History of Meier Camera Shop:
Seventy years ago, Chet Wright opened downtown Midland’s first camera store and studio. Twenty-six years later, in 1965, Bill Meier purchased Chet’s business. With a staff comprising of his brother John, his son Jim, and his daughter Mary Ann, the business was renamed Meier Camera Shop. Jim began managing the store in 1985, and his brother Jerry succeeded him in 2005. Today, Jerry and his wife Michelle continue the family store that is Meier Camera Shop. Other staff include Tim Pinnow, whose mother and grandmother had also worked at the store, and Robert Rosselit. Tim has become an expert at transferring movie film to digital CDs and DVDs, Michelle copies slides and slide collections to digital files on CDs and DVDs, and Robert is competent to repair many cameras and other equipment in house.
At the store, you’ll find tripods and other supports by Manfrotto; bags and storage solutions by Tamrac; and fine lenses, cameras, lighting equipment, and accessories by Nikon, Canon, Olympus, and others. You’ll also find a very good selection of used equipment for both film and digital formats, as well as a display of vintage cameras and lenses by Kodak, Polaroid, Rolliflex, Nikon, and Leica.
All the staff are able to explain and discuss with you equipment you plan to purchase, from point-and-shoot digital cameras to professional SLRs for both film and digital formats. All the staff have kept themselves up to date regarding changes in photographic technology, particularly digital technology. Paramount is their desire to help customers choose the best equipment to suit their particular needs and to help them understand how to use the equipment they finally do choose. Classes for customers are also scheduled at the store regularly. These classes are taught by Jerry or by a guest teacher. Monthly exhibitions of images by customers and local photographers are a great help in demonstrating what is possible in photography.
From the beginning, the chief aim of the staff has always remained that they be committed to their customers through informed and patient service. However much and however quickly photographic technology may change, and the pace of these changes has been startling indeed, this commitment to their customers’ satisfaction will remain the staff’s chief concern.
