Specialising in the Exceptional

The Vintage Department at Grays of Westminster seeks out only the very best mint or near mint examples of Nikon equipment for our customers. For example, on the right-hand page is the very rare Nikon Model H Field Microscope. This is a portable microscope based on the design of their Nikon rangefinder cameras. It enjoyed a reputation as one of the finest field microscopes, eventually being selected by NASA for a place in Skylab Missions in the early 1970s, where it was known as the “Skylab Microscope”. It employed inverted optics with an especially large prism, along with a built-in three-position objective revolving nosepiece. The range of the optics covered 4x, 10x, 40x, 100x (oil immersion) - and 10x wide-field eyepiece lens. It also offered illumination provided by daylight or a built-in incandescent lamp, powered by two self-contained penlight batteries.

If you have Nikon equipment like this that you wish to dispose of, or indeed any high-quality Nikon, then kindly contact us by telephone 020-7828 4925 or if you prefer, you can email us at info@graysofwestminster.co.uk for our highest offer.

The Grays of Westminster Gazette was first published in August 1992. Initially four pages long, and thereafter eight, it contained a wide range of intelligent articles by clients as well as staff on the latest Nikon equipment and a full page devoted to the History of Nikon by founder, Gray Levett starting from 1917 onwards. The Gazette is now expanded to a 32-page full colour publication.

Inside this issue you will find Simon Stafford's review of the Nikon D7000, wildlife photographer and respected broadcaster Chris Packham on the new EDG binoculars, legendary National Geographic photographer Jim Brandenburg on the D3s and our Nikonopaedia which highlights some of our best sellers as well as the most recent product releases from Nikon.

The latest edition of the Grays of Westminster Gazette is now available. If you'd like a copy (free of charge), please pop in to the shop and take one. Alternatively, a PDF version of it can be found here.

http://www.graysofwestminster.co.uk/legend/gazette.php

After a twenty year gap which I truly regret, I have taken up photography again. After a great deal of  research, all my experience was pre-digital, I decided to purchase a Nikon camera. Having scoured all available avenues I came upon Grays of Westminster and having perused the website made my way to Churton Street with a certain amount of apprehension - after all I am a novice in the digital photography age.

On the first occasion, I was helped by Bron who was patience personified as he explained the features and mysteries of the D7000 allowing me the opportunity of taking the aforementioned onto Churton Street to have a play. As time was short, I bid my thanks and farewells and dashed to a meeting.

The following week I returned and received a warm greeting from Bron, he was attending to another customer, and was helped by Tabitha. Again the service was exemplary, she was friendly, knowledgeable and patient. I purchased the D7000, the 18-200 zoom and all the peripherals and the whole "Grays' experience" made my re-entry into photography such a joy.

Nikon D7000

The ambience of the shop, the friendliness of the team and the range of product is absolutely out of the top draw and I would encourage anyone who is thinking about purchasing a new camera to pay a visit to Grays before they make their decision.

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Just a note to confirm safe receipt of a Nikon D700 and MB-D10. Excellent service as usual - ordered late afternoon on Friday, delivered before 9.00 a.m. on Saturday!

Nikon D700 with the MB-D10 Battery pack

The camera is a gift for my son, because I'm still so pleased with the F6 that I bought from you some years ago, that I am still using that ... along with my original F, and as new F3 & F3P of course. All four cameras are used with MF Nikkors; my collection of AF's have been donated to the D700. ... Who knows, I may be converted to Nikon D yet!

Thank you again for your continuing excellent service.

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Thank you so very much for yesterday's (Mike Eleftheriades Definitive Panoramic Workshop) talk in London.


It was extremely instructive, helpful and you were most generous in sharing your knowledge. I came away inspired even though I had to leave for my train just before you showed your final images.

We Nikon owners are so fortunate to have Grays of Westminster and people like yourself who are so generous with your time and instruction.

I would also like to say that your way of showing the techniques is much superior to most 'gurus'. Your pace enable us to follow everything whereas most, if not all, others speed through with quick clicks in such a manner that one has difficulty in following and, by the time a note has been made, one is way behind what is happening on the screen. This is not what happened yesterday and I greatly commend you for that.

