Even the most well equipped Manchester videographer will eventually come across a job that demands a new piece of kit, and whether it’s worth a purchase or more cost-effective to just rent, you’re going to need a supplier. Every good videographer has their favourite suppliers – for gear, batteries, SD cards, rentals, you name it. Below are Raccoon’s top three!
Wex Photo Video Manchester
Wex are a heavyweight of the video industry in Britain, having been around since 1997. They offer a wide range of quality gear, from audio equipment to camera bodies and lenses, as well as media, batteries, and more. Their staff are friendly and helpful and always happy to offer advice on your purchases, and seem to have a genuine passion for their work. They offer a 45-day returns policy and support on any items that aren’t working as hoped. They’re a little more expensive than some of the other options but for my money the peace of mind is worth it. They only fall short when it comes to smaller bits of kit – you might need to look elsewhere for that specific monitor arm or roll of chroma tape if you’re in a hurry, but they’re always happy to order in anything that isn’t in that day. They’re also great for rentals!
London Camera Exchange (Manchester branch!)
LCE Manchester are my go to for small bits of kit – adapters, connectors, etc. A dinky, charming little shop, staffed by friendly and helpful people. I’ll always be grateful for the 15 minutes I once spent rooting around in a plastic box of screws, shoe adapters and the like to find a male-male 3/8” screw – I suspect it may have been the only one in the city!
STS Touring Productions
Handily located just down the road from Wex, STS are great for the less technical bits you might need, as well as all your audio gear. From field recorders to chroma tape, there’s a good chance they’ll have it and their prices are very reasonable. Like the above two, they’re always happy to offer advice and always come across as very knowledgeable.
That’s my round-up of my three favourite spots for any Manchester videographer to grab any bits of kit they may need for a job. Between them all, you can pretty much find anything you need and each one of these has helped me out of a pickle more than once!
The above is my own opinion – I am not paid by or affiliated with any of the businesses mentioned.
