A Monumental Visit

Whenever I travel, if I find there is a camera store in the vicinity of where I am staying, I try to stop by and check it out.  Tucson, Arizona has such a store — Monument Camera, and when I was in Tucson for over a week last month, I finally had the opportunity to stop in.  I was previously in Tucson in January, 2024, and was unable to visit Monument Camera when it was open.  This time, our vacation rental was located on the NE side of Tucson, and it was a quick drive to Monument Camera on E. Fort Lowell Rd.   It was our first full day in Tucson, and it turned out to be a great start to our 9 days there.  

The friendly folks at Monument Camera (L-R)- Alexis, Lee, McKenzie, Jordan, Nasho, and Jacob (missing).

The storefront was quite welcoming, and when I stepped inside, it was definitely apparent that this is a destination for anyone that shoots film.  Glass cases full of cameras, aisles of photographic gear and accessories, and plenty of staff on hand.  Of course, film is prominently displayed at the front of the store.  I had a nice conversation with Alexis, and after a few minutes, she went into the back and brought out Lee Walker, the owner of Monument Camera.  Lee bought the business in 2020 - and then there was COVID. It’s truly great to see he was determined to keep a film-based photography store going in a city with lots of local and visiting photographers.  He added in-house film developing services, and of course, sells all kinds of cameras and supplies.  It’s obvious though, that film cameras are their forte, and there are a lot of beautiful cameras for sale.  Anyone desiring a twin lens reflex would be smitten by the selection available in the medium format case.  No matter what your level of experience is, it's great to talk to other photographers, and a camera store is a magnet for that.

Lee and I talked for quite a while and I asked if he had any Pentax K-mount bodies for sale, as this trip was pretty much a Pentax gear road trip (more about that in another post).  He brought out two beautiful K-mount bodies. A mint black Pentax LX with a 50mm f/1.2 SMC Pentax lens, and a very nice Pentax KX with a 50mm f/1.7 SMC Pentax lens.  Of course, the LX was in fabulous condition, but my wallet could only accommodate the KX.  I decided to buy the KX, and I used it every day while we were in Arizona.  You will often pay a bit more for a camera at a brick and mortar store, but it’s worth it.  To have the camera in hand and test it out out before you buy, and know that it’s been serviced is a plus, and of course, you are supporting a local business.  In this day of instant gratification, there is something to be said for walking into a store and buying a camera, lens, or film, and interacting with others in the photography community.  Maybe you only need a lens cap, so why not go to a store that has them right there?  

Monument Camera sells a lot of film, and I hope that I convinced Lee to carry some FPP branded films.  I stopped back into the store a few days later and dropped off a couple of gift zines, and bought a roll of Kodak Kodacolor 100, as I was almost out of color 35mm film, and had more days left for this trip.  I’ll be developing all those rolls of C-41 film soon.

If you are anywhere near Tucson, AZ, I highly recommend visiting Monument Camera.  You may just make some new friends.  

Monument Camera is located at 15 East Fort Lowell Rd., Tucson, AZ. It’s on Instagram @monument_camera, and their web site is www.monumentcam.com.   

This one came home with me.