Wing Shing Photo Supplies is probably the best photography store in Hong Kong. It is neither one of…read morethe giant chain stores, selling stock-standard consumer units, nor is it one of these local photography stores, tucked in the back of a computer centre somewhere. What you get with Wing Shing, is a very well stocked shop, staff that are more knowledgeable than in the Fortress or Broadway, but all of it with a slightly better safety-net then the local mom and pop stores in Sham Shui Po. Don't get me wrong, shopping here is still quite difficult, especially if you're not a Chinese speaker. The staff, whilst knowledgeable, can be pretty grotty and aggressive, but just let this pass over you, do your browsing, and buy if you want or need to. The shop stocks brand new camera ranges; Canon, Nikon, Go Pro, etc., lenses, bags, tripod, filters, as well as some of the more obscure photography accessories; dollies, pro-sumer DV cameras, microphones, waterproof cases. There is also an excellent lens departments, with both new and used lenses. The staff here are particularly knowledgeable and geeky, and will be up to run you through the difference in products whether they be the known brands or Chinese copies. If you know exactly what you want to buy, and perhaps are after some of the less quality critical products, like bags or clear glass filters, you may be better off going to the mom and pop stores in Sham Shui Po, which will be significantly cheaper. However, if you want to have a browse and play with all the camera kits, and get a bit of decent advice, then Wing Shing would be a good first port of call.

I will not do business with people who will tell you in the face - MONEY FIRST!!!…read more Gladly paid a higher price to the sales man that showed me what I needed and other options at DC Fever at Sim City Mong Kok.

Sells a whole range of New and Used cameras, nainly of well known and popular brands. I was helped…read moreby an assistant who appeared to be knowledgeable. The price quoted was not cheap. I guess neither would be the rent. One camera guru appear to recommend them. You have to do your homework and judge for yourself-.

Elegant store in the iSquare building on Nathan street, Tsim Sha Tsui - not the cheap seats. I…read moreneeded a UV filter 62 mm - they had the one in stock that I was looking for. However, their initial charge was 500 HKD ($63.70 USD). Salesman reduced it to 450 HKD ($57.30 USD) when I paid cash. Same filter is $32.50 from B&H and from Adorama. I pointed this out. Salesman had no comment. Guess they have to charge a significant markup to help with the rent. I won't deal with them again.

On the last count, I think there were 60 billion photo processing shops in HK. It seems you can't…read morewalk any where in this fine city with tripping over yet another photo store. However, let me highlight one of my favourites, the Agfa Digital Express. Located in the dingy little "art" tunnel between the end of the esco and IFC mall, it is funny little pile em high, sell em cheap sort of store, that does digital photo printing, passport photos and other photo related services. The lovely lady owner/manager is super efficient and speaks enough English to get by. She has the printing machines in the store, so when you need it within an hour, it actually is within an hour. Photo printing aside, I always come here for my passport photos (to be fair most places are much of a muchness), but also my laminating. It is the cheapest place I have found to do laminating at only a couple of HKD per sheet, which is surprising as it is a store in Central. The lovely lady also will laminate to your spec, say you wanted to laminate a postcard in the middle of an A4 sheet (don't ask, it's for my diving), she'll do it no questions, other places mutter about plastic and heat and softness - grrrr! Last note, she also sells a variety of photo related gifts and bits, just in case you really wanted a coffee cup shaped like a zoom lens.

I never knew that I could opt for a more attractive passport photo. Came here for my Chinese visa…read morephoto after my friend told me that they touched up her photo for her here. It was $60 for 5 prints, which seemed like a fine price to me. I was wearing a white tank top. She advised that I wear a scarf to cover my shoulders and that it would look better for the backdrop. I thought it was good advice. She didn't retouch my photo much, but I must say it is the best-looking one I have taken yet. The entire process took five minutes. She spoke English fairly well, so she won the argument on which photo of the three shots she took that we should use ;)