Yesterday was my first 'Grays' event' it will not be the last even given the hassle of travel down from Nottingham.

My sincere thanks to you and Gray for arranging the event.

Specialising in the Exceptional

A Nikon F-36 Motor Drive (for the Nikon F camera) + Cordless Battery Pack, Motor Drive adaptor plate, connector, Japanese instruction manual, warranty, complete in maker’s boxes NEW (ONE ONLY) £2,000.00.

Your purchase of a D700 body will entitle you to an immediate £150.00 voucher to spend in-store that day, which can be used towards any Nikon or ThinkTank product. However, iIf it's the latest DX camera you're after, you will receive a £100.00 instant voucher for the D7000 body only, or a £120.00 voucher for the D7000 + 18-105mm VR Kit.

Being two of the most popular cameras in the digital range Nikon have produced thus far, and available with a variety of FX and DX lenses, speedlights and accessories, this allows lovers of landscape, wildlife, portrait, sport and reportage photography to obtain these bodies at this very special price.

This offer is available to UK & Ireland residents only and purchases made prior to or following the offer dates will not qualify for the discount voucher.

Prices excluding this deal and any other offers are as follows:

D700 SLR Body - £1689.00

D7000 SLR Body - £959.00

D7000 + AF-S 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G DX VR - £1,115.00

All prices include VAT at 20%.






Other discounts, kit prices and vouchers are available with a combination of lenses - please contact a member of staff or reply to this email if you would like the latest prices on any Nikon equipment.

Kindest Regards,

Becky Danese

Grays of Westminster
40 Churton Street
Pimlico
London
SW1V 2LP

Tel 020 7828 4925

Sample images courtesy of Nikon USA.

The first day of spring draws ever closer and with it an abundance of new photographic opportunities. Whether you are considering that new camera body that you have always wished for, a long lens for wildlife or a macro lens to capture the minute details of insects or plants newly in blossom, Grays of Westminster are here to advise you on your photographic needs and requirements.

The D700 is still one of the most popular cameras in Nikon's line up. And now that the price is the lowest it will ever be, it ' s the perfect time to invest in a full-frame body if you are considering upgrading from DX, or looking for a backup for your own FX camera. The D700 has boasted fantastic quality at low-light levels since its release and continues to be a camera of choice for many professionals who want to travel light

Despite rumours of a replacement (and at the moment, yes, they are still just rumours) for the D700, it is still one of the most popular cameras in Nikon's line up. And now that the price is the lowest it will ever be it's the perfect time to invest in a full-frame body if you are considering upgrading from DX, or looking for a backup for your own FX camera. The D700 has boasted fantastic quality at low-light levels since it's release and continues to be a camera of choice for many professionals who want to travel light.
Body Only = £1689.00 Incl. VAT
Please see below for kit prices.




The D3S provides an ISO range like never before, so with high-quality shooting options and full-frame HD video shooting all in one body - ideal for photographers who need an all-singing-all-dancing camera for their photographic needs. Ideal for everything from weddings to sports, landscape to wildlife, the D3S handles every situation perfectly in a weather-sealed magnesium-alloy casing.
Body Only = £3469.00 Incl. VAT
Please see below for kit prices.



For landscape and studio photographers the D3X provides one with incredible FX quality over a 24.5 million pixel sensor. Perfect for the rough and tough outdoor work or those in the studio needing to print large poster-size prints.
Body Only = £4969.00 Incl. VAT
Please see below for kit prices.






All of the above lenses are recommended both by Nikon and professionals alike, and are available in kit form with the professional range of camera bodies. If you require any advice about which lens might be right for you, please do not hesitate to drop us an email or telephone the shop and speak to a member of sales staff.

