I have a really nice camera, an EOS 40D made by Canon. When I’m outside Japan, I occassionally feel a touch self-conscious about carrying around such an expensive camera. But in Japan, I always feel like I’m riding a tricycle in the Tour de France. Just look at the cameras the members of this photo club have. Every one of those lenses probably costs in the vicinity of $10,000. Every festival I go to, every park I visit, I see these expensive cameras and lenses, and then the next day I somehow find myself on the Map Camera Website drooling over L lenses and 5D Mark II cameras.
This is what they were photographing, by the way:
Don’t forget about the expensive carbon fiber Gitzo tripods they are all using!
I agree, there are many mid-to-high end DSLRs around Tokyo, but I actually very rarely saw any 400mm+ length lenses around. Mostly because there isn’t much wildlife I guess.
Map Camera is great. One of the only things I miss about Tokyo life is access to great camera shops literally just a walk down the street from where I used to live.
Oh, I definitely have camera envy … I only have an amateurish, low end Canon Kiss F with a standard zoom lens. So in Japan, I feel like I’m riding a unicycle on the Tour de France :-).
Did you say $10,000 dollars? Maybe photography is a hobby I need to stay away from…