Henry's Camera
[ SonyEricsson P910 Camera 43mm f/2.8 ]
[ Fully Automatic Exposure ]
You are not a certifiable photography nut in the Philippines until you have found your way to Hidalgo, a street in Quiapo that amateurs and pros speak of as if it was legend or mystery. This street of lore is home to bargain photography stores, the most notable of which are Avenue, Mayer, Henry's and Watson.
Until lately I had only transacted with Hidalgo's merchants by phone and have only heard stories. But I have made the journey, and I can tell you now that Hidalgo exists, and the stories are true. Thousand-dollar cameras and AF Nikkor VR lenses are sold in stores behind stalls that sell fruit and produce. Hard bargaining will get you some insane deals. The stores will sell you anything you may need, as long as you pay in cold cash. The trip is worth it just for the photo opp.
The intrepid amateur that hasn't been dissuaded by the stories of Quiapo's pickpockets and snatchers would begin his journey on the LRT, hopefully prepared beforehand, dressed up in low profile jeans and shirts rather than in immaculate office polos and bling bling neckties. One could begin at the Gil Puyat/Buendia station, easily accessible by many means of public transport. Depending on the time of day, the experience riding on the LRT is either "sardines in a can" or "pickles in a jar." Carriedo is where you squeeze yourself out and get off.
Isetann in Quiapo will be visible as you get off. Descending the steps you would be greeted by Quiapo as many know it: a huge, chaotic wet market. But a wet market where you can buy anything, from bootleg DVDs (and would you like a knockoff DVD player with that?), to a degree in engineering (forged of course), to prayers (wishes to God included), and of course, photography equipment. Name it and they sell it.
Immediately down the steps and out into the main street, one will see but should pay no heed to Columbia Photo. They are reputable but their deals are not rock bottom, and you braved the chaos of Quiapo for rock bottom. That said, if you want to pay a reasonable price without going all the way to Manila, Columbia Photo has stores in most SM malls.
One will need to find the street between Isetann and SM Mall. Take a left at the T intersection, and straight ahead is your destination: hidden behind the produce stalls, the row of camera and photography shops along Hidalgo. Mayer is on the right, and Henry's, Watson and Avenue on the left.
Mayer looks like a hole in the wall from outside, but step in and behind the display cases you will find a collection of brand new Nikon, Canon, Oly and Pentax gear, all invariably sourced from suppliers in Hong Kong. Those boxes of gold are AF Nikkor Lens boxes. Avert your eyes if you want to avoid catching Lens Lust Disease.
If Mayer does not stock what you need, Henry's probably does. The nice thing about the congestion of stores here is that the competition is always just next door. Canvassing takes minutes, so one ought to shop around.
Watson has camera kits like the D50 lens kit for pretty much the same price as retail without tax in the US. It is even better than buying online in some respects since you get your unit when you pay and you can test the camera at the store.
They also sell NiMH batteries and chargers at half of retail price. They also sell branded (Sony, Panasonic, etc), legit DVD players for the bootleg DVDs that you will inevitably buy.
Last stop along the row, Avenue is typically well stocked. You will probably find the goods you need here at the same price if you don't find them at the other stores first. Their long display cases are crammed with gear, just begging to be taken home. Did you just hear a Speedlight SB600 for 11k call your name? That will be the salesman, or is it the gear demon in your head? Relax. And just give in.
A few other stores offer framing services, do camera repair, and even sell used SLR film cameras, rangefinders and lens accessories. If you are in any way into photography, there is bound to be something to tempt you to take the trip. It will be worth it, but watch your wallets, the pickpockets might not get you, but the merchants have ways of making you part with your money. Try not to hang around for too long, or you might find at the end of the day that you haven't even got change for the tram ride back.
Footnote: I like to think that I shot this set with a cameraphone because I wanted to give viewers a glimpse of this hidden world and yet obscure this glimpse enough to preserve the mystery. However, I was in fact not quite brave enough on that day to advertise my pricey budget DSLR to every criminal element wandering Quiapo.Update:
People often ask me how to call up the stores to find out what they have stocked before heading over, so here is a link to the photo.net.ph page on Buying Camera Gear in the Philippines with addresses and phone numbers for all the big stores। I highly recommend Mayer Photo (Philippine Tel. Nos. 733-7598, 733-7722), their service is top notch and the prices are always competitive.
