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[VIC] Free Filters, Cases, Batteries, Cameras, Lenses, Projectors + More @ Michaels Cameras / Whitehart Bar (Melbourne)

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Excerpt from a public post made on Michael's cameras. It is a sad day for me as Michael's was on the top 10 things of my must visit places whenever I visited Melbourne.

Another nail in the coffin for dedicated camera shops - I will sorely miss it - just as I miss Photo Continental (QLD)(closed 2015).

On behalf of 5 generations of the Michael family who have traded from this corner since 1916, and all our team members, we sincerely thank all our customers for your loyal support over the years.

As a token of our appreciation for your support & business, on Saturday 25th June (tomorrow), commencing at 9am, we'll be giving away our remaining stock for FREE. As our building is currently under renovation for an exciting future, the giveaway will take place at Whitehart Bar. Whitehart Bar is located next door to us on Lonsdale Street. Access to Whitehart Bar is via their Lonsdale Street entrance (which is directly next door to michaels at 355 Lonsdale Street entrance).

What's up for grabs?

First come, first served. All we request is that you show respect for your fellow customers with the quantities that you take. Please note: there may be significant queues. We anticipate that all stock will be exhausted by 11.30am.

We'll have an variety of FREE new and used accessories and equipment including filters, cases, books, inkjet paper, batteries, adaptors, used cameras, lenses and projectors and more….

More details at the link.

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michaels camera video digital

closed Comments

  • -3

    NSA?

  • +10

    Sad times. I bought all my photo stuff there in the 1980s, visited at least once a week when I worked in the CBD (then up to Elizabeth St a bit to check out the latest bikes). End of an era.

    • +1

      Was COVID the final nail in the coffin?

      • +9

        im fairly sure in the end it's just going to be Digidirect as the last man standing as far as a DEDCIATED shop - but i have never really liked Digidirect as they have stooged me over and over again over the years. There is always going to be jb, hn, amazon etc who stock a restricted range of camera goods but half the fun of camera shops was just seeing what what's what in new releases especially for bags and other accessories.

      • +5

        I, suspect, that Camera phones had a fair bit to do with it.

        • +1

          Yes, the low end camera market is all but dead and has been for some years. Unfortunately only leaves relatively big ticket cameras which once you buy them are typically not replaced for some years…

        • For casual photo takers yes but not for professionals, there's always a market

      • -2

        COVId probably kept them going with all the associated handouts

      • Was probably also their higher prices compared to the other stores selling cameras.

    • +4

      1980s

      That's prob half the problem, it was really a bygone era where you NEEDED a physical shop to buy.
      Now you can almost literally get a brand new camera, lens, bag etc COURIERED to you in <24 hours by amazon.

      Look at photo continental, went from a literal powerhouse of a camera shop with I believe 40+ staff in the peak - to basically 3-5 at the end.

      • If you find a deal on there, some physical shops can match, which lets you get local warranty, support local business etc.
        Eg Camera House Croydon matched forme

  • +2

    sad, my first camera was from here =/

  • +1

    super spreader event
    .

    • +4

      for sure ! - but a bargain IS a bargain..

    • +1

      Luckily sportsball is exempt

  • +6

    …so sad how many small & medium businesses have been so negatively impacted throughout the last 2.5 years. a real shame michael's has had to close now as well

  • +5

    I have childhood memories of going to Michael's cameras. Michael's cameras on the corner is like an old friend. It is so sad.

  • +2

    sad

  • +4

    The link to the Leski auction: https://www.leski.com.au/auction/michaels-camera-museum/

    A travesty that Melbourne Museum wasn't interested in this collection being donated.

    • +1

      Probably is overwhelmed by museum pieces

  • +4

    When I went to Melbourne 20 years ago there were a tonne of Motorbike stores, then a year ago I came down and there were no longer any. There were also a few more camera stores, and now that's going, too.

  • +1

    "Regretfully, neither the Melbourne Museum or the State Library showed interest in our camera Museum being donated". Hah, I'd love to see one of the cameras pop up on antiques road show and the valuer says that it's worth a mint because it's Hitler's long lost camera.

  • Another nail in the coffin for dedicated camera shops

    Which other ones had a similar fate?

    • +2

      Photo continental

      And also Gerry Gibbs but they reopened as a digidirect technically

      • Thanks! I guess everyone’s shopping online and brick stores are consolidating.

