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Post by ianglean on May 15, 2009 7:04:55 GMT -5
I was hoping to run across a Shanghai RF when I was In China last fall but we never got off the tourist beaten paths. If you want one let me know.
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Post by nikkortorokkor on Jun 1, 2009 1:20:10 GMT -5
Re the discussion on technology in developing countries - The argument about developing countries hopping into "new" tech is quite true.
VCR is unheard of in China. When they went video it was via something called VCD - like a DVD but much lower quality. Tat was in the mid to late 90s. DVD took over a few years later.
Cellphones are particularly useful in developing countries because the infrastructure is much cheaper than land line. Yes, "everyone" has had a cell in China for about 10 years.
Cameras are another story. There were a lot of Seagulls and Phenixes in China. They were a big ticket item, but they were available. Hence, film had a long history in China.
When I was in China in '01 - '04, the market was switching to digital, so it changed at about the same time as the West. There were stilll loads of 'orrible 35mm zoom P&S selling everywhere. Hi end Camera stores were dominated by Nikon and Canon SLRs. The Phenix and Seagull manual SLRs were very much also rans. Each store had a glass case or two of Digicams, and I bought mine from China, now I stop and think about it.
The main reason I went digi then was to escape the awful processing in China. I had found a good lab in the end, but never found anyone to do E6.
Back then, every time I went to a scenic spot I'd find a gang of middle aged Chinese photography enthusiasts toting prosumer or pro Canons and Nikons plus the odd Leica. Manfrottos are IT for these guys (hence the quite good Chinese copies that now sell everywhere). They'll all be using Digi now I guess. These groups usually consist of educated professionals (often doctors) and I'd usually find someone who spoke English. There are definitely camera clubs in China.
There are also vintage camera enthusiasts and even some camera museums. Finding them without local knowledge will be near impossible. Anyone under 30 (i.e., your guide) will not understand why anyone would be interested in grandad's old cr*p and helpfully put you on the right track by ignoring your request.
There is a big camera mall in Beijing which, I understand, has some vintage shops. Don't expect a bargain from these however.
I did buy something from a back ally old camera shop in a provincial city - a set of MD extension rings. There was a Shanghai RF there too, but very tatty.
Phenix are still turning out various rangefinders for the Lomo crowd. I'd bet they sell almost zero of these on the home market.
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