Shanghai Camera History Museum

Shanghai Camera History Museum

Shanghai Camera History Museum
5
10:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Tuesday
10:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Wednesday
10:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday
10:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Saturday
10:30 AM - 10:00 PM
Sunday
10:30 AM - 10:00 PM
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What people are saying
Free Boutique Museum with a Snapshot of History
Jun 2016
As of May 2016, the "Old Camera Manufacturing Museum" has both moved and changed names. I have asked TripAdvisor to update the listing, but wanted to write a review with the information in case my update does not go through. It is now in the Former French Concession at No. 300 Anfu Rd. It is attached to the IG Art Gallery & Cafe at the same address, and the museum can be found on the third floor. It has free admission with extensive hours (10:30-22:00, closed Mondays and Thursdays). This museum truly focuses on the history of cameras, both around the world and in China itself. It features many Seagull cameras (a domestic Chinese brand), as well as other brands from around the world. There is a small area dedicated to Nikon, an area that shows something about actual camera manufacturing (though this section is currently exclusively in Mandarin, while many other sections are bilingual with English), and a portion of worldwide cameras with some dating as far back as 1902 and possibly before. The museum is for personal cameras, as opposed to stand-up professional or video cameras. Though there was no one working at the time, there are a couple of areas where professionals actively restore cameras. One thing I found surprising was that there were few actual photos to be found in the museum. It is true to its name: it is a museum for cameras themselves and not for the art the cameras create. As you exit the museum, you go through the IG Art Gallery and Cafe, which looks very nice and compliments the museum well. The tables are decorative cogs or film reels; the pillows look like classic cameras; additional classic cameras can be found on display throughout. Bottom line: if you like cameras or small, focused museums, it is hard to go wrong here. Allow yourself about an hour.

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The area
Address
Neighborhood: Former French Concession
While there are technical borders to the area formerly governed by the French in Shanghai, the "French Concession" of today is an amorphous neighborhood that is a favorite of the city's foreign residents. While it is mostly within the Xuhui district, residents will sometimes include parts of Jing'an and Luwan in their mental maps of the Former French Concession. The area seems frozen in time, characterized by quiet, tree-lined avenues, French-style villas, interesting boutiques, lively bars and quaint cafes that are not typical of China. All of these mix and mingle with local life as Chinese markets and lanehouse communities are peppered throughout. Denizens of the Former French Concession can spectate a mahjong game on the street or get their bike checked at a tiny bike repair store on the way to their refurbished apartment tucked away among Chinese family homes.
How to get there
  • Shanghai Library • 9 min walk
  • Changshu Road • 10 min walk
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.

5.0
8 reviews
Excellent
6
Very good
2
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0

Hilary T
Kissimmee, FL137 contributions
Jun 2016 • Friends
As of May 2016, the "Old Camera Manufacturing Museum" has both moved and changed names. I have asked TripAdvisor to update the listing, but wanted to write a review with the information in case my update does not go through. It is now in the Former French Concession at No. 300 Anfu Rd. It is attached to the IG Art Gallery & Cafe at the same address, and the museum can be found on the third floor. It has free admission with extensive hours (10:30-22:00, closed Mondays and Thursdays).
This museum truly focuses on the history of cameras, both around the world and in China itself. It features many Seagull cameras (a domestic Chinese brand), as well as other brands from around the world. There is a small area dedicated to Nikon, an area that shows something about actual camera manufacturing (though this section is currently exclusively in Mandarin, while many other sections are bilingual with English), and a portion of worldwide cameras with some dating as far back as 1902 and possibly before. The museum is for personal cameras, as opposed to stand-up professional or video cameras. Though there was no one working at the time, there are a couple of areas where professionals actively restore cameras.
One thing I found surprising was that there were few actual photos to be found in the museum. It is true to its name: it is a museum for cameras themselves and not for the art the cameras create.
As you exit the museum, you go through the IG Art Gallery and Cafe, which looks very nice and compliments the museum well. The tables are decorative cogs or film reels; the pillows look like classic cameras; additional classic cameras can be found on display throughout.
Bottom line: if you like cameras or small, focused museums, it is hard to go wrong here. Allow yourself about an hour.
Written June 4, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

989TheoT
Dronfield, UK4 contributions
Aug 2014 • Friends
This is quite a remarkable place to visit. I only stumbled across it when I was exploring the area from the French Concession to People’s Park. It has quite an innocuous entrance but inside on display were vintage cameras ranging from the first Leica and first Seagull (China’s own brand) camera to a fairly recent film camera. No digital camera on display. If you are a camera enthusiast or a keen photographer, this place is a must. I was there in August. There was no air conditioning and it was stifling but the collection of old cameras and old monochrome photographs and the excellent displays are well worth the experience. Many of the cameras have been painfully restored. They look great. There is even a small photo studio with the Forbidden City, Beijing in the backdrop, all set up for your own indoor photo shoot! Entrance is free.
Written October 11, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Antono V
Minsk, Belarus9 contributions
Apr 2014 • Solo
A lot of Chinese and other film cameras. Small manufacturing line inside. You can buy refurbished camera at the end of exposition.
Written December 14, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brussels_Judging
Wezembeek-Oppem, Belgium173 contributions
Sep 2016 • Solo
A small museum, but with quite an impressive selection of cameras. Mainly Chinese cameras, but also a nice portion of Japanese and a fantastic part of the Leica imperium. They have almost the complete series 1 up till 3 with all it's sub-releases. There is some side equipment as well, including two glass slide projectors. Would mainly recommend to camera nerds. Entrance is free of charge.
Written September 27, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Shanghai Camera History Museum - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about Shanghai Camera History Museum

Shanghai Camera History Museum is open:
  • Tue - Wed 10:30 AM - 10:00 PM
  • Fri - Sun 10:30 AM - 10:00 PM


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