So you want to find a camera? Then this is what you need to know
Recently a few people have been asking me about my service and specifically what it entails. I thought I would take this opportunity to give you all the lowdown on what I do.

As many of you may know, the main part of my time is taken up with finding cameras for my clients. And that is what the meat of this site is about. You see all of the pretty pictures of cameras are items that I have found for my clients. Finding cameras is what I do and I am pretty good at it.
But how does my system work? It is very simple, I will find you anything that I can. I don’t make the guarantee that I can find everything, some things just cannot be found. But I can find a lot of things.
Step one
It starts with you…You can contact me through the ‘Find me a camera’ button at the top of the page or you can get in touch through the ‘contact’ button, either way you will be able to get to me directly.
I like information, the more information that you can give me the better. When I get mails that just say “I want a rangefinder” and nothing else I have a hard time helping you. I need as much info as you can give me. The model, the brand, the price (more on that later) and anything else that you feel is relevant.
A note on this though…Digital cameras. I can search for digital cameras for you, that is not a problem, but you must understand that it is against the law to ship a camera with a battery in Japan, and they do check. So if I do find a digital camera for you, I am not going to be able to ship it with a battery, that is the way it is and I don’t like it either.

Step two
Once I get your mail I will search for some options for you. I search various different places. Online stores, auctions, and shop websites can give me an idea of what is available for you. I also know what is on the shelves in a lot of the stores and I will share that knowledge with you. I will then show you a few options that are available to you by sending you links. I only send links to stores or private sellers that I trust. I have a very good reputation amongst these vendors and I trust them not to sell me anything that is a dud. I will not send you a link for an item that is a dud, I read the Japanese on the site for you so that I know this item is good quality. I will explain the details of the item for you.
I will search for anything. Some people think I only search for cameras, but this is not the case. I search for anything camera related and I don’t only search for the high roller items either. If I can find it I will find it, no matter what the price.
I sell all items totally transparently at cost i.e. no markup, only adding a service fee. My standard fee structure for equipment sourcing is as follows: ¥5000 for items up to ¥10,000, ¥10,000 for any item over ¥10,000 up to ¥100,000, ¥20,000 for any item up to ¥200,000 and so on. To that I add expenses like postage to obtain the item or other fees like banking.
Step three
Once I have found the item that you are happy with and we have agreed on it I will ask you to make a payment to my paypal account. Paypal is my preferred payment method, as it is easier and cheaper for all concerned. If this is not possible then I can accept bank transfers too. I don’t accept Western Union, sorry about that.
I will order the item or go and purchase it for you. I will not buy an item until a payment has been made as I have been stung on a couple of occasions by people who have changed their minds at the last minute and left me hanging on to items that I wouldn’t normally buy. I make sure the item is up to standard, by checking the item and by using my several years of buying experience. If I order something and it is not up to my high standards then I will return it, I will not let my customers be ripped off. I will offer you the option of finding an alternative or a refund. I want my customers to be happy and to have a great experience.

Step four
I will send the item to you. I only use EMS as it is cheap and secure. The insurance on EMS is excellent and I have never lost or had a damaged package in the entire time I have been doing this. I am happy to ship with Fedex or UPS, but the price that they charge in Japan often makes it unreasonable to do so. This is basically an optional extra. Shipping is fast with EMS and often I get mails from customers saying they cannot believe how quickly the item arrived.
I am also very serious about my packaging. I make sure that anything that I send is completely safe and wrapped properly. I spend money on decent packaging materials to ensure the items safety. If the item is going to a country that is hot and humid, I will put silica gel into the package too, just to be on the safe side.
Step five
You get your item and you are very very happy. So happy that you send me an lovely email to say how happy you are :)

So that is it, this is how I do what I do and I really hope that gives you a clearer picture of how everything works. If you have any questions I would be happy to answer them for you. If you want me to find a camera for you then don’t hesitate to get in touch.
And if you have bought a camera from me and you are happy with the service you can leave a nice testimonial comment below :)
Many thanks
Japancamerahunter