Amid the lively streets of Indiranagar, a middle-aged man sits on one of the pavements, sharing his life’s love with every passerby. This is Azmad ‘bhaiyya’, who sells his lifetime collection of vintage cameras sitting on 100 ft Road. In an era where digital photography dominates, Azmad believes there is an irreplaceable charm in old cameras. “Digital cameras are everywhere,” he says, “But these vintage cameras – you won’t find them anymore. Even if you go back in time, these are rare.”
Azmad’s journey started in Dubai, where he bought his first camera. His passion quickly grew and he began collecting more, keeping them in his house with dreams of being a collector. But, when the lockdown disrupted his life, he made a decision – he would sell his collection. What started as a hobby turned into an 18-year-long journey of sourcing and curating, followed by selling vintage cameras to passionate buyers.
Sourcing these cameras is no easy task. Unlike modern gadgets that can be ordered online, he travels to remote villages, searching for hidden treasures. “It’s very hard to find cameras. Sometimes I go to a village and come back empty-handed. Other times, I find two or three cameras,” he shares. He notes that Mumbai was once a hotspot but as the years passed, stock went down. Now, he relies on his village contacts who help him locate and acquire cameras.
His collection features brands that photography enthusiast go crazy about like Rolliflex, Yashica, Kodak, Polaroid, Nikon, Canon, and Wizen, among others.
For those interested in collecting vintage cameras, Azmad suggests starting small. “This is a Kodak camera,” he explains, holding it up. “Anyone can use this. If you don’t know how, you can learn with this – it’s easy.” From there, enthusiasts can graduate to more complex automatic cameras and beyond.
Despite the rapid digitisation, vintage cameras hold a special place in people’s hearts. “Many customers buy them to remember their fathers or grandfathers,” he says. “They want to keep their family’s history alive.”
Among all the cameras he has sold and collected, his personal favourite remains safely in his house – a large wooden camera reminiscent of those seen in old movies. “That one is special,” he says with a smile. For Azmad, selling cameras is not just a business – it’s a way of keeping history and the love of photography alive.