Hello! A recent post got me thinking about camera stores that have a historical commitment to LF. You know, LF "candy shops" with the stuff dripping from the c ielings, cluttering the counters and stacked in cardboard boxes on the floor, ju st like old time hardware stores. Years ago(decades, actually) I visited Adolph Gasser in San Francisco...the Holy of Holies where Ansel Adams supposedly bough t stuff. As I recall, Gassers also sold electric toy trains. A wonderful place l ocated in a 1940's time warp part of the City. On a recent trip to SF I learned that there were now two Adolph Gassers and I called to find out which one stock ed the LF gear. The adress was, I think, South of Market in a trendy area of ne w sky high office buildings. I went anyway with fear and trepidation, only to fi nd the new Gassers as cramped , crowded, and musty as the old. A place where you could ask a clerk about hard rubber three gallon tanks and hangers and they'd k now what you're talking about. I left with a lensboard for the 'dorff. Another Icon thats recently moved is Freestyle. I've never been to the old Freestyle b ut a friend had described the place as being "glorius." By the time I got to Ho llywood( the purpose of the trip was to take my light meter in for calibration a t Quality Light-metric) and Freestyle, they had moved into a new building. Whil e the place didn't have the "smell" and lacked the used merchandise it was certa inly seemed like it was on it's way "there." I can't wait to get back to see ho w the place "aged." I can think of a few other places worth looking around: Par dee's in Sacramento. Camera Club in Santa Cruz(or is it Soquel?) I was wonderin g what other "shrines" the LF "pilgrim" might want to visit? Is there a camera store you know of that keeps old 8x10 film holders in a cardboard box? Has a s howcase shelf full of Wallensaks? Maybe they still stock parts for the D-2 Omeg a and Bay 1 filters for old Rolleis? Or better still: the Owner can chew a cigar ,fire a Speed Graphic and tell you why 120 Kodachrome never caught on ALL AT THE SAME TIME! If you know of such places, please share them. I'd like to pay a cal l if I find myself in the area.
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