Big Boxes O Bargains This Week With Ilford Paper

Those of you, and us, who use Ilford Galerie Smooth Pearl paper for a standard image carrier will be gratified by the March Madness Sale that is going on this week here at the shop.

In addition to big discounts on cameras, lenses and equipment, we have dropped the Ilford Galerie Smooth Pearl paper considerably. Thus:

A4................ 1oo-sheet box........................................$ 59

A3+.............. 25 +10 sheet box..................................$ 47

A2.................25 sheet box...........................................$ 82

This is a super-cheap way to get good printing paper. Already the boxes are flying out the door and this is just the first day.

Please note that while we call it the March Madness Sale we ain't going to be crazy for the entire month. Sanity will prevail after this coming Saturday, so get in THIS WEEK if you hope to score a bargain.

After Saturday we will chew through the straps and escape.

Moving Right Along - With The Panasonic Lumix

This advertisement is the right price - we have just made sure of that!

The Panasonic Lumix GX-7 is a beauty of a mirror-less camera - it is one of the best handed cameras in this sensor size - the controls fall to your fingers without strain and the multi-angle viewfinder and LCD screen mean that you can operate it in any position - close to the ground for macro flowers or high above your head for event shots.

The files it produces are clean and clear - it handles low light very well.

It takes all the micro 4/3 lenses from Panasonic and other manufacturers. And here is where this deal gets sweeter. We have the perfect family party and tourist lens for it  -the Panasonic 20mm f:1.7 lens.

Today and tomorrow we have four of these camera body/lens combinations available - silver body and silver lens - with all the accessories for a snip price of:

                                        $ 1189.00

The lens alone sells for $ 450 so it looks as though this is the bargain of the day. We're trading until 5:30 today and until 3:00 tomorrow. Ring us up with the credit card and secure one.

A Christmas Carol And We all Go To The Dickens...

Whet the knife and boil the oil
Someone here has screwed up royal.
Grab a throat and twist it tight
The advertisement is not right.

If you read the newspaper today you may be astonished to see that 24-70 mm lenses from Canon and Sigma are at an all-time low price. An eye-poppingly low price. An unsustainable send-us-to-the poorhouse price. It is not just a clever marketing ploy by devious minds. It is a monumental proof-reading mistake by tired minds. The first casualty of Christmas 2013.

This is in the true Australian tradition of something coming seriously adrift around the 25th - you'll remember the ILLAWARA and the Tasmanian bridge and Darwin and the cyclone and all the bushfires. Well, this is the Camera Electronic Christmas disaster.

Don't contribute money to the Red Cross for us - no-one is homeless yet. We are about to have a couple of days of irate phone calls but we are trained in how to handle these; we burst into tears and howl like husky dogs. It seems to work.

The REAL PRICE of the lenses:

1. Sigma 24-70 lens    RRP $ 1049    Christmas Special $ 744

2. Canon 24-70 lens   RRP $ 1699     Christmas Special $ 1222

Apart from the advertisement passing 4 proof readers...(!)...we do apologise for the inconvenience to our customers. It is just a mistake, not a deliberate piece of meanness.

We reserve that for our relatives at the end of Christmas Day...Ho Ho Ho.

Kindly Old Uncle Dick

Hark The Herald Tribune Cries " Come In Here And Buy, Buy, Buy "

With apologies to Tom Lehrer…but it is the last Saturday before Christmas and it is traditional that you come in to the shop and buy something. We would prefer that you ask for photographic equipment but if you insist on hammers or plates of liver, we will do what we can to oblige…

It is also traditional in Western Australia to panic when it comes to the holidays. People look forward to one day of the year when the shops are shut and calculate that they will not be able to get bread or milk and rush out and empty the shelves and service station tanks…and in this spirit we would like to remind you that we will be shut from 3:00PM on the 24th until after New years. So rush in here and empty the shelves - you never can tell when you will wake up in the middle of the night and need a telephoto lens. Play it safe - buy several.