Prices of bodies and lenses are currently as follows:

Nikon D700 + 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S + 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S KIT
(RRP - £5,300.00) £4,160.00

Nikon D700 + 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Kit
(RRP - £3,883.00) £2,965.00

Nikon D700 + 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Kit
(RRP - £3,781.00) £2,885.00

Nikon D3s + 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S + 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Kit
LIMITED STOCK! (RRP - £7,459.00) £5,940.00

Nikon D3s Pro Digital SLR + 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Kit
LIMITED STOCK! (RRP - £5,824.00) £4,665.00

Nikon D3s body + 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Kit
LIMITED STOCK! (RRP - £5,926.00) £4,745.00

Nikon D3X body + 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Kit
(RRP - £7,600.00) £6,245.00

Nikon D3X + 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Kit
(RRP - £7,500.00) £6,165.00

Nikon D3X + 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S + 24-70mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Kit
(RRP - £9,100.00) £7,440.00

AF-S 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II
(RRP - £1999.00) £1639.00

Please note that other kits are available with alternative lenses on discount - please speak to a member of staff or send an email if you are interested in any other lens with a DSLR body.


If you have been interested in obtaining this lens please do get in touch - we have a handful of these in from Nikon today and cannot reserve or hold stock.
The price is £1599.00 including VAT.

Grays of Westminster
40 Churton Street
London, SW1V 2LP
+44 207 828 4925
www.graysofwestminster.co.uk
info@graysofwestminster.co.uk

Specialising in the Exceptional

The Vintage Department at Grays of Westminster seeks out only the very best mint or near mint examples of early Nikon cameras, lenses and accessories. For example, on this Advertisment is a very unusual Nikon F camera with the serial number 6500000 fitted with a 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor-S Auto, scalloped focusing barrelled lens. if you have Nikon equipment you wish to dispose of, then kindly contact us by telephone 020-7828 4925 of if you prefer, you can email us at info@graysofwestminster.co.uk for our highest offer.

After a twenty year gap which I truly regret, I have taken up photography again. After a great deal of research, all my experience was pre-digital, I decided to purchase a Nikon camera. Having scoured all available avenues I came upon Grays of Westminster and having perused the website, made my way to Churton Street with a certain amount of apprehension - after all I am a novice in the digital photography age.

On the first occasion, I was helped by Bron who was patience personified as he explained the features and mysteries of the D7000 allowing me the opportunity of taking the aforementioned onto Churton Street to have a play. As time was short, I bid my thanks and farewells and dashed to a meeting.

The following week I returned and received a warm greeting from Bron; he was attending to another customer, and was helped by Tabitha. Again the service was exemplary; she was friendly, knowledgeable and patient. I purchased the D7000, the 18-200mm zoom and all the peripherals and the whole "Grays experience" made my re-entry into photography such a joy.

The ambience of the shop, the friendliness of the team and the range of product is absolutely out of the top draw and I would encourage anyone who is thinking about purchasing a new camera to pay a visit to Grays before they make their decision.

Please feel free to use this short note as you wish and pass on my thanks to all the team. I will be back to purchase all my additional requirements from you.

With kind regards,

Andrew R.R. Vickers

"I have bought and sold on here quite a few times now. The items I have bought have been spot on, and I hope my buyers share the same opinion. Buying second hand is really all about where/who you buy from. If the reputation is good, you can rest assured the chances of getting a bad deal/transaction are slim indeed A plug for Grays of Westminster... Utterly exceptional service, and described down to the detail if consulted by phone. Bought my F5 from them. Couldn't be happier "

"I have received the Nikon D100 today and I would like to express my great satisfaction with the superb condition and the completeness of all the original bits-CDs-books and so on, not always with used cameras, and to have everything is very rare. I think the condition of the D100 could only be bettered with one straight off the production line. Once again thank you for a super camera. You may use this e-mail if you wish."

"I ordered a 70-300 mm VR sold as second hand on Thursday after 2.00 p.m. To my surprise it arrived on Friday morning. My surprise was even greater on unpacking the lens. It was advertised as mint- and that was reflected in the price. There is not a mark on the lens, the soft case has never been out of its folds and the lens was still in the original packing. On the camera it handles beautifully with a smooth action and fast silent focus, just what I expected and wanted. What excellent service ; once again I am a satisfied customer making the right choice using Grays of Westminster."

Delivery to The Goring Hotel: "I have just collected the charger and I wanted to thank you for the flawless service and the trouble you went to at very short notice. It makes being a Nikon owner really worthwhile."

