Description
London Camera Exchange can trace its origins back to the 1950's when the founders acquired premises in Guildford's Tunsgate from which they operated a photography studio. The owners of Tunsgate Studios soon noticed that their customers were very interested in the equipment used in the studio and even went so far as to sell some of their old equipment. When customers started to offer other cameras in part exchange for newer or more expensive models the business, as it exists today was born.
To this day the Guildford branch still occupies the same premises as the original Tunsgate Studios but the business has grown to include a total of 29 shops spread throughout England, from Plymouth in the South West to Manchester in the North West. The London Camera Exchange Group remains one of the largest family owned chains of specialist photographic shops in England today.
Each store within the Group has retained an element of individuality and carries a range of stock chosen by its local manager and staff rather than by a remote and faceless buyer. As well as catering for most of the needs of a keen photographer, a number of the shops devote a lot of space to other types of optical equipment such as binoculars and telescopes. All of the shops continue to offer part exchange facilities, enabling those with a growing interest to trade up to the latest offerings and the range of used equipment on offer caters for those who prefer the models of yesteryear.
In addition to the basic photographic requirements such as cameras, lenses and film all 29 branches offer a quality film processing service as well as a range of albums and frames for displaying or storing the finished work. Five of the branches; Bristol Horsefair, Chester, Chesterfield, Manchester and Southampton are equipped with state of the art on site film processing minilabs, each capable of producing the finest quality output from various types of original. Traditional film users as well as those who have switched to the latest digital technology can all take advantage of excellent prints with the minimum wait.
With digital technology improving at breakneck pace, the photographer's desire for the latest digital still and video cameras has not been overlooked by London Camera Exchange and each of the shops now stocks a wide range of these exciting new products. Staff are encouraged to take an interest in new technology as it arrives so that they can give practical and useful advice to customers contemplating a change.
Whatever interest you might have in cameras, binoculars, telescopes or their associated accessories a visit to London Camera Exchange with its helpful and knowledgeable staff combined with competitive prices could be a most rewarding experience. The Club is now over fifty years old. It was all started by the co-owners of a photographic shop in St Mary's Lane. The shop had been established for some years and together with the owner of a chemists in Station Road the idea of a camera club was seen as a good business opportunity.
Our extensive programme of both competition and interesting lectures help to build and encourage our members to advance their skills in all aspects of photography. All members are encouraged to enter club competitions at a level that suits their ability, where their photographs are judged and given a critique. Digital photography and digital manipulation is actively encouraged.
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