Just realized how much I miss the smell of old camera shops

Talking to a guy at the local repair shop who remembered when every shop had a distinct mix of leather and chemicals, and it hit me that we've lost something with all these sterile online parts orders.

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noahpark2mo ago

Used to roll my eyes at people romanticizing camera shops, thought it was just nostalgia talking. But a few months back I had to pick up a part in person and the guy spent 20 minutes just talking about how different films render shadows. Realized those random conversations are the kind of thing you can't replicate with a search bar or a YouTube video. It wasn't just about buying stuff, it was having someone who actually knew their stuff tell you why something matters. Definitely changed how I look at those old shops now.

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jason7522mo ago

... I mean is it really that deep though? Yeah talking to someone who knows their stuff is nice and all, but let's not act like buying a lens cap was some sacred experience. You can get the same info from 20 different forum posts in 5 minutes flat without having to make small talk about someone's cat or their opinion on shutter button feel.

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