Grays have many items in stock that don't feature on their web site... Well worth a visit... You can also let them know of a specific 'want' and they'll notify you as and when they have it... total trust and exemplary service... Last time a shop gave me that particular feeling was about 30 years ago and it was called Hamleys... Grays are really friendly and knowledgeable, if you want something Nikon there is nowhere better in London, possibly the UK... I know everything will be exactly as expected.

We also offer the body in kit form with several other lenses at special bundle prices - please contact a member of staff for the updated list.



Nikon's D7000 body is the latest intuitive DX SLR to hit the shelves, geared towards intermediate, semi-professional and fully professional photographer. It combines a full 16.2 megapixel CMOS sensor with 1080p full-HD video recording function, all on an Expeed II processor chip, but jargon aside this camera has been praised by many a photographer wanting to take high quality photographs and video on a DX crop sensor.

We can now offer this body at £979.00 including VAT, or with a wide choice of lenses starting with the 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S VR DX kit at £1,129.00 including VAT. Please contact a member of staff for the latest bundle prices with alternative lenses.



This long-awaited full-frame zoom is the perfect one lens solution for anyone who doesn't want to take their entire arsenal of lenses, but still wants fantastic shots in all shooting environments. Highly versatile and, in our humble opinion, worth the wait.

We are now offering this lens in kit form with the D700 and the D3S, and individually at the very special price of £739.00 including VAT while stocks last.


This sought after lens, and also Winner of the Amateur Photographer Fixed Focal Length of the Year award for 2010, will be in stock (limited number) next week. If you have been waiting for one we do recommend that you pre-order to avoid disappointment. The price of this lens is now £1530.00 including VAT and orders can be made by email or telephone to the contact number below.


As always, if you have any questions, wish to place an order or require any further information about Nikon products, do not hesitate to contact a sales advisor on +44 (0) 207 828 4925.

Grays of Westminster holds the world's widest range of second-hand Nikon stock (rangefinder, vintage reflex, manual focus, autofocus and digital), and we are delighted to announce that our customers will not be asked to pay VAT on top of our "base" second-hand selling prices - a terrific cost-free and VAT increase-free advantage!

We especially welcome part-exchange of your camera equipment for other second-hand or new Nikon equipment - please telephone us for a quotation on 020 7828 4925 or e-mail info@graysofwestminster.co.uk

To view the vast range of second-hand Nikon equipment we hold in stock, visit our website: http://www.graysofwestminster.co.uk/products/secondhand.php

I would like to mention that our turnover of second-hand is so large that stock does not sit on our shelves for too long – therefore I would strongly recommend you contact us straight away to avoid missing the Nikon item you have been searching for.

In closing, all of us at Grays of Westminster wish you a wonderful New Year and may you flourish and prosper in 2011!

Kind regards,


Gray Levett
Founder

London – Nikon Owner, the magazine of the Nikon world, launched today a competition on Twitter for which the prize is a free place on the celebrated Heather Angel Wildlife and Natural History Workshop, held annually in East Grinstead, Sussex. Now in its 15th year, this prestigious workshop, presented by internationally renowned Professor Heather Angel, includes a full day of lectures, demonstrations and the chance to handle and use a large range of new Nikon camera equipment and Think Tank camera bags. These workshops regularly attract visitors from all over the U.K., Europe and throughout the world.

A ticket to the workshop, which includes a sumptuous lunch and dinner, and usually costs £245 (£185 to Nikon Owner subscribers), will be given away free of charge to the lucky winner of this exciting Nikon Owner Twitter competition.

How to enter
All Twitter users need to do to enter the competition is to include the Twitter hashtag "#nikonownermag" anywhere in their tweet. For example:

"I've entered Nikon Owner magazine's Heather Angel workshop competition - wish me luck! #nikonownermag Pls RT"

To be eligible for the prize, entrants must also be following @nikonownermag. It's as simple as that. The competition ends 24:00 GMT 31 December 2010 and the winner, chosen randomly, will be announced on Twitter by @nikonownermag on 4 January 2011.

