New Lomography shop in Manhattan

[eye_of_wally]

Ilford/Harman doesn't have the budget to open a boutique store in New York. Nor Fuji. I bet they are VERY happy that Lomo is doing it.

you are right I am sure that Fujifilm a multi billion dollar international company can simply not afford to open a small store in New York.

On the other hand my guess is that both Ilford and Fuji sell more products and make more money at B&H in New York in one year than the entire volume of the Lomography store. One really wonders how that is possible since the only people that market and sell film seems to be Lomography.

I am also sure that Ilford and Fuji just love all of the old dead stock film that Lomography sells, I mean it makes people buy old AGFA stock, or rebagged house brands and not new Fuji or lford but I know they must think that is good.

[David A. Goldfarb]

I think it's good that there are multiple streams through which people can participate in traditional photography, and it doesn't seem that the existence of one has to preclude the others. There's even another shop that sells funky gadgets called AC Gears a few blocks away from the Lomography shop, and they also have Holgas, Lomos, and the Blackbird Fly TLR on hand.

Fujifilm and Ilford are manufacturers and are right not to get into retail, which would require a whole corpororate structure, and can cause conflicts with their distributors and end sellers. Lomography.com does retail and marketing, and they're apparently pretty good at it.

Maybe the Lomography shop doesn't appeal to everyone, but it certainly appeals to some people who aren't attracted to B&H or Adorama or Freestyle or APUG, and don't know what to look for on eBay for the same kind of photographic experience.

[eye_of_wally]

David, I agree with you, and I am happy that Lomography is seemingly doing well, and I really hold nothing against them. I like money also, and if they can make it good for them.

What I don't like is the idea that gets floated around the net that somehow Lomography is the great messiah and savior of film based photography, that without them no one would ever pick up a film camera for the first time. And film based photography is doomed without them. They are simply a vendor and a player in the game much like every other company that markets photography products

[msdemanche]

I am glad to here about them. I am up there next week and am going to check them out. Do you think they will be open on Friday?

Michel

[Joe VanCleave]

And the Urban Outfitters retail store chain also sells some Diana cameras, although they don't sell film, which I think is kind of funny.

~Joe

[David A. Goldfarb]

I suspect they're open Fridays. It may have the hours posted somewhere on the lomography website.

[ms.malia]

I was excited to find out that they finally opened a store in NY and checked it out. I was more interested in looking at the more expensive camera replicas they had on display...it's nice to hold them in your hands and feel the weight of the camera.

when I worked in Brooklyn I was able to walk into their warehouse and buy whatever I needed. It was pretty handy.

I never buy my film from there unless places like Adorama are closed.

but I'm glad the shop is there...they have workshops that have a very "just pick up a camera and shoot" kinda feeling which i think is really cool. Some people are very shy about photography and Lomo does a good job at making its more accessible to everyone.