Merry Christmas from Uncle Dick

Coming Soon To A Computer Near You

I opened the emails at home this morning and found an advertisement for an antique sales company. I do not buy antiques but I opened it anyway - it turned out to be from some firm that is trying to sell antique photographic gear at auction - or what may purport to be an auction.

I like antique photographic gear - I could look at it all day. Sigh... I DO look at it all day...Either at home in the studio or here at the shop - there it is. I have no desire to augment the collection but still I looked at the list.

One item on offer was a Spirograph. The blurb said that it was similar to one in the Smithsonian Institution and that it was expected to fetch $ 10,000. I am glad that I was not eating at the time I read this as I would probably still be cleaning cornflakes off the the computer screen right now....Reading further I saw a long address in Chinese at the bottom, leading me to the cynical speculation that there must be someone who thinks that the Chinese people are either seriously rich or seriously stupid.

Then I remembered Nürnberg and a visit I made to that city in 1995. I wandered through the business district, pretzel in hand, and passed a camera shop. In it were a vast collection of ex-Soviet cameras and 50's film cameras at eye-watering prices. It was a nice set of premises until you considered the premise that the owner - Boris  - was trying to sell the unworkable to the unwitting. I think he must have succeeded because he pops up in eBay all the time doing the same thing from Germany, and has lately established an outpost in Hong Kong. I can only presume business is brisk, but I cannot say whether this makes me happy or sad, nor for whom...

As it is, I shall pass on the $ 10,000 Spirograph. If there is one in K-Mart for $ 9.95 I might be tempted as the swirly patterns that they make can be quite lovely. I wonder what would happen if you put it on a Wacom Intuous computer tablet and traced up a storm. It would probably look like some of the computer-generated patterns you get as screen savers. I wonder if you could use it to draw a picture of Boris?

Grandma's Camera

It is no sin to get older and to have grandchildren. Nor is it wrong to want to have thousands of pictures of them plastered over the house and the internet. It is, however, a dreadful and terrible thing to make those pictures look bad. Nowadays there is no excuse for the out-of-focus image with heads lopped off and the colour gone to mud. Modern cameras can do better than that...

But we older folk sometimes are not entirely up to the minute with the latest technology in cameras. We remember film and the simple camera that coped with outdoor pictures - the family gathered on the front lawn or at the dinner table. We pointed, shot, and let the chemist deal with the rest of the problems. The resultant prints went into albums and on the refrigerator and we were happy.

Well, take the chemist out of the equation - Heaven knows that we'll be seeing enough of them with our swollen, itchy, or leaky bits...we don't need them to be the arbiters of our images as well.

The camera that does it automatically, easily, and with clarity is the thing we need. If there are only one or two buttons to press, all the better - but we must have clean files on our computers or to give to the mall printer so that the grandies look like we think they look. Olympus has one of these that is perfect for us.

The Stylus SH 50 is small enough to be convenient but big enough to be easily grasped. It is precise and fast - press the button and it does the business right then. There is a long zoom lens in case the grandies are at the beach and a wide-angle lens in case we are on holiday  and get to the big scenic lookout. There is a flash that lets us take indoor images perfectly.

It does do video - just point and shoot. The video has good clear sound - in stereo. And it has a priceless asset - there is a shake-reduction device  it that operates no mater how we hold it - if we have a bit of a tremor it does not matter - the camera will smooth it out.

Best of all - it is on special now until Christmas at Camera Electronic for $ 314 complete. Just add a memory card and start shooting.

Yule Be Sorry To Miss Out

Christmas time has come, By Golly
Scourge the kids with boughs of holly.
Pie the mince and tree the balls,
Here comes Microsoft scamming calls.

Nose to tail along the Freeway
South or North it matters not
Honk your horn and raise your finger
It's still and dead and bright and hot.

Xmas lunch with all the rellies
Hoping for prawns? You joke my dear -
The kids have eaten all the good bits
Content yourself with bread and beer.

Back again at end of even,
Bloated, sleepy, red, and sore.
New Year's Eve looms like perdition -
Then we do it one time more.

