Kameraz

The FotoBuZzAh! is returning this July 26 - 31 July 2024.

The bee-gest and coolest photographic flea-market, is back for another weekend! Come rifle through our new collection of photographic equipment ranging from camera straps and books right through to budget DSLR's and expired film*

Upcoming Dates: 26 - 31 July 2024 | Times: Weekdays: 09:00 - 17:00 | Sat: 08:30 - 15:00 | Sun: 08:30 - 14:00

WHAT IS THE LEGACY EDITION?
This month we have are going the extra mile to make this the best FotoBuZzAh! yet. Introducing the "Legacy Edition".

We have been sorting through our extensive collection of second hand gear that we have accumulated over the years and decided that it is time to let them find new owners. In this collection you can expect there to be many gems and great finds to be had. So many in fact, that we are extending our FotoBuZzAh! to run for 6 days instead of 2!

WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE FOTOBUZZAH!
*Straps
*Ready Cases
*Various Lenses (3 month warranty)
*Binoculars
*Great Photo Books
*SLR & budget DSLR's with 3 month warranty
*Compact digital & 35mm compact cameras (3 month warranty)
*Used Tripods
*Used Photographic bags, cases and pouches
*Used Tripod & Video Heads
*Used Flashes
*Classic / Antique Cameras -- as is.

Workshop: How to Shoot a Model 😍

Join award-winning international portrait and beauty photographer, SJ van Zyl and Fujifilm for an exclusive workshop, where you'll learn the art of lighting, directing, and capturing stunning images of professional models. Don’t miss this chance to elevate your photography skills with insights from a master in the field.

Details:
Date: 6 July 2024
Time: 10:00 - 12:00
Venue: KAMERAZ, Stonemill Office Park, Darrenwood, Johannesburg

Ticket Price: R150 per person (includes a coffee + muffin)

Read more and purchase your ticket on our website: https://kameraz.com/blogs/events/workshop-how-to-shoot-a-model-with-sj-van-zyl-fujifilm

We are excited to welcome you to the new home of KAMERAZ, FotoZA & ZAP! Come visit us at our new home in Stonemill Office Park, opposite Cresta Shopping Centre.

The coffee is strong and gear plenty.

The memorial service live stream will be broadcast on our Youtube Channel at 14:00 today. Please us the following link if you would like to watch it live:

https://youtube.com/live/xYRcafZuNtk?feature=share

Please note that our trading hours will be from 09:00 - 13:00 today (06 June 2024) as we will be holding the memorial service for Johan Greybe at 14:00.

Normal business hours will resume from tomorrow (Friday 07 June 2024) with hours being 09:00 - 17:30.

We apologise again for the disruptions and thank you all for sticking with us as we navigate these difficult times.

🎉 WE ARE OPEN 🎉

The wait is finally over. As of today, Wednesday 05 June 2024 we are officially open in our new space! Come visit us and say 'hi!'

***
Please note that our new address is:
Stonemill Office Park,
Greenstone House, 300 Acacia Road,
Darrenwood, Johannesburg.
(Opposite the Cresta Shopping Centre)
***

Our phone lines are still down, in the mean time you can use the following numbers to contact us:

+27 (82) 772-0807
+27 (79) 266-4835
+27 (63) 447 4744

We want to take a moment to thank all of you, our loyal KAMERAZ family for supporting us and sticking with us during this difficult period. We know that G.A.S (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) is real and we want to apologise for depriving you for longer than expected.

We hope to welcome you all very soon with a delicious cup of coffee from Foto ZA Gallery and show you the new space.

Despite our best efforts to move the shops and all of their contents to our new home, we unfortunately will only be able to welcome you to the new space from Wednesday 5 June 2024. We apologise for the delay. We know everyone is excited and needs their gear fix and we promise we will be ready for you on Wednesday.

Dates the stores are closed: Mon 27 May - Tuesday 4 June 2024.

Date stores will re-open: Wednesday 5 June 2024.

