With its massive railway station, neon-lit buildings and maze of businesses, one can easily get overwhelmed in Shinjuku as it is one of the busiest wards in Tokyo. While it is the perfect image of the modern day Japan, Shinjuku is also considered to be a place where shoppers and dealers flock to in hopes of scoring great camera finds.
So whether you are a photographer, a photo enthusiast, a dealer, or someone who just simply appreciates cameras, then this short and very brief list of shops can guide you to your hunt in Shinjuku.
Lemon Camera is located on the 3rd floor of a building and have quite a small space. They sell accessories and both secondhand and new cameras. You can also sell used equipment to them at a favorable price.
Map Camera is on the higher end of this list. They have two shops in the area that are designated for different departments – one for trade and one for buying. The center for buying mostly offers rangefinders, medium format, classics, brand new items, and refurbished cameras and lenses. You’re going to have an extensive selection at this shop as it has four floors designated for different brands. On the 1st and 2nd floor of the building there is a luxury watch store while the 6th floor is a writing materials store.
Chuuko Box is located in the basement of a building. If other shops have small space, then this is even smaller. It is jam-packed with old vintage cameras, cheap secondhand accessories and lenses.
Kitamura is one of the biggest camera chain in this list. It holds a variety of product and services – not just used cameras and accessories, but also Polaroid and films, mobile gadgets, and a photo studio. The used camera shop though, is located on the 4th floor. Like the previous shops, Kitamura sells used digital and film cameras. You can also trade-in or sell your own equipment here.
New Camera is located on the 2nd floor next to a shoe shop. They offer a massive selection of different brands here – great finds of classic cameras, accessories, and medium formats.
There are a lot more camera shops in Tokyo and all throughout Japan, but everything that is listed here are located just within the vicinity of the west exit in Shinjuku Station.