First published on 11 Mar 2011. Updated on 18 Jul 2011.
The first two floors are packed with stalls selling all the big brands – Canon, Nikon, Sony et al – with similar products at similar prices. On the top floor of the market, 500RMB vintage Seagull cameras can be found, though the prices are rising on these sought-after items fast.
Bartering below a base price is tricky but you can try to get extras, such as discounted camera cases or UV filters thrown in. For those wanting to buy an SLR, the nifty Canon EOS 1000D (3,550RMB for the kit) is a perfect starter: it’s the lightest SLR on the market, but has an impressive range of features and is easy to use.
The (6,900RMB) is a slightly more serious camera, with an 18-105mm kit lens and a movie mode. For top-notch photographers, the geeky features such as an integrated speedlite transmitter, and shoots eight frames per second, making it ideal for wildlife or sports photography.
For a point-and-shoot, the funky Nikon Coolpix comes in colours such as blue, maroon, and pink for 950- 2,480RMB, depending on the model. The S8000 (2,400RMB approx) is one of the thinnest point-and-shoots at 3cm thick, and has an extendable 10x zoom lens which sets it apart from its competitors.
The third and fourth floors house accessories such as Weijeng tripods with inbuilt spirit levels (420RMB). There’s a bookshop (booth 31-06, Third Floor) that has a vast selection of English language photography books, such as Nobuyoshi Araki’s Gold (180RMB) or Marc Riboud’s In China. If it all goes horribly wrong, there’s also a repair service centre on the third floor.