Info Good Suppliers of Film Cameras/Equipment, Film, Repairs & Servicing

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+1 to both of them :)
 
My local is LCE in Guildford. Though I recently bought my Pentax 67 mk2 from a real Alladins Cave in Farnborough. Racking my brains for the name...Longworth Photographic. Bit toppy on the prices, but loads of old gear.
 
Double post.
 
West Yorkshire Cameras in the Corn Exchange in Leeds is a wonderfully friendly little hive of film joy and well worth a visit. :)

Didn't know there was one, last time I was in the corn exchange, they were chucking traders out..
 
West Yorkshire Cameras in the Corn Exchange in Leeds is a wonderfully friendly little hive of film joy and well worth a visit.

Hmmm. I have a friend in Leeds. Perhaps I should visit him - and the camera shop.

I have just posted a link to a shop that I have been in on a number of occasions they stock a lot film cameras and are good to deal with. it is a long way from home but my daughter lives in Manchester so I go visit regularly.

Don't know anyone in Manchester but if I'm going as far as Leeds!...


Steve.
 
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I regularly pop into real camera... just to goggle at all the lovely toys. They're probably fed up of me going in and not buying anything!
 
West Yorkshire Cameras in the Corn Exchange in Leeds is a wonderfully friendly little hive of film joy and well worth a visit. :)

Wow is that open on Fridays Afternoons :)
 
I dealt with Tom from West Yorkshire Cameras for a Sigma 70-200 for my Nikon, nice chap :) When i travelled over they were just getting the shop ready so couldn't go for a perusal :(
 
I might go into Leeds Friday aft for a beer and see if i can lick some stock :)
 
I might go into Leeds Friday aft for a beer and see if i can lick some stock :)

Does that have the same hallucinogenic effect as licking toads'?
 
Arundel Photographica is always fun!

I think a trip there should be organised for next year, a mooch round the camera shop, a castle and good pubs, sounds like the perfect f&c destination to me.
 
I think a trip there should be organised for next year, a mooch round the camera shop, a castle and good pubs, sounds like the perfect f&c destination to me.

Good plan! There are also some good spots down by the river etc so not just town shots.
 
If you live in the outskirts of N.W. London and like browsing through gear and don't care about over priced stuff then this place in Watford might interest you:-

http://www.srsmicrosystems.co.uk/

And once in a blue moon can see a lens hidden that hasn't been re-priced.
 
I wandered in there today for a look while the wife looked at the craft stands.
I was looking to pick up some Kentmere 100 nut the price was a little much for me so I moved on.

had a nice look at some stuff tho.
 
I second that for ffordes wonderfull shop and helpfull staff, you could spend all day there!!
 
At the other end of the country (nearly!) from Ffordes is Mifsuds in Brixham, Devon. Another Aladin's cave. New and 2nd hand stuff.
 
At the other end of the country (nearly!) from Ffordes is Mifsuds in Brixham, Devon. Another Aladin's cave. New and 2nd hand stuff.

I have been into Mifsuds and they were very helpful and I later bought a lens from them mailorder which went well too.
 
The only problem with visiting bricks'n'mortar shops with massive stocks is that you go in looking for something in particular but come out hours later, loaded down with far more than you needed!
 
Another word of warning re Rocky, the last time I bought cameras from him it was a complete nightmare.

I bought 3 cameras from him, an OM4, a Voigtlander Superb and an SX-70 advertised as a spares or repair. The only one described remotely accurately was the SX-70.
I contacted him immediately about the Superb as it was, to use a technical term, completely shagged, I got no response despite repeated emails and phone calls, in the end I too resorted to raising a Paypal dispute, he then responded with " why did you raise a dispute, if you'd contacted me I would have sorted straight away" He eventually agreed to swap the Superb for another he had in stock, it arrived and it was a much better copy but then he got stroppy because I wouldn't close the dispute until I was happy that it not only looked better but was fully working as he described. For a man so slow to respond to his customer's attempts at contact he's very quick to whinge about it when the boot's on the other foot.
The OM4 which he described as fully working and in Exc++ condition had a sticky shutter, so rather than sending that back I stuck it in the post to Miles for a CLA, unfortunately it didn't just need a CLA, it was beyond repair since the circuit board needed repairing and there are none of these spares still available, certainly in the UK.
Despite my repeated attempts to contact him over the past 6 months he has ignored all avenues of communication, Paypal are no help since it will only deal with one dispute per transaction.
The SX-70 was, as he described, completely shagged and only good for spares or repair, it served its purpose.

