, and even with my thick glasses: no problem seeing the entire frame with the shutter speed, meter, and F-Stop windows. I picked up two F3HP bodies at the end of production, but my 1983 body just keeps going. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ-Suzanne Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 If you wear eye-glasses, the HP finder offers better relief, and even with my thick glasses: no problem seeing the entire frame with the shutter speed, meter, and F-Stop windows. I picked up two F3HP bodies at the end of production, but my 1983 body just keeps going. That makes sense. Eyeglass wearers love the HP finder. I have another F3 on the way. It has the HP finder on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeBu Lamar Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 [ATTACH=full]1307625[/ATTACH] I too, prefer the non-HP finder. I prefer the HP finder, AI lens and no soft release or eye cup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ-Suzanne Posted August 21, 2019 Share Posted August 21, 2019 I prefer the HP finder, AI lens and no soft release or eye cup. Makes sense. I AI’d my two pre-AI lenses. 35 O f/2 and the 105 f/2.5 lenses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glen_h Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 And paying inflated Ebay prices is a safer and better option? I have bought too many things on eBay, by not paying inflated prices. If it occurs often enough, bid low and you will eventually get one. (Or at least some of all the things that you bid low on.) It is only people in a rush that pay inflated prices. For cameras, most often I bid on ones from a nearby Goodwill store, where I can pick them up and avoid shipping charges. Also, rarely, I return them and avoid return shipping charges. Most recently, I bid $12 for seven older light meters. I don't have them yet, so I can't say how many work. -- glen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glen_h Posted August 28, 2019 Share Posted August 28, 2019 (snip) Most recently, I bid $12 for seven older light meters. I don't have them yet, so I can't say how many work. I now have the light meters. Four have selenium cells, and I didn't test them much, but some of them seem to work. Most interesting is a Sekonic L-428, the one with the Lumishere for incident metering. The Lumisphere comes off, and you put a different filter on for reflected metering, but the case is shaped for the Lumisphere. I takes four batteries, the manual says mercury, but I put alkaline ones in. Conveniently the usual L44 are the right shape, it doesn't expect 625. Battery test goes to the top of the test range, so it should be within a half stop. (The test range is one stop wide on the scale.). The manual actually says within 1/4 stop. The manual sounds like it has a transistorized amplifier, making it pretty sensitive. Down to -3 EV incident, or +1 EV reflected, at ASA 100. I didn't try out the two other battery-needing meters yet. 2 -- glen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orsetto Posted August 29, 2019 Share Posted August 29, 2019 The manual sounds like it has a transistorized amplifier, making it pretty sensitive. Down to -3 EV incident, or +1 EV reflected, at ASA 100. Nice deal! I picked up a couple classic Sekonic Studio Deluxe L-28cII selenium meters included in camera packages over the past few years: remarkably accurate and sensitive considering the age and selenium tech. This powered L-428 would get me more low-end range: I'll need to keep an eye out. It seems to have a near identical design to the venerable Studio Deluxe, but updated with silicon blue cells. Perhaps it was an answer to (or forerunner of) Gossen's LunaPro SBC. The manual is really confused regarding batteries: an early page specifies 4x "mercury" JIS G13 at 1.5v, the first tipoff there's a misprint. A few pages later, it specifies bog-standard S76 as the battery, confirmed by photographs, meaning its fully compatible with the same silver oxide (or alkaline) battery used by nearly every modern camera made after 1975. Cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glen_h Posted August 29, 2019 Share Posted August 29, 2019 (snip) The manual is really confused regarding batteries: an early page specifies 4x "mercury" JIS G13 at 1.5v, the first tipoff there's a misprint. A few pages later, it specifies bog-standard S76 as the battery, confirmed by photographs, meaning its fully compatible with the same silver oxide (or alkaline) battery used by nearly every modern camera made after 1975. Cool! In years past, mercury batteries were often used where the constant voltage wasn't needed. My favorite flash for many years, the Agfalux C, used a mercury PX23 5.6 volt battery. There are now replacements just fine for flash use. It is hard now to tell which batteries used to be mercury, as many battery companies will list the number on alkaline or silver oxide equivalent lists. Battery test is easy to do, and as long as it is in the red area, it should be fine. (Yes, red means good here.) I also have a Lunasix, which has two alkaline cells. It looks to me like someone rewired around the battery test switch so it doesn't work. Testing with Sunny 16, it seems close enough for ordinary use. -- glen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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