Our new address is:
Stonemill Office Park,
Greenstone House, 300 Acacia Road,
Darrenwood, Johannesburg.

Online Orders:

We apologise for the delays in shipping out online orders. All of the stock is currently in transit between the stores. We will process and ship all outstanding orders from Wednesday 05 June 2024.

If you have any queries, please email us on [email protected]

We thank you all for your continued support and understanding and look forward to welcoming you all in the new premises later this week!

Celebrating the life of Johan Hendrik Greybe. Please join us as we say goodbye and celebrate the life of a dear father, Brother and Friend.

Memorial Details

Thursday 6th of June 2024 | 14:00pm
KAMERAZ, Stonemill Office Park, Greenstone House, Darrenwood, JHB (Use Entrance on Danie Street)

RSVP by Tue 4 June to Vanessa for catering purposes: +27 84 630 4225

The service will also be live-streamed via KAMERAZs Youtube Channel for those who cannot attend in person.

Feature:

Blessed to have these beauties regularly visit my garden. Almost to the point where you need to remind yourself how special that is. Still waiting for that perfect flight shot showing their crimson underwings.

A fantastic shot by Robert! Check out his page for more great images like this!

📷 Keep tagging to show us your shots and a chance to be featured.

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🇿🇦

In Memoriam: Johan Greybe

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the sudden passing of our beloved Johan Greybe. Johan was more than just the heart and soul of KAMERAZ; he was a Father, Grandfather, visionary, mentor, brother and a friend to many in the photography community. His departure leaves a void that will be deeply felt by all who had the privilege of knowing him.

What follows is my attempt at trying to put pen to paper to pay tribute to a man that was larger than life (if not in h-e-i-g-h-t) in my best rendition of his writing style. . .

One of Johan’s favorite Latin phrases was "De mortuis nihil nisi bonum" (Of the dead, say nothing but good). Johan, however, would have preferred a bit of humor over a tearful eulogy. He was a firm believer in the power of laughter and its ability to bring people together.

Hailing from Bloemfontein, Johan's journey with KAMERAZ began just over 42 years ago on May 1st, 1982, when he opened his original "hole in the wall" camera shop in Hillbrow. Without ever owning a camera himself, Johan took a bold leap into the unknown. "Audentes fortuna iuvat" (Fortune favors the bold) was a phrase he lived by. The shop, part of the Fripps franchise, primarily operated as a film collecting depot in the pre-OneHour Lab days. Despite fierce competition in Hillbrow, Johan's passion for photography and dedication to his customers helped the store flourish.

Johan often reminisced about the early days with a twinkle in his eye. One of his favourite stories was about his sleeping partner in the business (though, as he humorously clarified, they never shared a bed), whom he bought out a few years later. His ability to find humor in every situation was one of his most endearing qualities. "Omne initium est difficile" (Every beginning is difficult), he would say, reflecting on the challenges he faced and overcame.

Along the way Johan slowly took all of us under his wing and welcomed us into the KAMERAZ family. Somehow seeing more potential and good in us than even we knew. These personal connections were what Johan cherished most about his work. It is through Johan’s deeply caring nature and strong leadership that our team now boasts over 30 people. Many of whom have been here longer than the “Boere-oorlog” as Johan once put it.

He believed in building a family, not just a business. His warmth and charisma made everyone feel welcome, whether they were seasoned professionals or amateurs just starting their photographic journey. "He could sell a camera to a cat," as one regular fondly put it. You always knew that when you walked through that door (whether for the first time or after a 10 year hiatus) you could count on being greeted by Johan with a quick pause…. A deep, searching look . . . And then a S-L-A-P that-turned-into-a-very-firm-handshake that immediately made you feel welcome in the KAMERAZ home and like you never left.

One of Johan’s favorite stories was about the early days when a customer mistook him for a film director because of his enthusiastic explanations and gesticulations. His knack for storytelling was legendary. "Carpe diem" (Seize the day) was more than just a saying for Johan; it was a way of life. He often regaled us with tales from his childhood in Bloemfontein, where his mother, a dedicated nurse, instilled in him the values of empathy and compassion. "Money's not everything," she would say, a sentiment Johan carried into his own business philosophy.

