Elements the newest shopping mall in Hong Kong, located above the Kowloon Station, recently opened on 1st Oct 2007, the Chinese National Day. It is a upmarket mall with many shops, restaurants and recreational facilities like multiplex cinema and an ice rink.

I was there a few days after it opened. As a new and upmarket mall, of course I was keen to take photos. Although, in some countries, shopping malls do not allow photography inside. However, the norm in Hong Kong is that, practically all shopping malls allow photography. Well, that is until the arrival of Elements. After I have taken some photographs, a staff of the mall came up to me while I was tking photograph of a structure inside of the mall. He asked me what I was using the photographs for. I told him that I was a photo enthusiast and the photos I took were for my personal use. He told me that I was not allowed to take photographs inside the mall if the photos did not have any people in them. However, it would be OK to take photos inside the mall if i include people I know like friends or family. the reason for this rule was because they were afraid that their “competitor” may come to the mall to take photos and try to copy them!

Now, that is the most absurd and ridiculous reason I have heard of. If they were so afraid

I have been asked by quite a few persons during the past week about recommending camera shops in Hong Kong. So here is a list of camera shops that I would recommend trying if you visit Hong Kong.

1. Echo Photo & Audio (tel:23760478) at Hankow Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon is the camera store which I shopped from most. I have shopped from them for over 20 years. It’s a small camera shop (they didn’t used to be that small, but that’s another story) diagonally opposite HMV record store. Although it is not a big store, they are good and honest store and usually sell at good prices. Since they are not a big store, they may not have everything in stock, but if the distributor have the item you want in stock, they can usually get it for you within the same day or the next.

Other camera stores worth trying (yes, I have shopped from these stores too) includes:-

2. Tin Cheung Camera at Carnarvon Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. They are a big shop with a wide variety of camera lenses and accessories. website: www.tincheungcamera.com.hk

3. Wing Shing Photo Supplies Co at 57. Sai Yeung Choi Street. Kowloon (tel 2396 6886). This is also a big store with stocks of large variety of cameras and lenses.

DC Fever at Unit 327 & 339, 3/F, Sim City, 47-51 Shan Tung Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon. (tel 2781 1780)

You can also try large chain stores like:-

4. Broadway. They have many branches including