Two Roanoke Valley stores to offer professional quality cameras, photography services
Update: July 30, 2012 at 6:15 p.m.
Cardinal Camera will not open in Valley View Mall on Aug. 1 as reported previously. The store’s projected opening date has been pushed back to later this fall, said Louise Dudley, Valley View Mall general manager.
Hello! I’m Sheila and I’ll be taking over the Store Front blog while Amanda Codispoti is on maternity leave.
Before this, I was the night crime reporter for the Roanoke Times. I was born and raised in the Sunflower State of Kansas [insert Wizard of Oz, or Dorothy joke here]. I also interned two summers with the Roanoke Times before becoming a full-time reporter.
Roanoke Valley amateur and professional photographers will soon be able to purchase high-quality, professional-grade cameras and camera accessories from two local full-service shops.
There’s been a void since Ritz Camera stores filed for bankruptcy and shuttered both its Roanoke and Blacksburg stores in 2009,explained Tom Beaman, who manages the camera department at Lee Hartman and Sons.
The hometown store, which specializes in audio and visual systems, started out with special still camera orders and grew into a full-fledged camera shop in the past year and a half.
The store carries a wide variety of cameras, from digital point-and-shoot cameras for less than $100 to $6,000 professional quality DSLR (digital single lens reflex) Nikon and Cannon cameras.
The store also sells accessories, including professional-grade lenses, lighting equipment and tripods.
Customers asked them to add still cameras to the store’s inventory, Beaman said. Many had to purchase the same cameras online because they had nowhere in the valley to buy, he said.
Camera technicians are on hand to help customers with questions during purchasing and after, Beaman said.
“They can come to us and get advice from people who know the products, try the accessories on your own camera and take it outside and see how it shoots,” he said.
As Amanda Codispoti reported last month, Cardinal Camera, a Pennsylvania-based company headed by a Liberty University alumnus,is slated to open Wednesday at Valley View Mall.
The store will sell cameras and camera accessories. It also will offer classes, as well as repairs and printing services.
I haven’t been able to reach Kurt Seelig, the owner and president, today to verify that the opening will happen this week. I’ll update you when I hear back from him.
July 30, 2012 - 4:18 PM
Photo USA across from Towers offers great service as well as selection, the people there are skilled and creative — and it’s locally owned — and they’re involved in the community, supporting arts events and the like.
Hi Shelia. Welcome. Can you check in with Valley Bank when you get the chance and see if and what progress they have made in landing a tenent /developer at the Ukrops/Ivy market site?? It has been awhile since Amanda checked in with them. Thanks.
I was reading about two new camera stores coming to roanoke but you gave locations and names for one where are they going to be located thanks Thomas
Hi Sheila, welcome to the blog. Personally, I think the Ivy Market site should be demolished and a simple memorial be erected in memory of Ukrops and upscale establishments everywhere.
Chris, I hope that when they find out what’s going to happen to Ivy Market they tell everyone but you.
Hi Chris! Thank you very much. Yes, I will check into that and get you an answer as soon as I can. Thanks!
Spiny – At least that would give CHRIS something else to check on every other day!
I think CHRIS should lease or buy Ivy Market & open business there. It seems to be a bit of an obsession for him.
Kristen and Steve you all should get together with old Spiny. None of you all know or appreciate anything about retail!! Of course thats old Roanokers for ya!!!!!!!I think I will buy IVY MARKET! MAYBE THEN SOME REAL RETAIL WILL COME TO THE AREA!! kRISTEN YOU MUST NOT SHOP AND YOU MUST NOT BE THE TYPICAL WOMEN!
Thanks Steven. I love a man with an attitude!! Can we go shopping together when I build IVY Market. I bet we would have fun!!