I've posted before in other threads but I thought I'd post a dedicated thread. Does anyone else have good news from their local camera shop or local scene?
I live in Luton, UK which is fortunate enough to still have a proper camera shop "Luton Camera Repair Centre". It's been in business about 50 years I believe, and last December the owner decided to retire. Thankfully one of his younger staff members and the lady who operates a film processing business on the premises took it on. I always used the shop occasionally but have to admit I found I didn't really feel at ease. The new owners seem to ease my anxiety.
It's a proper bricks and mortar shop on the edge of the town centre retail area, indeed you can see it from the rail station from where it is maybe three minutes walk. It's the kind of shop where you can buy the latest digital camera, or a used film camera, even a NOS film camera....they still have a "wall of film", darkroom supplies, a cabinet of used lenses of various flavours....in-house 24 hour film process/print/scan for several film formats operated by a lady who can remember the switch to C41 from C22....they even have a 8mm projector for rent so people can watch old cine films. As their name suggests they also repair cameras and are still an authorised Olympus repair agent and spares stockist.
I've changed from a mail order lab to the shop as they are cheaper *and* better then the well known lab I was using. So I visit quite often and ask about business. For example last week in one day they sold three Olympus film cameras and got slide projectors from the basement storage onto shelves because of requests from customers. Today I learned they SOLD OUT of Kodak colour film last week and had to get emergency supplies, and on Friday alone they processed 54 rolls of film. They are certainly reporting an upswing in film photography, and corresponding sales of gear, film and services.
This is just one shop, in a town that does have a university offering film photography in it's photography courses....so this particular bubble is likely to be more positive than the national/worldwide picture....but they seem to have so much business they can barely cope.
I've added pictures, you may have seen some before as I've mentioned this shop elsewhere. I'm now going to keep any talking about them to this thread rather than banging on about them all over.
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