Billings, Montana camera store

**Dakotah Jackson** · 20-May-2009, 16:40

Driving through Billings a week ago I stopped at CAMERAS, 101 N 24th, (1-800-664-1776) and picked up some 8x10 hard rubber developing tanks. He had a number of 8x10 tanks, both rubber and metal. No 8x10 hangars at the time but he gets stuff fairly often. A ton of other LF film hangers including some odd sizes one doesn't see too often. Enlargers in the basement and a few LF view cameras on the main floor. Books and supplies and a ton of used film gear of all sizes.

If you are going through, heading to Yellowstone or Glacier or workshops at Formulary... the place is worth the stop. I don't work for him, just stop there every few years when I go through and always find something interesting to buy. Old brass lenses on the shelf and a ton of 5x7 and 4x5 film holders and most of the stuff I asked about was priced reasonably.

**Walter Calahan** · 20-May-2009, 17:22

My old home town.

**venchka** · 27-May-2009, 05:42

Quite possibly the shop where I bought a small Sekonic meter (still in my bag) in 1979 on our way from Yellowstone to Glacier. Nice to know there are still shops around in small towns.

**SaveBears** · 27-May-2009, 16:54

If you went to Billings on your way from Yellowstone to Glacier, you really went out of your way, Most Likely you stopped in the camera store in Bozeman, they have been there for a number of decades now and would be right on the way, Billings is several hundreds of miles east of the route to Glacier from Yellowstone.

**venchka** · 28-May-2009, 05:35

Thanks. I looked at a map last night. I bought the meter going north. Most likely Missoula on our way to Kalispel. We went through Billings going back to Luziana.

**Arietis** · 4-Jun-2009, 18:25

Hmm ... haven't been to Billings in a while, but if/when i ever get around to that area again, i'll have to take a gander. There are a few decent camera shops here in MT that i have been to. The Dark Room in downtown missoula is a decent little shop, the guy that owns the place is usually pretty good about making deals etc, and there's usually something interesting in there for sale. As an added bonus, they do rent out dark rooms (mostly for 35mm/120 work, but he did say they may have a 4x5 enlarger etc down in their basement).

If you're into small town camera shops and you're in SW Montana, you can check out Neal's Photo in Philipsburg (24ish miles from Anaconda). That's about as small town as you can get, and he's got a decent selection of gear if you're willing to dig for it. His shop isn't the most organized i've ever seen.

There're a few other shops here and there, but the rest focus mostly on digital. Only place in Montana that i know of that still does LF processing is F11 in Bozeman. Haven't tried them yet, but i just recently got into LF photography (been loving my mamiya though) with the purchase of an Anniversary Speed Graphic. The b&w negs (developed myself) have been decent so far (technically ... aesthetically debatable)