Have you ever dreamed of stumbling across a Rolleiflex for $180, or a Widelux for $1,400?
These are exactly the kind of deals waiting for you at Karachi's Hakeem Centre in Pakistan, as captured by Karl Rock in this incredible video.
As one of the last surviving camera markets in the world, dozens of shops and stalls are packed floor to ceiling with the latest tech, vintage cameras, camcorders, lenses, and accessories. You can find everything here, from a [Fujifilm GFX](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?q=Fujifilm%20GFX&sts=ma) to Canon rangefinders, from classic DSLRs to MiniDV players.
Watching Rock walk through the market feels like a fever dream for camera lovers. Around every corner, he finds vintage cameras sitting on shelves, just waiting for someone to pick them up. Rock interviews camera shop owners to learn more about the items, discovering hidden treasures tucked away from first glance.
Although the range of cameras sold here is incredible, what truly sets this market apart is its repairers. Skilled technicians still work on repairing cameras, lenses, and even drones, a dying art almost everywhere else in the world. One craftsman proudly displays his hand-annotated repair manual, packed with detailed diagrams covering dozens of models.
What's even more fascinating is the fact that this is just one market in Pakistan — right next door is a market for watches!
4 Comments
Cool video. I use to travel around Asia quite a bit over the years and the countries that I have visited had a lot of these kind of stores. As you walk through the markets, you wonder if you bought one of these old cameras how it will work. I
Although, many many years ago, I was in Singapore, and was out and about taking pictures with a Canon AE-1, I walked into a camera store and I did purchase a telephoto Vivitar lens which I got dirt cheap and it worked really good.
I wish I could go back to the camera stores I visited in Hong Kong in 2019, prices were cheap compared to today!
I understand the cultrural differencesl and I'm not making any judgement, but what struck me I did not see one woman either in the shops or even outside on the streets.
Yes, I noticed that too!