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12-15-2007, 03:19 PM
I personally went to Japan last year on a study abroad trip and brought my really old semi-crappy digital camera with me (for the beginning of the trip) but bought a used Canon camera in Japan from Softmap and brought it back to the US no problem.
Now first off, price-wise, I'd say camera prices in Japan are about the same as in the US but the difference is you can get a *better camera* for the same price because the technology is about a year ahead.
Second, you can get a very nice used camera in Japan for about half the price of a brand new one. The one I got was about 4 months old and looked and worked like a brand new camera because Japanese people typically *take care* of their posessions. I think it was about $250 including a memory card and remember, this is prices from a year ago and it's for a very nice camera. The model I bought also never made it to the US and the model number was ahead of the new ones available here for quite some time. Oh, I also was able to look at the camera up close (like in my hands) and they even put in batteries so I could see how it worked when it was on. After I bought it, I immediately switched the language on the camera to English and had no problems at all. Although, I admit that I bought a Canon camera with similar buttons to my old Canon camera so that I knew I wouldn't have to worry about trying to read the instructions...
Third, I didn't have any problem bringing over all the technology I bought in Japan (and I bought a lot 'cause I'm a CS major!) but if you're worried, just have the receipt on you when you go through customs. I also didn't have more than $1000... well... maybe I did, but my boyfriend was with me when I went home, so I split my technology between our bags so he could claim some for me^_^;;
So, in conclusion, it's nice to have a camera when you go so you can take pictures on the way and everything, but Japanese cameras are really great and you can get a little more for your money. I'm not trying to fuel the fire of dispute here... this is just what I know from my experience last year, so use it to make your own choices.
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