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Gil Ghitelman, a clinical psychologist by training, was bitten by the
photography bug at an early age. His first real camera was a Kodak Signet
which was followed by a twin-lens Rolleiflex. His love affair with Rolleis
continues to this day and his unique position as one of the world's foremost
Hasselblad specialists might be attributed to the square format Rollei of his
youth. "When you hold a Rollei it has a special feel of quality. The same
feeling you get with a Leica or Hasselblad." These plasticy new autofocus and
one time use cameras are wonderful for the casual vacationer but Gil's
customers are more sophisticated users. It isn't as though he's not ready for
change it's just photography as he knows it is black and white, not screaming
colors. For Gil, the subtle grays in a fine photograph are the true colors.
Doris, Gil's wife, is a photographer by training and has been an integral part
of the business for the past 18 years. They met when she sold him her
friend's Hasselblad. Gil's convinced this was the best deal he ever made
although Doris sometimes jokes that she should have taken it to more
dealers! She coordinates the Hasselblad repair department and is especially
knowledgeable about the workings of Hasselblad cameras.
Chris Filonovich, our Hasselblad technician, comes to us with more than 30
years experience servicing Hasselbad equipment. During his tenure at the
factory repair facility in New Jersey Chris trained some of the technicians
there so in some respects he might be regarded as a technician's
technician. Chris, modest man that he is, might object to this description,
but one can be assured that in his capable hands, a Hasselbad that comes to
his attention limping, will march out proudly. When Chris isn't servicing
Hasselblad cameras he enjoys traveling with his wife Nina. For Chris the
ideal holiday would be sitting under an umbrella at a posh resort and,
hopefully, a stranger will approach him and ask him to fix his camera.
For the past 25 years Gil Ghitelman has been trading fine photographic
equipment. For thirteen years his shop, located in the heart of New
York City's photo district, was a hotbed of activity for collectors of rare
and unusual photographic gear but more importantly a professional source for
current equipment, especially panoramic/wide angle cameras and Hasselblad.
His stock of new, nearly new, and preowned equipment of exceptional quality
combined with the personalized service that demanding professionals require,
made his shop and now his Internet location a valuable resource.
If you think mail order means placing orders with operators who never stood
behind a camera and, thankfully, not in front of one either, you'll find Gil
Ghitelman's operation a welcome change. He feels strongly that when buying
high end equipment one should be dealing with individuals as professional as
the equipment they sell.
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