"I think we are going to make one Twitter user very happy. To attend a full day's workshop given by one of the world's greatest wildlife photographers free of charge from just a single tweet can't be bad!" said Gray Levett, editor of Nikon Owner magazine and founder of the exclusive Nikon-only dealer, Grays of Westminster. "We wholeheartedly believe in social media so this, our first foray into Twitter competitions, certainly won't be our last. Our next competition will very likely be held on Facebook, so watch this space..."

About Heather Angel
Award-winning wildlife photographer Professor Heather Angel is the author of sixty books and a veritable authority on photography. She also writes regularly for the worldwide photographic press. Through her lectures, workshops, and writing, Heather has always been an enthusiastic tutor on wildlife and nature photography.

For more information on the Heather Angel Wildlife and Natural History Workshop, here is a link to the 2010 press release:
Nikon joins Heather Angel's Wildlife & Natural History Workshops in July 2010
http://nikonownermag.blogspot.com/2010/05/nikon-joins-heather-angels-wildlife_13.html

About Nikon Owner
Nikon Owner magazine and its interactive website, www.nikonownermagazine.com is considered by many to be the world’s number 1 user group for Nikon owners. It was initially founded with the purpose of assisting Nikon users to make full use of the Nikon equipment they own, to give advice on a wide spectrum of photographic queries and problems, and at the same time to offer ideas to bring about an increase in photographic skills.

For more information, please contact:

Gillian Greenwood
Features Editor and Events & Training Coordinator
Nikon Owner magazine
40 Churton Street
London
SW1V 2LP

+44 (0)20 7828 8971
gillian.greenwood@nikonownermagazine.com
http://www.nikonownermagazine.com

When you're buying a camera or any item of photographic equipment, the service you receive is as important as the price you pay.

Whether it's informative buying advice, swift delivery and equally swift action if things go wrong, good service is a precious commodity that should be shouted from the rooftops.

That's where the What Digital Camera Good Service Awards comes in, by recognising and rewarding those retailers who go that extra mile. There are three categories: Best Online Retailer, Best High Street Independent Retailer and Best High Street Multiple Retailer.

To vote is easy; all you need to do is complete the competition form on the voting page of the What Digital Camera website.

Competition ends: 14th January 2011.

London – The exclusive London-based Nikon-only dealer, Grays of Westminster, together with Nikon Owner magazine are to hold their Grand Christmas Dinner at the Institute of Directors, London on 10th December 2010.

The evening will be spent with one of the world’s greatest nature photographers, Jim Brandenburg and with Neil Lucas, David Attenborough's distinguished television producer. Following the superb three-course Christmas dinner, served in the IoD’s magnificent period restaurant at 116 Pall Mall, there will be a unique opportunity to listen to Jim Brandenburg’s extraordinary stories as he presents some of his breathtaking images. This promises to be an extremely special never-to-be-forgotten experience.

The IoD’s grand Regency building with its sweeping marble staircase and vast walls covered in 18th and 19th Century canvases provides a spectacular backdrop for the evening, and the period restaurant is a most fitting venue for such an elegant, traditional Christmas celebration.

Venue: Institute of Directors (IoD) at 116 Pall Mall.
Date: Friday, December 10th, 2010
Champagne reception: 6.30 p.m.
Dinner (Traditional Christmas Dinner with a Vegetarian Option): 7.15 p.m.
Presentations in the morning room: 9.15 p.m.
Cost of the evening: £155 per ticket (only £95 for current Nikon Owner subscribers. If you are not already a Nikon Owner subscriber, and would like to attend the event, you may subscribe to Nikon Owner and receive the special discount on the price of the evening.)

Grays of Westminster’s events are extremely popular so early booking is recommended. To book, please call Gillian Greenwood or Katrin Ruckert between 12.00 p.m. and 5.00 p.m. Monday to Friday on +44 (0)20 7828 4925.

About Jim Brandenburg
Jim Brandenburg travelled the globe as a photographer with National Geographic Magazine for several decades. His extensive body of work has been published throughout the world and his photographs have won a multitude of national and international awards. He was the recipient of the ‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year’ award by the Natural History Museum-London and BBC Wildlife Magazine, and twice was named ‘Magazine Photographer of the Year’ by the National Press Photographer's Association (NPPA) for his National Geographic work. Brandenburg was presented with the ‘World Achievement Award’ from the United Nations in recognition of his use of nature photography to raise public awareness for the environment.

