Richard Haw's Classic Nikon Repair and Review

Hello, everybody! I will start my tour of Ginza for you with my favorite shop here and it’s no other than Sankyo Camera! They have been in business since 1957 and I will say that they are one of the better shops here in Tokyo. The shop is a bit far from where I live but I always make it a point that I visit them at least once a month. The staff here are lovely and I have formed a nice relationship with the people here. Check out what they have in this article that I have made about them.

 Sankyo Camera shopfront is hard to miss, they have their own building where you can see the names of camera companies shown at the facade. The building itself is old but I love coming to this shop because they have one of the best inventories here in Tokyo. What you see at the shop is just a very small fraction of that they really have. It is a real goldmine of goodies for the photography enthusiast and I have found many amazing deals here. I can say that they are the best in the Ginza area when it comes to the overall quality (and quantity) of inventory. While some shops here specialize on one brand, Sakyo Camera’s inventory is more diverse. It’s worth visiting when you’re in town.

Their shop is close to the Tokyo Metro Ginza station. If you know the Kabuki Theatre, it’s just 100m away from that. Their address is 〒104-0061 東京都中央区銀座4-10-11 in case you can’t find it, you can even call them at 03-6278-7822 just to check if they are open. It’s best to check your calendar first because they are closed on Sundays and holidays. They have a website but I’m not sure if they update it on a regular basis. If you are a traveller, I will ask for them to waive the VAT. Make sure you bring your passport with you and they will sort it out for you. They accept credit cards here, too. Again, never ask for discounts!

Ah, the junk box! It is just lying outside the shop and I find it unbelievable that nobody has thought of stealing these! Do this in another country and they’re all gone in a second.

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Here’s a closer view of what’s on display at the front of the shop. The shop at the ground floor sells imported cameras from Europe and elsewhere. I rarely come here because I’m more interested in Nikon than Contax. They have a nice selection of Zeiss gear here.

Walk inside the shop and you will see this scene. They are also known for Leicas but I am not really here for that because I’m more into Contax when I’m not looking for Nikon.

Here’s the snob’s corner of the shop, I was eyeing on a used Leica M2 here but it was sold fast so I didn’t see it anymore when I returned.

Ah, the Zeiss Contax portion of the shop! The price is a bit high on some units because the cameras had been serviced. I would say that it’s fair considering that the lens is part of it.

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Here’s a closer look at what’s at the shop. If you are into medium format then the shop is a great place to shop. They have lots of nice medium format gear here like Rolleis.

Head outside the shop and head to the staircase beside it. That’s going to lead you to the shop at the 3rd floor where they stock the Japanese brands.

I hate walking up this flight of stairs when I have gout but no pain no gain, right?

The shop’s door is sometimes closed and you will have to knock and open just to see if it’s in business or not. If nobody answered or if the door is closed then just come back later, I guess the shopkeeper may just be out for lunch or “developing” at the toilet.

Here’s the inside of the shop at the 3rd floor! I’m always happy to see the shopkeeper, he always gives me a very good deal. I bought my Nikon S2 from him some time ago. He can speak English so make sure to talk to him when you’re there, he’s a very nice guy.

Behind him is a wall full of Nikons! I love this shop a lot and now you know why.

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Here’s a closer look at what they have. The prices here are fair and a little bit on the high side but there are always good deals to be found here. In fact, some of the deals that I got here are too good to be mentioned online. Some people also have found treasures here so try your luck and see what you can get!

Here’s the other side of the wall. See all those crates? They are loaded with good stuff! It’s always great rummaging through the inventory because you will never know what you’ll get here. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

That’s it for Sankyo Camera, please visit them when you have the time. They are great so I highly recommend them. Just remember, they are closed on Sundays and holidays so I always make it a point to clear my Saturdays just for them. See you guys next time, 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.

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