Johan was also an accomplished singer/songwriter under the pseudonym “Johnny Come Lately”. Often he would disappear in the afternoons, for weeks on end, without so much as a word. . . Then suddenly on a slow morning in the shop, he would spring his latest musical creation upon us at F-U-L-L blast. His songs were often deeply rooted in real world events and were a means for Johan to express his feelings towards them. One of his songs is currently in existence on our Youtube channel for the keen eyed among you who can find it (search for Magellaan).

Johan was not just a business owner; he was a community builder. He believed in giving back and often supported local events and workshops that fostered growth and learning in the photography world. His legacy is one of generosity, creativity, and a deep-seated love for the art of photography.

Johan's leadership style was both inspiring and inclusive. He often wrote "fireside chats" and weekly emails to us, blending humor, wisdom, and a touch of philosophy. He encouraged open dialogue and valued the input of every member of the KAMERAZ family. "Building one's brand doesn't have to be a conscious effort; the best do it subconsciously by simply 'doing my job,'" he would say, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and dedication.

In one of those emails, Johan titled it: “NEW YEAR: TAKE HART, BE BRAVE”
Words that certainly ring true at this moment. Johan’s passing signifies a turning point for KAMERAZ. One of profound sorrow and mourning. It definitely will be seen as a ‘New Year’ of sorts for those he has left behind. One in which we will need to dig deep and take the above to hart (sic).

Johan leaves behind a legacy that will endure in the hearts of those he touched. Our thoughts and condolences go out to his family during this difficult time. We, his colleagues and friends, will strive to honor his memory by continuing the work he loved so dearly and ensuring that KAMERAZ remains a beacon of photographic excellence and community spirit.

"Tempus fugit, amor manet" (Time flies, love remains). Johan Greybe, your light may have dimmed, but the memories and impact you left behind will continue to shine brightly. May you rest in peace, dear friend.

I hope that one day we will meet again. In your own words: “But until then, let's not take prisoners, exiles or American Express.” … Groete eet julle groente

We will miss you, Johan.

—
Words by Ryan

Details for Memorial Service:
Date: [To Be Announced]
Time: [To Be Announced]
Location: [To Be Announced]

Personal Notes:
Please feel free to share your memories and condolences in the comments below. Your stories and tributes will be compiled and shared with Johan’s family as a testament to his lasting impact on us all.

Get updated news via the blog post here: https://kameraz.com/blogs/news/in-memoriam-johan-greybe

Feature:
A fantastic shot by Savaş! Check out their page for more great images like this!

📷 Keep tagging to show us your shots and a chance to be featured.

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Feature: .ajam

The aftermath of walk. Shot by me 📸
Gear: XH1 + 35mm F1.8

A fantastic shot by Aden! Check out his page for more great images like this!

📷 Keep tagging to show us your shots and a chance to be featured.

Say hello to the new FUJIFILM X-T50 🔥

With an all-new dedicated Film Simulation dial and 40.2 megapixel X-Trans CMOS 5 HR sensor, the X-T50 delivers outstanding image quality with unique colour reproduction technology in a compact, lightweight body.

- 40MP X-Trans CMOS 5 HR Sensor
- NEW Film Simulation dial
- High-speed X-Processor 5 image processing engine
- Up to 7 stops of IBIS
- Up to 6.2K/30P, 4:2:2 10-bit video recording
- Classic design and lightweight body

Keep an eye on our site over the coming weeks for pricing and availability.

We're excited to announce that KAMERAZ, FotoZA and ZAP! are moving to a new premises at the end of May 2024. In anticipation of the move, here is some important information:

👉 Latest news about the move can be found here: https://kameraz.com/blogs/news/we-are-moving-to-a-new-home-kameraz-fotoza-zap 👈

FAQs About the Move

Will there be any service disruptions?