You can fight against Christmas ennui by buying yourself a gift - you'll see a CE special advertisement somewhere on your computer soon. Don't stint yourself - the prices have come down and you can treat yourself to something to make up for the ties, potholders, and shapeless sweaters that will be under the tree.

None of this will make up for the trip on the freeway to see your relatives but at least you'll be able to take good pictures over the summer holiday. If you get a camera like the Fuji X-series you can take wonderful selfies on New Years Eve before the fights break out.

That Damn Wall Is Back

Last year you will remember that we constructed the Great Wall of Olympus on the shelves behind our sales counter. We had a solid barrier of Olympus micro 4/3 cameras in boxes on sale.

 For months we could not get to the items on the shelf  - in fact we think one of the smaller staff members got trapped behind ir. There were noises and cries for help. They got fainter as the days wore on and eventually stopped. It was along about that time the smell started...

 But that was last year, and we have moved on. New shop fit and all. But...the damn wall is back.

This time it is Fuji X-series cameras and Panasonic Lumix cameras. As you can see from the photographs we have X-E1, X-M1, and X-A1 cameras piled in one section - and X-20 cameras piled in another. The Panasonic section is stuffed full to the top with Lumix G7 cameras. They are all looming over us and if they fall no-one is safe...

You can help prevent a terrible tragedy. Come in and buy a camera or two and take them away on holiday. Have a good time and take wonderful pictures. And let us get through to the filter shelf without having to use an assault ladder or a HIAB.

Fuji X-E1 with 18-55 lens....................................$ 988

Fuji X-M1 with 16-50 lens..................................$ 998

Fuji X-A1 with 16-50 lens....................................$ 711

Fuji X-20 with 7.1-28 lens...................................$ 668

Panasonic Lumix GX7.......................................$ 998

Please note we also have camera bags that replicate themselves in dark corners. Buy one and help cull the breeding stock.

Hard Cases

We have a small pile of ex-rental hard cases near the front counter. You might need new foam inside but they're only $ 25 each. Makes a good big school lunch box...

Fish Or Cut Bait - With Kata

For all of our clients who want to get a bargain - and are always pressing us for them...here is a stand in the middle of the main traffic area of the shop that should serve you well.

Kata bags are good gear - I have one myself that contains the wife's video camera. It is the best fit I have ever found for a very awkward piece of equipment. Win for me.

Win for you with the Kata bargain stand - we're dropping 20% off all these bags. They are new and in such a variety of shapes and capacities as to swallow up whatever you throw at it. Kata have long prided themselves on the unique construction of some of their range and they also point out that their bags are the lightest containers per se for photo gear.

Of course the makers of paper bags dispute this, but then few of us want to house a DSLR in a mushroom bag.

Sale on now until stocks run out.

A Darned Good Chance For The Nikon Shooter

Folks, T2 Time has returned. Anyone out there who has been tempted recently to get themselves a fresh Nikon digital camera body should pop into Camera Electronic over the next few weeks.

The yellow cabinet in the center of the shop has a plentiful supply of Nikon D800 and D600 bodies, as well as some D7000 and D3200. I note a few interesting lenses as well - including a 135mm DC for the portraitists who can't wait for a Russian Petzval...

T2 stock has been used in trade shows, or sales demonstration - sometimes it has boxes with scuffed corners and sometimes something like a strap or body cap or one of the cables might be missing - sometimes they are complete but refurbished. In any case they are warranted by Nikon Australia for 6 months and we warrant them for a further 6 months after that - so you get your full year's security.

The great part is they are at a significantly lower price than the regular stream stock - if you couldn't afford a D800 before you sure can now! No more humming and hawing about when you might go FX. Now is the time.

Ilford Bumper Crop Now In - Get Your Extra A4 Paper

The paper trees on the north slopes of the Laurentian Shield have bloomed well this year and the Ilford company has been able to harvest a lot more Smooth Pearl Galerie paper in A4 size. The ox-drawn paper wagons have returned from the woods laden with this fine inkjet paper and as a result of the surplus, Ilford have packed 35 sheets into a 25 sheet pack for the same price.

