Brick & Mortar Photo Shops

Michigan seems to a healthy hide away for camera stores.

It’s about a 7hr drive from bottom to top of the lower pen, and I would say you have a very good chance of being no more than say a 1.5 hours from a camera store anywhere you are. I am about 45minutes from a old bricknmortar store, with many many more available if I’m willing to take an afternoon driving.

A favorite of mine is Ernest Camera Shoppe

www.ernestcamera.com
1600 Pine Grove Ave,
Port Huron, MI 48060

A very interesting old bank building that is basically one large open dome roof structure. It’s chalked full of stuff... maybe excessively for the small size. Darkroom supplies, film, limited selection of used gear (SLR mostly), and in house printing but unfortunately no developing as their machine was down when I visited.

If your in Michigan, it’s worth the drive, right under the bridge to sarnia. I actually stumbled across the place after meeting a RFF member from Toronto.
 
Assell's was a shop in downtown Aurora IL. I'm not sure how long its been closed, but I do recall finding useful stuff there, such as #5 flashbulbs (I bought an entire case!) back about 25 years ago.

Nikon S2, Nikkor-P 8.5cm/f2, Ilford Delta 100, Rodinal 1:50

0O6Rp2.jpg
 
The age of miracles is not over! Up there with rocking horse *%$? and hen's teeth, a new camera shop!

Wex Photo Video Leeds
Units F&G
Moor Allerton District Centre
Leeds, LS17 5NY
0113 5210025


Opening Times:


Mon: 09:00 - 18:00
Tues: 09:00 - 18:00
Wed: 09:00 - 18:00
Thurs: 09:00 - 18:00
Fri: 09:00 - 18:00
Sat: 09:00 - 18:00
Sun: 10:00 - 16:00
 
RIP BCE

I went for a look in the second-hand window of the Bradford Camera Exchange on Friday, and found the shutters down, the building for sale and a hand written sign in the window to the effect that the business has ceased trading. Depending on you definition, that was the last camera shop in Bradford (1). A sad end after 85 years.

https://www.bcephotolab.com/


(1) The last with a BD postcode. Annings in Ilkley was still open in December. Ilkley has an LS postcode, although comes under Bradford Council. The locals would rise in armed insurrection over that, but it might clash with Bridge Club.
 
We have a new brick and mortar photo store, Kiwi Camera, that opened six months ago here in Orlando FL. It carries a full line of film and chemistry. All cameras and hard gear is used, nothing new. The inventory is mostly high end film cameras. Much Leica, Hasselblad, and LF gear. Want a 4x5 enlarger? There are 3 in inventory. The retail shop is an expansion of Kiwi Camera Service, a repair shop with 2 1/2 techs. Hand run b&w film plus E-6 is processed every few days. This business started ten years ago with Michael Levira, owner, riding his bicycle to several no longer existing brick and mortar to repair cameras. Difference was him providing good service to pro photographers..
 
I was in Dallas on Friday and I happened upon (okay, I looked it up and stalked them) Don's Photo Service. I'm happy to report that the shop is live and well (it's a veritable museum and gold mine of used equipment). I didn't have a lot of time to peruse the selections (primarily because it was not open when I got there in the morning and it only took a little bit of begging for them to let me in. Don's does, however, have a wonderful film wall with loads of esoteric selections. I bought some Film Washi D, Silberra Color 50, and (wonder of wonders) they were kind enough to sell me a pro pack of Kodak Gold 200 in 120. Whenever you're in Dallas, I'd recommend popping in and seeing what's new at Don's.

http://www.donsphotoequipment.com/

kodakgold200-120.png
 
Seems odd that so many major cities are down to one or two active stores and we here in the Sacramento area have three going strong plus a third used equipment store. Action, Mike's and Precision, I can't remember the used store's name.
 
And another one bites the dust. Dale's was a relatively upmarket store specialising in Nikon and with a good secondhand display. I assumed it had survived the winnowing of proper camera shops over the past decade, but apparently not....