We aim to minimise disruptions. Our online store will remain available, and we'll maintain open lines of communication for any service queries. There will be a brief period (hopefully only a few days) where we will be closed while we transition to the new premises. The exact dates will be communicated closer to the time.

How do I get to the new location?

The new address is easily accessible via major routes. We are directly opposite Cresta Shopping center. Our new address is: Stonemill Office Park, Greenstone House, 300 Acacia Road, Darrenwood, Johannesburg.

What about returns or exchanges during the move?

Our return and exchange policies will remain in effect. We'll process any requests as efficiently as possible, with additional options for in-store returns once we've relocated.

This page will be continually updated during the move, so be sure to check back in for more updates.

If you have any queries please reach out to us via email:
KAMERAZ: [email protected]
FotoZA: [email protected]
ZAP!: [email protected]

Feature:

Spinning into the sunset 🔥. Making the most of the last bit of sunlight of the day! 🌅🫶

Rider:
📸

Rietvlei, CapeTown.

A fantastic shot by Tobias! Check out his page for more great images like this!

📷 Keep tagging to show us your shots and a chance to be featured.

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Feature:

"First light cracking through the clouds on a still morning in the NamibRand wilderness, Namibia"

A fantastic shot by Kyle. Check out his page for more great images like this!

📷 Keep tagging to show us your shots and a chance to be featured.

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Add to your smart home tech with the Eufy Solo Cam S40 Spotlight Camera.

- Nonstop Power (with the built in solar panel) ✔️
- 2K-Ultra-HD ✔️
- BionicMind ✔️
- Spotlight and 90DB Siren ✔️

Shop now: https://kameraz.com/products/eufy-solo-cam-s40-spotlight-camera

Feature:

A fantastic shot by . Check out his page for more great images like this!

📷 Keep tagging to show us your shots and a chance to be featured.

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Take advantage of our Sony Shisa Easter specials before they are gone and you can save up to 20% on selected Sony gear.

View all the specials here: https://kameraz.com/collections/sony-shisa-easter-specials-easter-2024?page=1

Feature:

Great shot by Kreesan. Check out his page for more!

📸:

Fujifilm XT-5 🥷
Viltrox 75mm f1.2
Viltrox 27mm f1.2
Godox AD600 + QR-P120

📷 Keep tagging to show us your shots and a chance to be featured.

Save big with Sony this month with their Shisa Easter Deals. Save up to 20% on selected camera and lenses. Purchase from selected lenses to stand a chance to win a Portraiture workshop worth R20000*.

Shop now: https://kameraz.com/collections/sony-shisa-easter-specials-easter-2024

T&C's apply | Valid from 25 March - 30 April 2024

Feature: .sa

Beautiful B&W capture by Jack. Check out his page for more great images like this!

📷 Keep tagging to show us your shots and a chance to be featured.

A great option for shooting video content on the go is the Sony A6 # # # series of cameras paired with a table top tripod and wireless mic for shooting video.

What do you use for a quick and easy setup?

*FotoBuZzAh! Special*
This weekend we will have boxed paper back drops in BLACK(2.7m × 11m) on special.

They normally retail for R3000 each, they are now on special for R600! Discover the challenge and uniqueness of doing portraiture with a black background.

Only available at our FotoBuZzAh! this weekend. Find out more info about the event on our website.

The FotoBuZzAh! is returning on the 6 & 7 April 2024.

The bee-gest and coolest photographic flea-market, is back for another weekend! Come rifle through our new collection of photographic equipment ranging from camera straps and books right through to budget DSLR's and photographic knick knacks.

Date: 6 & 7 April 2024
Times: Sat (08:30 - 15:00) & Sun (08:30 - 14:00)
Venue: FotoZA Gallery

Visit our site for more info.

To dear friends and family. We will be hosting a memorial service for Ludwig this Saturday (17 Feb 2024) at 15:00 from FotoZA Gallery. Please take a look at the post below for more details.