Update (07-04-2008):
The link on photo.net.ph has changed slightly, so if you're wondering where all the photos are now, you're just a click away. If after reading the instructions on the page you find yourself still lost, click on "Camera Stores" on their menu bar and you should get a menu of the cameras they have info on. Nonetheless, here is a list of stores I can recommend:
Henry's Camera
Tel: 735-7989, 733-7723
My new favorite for photo and video gear is Henry's Camera. They're now not only well stocked with Canon stuff, they also carry most of the Nikon gear you'll need, and they are literally competitive with Mayer (long story). These days they can also be asked to deliver, and you pay for your item on delivery. What more could you ask for? Right, units with non-gray market warranties at the same price as their gray market stuff. ;)
Avenue Photo Supply
Tel: 733-2761, 733-5474, 734-3307
Need new bulbs for your studio strobe? Or a low-cost 5-in-1 reflector? Or maybe a bargain-basement but sturdy lightstand and photo umbrella? Drop by Avenue, problem solved.
Mayer Photo
Tel: 733-7598, 733-7722
I used to glowingly recommend Mayer, and personally have had nothing but good experiences dealing with them (I even had a unit with their store warranty successfully serviced with them). However, I've had a few friends report odd experiences dealing with them. I'll not elaborate on them since they are not my own experiences, but buyers do beware.
I'll just mention a couple more stores that aren't in Hidalgo but deserve to be noted here nonetheless.
Aperture Trading
Tel: 741-9743, 732-8991, 731-1408
Website: http://www.aperturetrading.com/index.php
If you're in the Quezon City Area, this is a great store that pro photographers highly recommend. They also happen to be official distributor for some really great camera products and are pretty much a one-stop-shop for studio hardware. If you need good strobes, modifiers and battery packs, name-brand lightstands and all the big-name lighting and mounting solutions, pay them a visit and they should be able to hook you up with what you need.
JT Photoworld
Tel (Makati): 8972561, 8995018
Tel (Manila): 5366590, 5366591, 5234396
They are THE distributor for Sigma products, and also carry Tamrac, Velbon, Gary Fong products and the LensBabies. If you need products from these manufacturers, or if you need them serviced, look no further.
17 comments:
magkano bah usually ang benta ng Nikon d50 set dun? (",) im an amature photographer, plano ko kasing kumuha ng d50 since most of the reviews i've heard from it. they say the d50 is a good digital slr to start with for an amature like me who wants to take a step higher. (",)
The last time I checked (in November), the D50 kit (includes 18-55mm lens) was going for around P45k, and it might be even cheaper now or might have more freebies. This is a lot better than what it's going for at Columbia or even Infomax. Try ringing up Mayer for a price quote. Info is here: http://www.photo.net.ph/buyingcameras/ You'll probably get an even better offer if you show up in person ready to buy. :)
hi gerry!nice sharing your experience in Hidalgo. I've never been there but im planning to visit soon. Anyway, im actually torned between a Canon 40D or the latest 450D? can u recommend such? or how about getting a Nikon brand instead? I have a budget of around P40k just for the basic kit. Thank you
jem
jem, before you decide on either, you should try them out at a store. These days the decision to go Canon, Nikon or even Sony, is very much one of personal preference because they are all close to equal terms. The Canon 450D is a great starter camera, but also check the Nikon D80 and Sony A350. They are all on pretty much equal terms.
meron kaya clang second hand cams din.. gusto ko rin bumili ng nikond60 cam... kahit second hand cam lng xa
hi, nice one, thank you for sharing this with us. magkano ba usually ang cams dun? like how many percentages lower sa mall? tnx po...hehhe
hi gerry.. im ouie from makati, meron ba sa hidalgo na mga used dslr? im an amateur photographer, what do you think i eos 350d? thanx! have more great shots..
Nice Blog... Gives the readers a better perspective of what Hidalgo looks like for those who have not been there and for those who will venture there one day.
For those who are asking what to get:
NIKON Kit Beginners DSLR.
First - Budget, Second - lots of research and reviews of each choices. It helps to review the Pro's and Con's of each Camera model. Sabi nga nga mga Pro the Good stuff are already there in the Kit...but look for the down-side of the Kit din.
