this forwarded email had help me when i went to HongKong :
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It was very very difficult to seperate the some what honest dealers to the crooks. Most photo dealers in HK are out to screw you, especially the ones in high rent areas on HK Island near Lan Kwai Fong and tourist areas. They kisses every tourist butt but ignores the locals. Worse still if you are a Singaporean. They will think you are from mainland China and give you a valuable acting drama lesson of how to put on a scorn face.
The more reputable dealers seem to be located along
Stanley Street in Central (near Lan Kwai Fong)and
Kimberly Road on Kowloon side (just off of Nathan Road) and out in
Mong Kok just outside the MTR, on and around the
Yeung Choi Street and
Tung Choi Street Area and in
Yau Ma Tei. The prices in
Mong Kok are typically at least 5-10% less than the prices in Central. However, it may be easier for visitors without much time to find the shops in Central and on Kimberly Road.
Personally, if you are looking for new camera gear and have the time, I would recommend taking the MTR out to one of the following:
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Kowloon Photo (in Yau Ma Tei)
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Wing-Shing (in Mong Kok)
66 Sai Yeung Choi ST., Mongkok, Kowloon
Tel: 2396 6881, 2369 6961
Business Time: 10am - 8pm
Take the MTR to Mong Kok Station and exit via EXIT D-3. From there it is easy to get to both MAN-SHING and WING SHING.
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Man Shing (in Mong Kok)
106, Tung Choi Street, Kowloon, Hong Kong Tel:
2396 2996, 2395 6684 Fax: (852) 2395 2127
I think you can get the best deal with these guys and the risk of getting ripped off is very low, if not non-existant.
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These are some REAL decent camera shops in Mongkok known by most local photographers called
"Man Shing" and another one called .
"Wing Shing". Just go check out their prices and you won't find anywhere in the world cheaper than theirs. Moreover, they are honest (service not so good though) and won't cheat you. "Wing Shing" sell mostly 135 stuffs. "Man Shing" sell both 120 and 135. Try not to go to these 2 shops at night because will be very crowded and sales attitude not very good, they won't entertain you. These 2 shops are cheap but rude.
Just don't go to those so-called "camera shops" along Nathan Road and you won't regret for that.
Sometimes,
Mongkok Camera Centre and
Cheer Power offer extraordinary low price for photographic stuff, you can go and check out yourself. However, don't expect too much about product knowledge from their staff. If you are in Mongkok, you should ask price quotation at Mongkok Camera Centre before proceed to "Wing Shing" and "Man Shing".
You might want to look up some second-hand gear. Go to the ground floor of this building called Champagne Court, which is located at the junction of Kimberly Road and Carnarvon Road in the district of Tsim Sha Tsui; it's jammed packed with second-hand camera shops. Don't buy anything from Champagne Court.
1) Cheer Power Camera & Audio
Hung Kei Mansion, Queen Victoria Street, Central, Hong Kong
Tel: 2877 1511, 5369 8822
Business time : 10am - 7pm
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What do they sell: New equipment
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What's worth buying: Everything, especially special-offer items
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What's good about them: Fixed prices; waranteed products (not grey imports); prices generally among the cheapest in Hong Kong.
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What's bad about them: Don't try to bargain (it's fixed prices anyway) or ask too many questions, the sales people there can be quite crabby.
Sometimes, Mongkok camera centre and Cheer Power offer extraordinary low price for photographic stuff, you can go and check out yourself. However, don't expect too much about product knowledge from their staff.
2) Kwong Tai Photo Supplies Co. Ltd.
30A Stanley St., Central, Hong Kong; tel: 2522 8648
Business time : 10am - 7pm (close on Sunday)
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What do they sell: New equipment -- regular as well as grey import items
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What's worth buying: Grey import items
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What's good about them: Well stocked; reliable merchandise quality
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What's bad about them: Not particularly customer-friendly (but they'll provide you with price quotes if you ask politely)
3) Photo Scientific Appliances Ltd
6 Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong; tel: 2522 9979
Business Time: 0900-1900 (Closed on Sunday)
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What do they sell: New equipment
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What's worth buying: High-end stuff that're hard to find, such as Billingham bags What's good about them: The only local shop I've come across that stocks the full range of Billingham bags.
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What's bad about them: High expensive prices.
