Phil_F_NM
Camera hacker
Sorry about my digression!
Phil Forrest
Phil Forrest
Calumet Photographic: gone
- Thread starter mdarnton
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IanBiggar
Member
Calumet
Calumet
It's a shame nevertheless - when I was starting out in photography in Canada I used to get the Calumet catalogue and pour over all the useful info contained therein and even bought stuff. I still have a bunch of their older catalogues - how sad is that - but I do remember going into one of the stores in LA, on one of my forays south of the border, and of the nine items I wanted they only had one in stock and that was more than 20 years ago.
I also remember getting a couple of Pentax spot meters calibrated to "Zone VI" specs and the readings being out by more than a stop from each other. More Zone VI's fault I know.
In Scotland a few years back around the advent of digital taking off, they arbritarily cancelled my account without informing me as I had not purchased anything in awhile. They would not reinstate the account without me filling in all my info again - I told them to get lost and never missed them after that so I imagine they'll fold over here in the UK as well. They lost a lot of business over that!
I remember also the joy of discovering older independent camera store that had been around for long enough to have some interesting stuff stashed in corners or in boxes under tables - one in Porland and another somewhere else I can't remember - boy! those were the days.
Ian
Calumet
It's a shame nevertheless - when I was starting out in photography in Canada I used to get the Calumet catalogue and pour over all the useful info contained therein and even bought stuff. I still have a bunch of their older catalogues - how sad is that - but I do remember going into one of the stores in LA, on one of my forays south of the border, and of the nine items I wanted they only had one in stock and that was more than 20 years ago.
I also remember getting a couple of Pentax spot meters calibrated to "Zone VI" specs and the readings being out by more than a stop from each other. More Zone VI's fault I know.
In Scotland a few years back around the advent of digital taking off, they arbritarily cancelled my account without informing me as I had not purchased anything in awhile. They would not reinstate the account without me filling in all my info again - I told them to get lost and never missed them after that so I imagine they'll fold over here in the UK as well. They lost a lot of business over that!
I remember also the joy of discovering older independent camera store that had been around for long enough to have some interesting stuff stashed in corners or in boxes under tables - one in Porland and another somewhere else I can't remember - boy! those were the days.
Ian
filmtwit
Desperate but not serious
Sejanus.Aelianus
Veteran
I resemble that remark! :angel:
The space for the real specialist shops has moved to mail order and the internet in all sorts of fields. Back in 1979, there were twenty or so "proper" camera shops in Devon, with decent secondhand shelves, for an county that was not exactly the richest area of Britain. There were six or seven computer shops, at a time when the home computer market consisted of about ten manufacturers, mostly selling vapourware. There were ten or twelve specialist electronic component shops around the county and probably fifty decent stationers, of the sort who would sell you anything from a spare knib for your fountain pen to a photocopier with a thirty bin collator.
The point I'm trying to make, in my bumbling way, is that bricks and mortar is giving way to cybermarkets. I'm neither for nor against this change, for the same reason I'm neither for nor against the seasons. Change happens and that's all there is to it. [shrug]
nikon_sam
Shooter of Film...
I shopped at the last of the local camera stores in my area all the way up until they finally closed their doors...in the very end there wasn't much to buy...little scraps of photo related stuff and such...most of the smaller shops don't carry a big variety of stuff so you're forced to buy what they have in desperation or look elsewhere...I prefer to visit a store and walk out with what I need rather than have to wait for the UPS guy to deliver it...sometimes I have no choice but to order on the big internets...
I will stop at Freestyle or Samy's when in the area...even if it's just to see all that stuff...
I will stop at Freestyle or Samy's when in the area...even if it's just to see all that stuff...
majid
Fazal Majid
mwoenv
Well-known
It's unfortunately another outcome of the transformation of the business by the technology change. Digital cameras are basically a one-time sale, and with the big box stores selling them at discount prices, it's not surprising that real camera stores cannot survive.
When I was in Unique Photo in New Jersey recently, where you can still pick up film and chemicals, they were clearing an area in their existing space for selling cell phones, i.e., they know they can't make it only selling photo equipment.
But it's also the camera manufacturers that have to figure out how to survive:
http://www.imaging-resource.com/new...es-dropped-badly-in-2013-2014-off-to-bad-star
Interesting times. I'm glad my film cameras are sturdy.
When I was in Unique Photo in New Jersey recently, where you can still pick up film and chemicals, they were clearing an area in their existing space for selling cell phones, i.e., they know they can't make it only selling photo equipment.
But it's also the camera manufacturers that have to figure out how to survive:
http://www.imaging-resource.com/new...es-dropped-badly-in-2013-2014-off-to-bad-star
Interesting times. I'm glad my film cameras are sturdy.
Rangefinderfreak
Well-known
Calumet has 18 shops around Central Europe and they are doing fine. No "cut throat management" here... It is just so that Analog photography is doing very well in Europe, when in USA it is a true niche market and dying business.( http://www.calumetphoto.co.uk/INTER...Name=Calumet-Stores&CategoryName=locations-uk ) Look: ALL the good and well doing producers are in Europe: Ilford, Kentmere, harmann, Adox, Agfa Belgium, Foma, ORWO... just to name a few... Kodak is also now in Europe ( Alaris)
cz23
Well-known
Yes, Helix closed last year, which leaves Central as the last man standing in Chicago. Ironically, they were probably first, now at 115 years old.
I frequented all three Chicago-area Calumets. I confess to sometimes visiting for a hands-on experience of something I then bought online. But I tried to buy enough from them to ease my conscience. The Oak Brook store always seemed busy, but the Chicago location was usually empty.
John
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