Buy DVX100 in Japan

[Paul Leung]

I am thinking to buy a DVX100 from Japan. It costs around US$2700. Is their NTSC same as the NTSC in US?

[Brian Cupini]

Yep, NTSC in Japan is the same as the US NTSC. Be careful you don't get burned on taxes by customs or anything. =]

[Barry Green]

You might also want to verify whether the menus are in English or Japanese. If you can't read Japanese you might be unable to use many of the camera's features. And if it's in Japanese you'll significantly lower your resale value in the US.

[Geoffrey Rice]

Menus are all in English here in Japan so this will not be a problem.

[Paul Leung]

Geoffrey,

Thanks for your confirmation. Sounds like you are in Japan. Would you have any recommendation to the shops in Tokyo? I found some of the shops at http://www.geocities.jp/sumi653/DVX100.9.htm

Thanks.

[Geoffrey Rice]

Paul;

Yeah I bought mine at Fujiya Avic which is listed at the bottom of the page you noted. Their prices on this camera change regularly and you have to call for a quote. They don't ship abroad so you'd have to buy it here in Japan.

G

[Barry Green]

That's intriguing -- is there a menu option that lets you choose Japanese or English menus?

Other Panasonic cameras have Japanese menus (specifically the MX5000 and GS100K). Surely the home market version has Japanese menus or at least the option to switch between Japanese and English?

[Geoffrey Rice]

Nope. The menus are only in English. I was quite surprised. Japanese menus wouldn't really have been a problem for me as I could get by -- I use tons of software in Japanese -- but it was kind of nice to have all English. Of course the camera comes with a Japanese language users manual; I simply downloaded the English manual from Panasonic's site.

G

[Rik Sanchez]

Paul,
I was wondering why you wanted to buy the camera from Japan, you don't have your location listed on your profile. Do you live here in Japan or is the DVX 100 cheaper here? If you live outside of Japan, make sure to get an international warranty. Getting the best possible price is not as important as having good customer service after you buy the camera.

If you happen to get a camera that is defective, how hard will it be to return it if you happen to live outside of Japan.

[John Locke]

Paul,

You might want to also check the customs tax you'll have to pay for an item that expensive. That plus the shipping might not make it worth your while.

I live in Japan, but I tend to buy from the U.S. and have things shipped over here because even with customs tax and shipping it winds up being cheaper usually. In some cases, it would be cheaper for me to fly to a west coast city, stay in a hotel overnight, buy the item I want, and fly back...than to purchase it locally.

I'd be surprised if you couldn't get a DVX100 cheaper there.

[Adrian Douglas]

John is right on that. Japan isn't the electronics bargin heaven it used to be. Sure, you can still find some great deals on components in Akihabara, and sometimes even on consumer TVs etc, but high-end gear is certainly not cheaper than the States, especially since the devaluation of the $US.

[Geoffrey Rice]

It really does depend on the product. I purchased my camera from Fujiya Avic for 298,000 yen a month ago. At an exchange rate of 117yen that's US$ 2,547. I don't think I've seen it cheaper on either side of the globe. Of course, the advice from John regarding customs tax is correct; however interestingly the camera comes with a one year international warranty.


G

[Paul Leung]

Thanks guys for all of your advice! Surprise to know that so many people in this form live in Japan.

I live in Hong Kong (PAL system) and planning to move to Canada next year with my wife as she is sick of HK and her family is in Canada. I am also planning to visit Japan in Oct/Nov. I did some research on the Web and found that it costs more to buy DVX100 in US (only looked into cnet for prices) than in Japan. I ruled out getting it from Canada as I heard that things are more expensive there. Tax is not a problem for me as HK don't charge tax on incoming products except, alcohol, perfume, etc.

I don't speak Japanese, guess I need to use a lot of body language.

Actually I am very new to DV. It's a new hobby and in case I can't find work in Canada I may train myself to be a wedding cameraman. I have a cheap sharp NZ-50. Anyone knows if there are new DV cameras coming out soon? PD150 is a three year old product already!

Also, are the prices listed in the Japanese shops/website pre-tax or with tax? I may claim back the japanese tax if I have a foreign passport, right?

[Geoffrey Rice]

Add 5% consumption tax to the prices you find in Japan. Some shops will deduct the consumption tax and stamp your passport.

At many shops I think you'll probably have to pay the consumption tax but you might be able to get a refund if you apply upon you exit from Japan. I'm not really sure about this as I'm a long time resident of Japan and have had no reason to apply for a refund.

I also don't know about the availabiliy of PAL cameras here.

Perhaps others have some answers on these issues.
G

[Adrian Douglas]

Paul,

if you are coming to Japan then the best place to go would be Akihabara. Some of the shops have Indian staff who speak English and are not afraid to do some dealing, something that the Japanese don't feel comfortable doing.