EPs worth buying while in Japan?

[Jules Tohpipi]

Hi,

I've seen some other comments on the forum saying that there are some interesting EPs that are only available in Japan.

I often go there on business and am travelling again next week. Is this an unmissable opportunity to buy some elusive gem?

Not looking at top-end stuff. Budget would be £100-150 max and the exchange rate doesn't help. I'd especially like something at the wide end for my 8" Skywatcher DOB i.e. 30mm+.

Or am I just barking up the wrong tree and all the special Japan-exclusive EPs are at megabucks?

[alan potts]

I think most of the time people are talking about either Nikon or Pentax eyepieces, get one and put it on expenses you know it makes sense. Japan and N korea are about the only two major places I have not been out there, now I have lost my 2.25 million airmiles with KLM I gues it will stay that way.

Alan

[Doug]

Hi

I would say that japan make some very good eyepieces and scopes and with the disaster they had they could do with the money

even Televue used to be made there at one point but I read that Al Nagler thought they where get to pricey so he pull out of Japan

I do know that Japan in general is expensive but it would be good to have a look wish I was going with you :-)

[E621Keith]

For you budget, may be pick up a Pentax XF. XW and Nikon will cost more than you budget and LVW is cheaper used in the UK.

Unfortunately £150 is still in the 'made in china' territory, and the Japanese's price for those aren't too different from ours.

[E621Keith]

You don't have to restrict yourself to eyepieces, Japanese have a lot of unique astronomy gadgets not available in Europe or anywhere else in the world.

Like this mini tracker http://www.kyoei-tok...13000001/order/

or this weird looking binocular head http://www.kyoei-tok...08000001/order/

or this DSLR rotator http://www.kyoei-tok...03000001/order/

Where are you going in Japan? If you are visiting Tokyo, you should visit Kyoei in Akihabara.

They have many goodies in their second hand cupboard. I got a eyepiece turret when I went there a few months ago and they have two Nikon orthoscopics listed on their second hand page at the moment. They don't list everything on their site so you don't know what you may find when you are there.

[alan potts]

Keith,

Wouldn't you think that after that sad day they would try to export everything they can in order to help the Country as a whole. I mean I know we have touched on this before why are Nikon eyepieces so hard to get when their cameras and lenses are everywhere, even here.

Alan.

[E621Keith]

Keith,

Wouldn't you think that after that sad day they would try to export everything they can in order to help the Country as a whole. I mean I know we have touched on this before why are Nikon eyepieces so hard to get when their cameras and lenses are everywhere, even here.

Alan.

Astronomy is a niche market and a lot of these gadgets are made by small companies. May be they don't have the manufacturing capacity to cater for the export market as well as the home market, or it's too expensive to set up a distributor network oversea. Personally I'd love to get my hand on some K-Astec tuning kit and upgrades.

I feel Nikon NAV eyepieces were made for marketing to show off their technical capability rather than to make money. Basically they're saying, look at us, we make the best eyepieces for telescope, now come and buy our camera lens and EDG fieldscopes. You know, like how every Saab car ads features fighter jet.

It is also possible Nikon feel it's not economical to sell their astronomical eyepieces oversea because they don't have a distributor network for astronomical products, facilities to repair these under warranty. It's clear Nikon can't use their existing distribution channels (camera shops or nature/bird watching shop) to sell these specialist eyepiece.

The NAV have been on the market for 4 years now, but all but one of my NAVs' serial numbers are less than 150. It's suggest they aren't selling in Japan, so they can't make a case to bring them oversea. I would not be surprise Nikon only made 1 batch of these and will discontinue them once they are sold.

[Jules Tohpipi]

Yes, will be spending half my time in Tokyo - Shinjuku. Bit of travelling to the provinces also. Kyoei looks interesting, but not sure if I'll have the time to travel that far across Tokyo (if I'm reading the map right).