Jim Brandenburg’s presentation will explore the full circle of his career with highlights starting with the early days at a small rural newspaper. From there, he went directly to National Geographic Magazine where he worked on assignments all over the world for the magazine, book division and television. He will show a selection of his outstanding work with wild arctic and grey wolves. After publishing several books on wolves, he set himself the assignment of only shooting one picture per day for the entire autumn season. His book and DVD Chased by the Light followed, as well as the sequel Looking for the Summer. He will tells us about his philanthropic work that now entails saving the remnant native prairies in the land where his ancestors settled after immigrating from Europe and Scandinavia; the land where their new lives began by plowing up that native prairie – thus completing the circle.

About Neil Lucas
Neil Lucas worked for the BBC Natural History Unit as a producer for over twenty years. During that time he worked on many internationally acclaimed and award winner productions, including Sir David Attenborough’s ‘The Trials of Life’ ‘The Private Life of Plants’ The Life of Mammals’ and ‘Planet Earth’, as well as the latest outstanding BBC landmark Series ‘Life’ where he produced two of the most technically challenging programmes within the whole series.


About Nikon Owner
Nikon Owner magazine and its interactive website, www.nikonownermagazine.com is considered by many to be the world’s number 1 user group for Nikon owners. It was initially founded with the purpose of assisting Nikon users to make full use of the Nikon equipment they own, to give advice on a wide spectrum of photographic queries and problems, and at the same time to offer ideas to bring about an increase in photographic skills.

For more information, please contact:

Gillian Greenwood
Features Editor and Events & Training Coordinator
Nikon Owner magazine
40 Churton Street
London
SW1V 2LP

+44 (0)20 7828 4925
info@graysofwestminster.co.uk
http://www.nikonownermagazine.com

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Customers purchasing a Nikon D700, either as a body or part of a kit, will be entitled to claim a free MB-D10 battery grip worth £343.99 RRP. The offer is available from 1st May 2010 to 30th June 2010 (inclusive) and all claims must be received by 31st July 2010.

Niki Needham, Lens Product Manager at Nikon UK says: “Customers purchasing the Nikon D700 will not only benefit from the high performance features and outstanding image quality of the Nikon D700, but will also experience the enhanced shooting capabilities that come with the free MB-D10 grip. An increased frame rate and extended operating time offered by the grip makes the combination a practical solution for professionals, particularly those out in the field or on location.”

Terms and conditions and information about how to claim your free MB-D10 battery grip can be found at www.nikon.co.uk/D700grip

The MB-D10 allows photographers using the D700 to achieve a maximum frame rate of 8 frames per second. Professional photographers will also benefit from the grip’s ergonomic design which features an alternative shutter-release button, multi-selector and AF start buttons, all beneficial when holding the camera in the vertical shooting position. Powered by eight AA-size standard batteries or rechargeable EN-EL3e or EN-EL4a batteries, the MB-D10 extends the operating time of the camera.

Inheriting many of the features from the acclaimed Nikon D3 series, D700 users will enjoy first class image quality in a smaller more compact body. Such high performance features include a 12.1 megapixels CMOS sensor, innovative EXPEED high speed image processing system, 14-bit A/D conversion and 16-bit processing pipeline to provide the detail and smooth gradation necessary for outstanding print enlargement and reproduction. The D700 is ideal for those seeking a perfectly-balanced DSLR on the move, without compromising durability or environmental resistance to moisture and dust.

More information about the Nikon D700 can be found at www.nikon.co.uk

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Grays of Westminster
...Exclusively Nikon
40 Churton Street
Pimlico, London
SW1V 2LP
Tel: +44 (0)20 7828 4925
Fax: +44 (0)20 7976 5783
info@graysofwestminster.co.uk
www.graysofwestminster.co.uk
graysofwestminster.blogspot.com
@nikonatgrays
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A translated excerpt of the article on Grays of Westminster that appeared in the Danish photographic magazine Zoom, Denmark’s Professional Photo magazine, number 1, 2010


Grays of Westminster in London is so unique as a shop that it is well worth a visit.