So, if you are tempted to buy from Keith Rock here are a few recommendations:-

1) Ignore his descriptions, they are meaningless.
2) Always take a screenshot of the webpage of the item before you buy it, as it will disappear once you've bought it.
3) Always pay by Paypal, any other method is asking for trouble.
4) If you have a problem with an item, send him one email to register your dissatisfaction and then raise a Paypal dispute as soon as you can after that.
5) Check whatever you buy from him quickly and very very thoroughly, It wouldn't surprise me if he buys his stock by the kilo and there appears to be no quality control at all.
6) Be prepared to be disappointed, frustrated, angry and thoroughly p***ed off if you have to try and deal with him.
7) Be aware that although it may appear to be a bargain it might turn out to be a complete lemon.
8) Be aware that although it may appear to be a bargain it might turn out to be a bargain.

I'm not for one minute suggesting that Rocky's Cameras only sell tat as other's experiences show that that is not always the case, but buy carefully and don't throw away the packaging until you're happy with what you've bought, at least then it will only cost you the return postage to get your money back.

Caveat emptor (y)
 
Another word of warning re Rocky, the last time I bought cameras from him it was a complete nightmare.

I bought 3 cameras from him, an OM4, a Voigtlander Superb and an SX-70 advertised as a spares or repair. The only one described remotely accurately was the SX-70.
I contacted him immediately about the Superb as it was, to use a technical term, completely shagged, I got no response despite repeated emails and phone calls, in the end I too resorted to raising a Paypal dispute, he then responded with " why did you raise a dispute, if you'd contacted me I would have sorted straight away" He eventually agreed to swap the Superb for another he had in stock, it arrived and it was a much better copy but then he got stroppy because I wouldn't close the dispute until I was happy that it not only looked better but was fully working as he described. For a man so slow to respond to his customer's attempts at contact he's very quick to whinge about it when the boot's on the other foot.
The OM4 which he described as fully working and in Exc++ condition had a sticky shutter, so rather than sending that back I stuck it in the post to Miles for a CLA, unfortunately it didn't just need a CLA, it was beyond repair since the circuit board needed repairing and there are none of these spares still available, certainly in the UK.
Despite my repeated attempts to contact him over the past 6 months he has ignored all avenues of communication, Paypal are no help since it will only deal with one dispute per transaction.
The SX-70 was, as he described, completely shagged and only good for spares or repair, it served its purpose.

So, if you are tempted to buy from Keith Rock here are a few recommendations:-

1) Ignore his descriptions, they are meaningless.
2) Always take a screenshot of the webpage of the item before you buy it, as it will disappear once you've bought it.
3) Always pay by Paypal, any other method is asking for trouble.
4) If you have a problem with an item, send him one email to register your dissatisfaction and then raise a Paypal dispute as soon as you can after that.
5) Check whatever you buy from him quickly and very very thoroughly, It wouldn't surprise me if he buys his stock by the kilo and there appears to be no quality control at all.
6) Be prepared to be disappointed, frustrated, angry and thoroughly tinkleed off if you have to try and deal with him.
7) Be aware that although it may appear to be a bargain it might turn out to be a complete lemon.
8) Be aware that although it may appear to be a bargain it might turn out to be a bargain.

I'm not for one minute suggesting that Rocky's Cameras only sell tat as other's experiences show that that is not always the case, but buy carefully and don't throw away the packaging until you're happy with what you've bought, at least then it will only cost you the return postage to get your money back.

Caveat emptor (y)

Completely corresponds with my dealings with him over a lens that was advertised as in mint condition, yet when I got it I went through half a roll before realising it didn't stop down and I was unintentionally shooting everything wide open. I would avoid him unless it was something really rare, or something that could not be broken internally.
 
i bought an anvil from him last year and when it arrived it was made of jelly.....took me nearly a century to get a refund. Sorry, I was feeling left out.:D
 
Despite having read about other peoples experiences with RC I must have drunk too much red wine one evening as I found myself pressing the buy button for a Hasselblad polarising filter. It only cost something silly like £9.33 including the postage.

I must have been one of the lucky ones as it arrived within about 2 days, well packaged and in exc++ condition.
 
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Andysnap said:
i bought an anvil from him last year and when it arrived it was made of jelly.....took me nearly a century to get a refund. Sorry, I was feeling left out.:D

Ha. That made me laugh out loud.
 
I've bought filters and cable releases from Rocky and they've been fine. I've also bought a few dead cameras for parts and as doorstops/bookends etc and as long as you aren't expecting too much, they tend to be alright.

If what you're looking at is cheap enough then it may be worth budgeting for a CLA on top to make sure alls good in the hood.
 
i bought an anvil from him last year and when it arrived it was made of jelly.....took me nearly a century to get a refund. Sorry, I was feeling left out.:D

I also have a Rocky Anvil I had to purchase a beer mat to put under one corner.
 
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