Richard Haw's Classic Nikon Repair and Review

Hello, everybody! This is the first camera shopping article for 2018! I would like to start it by introducing you to Sampo Camera (三宝カメラ)! I used to visit their shop regularly but I now live a bit too far from their shop so I only go there if I’m in the mood. They are one of the best used camera shops in the business and they carry plenty of good stuff in their shop. Their inventory is also priced competitively by Japanese standards so their prices rival that of the shops in Shinjuku. If you are in the area or just visiting Tokyo then I will recommend that you drop by for a visit. A bonus for people who drive is that they have a parking area beside the shop and you can park there for free if you’re shopping.

This is the store front of Sampo Camera. They moved their shop from across the street. It is a very nice and spacious shop and they even have a space for smokers outside! Check the ashtray and the seats, this is my kind of shop! Pass me the lighter, please.

The shop can be a bit out of the way but you can reach them with this map. Taking a bus ride from Meguro Station (黑01) is the best way to get there. You alight at the intersection that’s closest to the Post Office and walk 5 minutes South until you reach their shop. Just follow this map and you should get there with no problems. If you got lost, just show the address (東京都目黒区目黒本町2-5-5) to a police officer and they can show you the way. It’s a great idea to call them first (03-3793-2273) to ask for their schedule and ask if they have what you need in stock. You can also check their website at http://www.sanpou.ne.jp just to be on the safe side. Whatever the case may be, this place is always worth visiting.

They’re open everyday except for Japanese holidays.

This is what you will see as you enter the shop. They are very well-stocked and the space is quite adequate, very different from the usual claustrophobic style of your usual shops here in Japan. The staff are very friendly/cheerful and professional, too.

Walk further into the shop and you will see the cash register. Their is also a space for you to relax with your friends near the window so you can discuss anything you like. When I was there, I saw some photographers talking about an exhibit.

Here is their junk corner. I love the cute wooden crates. It looks much more presentable.

Here’s one of their Nikon display cases. Sorry for the reflection since it’s facing a window.

Here’s some more Nikon stuff, this time it’s lenses. I got some of my lenses here in 2011.

Fancy some medium format gear? They also have them in the shop!

This Nikon F2 is priced reasonably considering that it comes with a Nikkor that’s Ai’d.

Some rangefinder-related gears in this display case. They have a nice Canon 7s for sale in the shop for about ￥25,000 or so. I was tempted, the dark side of the force is compelling.

More Nikon F2 cameras! The ones at the top are Nikon F cameras.

Again, more Nikon F and Nikon F2 cameras here.

Here are some more Nikon cameras and accessories.

The prices of their Nikkors are quite competitive. Of course, they’re more expensive than the ones you find online because they have staff and rent to pay!

More Nikkors! In general, the gear they sell here are usually clean and presentable.

Do you want a Noct-Nikkor 58mm f/1.2 Ai-S lens? If you have the money, it’s yours!

Some nice Contax SLR cameras. Always wanted to get one but I don’ have the extra cash. I’m specializing on Nikons and that’s enough to keep me busy for now.

More Nikon gear. Speed lights and cameras this time. They offer a short shop-warranty if that will give you some form of assurance (on some items).

Wow! I can’t believe that I didn’t buy that Nikkor 300mm f/4.5 Ai lens! I totally missed it!

Since I went there on their first working day of the year, I got this “lucky bag”. Inside is a nice towel with their name printed on it and a nice Sampo Camera ball-point pen.

I hope that you enjoy my Sampo Camera article. I will only show you shops that I trust so you don’t have to worry about my recommendations. Do give them a visit, it will be time well-spent and if I helped you find a great deal then that’s more than enough for me. See you guys again on my next camera shopping article. Thanks for supporting us, Ric.

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Maintaining this blog requires money to operate. If you think that this site has helped you or you want to show your support by helping with the upkeep of this site, you can simple make a small donation to my paypal.com account (richardHaw888@gmail.com). Money is not my prime motivation for this blog and I believe that I have enough to run this but you can help me make this site (and the companion facebook page) grow.

Helping support this site will ensure that this will be kept going as long as I have the time and energy for this. I would appreciate it if you just leave out your name or details like your country and other information so that the donations will totally be anonymous it is at all possible. This is a labor of love and I intend to keep it that way for as long as I can. Ric.