This means that you have more printing paper - if you are accustomed to doing test prints you can do 10 more of them before you do the final print. Or you can do 10 more final prints. Your choice. Please see the advertisements for monitor and printer calibrators that we have posted in the past if you think the latter option the better one...

This bumper harvest* is a once-a-year event - when the boxes of 25 + 10 sheets are sold you'll have to wait for next year. Therefore this is a very good time to come in and buy some A4 paper.

*Harvesting bumpers is a lot more popular now that cars generally don't have hubcaps. Just fasten a chain to them and drive away fast. A chap out in Gosnells has a collection of every Hyundai front bumper ever made. I tried to buy the '93 Getz in Lime Green from him but he was trying to gouge the price...

Nikon Deals - Buy A Newspaper Now!

If you are in Western Australia today, buy a WEST AUSTRALIAN newspaper. If you are in one of the eastern states, look on our website. If you are accessing this blog from somewhere else in the world, apply to emigrate to Australia, fly in, say hello to the friendly beagle dog at Perth Airport, then go to the news stand and buy a copy of the paper. If the friendly beagle seems to want to spend a good deal of time with you, expect to make other new friends...

But back to the newspaper. In about 15 pages is a full-page advertisement for the dale of NIKON cameras,lenses, and flashes here at the shop. The savings over the rrp are truly amazing - the Nikon people have a new emphasis on shopping for their products locally, and we are fully supportive of this.

You'll see a great selection of bodies - both DX and FX, and a good spread of prices to match entry, enthusiast, and pro level. The flashes are a screaming woot woot steal of a bargain - I use two of them myself - -and there are some gems amongst the lenses.

We're racing to the end of the financial year - an occasion when even the staid accountant will relax and  tell you to go out and spend. This is a good chance to get real value for your...or someone else's...money. I have found Nikon equipment to be a sound trouble-free investment over the years and good glass like this is never out of photographic fashion.

PS: Those of you Sherlockians who correctly observe the leading image will be able to tell me the name of the ship. Go on - this is an intellectual challenge...

Red Dot Frenzy - Leica Sale!

Alright, let's be honest. When was the last time you saw the words Leica and Sale in the same sentence? Let alone frenzy...

Saul has put together 4 pages of Leica things to sell at reduced prices - some of them are new - some are pre-owned.

Some are so new as to not even be here yet, but he has a cunning plan to supply them as soon as is possible AND give the buyer a way to take good Leica photographs while they are waiting. Actually quite a sensible plan, when you consider it and we are hoping you will come down here to the shop and consider it.

The best way to find out what is going for cheap is to email us and we'll fire out the four pages for you to see. There seem to be a number of rather remarkable wide-aperture lenses amongst the offerings and a number of very good quality bodies.

If I were a Leica person or if I wanted to become  Leica person, I would leap at this before the end of the month.

Prices Drop Further - Softboxes On Sale

The CL softbox sale continues but you might take a hint from the title image and swoop into the shop - we've dropped the prices on these top-quality softboxes to 50% of marked price.

If you've got a studio, or want to got a studio in the near future, now is the time to equip yourself. Come get the size you want while we still have them.

Big Soft Sale For Big Hard Photographers

Go on. Harden up. Time to soften your photos.

We've just put out a sales stack of CL-brand soft boxes and suitable speed rings on our bargain floor near the front of the store.

The CL boxes come in all sorts of sizes - from little 40 x 40 squares up to massive strip and bed boxes. There are octas as well. Also deep and shallow types and some with recessed fronts so that you can fit egg crate grilles.

The speed rings are available for Elinchrom, Profoto, and Bowens - though there are a limited number of Bowens ones. As you'll see from the illustration, the rings are multiple-use types - they are colour-coded for where the rods are to be inserted.

These are well-built items and would serve a good long time in professional use.

The sale prices are 30% off marked retail for individual items - and if you buy the softboxes with a lighting kit we'll go to 40% off the softbox prices. It is a good opportunity to expand the light-shaping capabilities of your studio.