4) Stanley Photo Supplies
Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong; tel: 2525 2290
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What do they sell: New and used equipment
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What's worth buying: New accessories; e.g. Soligor power winder for Nikon FM/FE/FM2/FE2 and Canon , Capital DIIIB CdS incident / reflected light exposure meter (badged as Jessop DIIIB in the U.K.), and vinyl camera bags (HK$ 15-20 in S, M & L sizes)
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What's good about them: Good prices
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What's bad about them: Check carefully what you buy
5) Mirama Camera & Hi Fi Co. Ltd
25 Stanley Street, Central, Hong Kong
tel: 2525 0501
Business time : 10am - 7pm
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What do they sell : New & used equipment
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What's worth buying : Camera bags (seems to have the best prices)
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What's good about them : Fixed prices
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What's bad about them : Again, not the most customer-friendly.
6) Salon Camera & Radio Co.
Groundfloor, 3 Lchang Street, Tsim Sha Tsuim Kowloon
Tel: 2376 0906
Business time : 10am - 8pm (Closed on Sunday)
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What's good about them : Friendly and helpful service
7) All Best Camera & Watch Co.
Ground floor, Shop 4 Champangne Court, 16 Kimberley Road, Kowloon; tel: 2739 1826
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What do they sell : Used equipment
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What's worth buying : Nothing pops up in particular
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What's good about them : Friendly and helpful service
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What's bad about them : Hit or miss reliability with the quality of their merchandise (I suspect) -- you need to know something about buying used cameras and lenses to shop there.
8) For used equipment, go to
Tin Cheung Camera Co. in the shopping arcade of Tung Yin Building, 100 Granville Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon; tel: 2368 7518 (Tung Yin Building is adjacent to Champagne Court) .
Good service, need to bargain price. The most well stocked shop for new/used Leica. Well-stock in 135, 120, 4x5 cameras and lenses. They also carry brands like Gitzo , Manfrotto, Domke, Tenba, Lowepro. This shop offers very good customer service.
9) Kowloon Photo Service
Groundfloor, 5, Woosung Street, Yaumati, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Tel: 2384 9302
Good selection of Photo gear. Prices are at least 5-10% less than the best prices of the shops in Central. Personnel are typically polite. Carry Lowe Pro Bags, Darkroom stuff as well as Nikon scanners.
Take the MTR to JORDAN station exit from Jordan Station and walk up NATHAN ROAD ( away from Victoria Harbour). Kowloon Photo is off Nathan Road to the left near the Jade Market.
Business time : 11am - 9pm
10) Foto Photo Supplies Co.
G20 Hung Hom Sq., 37-39 Ma Tau Wei Rd., Hung Hom Kowloon
Tel : 2363 0179
Business time : 11.30am - 8pm
http://www.glink.net.hk/~npc/foto/index.html
11) Matsuya Camera & Video Centre
Shop 15, Tsim ShaTsui Mansion, 83-97 Nathan Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Tel : 2724 0893
Business time : 10am - 8pm (Close on Sundays)
http://www.matsuyacamera.com.hk/
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What do they sell : Used equipment
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What's worth buying : used stuffs
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What's good about them : Friendly and helpful service , cheap price
12) Zhao Xiang Guan
Shop G36, Tung Ying Building, 100 Nathan Rd., Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Tel : 2722 0068, 2722 0161
Business time : 11am - 8.30pm (Close on Sundays)
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What do they sell : Used equipment
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What's worth buying : used stuffs
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What's good about them : Friendly and helpful service , cheap price.
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Professional Photo Labs in HK
1) East Asia Professional Photofinishing Lab
- 8 Floor, Portion A1 & C1, Hop Shi Fty, Bldg., 29-31 Lee Chung Street, Chai Wan, Hong Kong
- Groundfloor, 76 Wellington Street, Central, HK
- Groundfloor, 29 Swaton Street, Wanchai, HK
Tel : 2889 3168 , 2525 9169 , 2575 1745
Business time : 9am - 7pm
http://www.eastasialab.com.hk/
2) Holy Crown Ltd
Unit B, 3/F Internation Ind. Bldg., 501-503 Castle Peak Road, Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon.
Tel : 2394 8847
Business time : 11am - 9pm
http://www.glink.net.hk/~npc/holycrown/index.html
While you're in Hong Kong, get hold of the contact number for the local Consumer Council (you'll get that in in the tourist info booklet at the airport or your hotel. In case you got conned or over-charged, they are the people who can really help you.