If you can find a shop that gives "points" (typically 10%), you can come back the next day and get the lens with the points deducted. And then you get points again for the cash balance involved in the lens purchase etc. which should pay easily for a couple of batteries, maybe a cheap lens ...
Also, there are a couple of times a year when you get awarded double points for a walk in purchase.
In your case, after points, the Yodobashi price of 835 000 Y matches the Map camera price, so to get a perfect comparison you'd need to factor in the lens and the points of the lens ... it's a very japanese game
Yodobashi and Map are both well known outlets, Yodobashi's retail presence as an electronics hypermart in Tokyo is of course physically much larger than B&H. Map seem to be a very specialised store, I have found articles online where company execs present their wares at Map. There are other big camera chain stores, and probably some hard discounters to be found as well.
Map awards points, but mostly for used gear, it seems. Yodobashi on everything. However you should be aware that *negotiation is often possible* to some extent for such a purchase, yielding at the very least some accessories as "service". It may also be useful to preorder a rare item.You might ask White Rabbit or Bernard or someone else who speaks japanese for a couple of hours of on-site help, and pay as you would for a camera assistant as equipment purchase is often a camera assistant's job.Also, I would recommend carry, not ship. In fact I think carry may be necessary as the items are listed in the buyers passport.
Last not least, at a specialist store, the salesman who makes the sale will give you his card, and (s)he will be helpful and diligent if contacted for after-sales requests.
Edmund
Well, I am almost ready to buy one from Japan. My friend (wanting to buy the 28-45mm for himself) has a co-worker who is traveling to Japan and he is willing to purchase and then ship or carry some gear back to him. (Carry back preferred but then you are at the mercy of the customs snivel servants. Everything I am reading says no duty on camera gear from Japan. Fingers crossed.....
$6188.23 - Current price quote in Yen from several shops = ¥751,900
Final price - $5569.407 -- Less Sales tax @ 10% (No tax charged if he shows his passport at time of purchase as noted previously by Edmund)
Trying to figure out if there is a fully insured shipping option available that does not have to go through a customs brokerage like UPS / FedEx does.
Tenso.com will ship it for a modest fee but they say nothing about insurance against lost / damage.
I looked at the Japan EMS web site. Shipping plus insurance runs under $60 US if I calculated everything right.
Curious as to how good they are with claims for lost or damaged packages. I know from experience that UPS and FedEx cover your six. USPS is hit and miss.
Have any of you dealt with insurance claims through EMS Japan? My guess is that since the last link in the chain is the US Postal Service, if the package is lost you may never see your money again. I had a package sent to me from Australia and it was lost. The US Post Office offered me 4 cents on the dollar as payment for insurance coverage? That was over 15 years ago so I don't know if that is still how it goes with the USPS.
Going to check with FedEx and see what the total bill would be for them if this fellow can't or won't carry the gear back with him.