The service will also be live-streamed for those who cannot attend in person. You can watch it via this link that will go live when the service starts: https://youtube.com/live/i3o1ZIb-aT4?feature=share

***MEMORIAL NOTICE***

Dear friends: In honour of the late Ludwig Hammerl (1945 - 2024), family and friends will gather for a time of remembrance and reflection on 17 February at 3pm at Kameraz in Rosebank, Johannesburg.

The venue: Shop-101a, Rosebank Mall, 50 Bath Avenue, (use mall entrance on Bath Avenue; entrance to the parking next to Telkom) Rosebank, Johannesburg.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Alex Hammerl ([email protected]) or Penny Sukhraj-Hammerl ([email protected]) if you have any questions.

We hope this time sharing our memories of Ludwig will be a comfort amid a very sad loss.

Livestreaming link: https://youtube.com/live/i3o1ZIb-aT4?feature=share

It is with profound grief that we say farewell to Ludwig Hammerl who passed away on the 3rd of February 2024 at the age of 78. He was a dear friend to all of us here at KAMERAZ and his presence will be sorely missed. Eulogy follows.

Ludwig Hammerl was a staff member that some of our regulars and suppliers knew well. Worked for us the last twenty years or so, as both our driver and as a general handyman.

The Latin saying, de mortuis nihil nisi bonum, is always the easy way out, especially if you've known someone t-o-o long?

But would Ludwig have enjoyed a tearful, sensitive eulogy from me; or anyone? Sorry; don't think so . . .

Ludwig was an Austrian who came to SA in the middle 60's to work in the construction industry. He was barely past his 18th birthday. And he never went back to Austria. Not even for a visit. At least his mother made the effort to come'n visit; if only once.

He told me that he left Austria just before they started shooting The Sound of Music in his home town area. And how relieved he was to have escaped it. As he had no ambition to become a film extra, as so many of his friends had. Because although coming from the country of Mozart, Schubert, Haydn and Strauss, neither waltzing or yodelling was his pianoforte.

In the 60 years in SA, he never managed to speak or understand Afrikaans, which demonstrates an unique talent for obstinacy, as there's suppose to be s-o-m-e similarities between the two languages? But boy, did he speak English, albeit with an extra heavy duty accent? And the older he became, the more the gravitas increased; him ending up sounding like the stereotypical, evil N**i character in some B Grade action movie . . .

Ludwig was a Hillbrow trader like me in the middle 1980's. First time we met, was when he came into my little shop, launching a friendly-fire, verbal blitzkrieg at me, as if he had a profound thirst to speak German to s-o-m-e-one. Even someone who couldn't speak the language. Which was strange, as there were so many German businesses (Café Wien, Café Zurich, etc., etc.) in Hillbrow, and Ludwig was both barman and chucker-outer at the local Deutscher Bierkeller and surely had enough opportunity to "spreche sie Deutsch"?

When I questioned him at a later stage about the incident, his defence was that I looked German -- and civilised; which is more than he could say about his drunken, aggressive clientele at the Bierkeller. Having had to physically throw out half a dozen on a typical night.

As if the above job wasn't enough, Ludwig also ran his own small hardware shop during the day; similar in size to my shop. Mainly cutting keys, he had his own inimitable way to stock and sell goods. I once went in looking for a certain size in screws and bolts and instead of having items neatly packaged and marked, I had to rifle through a small cardboard box full of screws and bolts of all sizes to find what I was looking for. And amazingly I did manage to find what I was looking for.

He had a very self-deprecating sense of humour. And told with a chuckle how one of his German friends came into his little shop, and with a bewildered look on his face, asked Ludwig, was is das -- ein Schrottplatz!? (i.e. a junkyard).

One day in the early 90's, the neighbouring shop, wishing to expand, made Ludwig an offer that he could've refused. But not being Italian, he accepted. Sold his little shop and was soon on his way to Cape Town with his pretty, statuesque girlfriend. Let's call her Bernadette. She was younger than him and Afrikaans. In Cape Town he made muffins in their kitchen, and then selling them to nearby cafés. Bernadette was a rep for a fancy cigarette lighter company and with Ludwig playing chauffeur, they would call on all the towns on the west coast, going as far north as Windhoek in Namibia.