Few European cities attract the Danes like London, either as a holiday or a shopping destination. Experiences merge seamlessly with one another in London. Museums, theatres, cinemas, markets with antiques – some real, some not so real…..

Shopping is an experience whether you visit Fortnum & Mason, Harrods or any of the many renowned department stores.

Britain’s oldest wine and spirit merchant, Berry Bros and Rudd, the cigar dealers Robert Lewis & James J. Fox and the many shirt makers in Jermyn Street all attract the cognoscenti.

All this can be found in the relatively small area of London called Westminster. Photographers – at any event Nikon users - should also make their way to Pimlico and Grays of Westminster, only a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace.

Grays of Westminster is a wholly unique Nikon dealer which has the most complete stock of Nikon products in the world – both new and second hand.

From the outside, Grays could be mistaken for any of the other traditional shops in Westminster with one window for display and a dark blue façade with hanging baskets around the door.
No neon or brash signage. The name is discreetly painted over the window and inscribed on a polished brass plate. In a previous life, the premises was a barber’s saloon.

Like a Club for Gentlemen

Inside around 100 square metres is divided between two floors and it’s amazing to think that this small shop sends Nikon equipment all over the world.

The British tradition is inescapable. A pair of mahogany leather-topped desks, where you expect to find the staff writing in double-entry accounting books with their Mont Blanc or Parker fountain pens. Mahogany glass cabinets line the walls.

It is the contents of these cabinets which will exhilarate every Nikon user and, indeed, any other photographic enthusiast. The cabinets bulge with the very latest from Nikon. Cameras, lenses and every known accessory to tug at your wallet. When you have had your fill on this floor, you can venture downstairs where you will find a showcase and more glass cabinets. There are very few places where you will find a selection of second hand equipment to match what you see here.

You get goose pimples when you see a Nikon F just like the one you once exchanged for an F2. Everything oozes English tradition and when you walk through the narrow rooms you get a feeling of entering a gentlemen's club. This is also the way in which you are treated when you enter as a customer. Whether you are there to buy a D3s body, a manual for an older camera or something for a few pounds, you are treated as though the world revolves around you for that moment.

The Idea Nobody Believed In

Although the shop feels like something from another century, it actually originated in 1985 when a young man decided to try an unusual business idea. There was a lot of head shaking particularly when the one-make (Nikon) idea was proposed.

Gray Levett was born soon after the Second World War and into a rather bleak world. The 60s and 70s turned this world upside down. Gray Levett, the son of a Royal Air Force Officer, had tired of discipline and order and, in his youth, worked in the developing fashion industry in London’s Carnaby Street. It was here that he and his colleagues were often used as photographic models though he would have preferred to be on the other side of the camera. It was his combination of artistic temperament and technical skill, together with idealism and good business sense, which were the foundations of the institution which is Grays of Westminster.

Service Is All

In no time, the business idea was flourishing because, in addition to a quality product, the service to every customer is first class. If, on rare occasions, an item is not available every effort will be made to source it.

On one occasion, a customer from the north of England ordered a camera for an imminent trip abroad. The camera was not in stock and that day’s delivery from Nikon was delayed. To avoid disappointment a member of staff took the first train north and delivered the camera in person. The round trip took 8 hours but the Grays of Westminster slogan, “the kind of service of which legends are made”, was fully vindicated.

Among the clientele you find famous names such as film director Stanley Kubrick, David Suchet (television’s Hercule Poirot), The Duchess of York and many more.

In recognition of the international nature of the clientele, Grays of Westminster has established the Nikon Owner subscription service which publishes a quarterly photographic magazine with images, articles and workshops.

To visit this very special camera shop in Pimlico is a unique experience in the world of photographic retailing and is enhanced by the feeling that you are a valued guest, whether you make a purchase or not.

If you are a Nikon user and spending a couple of days in London, you must take the tube to Pimlico or Victoria and visit Grays of Westminster at 40 Churton Street. Should you use another camera make, visit anyway – just for the experience.
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