  • +4

    Would love to go but knowing what people are like with free stuff it will be a shitshow. Plus I imagine some people will camp out for it

    • +3

      Consolation prize: free spicy flu

      • +2

        can't catch flu if your already got it.

        • +1

          You can stack COVID.

    • +1

      I went there earlier at around 8:55 A.M and I counted at least 150 people so I decided to give up and go to Sunshine instead for the centrevom sale.

  • +8

    I predict this won't end well.

  • +3

    Well its been posted on OzBargain, they will be in my prayers.

  • +4

    This is sad! 😔 I sincerely hope it won't be replaced by yet another bubble tea store. Hopefully something exciting will take up this location.

  • +1

    Everytime I walk past a Ted's Camera store in a shopping centre, I wonder how they are still in existence.

    • +1

      I think I've been to Teds maybe 3 times , and every time was disappointment.

    • +3

      Their losses are offset by Spotlight group owned by the same parent company.
      Quite frankly, a horrible company to work for - full of bullies. I still need therapy from my limited time working there and quite frankly being bullied on a daily basis. Teds is only alive because of their online business and photo printing business. Their retail sector is almost dead.

  • +6

    Ted's needs to diversify like "Ted's Cameras and Banh Mi Store"

    • +5

      or Bill and Teds excellant store.

    • They need a in-shopping centre bunnings style sausage sizzle

    • +2

      There's a burger joint / accountant in Footscray

      • lol this one is funny, they asked the accountant to do the taxes slowly so they can serve more burgers!

  • +1

    RIP :(

  • +2

    God help any Ozbargainers who take their chances with this. Take a video for us?

  • People should dress up in costumes to make it a farewell to remember tee hee. Dress as a frilled neck lizard.

    • +1

      dress as a Canon L lens

  • +2

    I was sad about them closing at first, but then I read a bunch of things (mostly on reddit, I believe - this was when they first announced the closure) about how awful they were to staff who weren't related to the family. It sounded like quite a toxic workplace. I believe several people had filed unfair dismissals or bullying complaints.

    • +1

      dang, if that's the case -that's no good. Good on the employees for speaking out though. I do have some former acquaintances who worked at Digidirect and from their accounts, it aint a whole lot better over there too - but i guess it's more fair when EVERYONE gets treated like crap instead of just the non-related to the owners ones.

      • Maybe it’s just the industry that’s toxic 🤷🏼‍♀️

        Either way, happy to take free stuff if they’re horrible 😂

    • +1

      Probably a symptom of a business in financial distress on the way out

      • It sounded like it was a certain family member was promised the business but she was awful at running a business and just not a nice person either. So not only did she run the business into the ground, but she treated loyal employees like crap.

  • +1

    Oh I read it incorrectly thinking free fillers wow! 😂

  • +1

    I wonder if anyone is there right now waiting (camping out).

    • +1

      surely there has to be at least ONE ozbargainer in the area to advise. It's literally one of the main roads of the CBD haha

      • +4

        My severe insomnia might be useful for once.

        "We anticipate that all stock will be exhausted by 11.30am", lol, they underestimate the power of OZbargain.

  • Wonder who is gonna walk away with that D850 and the, the Z7…

    • Forget that I want to know who gets the 1dX

      • Couple of Leica Qs too, apparently…

  • +3

    They should do a charity thing where anyone that gets a free item needs or should donate a few dollars like $1-5?
    What charity I don't know.

    I don't have a Facebook account to offer this idea thou.

    • I just sent them a email about this idea, who knows if they will read it or find it a good idea.

    • +1

      Yeah.. Nah

  • I don't have face book but are the cameras all used or there will be new ones too?

  • Wow, I guess lots of stuff going up on gumtree tomorrow night…

  • +2

    I worked in the photo industry from 1996 to 2010. So many changes with digital coming through. A couple of the PMA trade shows and a tour of the Kodak Coburg facility. Happy memories and learnt a lot and saw a lot of interesting things. Kinda a shame to see another disappear, but the World is in a never ending cycle of change. Taking a picture was costly and labour intensive before. Now it's as easy as pulling out your smart phone and posting the shot online or burying it on your computer etc

  • I'm in another city but can someone tell me what you use to clean camera lenses? I was thinking of just getting an optometrist cloth and spray like for glasses?