IMG_0958[1].JPGIMG_0959[1].JPG
 
Miami Florida? Didn't that transition and relocate to become the Miami Leica store?
 
raydm6 said:
Still in business:

Wellesley Photographer | Roger Pelissier Photography | United States

Roger Pelissier Photography specialiizes in color and black & white portraits of children, families, seniors, executives, equestrian, engagement & bridal. Portraits anytime & anyplace: home, garden, beach, office & studio.
www.rogerpelissier.com www.rogerpelissier.com

Kodak Retina Reflex III | Schneider-Kreuznach Retina Xenon 50mm f/1.9 | Kodak Ektar 100

Portrait Photography - Wellesley Center by rdc154, on Flickr
Click to expand...

That's a portrait studio, not a camera store. Portrait photography is still big business, though I think its a lot harden to earn a middle class income doing it today than it was in the past.
 
Chriscrawfordphoto said:
That's a portrait studio, not a camera store. Portrait photography is still big business, though I think its a lot harden to earn a middle class income doing it today than it was in the past.
Click to expand...
Yes I know Chris. I figured this would be classified under "... "etc" per the OP's request.

There's no thread documenting photo stores, shops , etc?
Click to expand...

Wellesley is a very affluent Boston-suburb so I think local clientele can avail themselves to their services easier than lower income communities.

Plus they do sell accessories (frames and what-not) so I figured I post.
 
I could have sworn I had chimed in on this thread already but I don't see that I have. Camera Bar in downtown Hartford CT is alive and well; it's been in business since the late 1960s. Seems like they get a fair amount of walk-in trade whenever I'm in there. They do developing and printing. Canon, Nikon, Olympus and Fuji are their main brands for new equipment, though they're a Leica dealer also. A lot of 35mm used equipment also, though nothing too exotic (there is used Leica as well). camerabar.com
 
We are very fortunate to have a really wonderful camera store in Ann Arbor now called CameraMall. They opened around 5 years ago and have done so well that last year they actually moved to a much bigger space. Desmond, the young man who owns it, was only 26 when he opened it but has done a masterful job of figuring out how to make it successful. It carries all the usual new camera brands. They match Amazon and B&H pricing. It has an excellent used camera section with a lot of film camera gear as well as a large fridge filled with film and a shelf with some darkroom chemicals. They have a film lab. They offer classes and photo walks all the time. And the staff is carefully chosen, well trained, very helpful without being pushy, and friendly. At this point I only order gear online that they don't have or cannot get. We are very lucky to have them in town!
CameraMall
 
Saw this shop referenced in Philip Greenspun's Blog:
philip.greenspun.com

The film flame is alive in Holland

For the old and nostalgic, or the merely old at heart, Fotohandel Delfshaven in the Netherlands (they’ve moved to downtown Delft, actually) is a great destination. There’s a gallery/sho…
philip.greenspun.com philip.greenspun.com

fotohandeldelfshaven.nl

Classic cameras and vintage lenses - Fotohandel Delfshaven / MK Optics

Vintage camera store in Delft, NL. Large collection of classic Leica, Nikon, Hasselblad, Mamiya, Contax. we Buy and Sell, Analog only
fotohandeldelfshaven.nl fotohandeldelfshaven.nl
 
A shout out to OC Camera and its "CEO" Roozbeh. This store just can't be shuttered having been burgled many times.
occamera.com

If you like expensive items OC Camera offering a nice collector item.
www.occamera.com

Very Rare Nikon Nippon Kogaku Nikkor-N.C 5cm f1.1 M39 Screw Mount S Lens #40079

OC Camera is located at 23052 Lake Forest Dr Suite D-1 Laguna Hills, CA 92653 We are open Monday-Saturday 10am - 6pm. We buy used cameras to make and appoinment email us or call us during our business hours. We are 1 out of 4 dealers that sells FOGG bags. We sell hard to find vintage...
www.occamera.com
 
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