Going to Frankfurt for the week

Hi,

I'm off to Frankfurt Germany again next week and I was wondering if there are any good photoshops or secondhands shops or other photographic interesting things to do over there? I will be going to the secondhand market they have every saturday. Maybe I can find a bargain.
I'll be bringing my eho box camera, my agfa clack, Yashica mat 124 g and my recently acquired pentax me super. And also my digi cam. What can I say can't choose hehe.

Regards,

Peter

Hi Peter.

I've been to Frankfurt twice (both times to the motor show as my wife is a bit of a petrol-head). To be honest, it struck me as a city for business rather than a cultural venue. There are lots of tall buildings and a few old markets. The journey on the train via Cologne went through some nicer-looking towns.

The area around the main train station has some old, slightly seedy, streets and alleys so a bit of street shooting (ideally with a camera ;-)) is probably order of the day.

The fast food (sausage - Frankfurter) shops were excellent and there was a flea-market we visited that might give you some opportunities. This wasn't too far from the station but, unfortunately, I'm a bit sketchy on street names.

Hope you have a good time. Paul.

I've been in Frankfurt as visitor many times and was looking for good photo and second hand shops as well.

There is GM-Foto at Taunusstraße very close to main train station with wide selection of films, chemicals and accesories. They had some rare cameras there as well. I hadn't good experience with Foto-Hobby/Rahn Leica shop, it's obviously collectors shop with too few practical things inside and mostly unfriendly stuff. 3 years ago there was a second hand shop in the center, but it has gone since then.

What's worth in Frankfurt is to visit Museum of Modern Art and walk outside the center to feel the mixture of industry and multiculture crossroads. The flea market is funny place, too, although with not many "serious" photo options there.

palec said:

What's worth in Frankfurt is to visit Museum of Modern Art and walk outside the center to feel the mixture of industry and multiculture crossroads.

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Have been to the museum a couple of times and they always have fascinating temporary exhibitions. There is also the Fotografie Forum though I think they are closed for renovations but are exhibiting in different spaces round the city instead.
http://www.photography-now.com/institutionen_index.php?land=D&stadt=Frankfurt+(Main)

Photography Now is a great site for finding out what's on in different German cities, though they've gone global now!
http://www.photography-now.com/institutionen_index.php?land=D&stadt=Frankfurt+(Main)

If you have time you may find Cologne, which is just over an hour away by express train, to have more photo shops, and loads of galleries. It has a really big photo scene. (Camera shop outside the train station, 2nd hand camera shop next to the cathedral and Foto Gregor is about ten minutes walk away.)

GM Foto is the best choice for high-end professional stuff in the whole area... except on Saturdays, then it is closed.

If you go by commuter train to Mainz and Wiesbaden - about 20-30 minutes - these cities are much more interesting than Frankfurt if you don't want to photograph mainly skyscrapers. Especially Mainz has a lot of interesting things, it was founded by the Romans. There is even a museum displaying roman ships - small models, but also 1:1 size and originals ("Museum für Antike Schiffahrt"), some archaeological sites including a roman theater ("Römisches Theater"), and some nice views from the river Rhine.

http://mainz.de/WGAPublisher/online/html/default/hpkr-5nkek8.en.html

There are also some nice shops with some used equipment:

Foto Besier (Mainz and Wiesbaden), www.fotobesier.de

Die Kamera, their shop in Wiesbaden has quite a lot of stuff, http://www.kamera.de/unternehmen/index.php?m=3&m2=0

Thanks all for your suggestions. I did have fun in Frankfurt.
@ Mike Cologne is an hour away from Maastricht by Car so I will defenitely check that city out as well.

Thanks all.

Try Deidesheim too next time - beautiful town, great wines, and a phototechnical museum!

Heidelberg, just to the south of Frankfurt, has a lot of photo opps.