[alan potts]

Keith,

A beautifully put answer. Must find out some time what you are talking about with the K Astec. I will just have to be happy with my Televue battery, it might be nice though to have one some day. You seem to know Japan fairly well did you think of anything for the man who started the post, I noticed you put what seems to be a shop down in the post.

Alan.

[E621Keith]

I think it's a about half an hour from Shinjiku to Akihabara on the tube/train.

Apart from Kyoei, there are a few other telescope shops in the area

Kyoei in Akiabara - http://www.kyoei-tokyo.jp/html/page63.html

Starbase in Akihabara -Tak specialist - http://www.mmjp.or.jp/takahashi-sb/

Starshop in Chiyoda - http://www.starshop.co.jp/shop.html

I only visited Kyoei during my trip, but Starshop's second hand section looks VERY interesting. I wished I knew about this shop when I was there. A quick glance at their second hand item list and I see some very rare items like 2 Pentax 100mm SDUFs , a 125mm f2.8 Borg and 5 Pentax 0.965" Orthos.

[E621Keith]

Keith,

A beautifully put answer. Must find out some time what you are talking about with the K Astec. I will just have to be happy with my Televue battery, it might be nice though to have one some day. You seem to know Japan fairly well did you think of anything for the man who started the post, I noticed you put what seems to be a shop down in the post.

Alan.

I did a fair bit of research before my trip

K-Astec seems to be a mount tuning house and they have some very interesting products http://homepage2.nifty.com/astec/

e.g.

GP equatorial fork conversion http://homepage2.nif...ec/65SYSTEM.htm

DSLR camera rotator http://homepage2.nif...ec/menu_RR.html

Various mount upgrades

http://homepage2.nif...MTS-3_MUNU.html

http://homepage2.nif...enu(kaizou).htm

in addition to the regular dovetails, clamps, guide rings etc ...

http://homepage2.nif...enu_kakohin.htm

[alan potts]

Keith,

Don't understand a word but the pictures look expensive. Like the DSLR gismo. The mount upgrade also look very interesting, I have often wondered if you can upgrade the motors in both my Meade LX and HEQ 5, sounds a good idea for a garage business, Mount Doctor.

I am sure it's been tried.

Alan

[Jules Tohpipi]

Thank you very much for the replies, Keith's especially. The info is great and more than I was hoping for.

Could be dangerous this, might blow the budget to smithereens. Off on Monday and will see if there's time to travel across when in Shinjuku. Have only recently got the DOB and still getting used to it. So am going to do my best to avoid dropping big bucks on this trip. However, there's plenty there to research well in advance now for the next trip. Also gives me some time to ask if any Japanese friends live close by or have an interest in the subject.

Thank you and will report back if I get chance to visit those stores.

[Jules Tohpipi]

Just a quick update now that I'm back. Didn't get opportunity to get to Akihabara unfortunately. But one of my Japanese friends knows all about it, and turns out he has been a keep AP for over forty years. So, I'm now nicely lined up for future trips! Thank you for all the info earlier.

On the plus side, at Narita airport I managed to pick up a Canon 7D for £560. No haggling or negotiating (it didn't work) that was the ticket price. Cheapest price on camera buster is approx £1050. There was a similar saving on the 6D also. However, 5D had only a £200 saving. A 7D for under £600 - happy days!

[Naemeth]

Just a quick update now that I'm back. Didn't get opportunity to get to Akihabara unfortunately. But one of my Japanese friends knows all about it, and turns out he has been a keep AP for over forty years. So, I'm now nicely lined up for future trips! Thank you for all the info earlier.

On the plus side, at Narita airport I managed to pick up a Canon 7D for £560. No haggling or negotiating (it didn't work) that was the ticket price. Cheapest price on camera buster is approx £1050. There was a similar saving on the 6D also. However, 5D had only a £200 saving. A 7D for under £600 - happy days!

That's a significant saving, well done!

[E621Keith]

Congratulation on the camera.

[alan potts]

That is cheap for one of the best cameras on the market, I know I own a few. There is one member on site selling a grip for one in classified, I would buy it if I were you.

Alan.