Denton Camera Exchange

In the latest interview with Armand Kohandani, the owner of Denton Camera Exchange, to discuss the inner workings of what makes working with cameras click. Our host Nneoma Mgboji talks with Armand from the vast and diverse community of photographers to how a self taught owner hopes to be the helping hand for beginners. Denton Camera Exchange offers services all from helping fix faulty cameras to giving advice over the best camera for you. 

Armand Kohandani recalls his early years in photography as fond memories of his parents purchasing him a camera and using one in the 7th grade for his yearbook class. In a community so muddied with different opinions and ideas over what is best for film and cameras and all things media Armand did not have a place to go to that could help him decide between all his choices. He realized while there were online sources most people could access to learn, there was not a face to face business where you could go and speak to someone about your concerns. 

Armand decided to open Denton Camera Exchange where he sells anything from used and new lenses, cameras, vinyl records, and restored vintage furniture. Armand wanted to make a one stop shop where anyone seeking advice or technology could come to. While there are services to fix any camera Armand prides himself on helping others and if it's a simple switch or button the owner pressed that caused the issue he will do it free of charge. 

Recognizing that while there may be professional and knowledgeable photographers in the industry he shows compassion for who he and many were once at. Helping use his self taught wisdom to help encourage a new generation of film. Over the years he started to put together the tools and skills to perform regular maintenance of cameras. Fixing any parts or screws that could be causing a faulty shoot. Armand claims to have felt a sense of imposter syndrome as he became the person people in his community would come to for camera help. While he did not know exactly what he was doing he taught himself the ins and outs of cameras and slowly built up his confidence. 

With a growing production for digital cameras materials and the intention of the cameras has declined to trending cheap cameras. Built to suffice a want for a popular item and not one to last for the long run. While cameras that were built to last can run you up to around 90 dollars, cameras you can find online such as on the TikTok shop cost no more than 30 dollars. This is a problem that Armand has faced over the years while cameras he says from the 60’s to even the 90’s were designed and manufactured with the material and robustness in mind with the intent to last the user a while. These cameras tend to be easier to fix by professionals as there is more knowledge over how to fix those kinds of cameras, not the newer ones. 

While someone may bring the same built and model camera with the same issue Armand says that each cause needs to be assessed differently as issues on one camera can be completely in another. Priding himself on honesty and ensuring that his customers feel invited to photography. While people from all walks of life visit his shop he wants any beginner to be excited to learn and not intimated.

While digital cameras do hold a big space in the media world, film has several pros and cons that differ from those of digital cameras. While shooting with a digital camera you can see the photos immediately after taking, film takes time. With the use of different forms of developing the film, waiting for the processing and delivery. Armand describes film as “magical” for the way the film cameras capture life in ways that were not always accessible. While film may be a slightly outdated form of photography now, film companies managed to produce a camera in which very few people could have been able to access without. 

Kodak introduced these film cameras to America and eventually became globalized but to Armand they capture reality in a way that digital cameras don’t compare to. Considering film is a life changing process to be able to record memories and preserve them. The negatives from the film can also be kept and used to be scanned in the case the printed photo was lost and stays the same color for a longer time. A digital camera slowly degrades with the pixels and updates making photos appear more crisp and not as smooth as film. With 90% of what Armand does is scanning negatives for people he has been able to see just how different the film industry has gotten from old forms of printing to new and advanced technologies. 

Denton Camera Exchange is a place where new to advanced photographers or even people curious about photography come and experience new forms of cameras. Learning more from Armand and his crew who are there to help guide confused or curious customers. Armand suggests to new photographers to get a manual camera and use it as much as possible. Changing out the lenses, lighting, setting, and filters to see the differences and techniques in cameras and their usage.