Cameras Direct Australia - Since 2001

Its a quiet moment and I was wondering just who and what is Cameras Direct. I headed to the keyboard and this is what spilled out.

Who and what is Cameras Direct Australia?

Cameras Direct is a humble and proud bunch of people that love their photography. We were all once a beginner and have enjoyed the excitement of taking amazing photos as we all learned more photography skills as we went through our lives. We now, as a retailer of Digital Cameras, Camera lenses and all of the 100's of accessories, we now get to enjoy helping others along the journey.

We really do get excited when we see in a customers' eye that anticipation of delight about their own photography joy and happiness. Might sound a bit old school but hey, that is who we are.

It is NOT about the sale of a product that excites us. It IS about knowing how happy that photographer will be when they get the result that they set out to get. You do not want a new camera or a new camera lens. You do not want to spend money. You want the result. Am I right? We will never 'flog' you a camera. We will carefully ask you questions to understand who you are and what you want to achieve. Then and only then can we suggest the best camera or lens or accessory that will help you take that better photo. It has been that way since 2001 when one person decided to form Cameras Direct to help others enjoy the same type of thrills that he himself was enjoying. The sale of a camera is just a simple part of that process. Thank you for reading and please go on and enjoy our website. We hope to help you soon. All the best.

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The following was written many years ago and still holds true today. Thank you for reading.

Our Gold Coast AUSTRALIA Digital Camera Warehouse and Digital Camera Store is famous for:

- Only hiring highly qualified photographers to assist you in your choices.
- Not setting sales targets to allow our staff to only offer you the products you need to get the job done, and not a product that you don't need.
- Offering an Australian Warranty on all our products, and a dedicated Warranty Manager to ensure any repairs are made efficiently and quickly.
- Having mountains of stock ready to be dispatched to you quickly.
- Offering super fast delivery options.

Camerasdirect.com.au Pty Ltd is an Australian company that has grown from the demand for better priced camera gear. Astute consumers/photographers have always been aware that competitive pricing was available from overseas retailers on popular brands like Nikon, Sony and Canon. However they were also painfully aware that sometimes buying overseas meant no local warranty, unreliable delivery and no local support.

"Paving the way and setting the standard."

In 2001 (the business was later incorporated as a Pty Ltd Company in 2003) Cameras Direct bridged this gap by being one of the first Australian importers to stock camera gear in Australia and support their customers' with a local warranty. 8 years on and thanks to the initial support of local camera clubs, photographic enthusiasts and professionals alike, Cameras Direct has continued to grow into a favourite online shopping destination for Australians.

Our unprecedented approach to helping Australians take better photos by only employing passionate photographers has helped us to provide an unparralled level of service, customer support and creativity.

Our new website, launched in September 2011, marks our renewed commitment to provide the very best online retail experience to Australian shoppers. Backed by our in-house team of photographers and technology partners such as Magento and Google we are confident that we can continue to provide quality camera gear at the best prices consistently to the Australian marketplace.

Importantly we understand that a website is an extension of our physical business and our business philosophy, so it is what we do day to day in our office and warehouse that makes the biggest impact on the experience you have when you deal with Cameras Direct. From returns to warranties, dispatch and sales we all are reminded daily that our customer comes first.

We hope in dealing with us we give you a total experience that only leaves you with one option, to tell someone else about it.

Mark Harrison - Founder and CEO

Australian Stock™ - A trade mark of CamerasDirect.com.au Pty Ltd

The Simplicity of Certainty™ - A trade mark of CamerasDirect.com.au Pty Ltd

It does help to be happy and well, a little whacky at times, to work at Cameras Direct. This video often described as lame, was shot back in late 2009 after another massive run up to Christmas. We needed a break. Some staff have left come back and gone again since then but the fun family feeling still remains.

Proudly supplying free advice and great products at great prices since 2003. Digital Cameras & Camera Lenses & Accessories Canon Nikon Fuji Sigma Tamron Lowepro Manfrotto Rode Hoya Sandisk Pentax Sony Polaroid Gopro - Cameras Direct Gold Coast Shop & cheap online Australia Wide

We also sell Ink Cartridges and Toner Cartridges

Below are the last couple of Letters from the CEO.

Welcome to 2015
I started last year’s email with “To say that 2013 was interesting would be like saying Nelson Mandela’s life was satisfactory. ” The 2014 year wasn’t much different when it came to presenting challenging times.