Then when you have an Idea, Go try one for real and see if it fits your hand nicely. Mas maganda if you can compare side by side yung mga choices.
One thing to note is that some DLSR Body may be cheap but would require more expensive Lenses like the Nikon D40,D40X & D60. If you have this Body, you will find yourself always looking for AF-S lenses which is more expensive than the regular AF lenses (Im speaking for the Beginners only)
AF-S type of Lens is for this models, kasi walang body mounted motor for Auto-focus ang mga D40,D40X & D60, so ang Lenses dapat may Lens mounted AF-motor which is labeled AF-S.
In other words all AF-S pwede on most Body ang Regular AF naman hindi mag fo-focus sa D40,D40X & D60.
SONY Kits naman...
Same lang... Reseach and read reviews muna bago bili.
An Ok unit, but the draw back of this is that at Higher ISO it gives more Digital Noise on Pictures. Proven ito ng mga International Pro-DSLR users and reviewers.
CANON kits:
If you plan to get thesame level Beginner DSLR as nikon... Go for the Rebel XSi- US version or the KISS - Japan Version. the Rebel XSi is compared to Nikon D40X and D60. and still is pretty much ahead of the competition between the two companies.
Pro and Amateurs will have a different view on this.
Another point to look at:
Lenses are more important than the Body... you can get the Best Body but if you make tipid so much on the Lenses,eh sana nag Digicam ka nalang.
Better as a beginner to get a nice Lens and reasonably priced Body. kasi the lenses naman you can use when you get another Body of thesame brand.
Dont get carried away by long and big lenses.
Each type of lens has its Purpose.
Kalokohan yung mas malaking lens eh mas sosyal at mukhang Pro.
Photography has so many categories either Macro(Super Close-ups kahit white heads mo kuha sa picture),Portraits,Landscapes at para dun sa mga mahilig sa Zoom(Telephoto Lenses).
Choose your purpose and from there you know what lenses you will need...
Syempre you dont need a 400mm lens if you plan to shoot indoor diba? and also, you dont want to use a 10mm if you are going to shoot a Lion in the wild. as if naman lalapit ka sa Lion just to get that shot with your 10mm. But if you like... then Good luck... Post the Pics nalang.
If you ask so many people, you will end up with more questions... Photography is not always about how you can make tipid. What matters is the Pictures you will take with your Camera regardless Digicam or DSLR.
Another Enticer... One of the Top 10 Finalist for 2008 Nikon Photography Contest was taken with a Nikon D80 which was Dominated by the High End Kits which is D200,D300,D700 and D3.
Mind you, the D80 is also a Beginners DLSR.
If I were you... I would choose between a Canon XSi, Nikon D80(hindi mapili sa Lens). For Beginners ha... then invest nalang sa less expensive AF Lens.
Hi,
May idea ka ba kung how much yung Nikon D60 sa Henry's in Hidalgo? Or where I could find a second hand D60 na nasa good condition?
Thanks!
hi po, kasama po ba kaya sa warranty ung sa LCD? nabasag po kasi LCD ko ee.:( free po ba kaya un o may fee pa din? thank you po..:)
hi po, kasama po ba kaya sa warranty ung sa LCD? nabasag po kasi LCD ko ee.:( free po ba kaya un o may fee pa din? thank you po..:)btw, Nikon D60 po pala ung unit ko, thank u po ulit!:)
hi! are there camera shops in quiapo where i can sell my nikon d40? my mom lost its box, charger, instruction manual and usb cable. all she has right now are the camera body, lens, memory card, strap, and front lens cap. medyo nahihirapan kaming ibenta that's why i need to know po if may bumibili kaya non sa quiapo?
i'm planning to buya panasonic LUmix GH1 of GF1. san kayang store yun available and ano kya proce range nya? ano ang review mo dito sa dslr na 'to? thx.
jovillar
hi.can you refer any of the shops in hidalgo that could repair dslr? :)
sir my alam po ba kau na bmbili ng second hand camera s hidalgo?? email me po asap. perfectyou_05@y.c tnx very much :)
The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV is one of the best DSLR cameras for beginner as well as for the professional photographers. This beginner camera has come up with 30.4 MP with 4k quality video recording.
Post a Comment