mikegreenwald Loc: Illinois

This comment doesn't belong on this site, but it needs rebuttal. I'm far more afraid of a crazy man with his finger on multiple triggers, and who's policies will destroy the economy!

Shutterbugsailer Loc: Staten Island NY (AKA Cincinnati by the Sea)

Now I see why the Landlord has always been one of the Villains in fairy tales, exceeded only by the wicked stepmother and wicked witch

dsiner Loc: Kent, WA

same thing happened here in the Puget Sound area, Talls camera shuttered all their stores when the owner retired. I guess no one wanted to pick it up. Leaves only 3 camera shops left that I know of.

cessnalvr Loc: West virginia

As far as california this and california that try trucking in california. It is sad to see camera shops on the way out

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

Even though I'm east coast based, we have lots of family in the West and I've personally shopped & K&S at least a dozen times. Never bought much as i would just have to drag it home on an airplane, but was always impressed with their selection and knowledge. It is a shame to see this, and many other smaller stores, close. I have always made the attempt to buy my large items locally, which now means an hour drive each way, but the folks at my (sort of) local shop take very good care of me and always have. Where I used to have several local choices, I now have only one, and who knows for how long. Sad.

hcmcdole

Agree with you wholeheartedly!

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

Re: Best Buy - remember their staff are sakes clerks and not necessarily camera-photography-smart. Here is my expeeience just last Sunday. Was interested in a certain and wanted to check its performance. They did mount the lens on a camera and let me look through the viewfinder. But now card in camera and they did not make it possible to save an image and check how it looked in a store computer. Did the clerk make a sale - well I don't buy pigs in a poke.

In a real camera store what I wanted demonstrated would have been easy. By the way, stuff at Best Buy are not necessarily discounted.

Shaker Loc: New England

We who are enthusiasts and professionals in photography need to support our few remaining local camera shops.

Here in Massachusetts we have only one camera store left that I know of. Hunts Photo, a small chain. There are a few over near Boston and only one in Western Mass where I live.

I have learned to always go to Hints first for everything Photographic. Now the folks there know me, know my wishes and quirks. I go in there and get great personal service and hands-on purchasing. "Here, try this lens". Not only that, I get lots of direct very personal advise from experienced people.

A few weeks ago I got a hands-on one-hour long lesson in camera, lens, mirror and sensor cleaning ... complements of the house.

If they don't have an item in-store, they will bring it in for me to check it out.

The perks to having a local shop go on and on...

As good as chains like B&H are, they will never ever be able to fulfill the place of having a local camera shop and all of the personal experience, treatment and surety that goes with that.

Where-ever you are in the land, support your local camera store. Even if they are an hour away.

blacks2 Loc: SF. Bay area

I am sorry I did not post this for people to display their political agenda or opinion, I believe there is another site for this.

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

Camera stores that have been fast on the uptake of internet tech. have diversified into both store front and online sales. The best of both worlds for their customers. Dinosaurs go extinct!!

bwa

SteveLew Loc: Sugar Land, TX

I used to shop at Keeble and Shuchat which I always thought of as a premier camera store. The advice that I received at this camera store was priceless. It is unfortunate that people shop on-line for everything and that the brick and mortar shops can't compete. Where I now live the Houston Camera Exchange sells cameras and lenses for the same price as B&H since they are an authorized dealer for every popular camera make.

cgondolf Loc: Eugene Oregon

I used to own a small camera store. We prided ourselves on service and knowledge on photography. Unfortunately, we also had a large segment of the town's population that would come in to figure out what they should buy and then mail order it to save $20. We actually had people come to tears when we told them we had to close in the 80s because there was not enough profit to keep it going, so I'm unfortunately, not surprised that K&S finally decided to close. If you want to really support your local stores to keep them in business, buy your accessories from them. The large ticket items don't have much profit in them. When I was in business, it was the photofinishing that kept the doors open. I can't imagine how they do it since digital took over.

Bare Loc: SoCal

We don't call it Cantifordia for nuttin!

RonLR

The dinosaurs went extinct for reasons not necessarily their own.

NorCal Bohemian

Thank you for posting this - very sad news, indeed!

Nearly 20 years ago - I did a lot of business with Keeble & Schuchat - as a vendor representative. The late 1990's were a golden age in photography - when the commercial world was adopting digital imaging - and Keeble & Schuchat was THE source for digital solutions in Northern California. We sold millions of dollars of Leaf digital backs, SINAR digital backs - SINAR cameras, Broncolor lighting equipment and FOBA studio gear to the top commercial photographers and corporate in-house studios in northern California - as most of them were replacing all of their photo gear with the new digital equipment. I left the industry at the time of the "dot com bust" - and only recently have been catching up with what has since transpired. It seems that Keeble & schuchat had given up their dealership in the above named equipment to a competitor that is located only a few blocks away - Bear Images.

Terry Schuchat was always a gentleman - and he had put together a great staff of professionals to serve their market. That market has radically changed - and I feel most sorry for the loss of jobs for those 35 remaining employees - especially since they will most likely have to seek employment in a different field, negating their many years of in-depth photography experience. This is also a great loss for those photographers looking for advice, service and rentals. I can only offer my best wishes to all who are losing their ability to earn a living, offering service, in the declining photographic industry!

Sad, sad, sad!