    • +3

      Lens pen is your mate; life-changing accessory

    • +1

      Just went through figuring this out myself recently, following is what I learnt / have been doing:

      1) The first thing you need - absolutely essential - is an air blower (the squeezy bulb type) and a soft bristle brush. This will take care of 95%+ of your cleaning needs - blow air on the front element to remove large pieces of dirt / grit, then brush gently to remove finer dirt / dust / etc. This is all you need to do the vast majority of the time - it will remove anything non-sticky/oily, and you don't want to be rubbing the front element (e.g. with a cloth / lens pen) unless you absolutely need to.

      Note blower/brush should always be your first step too, even if the front element requires a more thorough cleaning. If you're about to rub the front element, you want to make sure it's clear of grit/dust/etc that could cause scratches if rubbed into the surface.

      2) For a more thorough clean - e.g. if sticky gunk, oily fingerprints, etc, have gotten onto the front element - many people recommend a lens pen as the next step. I personally don't use one - it's probably irrational given how widely this is recommended, but I don't feel comfortable rubbing the front element with a firm object (i.e. tip of lens pen) "dry".

      3) Beyond a lens pen you need some sort of cleaning solution and soft, lint-free cloth. The most common recommendation seems to be Eclipse cleaning solution + Pec-Pads - the latter being little single-use lint-free cloths that come in packs of 100. I have and use these, and the combo works well - albeit you do need to use a couple of Pec-Pads to get the front element dry and streak-free (they're not particularly absorbent). Don't overuse the Eclipse fluid, you barely need any at all (and apply it to the Pec-Pad, not the front element).

      That said, I also bought a Zeiss cleaning kit, which comes with it's own Zeiss cleaning fluid (plus other accessories you'll want, like the air blower & brush, a microfibre cloth, and some single-use pre-moistened cleaning cloths). This kit is easy to find online, and this fluid is also commonly recommended. Personally I prefer this fluid to Eclipse - it leaves more streaks as it dries (need to use the micro-fibre to do a final polish, Pec-Pads alone won't cut it) and perhaps doesn't clean quite as well, but it has one major advantage: it seems to leave my filters / front elements somewhat repellent to dust. Whereas when I use Eclipse, I get the opposite effect - the front elements + filters seem to be left with some sort of static charge, and literally attract dust. I have no idea why, nor whether this is specific to me / my gear, or a normal/common side effect of Eclipse.

      If I had my time again, I'd buy the Zeiss kit + a pack of Pec-Pads, and skip the Eclipse. But YMMV, of course.

      Lastly, don't over-clean, especially beyond the blower/brush. A little bit of dust/dirt doesn't matter. I used my camera extensively every day on a month long holiday recently, and used the above combo for lens cleaning. Step 1 was done perhaps every few days (just whenever the front element looked like it had a significant amount of dust / dirt particles on it). Step 3 perhaps once every week or two - only when the front element had obvious sticky gunk / oil left on it after step 1 (typically because I'd accidentally touched the front element and left a fingerprint). And I'd guess many would argue I was still overdoing it.

  • +1

    I'm here now, about 60 people so far.

  • I would say at least 150 people now.

    • They should let everyone pick 1-2 items or sold everything under $50 and donated funds, otherwise it will be chaos.

    • OzBargainers out in force! https://ibb.co/25rpLNV

      • I'm in the middle I can't even see how far back it extends to. Anyone care to snap a pic of the back end? I want to know how many losers will miss out just waiting..

        • It’s up to about Piccolina now.

    • +2

      Hi I have some questions -

      1 . has a Michael’s rep asked for calm yet

      2 any indication of what and how much is it on offer? Is it going to be a veritable dragons den of treasure or more like… the random leftovers like page 5 and 6 only of a Nikon fm2 manual, a half eaten pack of gum, a vintage 1996 penthouse magazine with Pamela Anderson on front (suspiciously sticky).

      3 will the crowd practically flood in and strip everything off the shelves and cafe like a pack of ravenous ravens as soon as the doors open like it was a before y2k Boxing Day at Myer?

      4 anyone in costume to commentate the event as per suggestion earlier in thread above?

      5 lastly, what’s your take on tomato sauce? Does it go in the pantry or the fridge

  • +1

    Had a quick look inside as a teaser, first here.
    They say 150 x 55lt tubs on Peter's facebook page.
    NO THEY HAVE NOT STARTED YET.

    Easy 200 people now.

    • I just looked at the fb page - will be interesting.wonder if they’ll lay it all out and let people sift through it

  • Petter the boss has given out a few freebies which is great.

    I got here at 4.

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