"I look there first," says Gibson, chairman of the photography department at West Valley Community College.

"I started going there when I was in college in the late '70s. They had some of the best prices around, and today they're still good. I go because I can find unusual things. I bought a lens two months ago I'd been looking for," he says.

Gibson is not alone.

Since 1963, photographers have found their way to Kamera Korner, although the business is no longer on a corner.

In November, current owners Bob LeClair and Larry Santaga relocated from the corner of Bascom and Parkmoor avenues to Suite E at 545 Meridian Ave., near Parkmoor.

Now, Santaga answers the phone by saying, "Kamera Korner. Did you know we've moved?"

Still, old and new customers are finding their way to Kamera Korner.

Walking into their new 16,000-square-foot space is a step back in time. There are three cases filled with twin-lens reflex, single-lens reflex and Polaroid models. These are cameras that have been squeezed out by digitals in most other stores.

While they gleam like new, these older cameras are not. Careful restoration and repair gives them their museum look.

"We have the technicians here so we can buy, service and sell, and we have a good reputation of selling quality," Santaga says.

Mixed in with the cameras are lenses, filters and light meters sure to make traditionalists nostalgic for the good old dark room days.

Those who go that route know Kamera Korner carries a complete line of darkroom equipment.

The unusual spelling of camera and corner comes from founder Karl Stellrecht according to LeClair.

"He was German, and it was on a corner," says LeClair, who went to work there in 1975.

Santaga started working there around 1990 at the urging of LeClair, a longtime friend.

Although the two went on to buy the business from Stellrecht, neither had any particular interest in photography when they started.

"I owned a camera, but that was about all I knew about photography when I started," LeClair says. "Prior to working here I used to do typewriter, adding machine and calculator repairs. I got into doing repairs because I had a mechanical aptitude for it. I enjoy taking things apart and making them work."

Today, LeClair oversees four repair technicians.

Santaga says when a disability prevented him from continuing to work on swimming pool and solar installations, LeClair suggested he try repairing VCRs.

When they bought the store, LeClair continued in repairs, and Santaga became the manager. LeClair's wife, LouAnn, is the office manager.

Although there have been dramatic changes in the field of photography in the four decades since Kamera Korner was founded, some things haven't changed.

Service is valued, which accounts not only for the business' longevity, but also for its Diamond Certified business rating from American Ratings Corp.

They offer free camera inspections to everyone.

"Many times we can examine it at the counter or put it on instruments, and it will tell whether or not it's working," LeClair says.

If a customer learns a camera isn't working and is interested in having it repaired, LeClair says, "There's a $20 minimum. We do a complete evaluation and give them an estimate of what it costs to repair it. The $20 goes toward repair costs."

The inspections are particularly popular with students.

At the beginning of every semester, Santaga and LeClair visit the beginning photography classes at the local community colleges to introduce the store, its services and 10 percent student discount.

"Many times a student will sign up for a photo class, pull out dad's old camera from the closet, and it doesn't work. Or they may shoot a project and find out the camera isn't working," LeClair says. "We offer a free inspection to make sure it will do what it's supposed to do before they get halfway through the class and find out it doesn't work."

In the three decades LeClair has been behind the counter, he's seen dramatic changes in photography.

"When I first started, the electronic cameras were just starting to come in," he says. "I got to see it all the way through, from electronic film through digital, and we've had to grow along with it."

While digital is the latest technology, most photography classes require students to use film and learn to use a darkroom.

"Film cameras are still the majority of what we sell," Santaga says. "Some people still really like film cameras, and we cater to the students taking photography. We have all the darkroom equipment, the paper and black and white film."

One change that has both hurt and helped business has been the growth of eBay.

"We used to sell a lot more used equipment, but when eBay came along, sales in our used equipment area slowed down," Santaga says. "Sometimes people buy it on eBay for a lot cheaper than we can sell it."

Yet, he says some of those eBay buys end up at Kamera Korner for repair. Overall, repairs account for one-third of their business with the rest in sales of new and used equipment.

Looking ahead, Santaga sees a positive side to the move.

"It was a chance to start with a clean slate. We had to decide what we really wanted to keep and what it was time to get rid of," he says.

Kamera Korner, 545 Meridian Ave., Suite E, 408.292.7468. Open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit www.kamerakorner.net.