Update: I've also published a Hong Kong-specific listing of camera shops and other professional photography resources.

For photographers new to south China, sourcing professional equipment can be difficult. There are small camera shops sprinkled about most large cities (particularly Macau and Hong Kong) but finding suppliers for items more exotic than consumer DSLRs and lenses can be tricky. Many higher-end photo equipment retailers and wholesalers in the area have minimal web resources rendering them nearly impossible to find except through word-of-mouth recommendation.

To aid photographers in Macau, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and neighboring cities, I will do my best to list my favorite photography equipment shops on this page; I don't aim to make this a complete, exhaustive listing but rather a mix of invaluable and interesting area merchants. Should you know of other area photo equipment merchants worth a visit, please do write.

• Rent A Pro Limited Hong Kong
  407 Block B Ming Pao Center
  18 Ka Yip Street
  Chai Wan
  Hong Kong
  +852 2838 6328
  info [at] rentaprohk [dot] com

  The main (only?) photography rental house in Hong Kong and the only supplier I know for some professional expendables like color correction gels. They make a nice large light stand bag that is a particularly good value and highly recommended. Prices for equipment are often high but the guys know their stuff and are helpful.

• A&S Broadcast Hong Kong
  15/F., YooHoo Tower,
  38-42 Kwai Fung Crescent,
  Kwai Chung, N.T.
  Hong Kong
  Phone : +852 2499 1011
  E-mail : info [at] asbroadcast [dot] com

  A&S is a good place to buy lights and video equipment. All my Dedolights are from A&S; they have excellent prices for Dedolights. The company is geard towards video and isn't really a retail operation; if you get a quote for the exact things you want well ahead of time and are willing to wait for them to be ordered and shipped, you can often get better prices here on professional photo and video equipment than from other Hong Kong shops. Be sure to ask for Peter Chang; he seems to be the only member of the staff who does any selling.

• Film Gear
  No.7, Cumberland Road, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
  (852) 2794 3608
  Mr. Donny Chan/ Mr. Johnny Leung
  info [at] filmgear [dot] net; donny [at] filmgear [dot] net; johnny [at] filmgear [dot] net

  Film Gear is a manufacturer of really nice fresnels and other continuous lighting fixtures. Their factory located in Guangzhou (about twenty minutes from the Chigang metro station) and they have an office in Hong Kong as well; I've picked up orders from their Guangzhou factory but it is possible to arrange to collect equipment from the Hong Kong office as well. Their fixtures are high quality and priced well; their prices for bulk expendables are excellent as well.

  Film Gear isn't a retail operation; if you only want to buy one fixture or if you need to pick up a few lights in a hurry, they might not be able to help.

• Foto Nice/Nice Digital
  AV. Praia Grande No. 616 Man Seng II// R/C "A" Macau
  Tel: +853 28715678 or +853 2871 5611

  Foto Nice / Nice Digital is one of two serious camera shops in Macau (the other is Maxim's Photo, which can be a bit of an acquired taste). Their prices are usually a bit better than the shops in Hong Kong (particularly once you take the currency into account - the Macau Pataca is slightly less valuable than the Hong Kong Dollar). They have three locations in Macau; one near BNU, another in the Three Lamps District and the third in Fai Chi Kei.

  If you aren't familiar with Macau, the easiest way to reach any of their locations is to call and have them give driving directions to your taxi driver. They will also check availability and quote prices over the phone.

• Maxim's Photo Supplies
  Rua Do Campo No. 301-303 R/C, Macau
  +853 2837 6850
  +853 2833 5628

  Maxim's Photo is a bit of a divisive place, beloved to some Macau residents, reviled by others. The staff there can be a bit cold and unhelpful if they don't know you; asking for Mr. Lo (the owner) can help.

  Maxim's has an excellent selection of Canon lenses and accessories and stocks other brands as well.

  I don't have Maxim's address on hand but they are easy to find on Rua Do Campo up past the big post office en route to Tap Seac.

• Guangzhou Dashatou Lu Camera Market
  It's generally easier to buy new OEM cameras, lenses and such in Hong Kong or Macau rather than in Mainland China, but if you must buy a new optical device in Guangzhou, Dashatou Lu is probably the place to go. The selection of Chinese-made goods at this market is far more interesting than the imported items, though. The shops on the second and third floors of the main market building have the best prices around on things like seamless background paper, dehumidifying cabinets and miscellaneous grip equipment. Most of the street-level shops have much higher prices and offer less variety than the shops above.

  Prices for camera bags and cases are almost always massively inflated at Dashatou Lu for reasons beyond my meager comprehension. Small accessories are sometimes priced well, sometimes not. The Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong market is generally a better place to buy such things since the shops there often have better prices and higher-quality goods.

  I usually reach Dashatou Lu by taking the Guangzhou Metro to Wuyangcun Station, leaving via exit B and catching bus 89 to its terminal stop, which is near Dashatou Lu. Taxi drivers also know the street but may or may not be willing to take you directly to the camera market as the area nearby is quite congested.

  If you need to cart large items away from the Market, lots of vans are available for hire downstairs. The drivers like to start negotiations at around 100RMB but 60RMB or less is a realistic target for most Guangzhou city destinations.

• Hong Kong Apliu Street Flea Market
  There are a number of shops dealing in Chinese-made goods at the Sham Shui Po Flea Market along Apliu Street in Hong Kong. Prices here are often better than those in mainland China and the goods are sometimes higher quality. It is possible to find things here that will last quite well under professional use but the vast majority of the goods are poorly designed, sloppily made and produced from materials inferior to those found in imported goods.

  From the Sham Shui Po metro station, take the Apliu Street exit then turn left. The camera shops are scattered along both sides of the walking street.

• Macau Red Market / Three Lamps District Computer Market
  Avenida do Ouvidor Arriaga, No 70A, Fortune Tower Loja T, Macau

  There are a few shops at the Macau computer market that have the best prices around on hard drives (I fill up a lot of hard drives). It may be possible to get there by asking a taxi driver to go to the computer market near the Red Market; I always arrive by walking the whole way or riding bus 3 or 33 from central Macau to the Red Market then forging ahead on foot.

  PC Market Computer Company is one of the shops in the main market; reach them by phone for directions at +853 28526688

  Computing Age is another favorite shop - +853 2855 3254

  Asia Technique & Computer Network Co., LTD is located nearby and has longer business hours (although I prefer the above outlets).
  Rua do Padre Autonio Roliz, No 2H R/C, Edf. Hong Fok Kok, Macau
  Tel: (853) 528 828
  E-mail: sales [at] asiatcn [dot] com

• Guangzhou Gangding Computer Market
  The area above the Gangding metro station in Guangzhou is smothered in buildings bursting with computer, parts, and accessory shops. If you must buy a hard drive in Guangzhou, this is the place to do it.

  Be prepared to spend some time walking and haggling if price is a concern. The shops in the buildings a bit west of the most popular shopping area have less traffic and better prices, generally, than the stores directly above the Gangding station; the area about halfway between the Gangding and Shipaiqiao‎ subway terminals on Tianhe Road is sort of the sweet spot. The shops in the multi-story building on the west side of Shi Pai Xi Lu have some odd components and accessories difficult to find elsewhere in Gangding.