He just clicks with cameras
How do some shops survive for decades? In this series, LAKEISHA LEO (tnp@sph.com.sg) learns their secrets
He enjoys working on cameras.
And usually, each camera has a history of its own, says Mr Steven Lee, 50, owner of Camera Hospital.
He tells The New Paper on Sunday about a customer who once showed him a wooden camera that was almost 115 years old.
He says: "The customer had bought it on eBay and brought it to the shop to show me."
A camera enthusiast, Mr Lee has been repairing cameras for 35 years. What started out as an interest grew into a passion and full-time job.
He says: "This job is my hobby. I don't work, I play."
He is the third owner of Camera Hospital, taking over from the previous owner around 2001.
Mr Lee says: "My friend owns the space, and he told me the tenant was going to retire.
"So I decided to take over the shop, which meant that I would have more exposure to cameras."
Mr Lee says Camera Hospital started in the 1930s in the Bencoolen Street area.
It moved to the first storey of Sunshine Plaza around 2001 and has been there ever since.
Camera Hospital specialises in repairing all makes of cameras, including DSLRs and film cameras.
He says: "The previous owner repaired only film cameras, so actually this shop is busier now since I repair both film and digital cameras."
And Mr Lee's volume of work is evident, looking at the different cameras and lenses strewn all over, some with customer invoices attached to them.
HOW MUCH?
Mr Lee says that depending on the problem, he may charge as much as $400 for a repair job.
He says: "Sometimes it's not about whether or not a customer can simply buy a new camera. They want to repair it because the model is either out of production or it holds a lot of sentimental value."
Since the business is a one-man show, Mr Lee is often very busy.
He says: "You have to constantly repair cameras, but I do try to have some time to rest for myself."
"But I have no regrets. Given another chance, I'll still do it."
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