Japan Camera Hunter

If you're not aware of Bellamy over at Japan Camera Hunter or are just curious about his services, I figured I would let you know how my experience with purchasing a camera from him went. 

Japan Camera Hunter is just as his name says, a camera hunter based in Japan. The camera market is Japan is like no other, with shops all over selling any kind of gear you might want, and Bellamy is there to help you sort it all out. 

I contacted him back in 2013 about getting a GF670 in black, a version that was not available in the US from Fuji, it was only available from Voigtlander and it was over $1000 more. The gray/silver edition did not really look that good to me, so onto JCH!

I emailed him and told him what I wanted, he replied with a few options, I could buy a brand new camera, new hood, and new case, I could buy a "used" camera that looked brand new, had a hood and case, or I could buy a used camera that looked like it had been used, each was priced accordingly. He sent me links to these cameras listed in a sort of online camera store, so I could look at the product and I could see the cost of the item; there were no hidden costs. 

I confirmed with him the camera that I wanted, he quoted me a price, including his fee and shipping. His fee's, I believe, are tiered based on how much the item costs, and are not unreasonable. I have not had a camera customized (yet) or had him hunt for extremely hard to find items, so those fees might be more, but I could not say. 

I sent payment via paypal, he sent me a tracking number, and then I waited. I expected a package from Japan to take a few weeks, I believe it was door to door in about a weeks time. The package came with the boxed camera, hood, and camera pouch, It was packed well, and he included a few rolls of film, a battery and his awesome film cases. This was nothing short of a pleasant surprise. 

Overall, the service was wonderful, and would gladly use him again in the future. I plan on purchasing the wide version, the GF670w, which I have emailed him about several times, but then funds fall through. He is such a nice fellow that he does not even say "seriously dude, you email me all the time about this" he just gives me current pricing and always reminds me he is there to help. 

If you're getting a camera, skip eBay and go straight to Japan Camera Hunter, you will not be disappointed.