2015 will be great for us. We expect to see a continued interest in photography within the community. The iphone camera has been damaging initially to the camera market however we have started to see a change. The iphone and in fact all phone cameras continue to improve without a doubt. The users of those phones however are having a mind shift. Photography is now super cool! Those users from 5 years ago are, curiously, 5 years older. The 18 year old is now 23 and life is changing. A child maybe. Travel. Sport. Action photography is extremely difficult and with less than satisfactory results to the camera phone user. Those users are now looking to take a better photo and we are welcoming their passion.

The future of the DSLR camera is looking bright.

Having said all of that, the camera phone is now literally everywhere. Facebook. Instagram. Snapchat. Names that your children will know if you aren’t familiar with them. Enter the “Selfie Stick.” The Selfie Stick is still relatively new to Australian shores however the rest of the world is Selfie mad. On a recent trip to Eastern Europe I discovered that even grandparents had a selfie stick and if they were real groovers it was a BlueTooth Selfie Stick. We have given way to public demand and now stock them. If you are interested you can grab one @ http://camerasdirect.com.au/Bluetooth-Selfie-Sticks-Australia

Here is a copy of a part of last year’s letter. Nothing has changed. “We are proud to work locally with Fujifilm, Sanyo/Panasonic, Cr Kennedy, Polaroid, Maxwell, Rode, Kayell and others. These associations have greatly assistance us in keeping sales in Australia. Our invitations to Canon and Nikon have to date gone unanswered, however we remain optimistic and open.”

I am very pleased to say that there is a marked increase in consumer confidence over last year. I pay no attention at all concerns from the government when reaching this point of view. We have seen a marked increase in average sale value to name just one factor. 2015 is looking good for our economy in general. That’s good for everyone.

In forthcoming emails we will let you know about the new range of camera products we will be stocking. “Sale” emails will fall dramatically so we ask that you visit the site regularly and register your interest with regard to a falling price by using the facility.

Now that I’ve said that, please be aware that product sourced locally is all about to rise due to the A$’s demise. We are readying to increase the price on those items 6-10%.

So it’s a busy year ahead for all of us. We hope that your year is full of healthy happy prosperous times.

I invite you to now leave a testimonial for all to see.http://www.camerasdirect.com.au/testimonials/

Kindest regards

Mark Harrison

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Welcome to 2014.

To say that 2013 was interesting would be like saying Nelson Mandela’s life was satisfactory.

A new year and new challenges is now with us. We have some very exciting announcements to come early in this year. Opportunities that will allow us to serve you better, with greater savings and … well that can all wait for a future announcement.

When I started CamerasDirect more than 10 years ago, I did so on the premise of honesty, please and thank you, trust and integrity. I am very proud to say that the culture remains today. Its also very pleasing to see the key staff members repeating many of my quirky sayings.

We have continued to be innovative. For example, we are the first camera retailer to offer both imported by us and imported by the ‘official’ importer, stock items. We are proud to work locally with Fujifilm, Sanyo/Panasonic, Cr Kennedy, Polaroid, Maxwell, Rode, Kayell and others. These associations have greatly assistance us in keeping sales in Australia. Our invitations to Canon and Nikon have to date gone unanswered, however we remain optimistic and open.

There has been in past years a lot of, ahhhh how can I put this politely?, ‘interesting’ comments made in the market place about us. 2013 has not been any different with competitors desperate for a sale making comments that are embarrassing to them on every level. The forums are full of, let’s say “interesting points of view” made by staff of competitors. A huge thank you to all of you who have put them straight.

Its true that retail sales in 2013 continued to come under pressure. We are still small. The major retailers of this world will laugh at what I am about to share with you. Having said that we still experienced some exciting figures and so I have elected to share just a few of them with you all.


List 2500 + different stock items. 1000+ more to come in 2014.
Stocked on average, 1650+ of them at any time.
Offered 200+ CamerasDirect branded products, with more to come
Held 3000 + filters in stock and continue to do so.
Held 3500 + bags in stock and continue to do so.
Held 1000 + tripods, heads and associated items in stock and continue to do so.
Remained debt free.

Our Warranty Manager Matt, reports that in 2013 we processed 400+ matters. Matt is happy to report that we have expanded our service agreements to be able to warrant in Australia, Leica, Olympus and Sony. We will looking to expand these ranges very soon.

Our Warehouse Supervisor Melissa, processed 35000+ orders (not by herself she adds). Redesigned 4 of our packing cartons for greater safety and security of goods in transit. Upgraded our stock holding processes. The green info on each product is accurate and live. “1 in stock” isn’t a marketing ploy.

I invite you to now leave a testimonial for all to see. http://www.camerasdirect.com.au/testimonials/

With the greatest of thanks from all us at Cameras Direct, we wish everyone a healthy happy and prosperous 2014.

Kindest regards

Mark Harrison