Jon Siegel / ジョン 米岡

If you’re a camera enthusiast, Tokyo is THE final destination. Everything and anything camera related can be found here, new and used. Thanks to Alvin for introducing me to the used camera lens scene in Tokyo, I’ve grown a steady addiction to antique glass. Map Camera in Shinjuku and Fujiya Camera in Nakano are my current worshipping grounds.

This past weekend I swore to myself this would be the final purchase, as only weeks before I picked up another lens and felt like that would be the last one for a while. It certainly wasn’t, but this needs to be it, at least until I’ve mastered what I’ve got and learn some lessons from it. Added now to my collection are the AF Nikkor 35mm F2 and the Nikkor 50mm F1.2. They are both gorgeous pieces of work, solid metal with embossed numerals and letters, smooth turning focal rings and a nice, solid weight. I really don’t like any of these new plastic lenses, the weight and material feel all wrong and the focal rings don’t have the same resistance the older lenses have.

That aside, if it weren’t for Japanese photographers and their passionate caring for their equipment, I wouldn’t have these two beautiful lenses right now. It’s remarkable how clean and perfect these used lens shops are here, and how organized and efficient they are, even with their own dedicated ratings system for determining the quality of antique lenses. I got these new lenses right on time for my trip next month to Vietnam and Malaysia. Just hoping I can get some decent portrait and night shots this time.

Used lenses aren’t the only awesome thing about living in Tokyo. The Nikon service centers in Shinjuku and Ginza are lifesavers. My D80 had a dead pixel and the service center in Shinjuku fixed it for free, even though it was long after the warranty expired. They were super polite and nice about it and asked me to come back in an hour. When I returned, the dead pixel was gone, fantastic! The service center is attached to a big show room with every Nikon product on the market, as well as a nice big photo gallery with exhibiting photographers.