One of the best places to buy second-hand film cameras and to get your film printed in Hong Kong…read more Sunrise has been around since 1976 (a lot of customers are in the 50-60 range), and is a regular haunt for street photographers and buyers alike. I imagine Sunrise as the neighborhood photo shop of Sham Shui Po gone by. They've got film SLRs, TLRs, rangefinders, and a number of compact cameras. It's very easy to get to from Exit C2 of Sham Shui Po station. Just keep going straight for five blocks until you reach a pedestrian crossing. From there, cross the pedestrian crossing and spot a small shop that has cameras upon cameras by the window. The interior is small and cramped, I think it can fit at most five people inside the shop. If you just want to get your film prints on a CD or in print, go straight to the right side (where the computer is). For prints, ask for optical finishing and say what size you want your prints to be. I convert a large number of my slides and negatives here, they come out at 18 megabytes per frame for only 60 dollars! When I purchase a medium format camera (hopefully this year), I'll still get my 120mm film finished at Sunrise. Their service is fast and affordable, plus the staff are very friendly. I also purchased a Russian lens from them once, near to closing time. Imagine that, the shop was fifteen minutes to closing and there were still three people inside the shop. I thought I would get some alone time with the staff to talk about the different models of the lens that I would be buying. Nevertheless, I already knew what I wanted to buy beforehand. I inspected the lens for any dents or major scratches to the front and rear element. It was cosmetically sound so I mounted it on my camera. All apertures work and the lens is 99.9 percent clean, aside from a minor scratch at the barrel. A word of caution: Sunrise works on consignment so it is very important to inspect the item carefully (or get a friend who knows their photography equipment). Everything is transacted in cash and there is no receipt. As such, there is no refund or exchange policy.

I recently purchased my first analogue camera from sunrise professional photo finishing. The range…read moreand sheer number of second hand cameras is phenomenal. Prices are reasonable, but not cheap by any means. The staff are incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. They showed me all the workings of the camera and how to use it. I was encouraged to try the camera and and shoot a roll of film, which they developed in less than half an hour, and told me if the camera did not work properly they would fix and or replace it. Overall, my experience was brilliant and I'll definitely go back for any film camera needs next time I'm in Hong Kong.

I stumbled onto this shop while browsing in the Wanchai Computer Shops. Had been looking for a Sony…read moreE lens the last 2 days and have been quoted some ridiculous prices. There was a good range of Sony Cameras and accessories as well as other products. Darren the sales person was able to show me a Sony E lens for 10% less than the lowest quote I have been offered so far. Carmen the resident photographic expert gave me lots of helpful hints. It was easy to see that Carmen was passionate about photography. They all spoke good English. I was most happy to purchase the lens from these guys. It tested well on my camera and did what it was supposed to. Obviously I was a little apprehensive about the warranty etc. But for the price, I took a punt. I have since been able to register the lens with the Australian Sony website and the serial number posed not problems, for what it is worth. Overall it was a very pleasant experience without having to haggle. Alan's contribution was a nod to agree on the price and an advice to me NOT buy the Nikon Lens to Sony E mount adapter yet as there was problems. I wish these guys well and hope they continue to look after their customers.

If you are a photographer, you will have a brand. Most often you will be Cannon or Nikon (and never…read morethe twain shall meet it seems). If you are a photographer in Hong Kong, you will most likely be buying kit, as it is cheap (tax free) and plentiful. However, you may find it hard to test gear out in the photo stores, as the shop owners hate having to unwrapped the shrink-wrapped lens in the window so you can have a play. And we photographers like to have a play! Now, if you are a Cannon boy like me, you should trot your way over to the Cannon showroom on the 20th floor of iSquare in TST. This place is the place for all things Cannon. They have all of their cameras and lenses out for you to test and play with. The staff there are really knowledgeable and understand f-stops, frame rates, 4:2:2, you get the idea. They also have other Cannon products there, so not just cameras. The reason I highlight this showroom, is that it is a good place to test the gear you want to buy, which I find such a rarity in HK. You can also buy in the showroom, which means you will be getting genuine goods at the rack rate, however, you can also make a list of what you want and then head into Mong Kok to see if you can get a deal. Third party dealers may not be cheaper, but they can often throw in bits and pieces, say cases, straps, cheap lens filters. If you are tech geek and just want to play, they have some mental "paparazzi" lenses overlooking Hong Kong, so you will at least get a great view out of their 20th floor window.