The following is "classic Ludwig". They were staying at a Holiday Inn in Windhoek. All the rooms and balconies were looking out on the swimming pool. One sweltering midday, everyone hiding from the heat in their rooms with windows and doors wide open. The only person venturing out, was Bernadette. Dressed in a beautiful long summer-wraparound-dress she was gracefully walking around the one end of the pool; testing the water by gingerly dipping her foot in the water. Maybe realising that she was probably being watched. And of course, some air of anticipation building; approximating that iconic scene of Gary Cooper in High Noon? As if everyone, although invisible, were watching and wondering; and hoping? Was she or wasn't she going to? Ludwig momentarily wondered if she knew she was hovering around the deep end. But instead of coming to her rescue, he preferred to be kept spellbound and glued to his chair. Lifting her dress to above her knees, she elegantly step out into what she thought was, yes, the shallow end -- and, of course, promptly disappeared like the Titanic did, the water washing over her head. If ever there was a more concerted effort at schadenfreude, this was it: the comatose, siesta-taking occupants stirring to life, as muffled laughing emanated from the surrounding rooms. Ludwig said his was the loudest . . .

Somewhere in May, June '95, Ludwig came visiting me after I had just moved to Rosebank. He and Bernadette had split, he told me.

He had no job and we slowly tried to accommodate him over the years as our business grew. Either as a driver/delivery man as well for his handy man skills.

The interaction between him and the much younger staff was quite hilarious at times. Was like watching dormant enmities from the Second World War coming to the fore: he calling the young Walloon Belgian manager, "Frenchman" and the latter replying with a sigh," the German is broken". Ludwig's surname of Hammerl also bore the brunt at times as he seemed to be fixing and um, hammering all the time. One manager nicknamed him as das Hammerl und Spyker also "Hammerl and sickle", "Hammerl and bicycle", etc. One of Ludwig's favourite sayings when a younger colleague was having him on, was: If you have to go, then go. Go with God, but g-o . .

But time to get to the tragic stuff. Tried in vain not to get there.

His son Anton, a press photographer, was killed by Gaddafi's soldiers in Libya in 2011. While for 44 days the world and his loved ones thought he was alive and kept captive with 2 Americans. But when the 2 Americans were released -- after 44 days -- they revealed that they lied about Anton on instruction from their captors. And that he took a fatal shot to the stomach, probably succumbing to this as the other two were led away.

Anton's family obviously took it very badly. So did Ludwig. And his way to handle it was not to allow himself anytime to think or grieve about it. Ludwig never recovered from losing his son. Kept his own pain tucked away, right up to the end as he went with God.

- Johan Greybe

(Image by Keith Page)

Happy Friday! Time for some last minute gear shopping before the weekend's shoots! What is your favourite section of our windows to browse? 😀

The FotoBuZzAh! is back with a bang this year. We are kicking off the season with our first event on the 24th & 25th of February 2024. 📸

Times: Sat: 08:30 - 15:00 | Sun: 08:30 - 14:00
Venue: FotoZA Gallery, Rosebank Mall, JHB

What is the FotoBuZzAh! you ask? It is the Bee-gest and coolest photographic flea market around. A place where you can find all sorts of photographic treasures and knick-knacks and get great deals on pre-loved gear that we don't put on the shelves.

What to expect:
*Straps
*Ready Cases
*Various Lenses (3 month warranty)
*Binoculars
*Great Photo Books
*SLR & budget DSLR's with 3 month warranty
*Compact digital & 35mm compact cameras (3 month warranty)
*Used Tripods
*Used Photographic bags, cases and pouches
*Used Tripod & Video Heads
*Used Flashes
*Classic / Antique Cameras -- as is.

Let us know if you will be attending here: https://www.facebook.com/events/926181562422223