Gary Camera & Video Merrillville

Specialties

Since 1940, Gary Camera has been Northwest Indiana and Chicagoland’s premier local family-​owned camera store, with the widest selection of amateur and professional cameras and photographic equipment. Before, during, and after the sale, it’s the service that counts for our staff that boasts over 125 years of camera industry experience.

Come in for expert advice about which camera will best meet your needs and how to take great photos that last a lifetime!

Gary Camera offers one of the only in-​store camera repair services in the United States. We repair everything from traditional 35 mm SLRs to today’s most current digital SLRs and compact cameras. We still operate a 1-​Hour Kodak Noritsu 35 mm lab and offer 5×7 and 8×10 enlargements both for film and digital prints. We also transfer traditional movie film and VHS to DVD.

History

Established in 1940.

Gary Camera was founded in the steel regional center of Gary, Indiana. The original founder and owner was Joe Janowski. In 1973, Ray Blane, who had been working there since 1949, took over ownership of Gary Camera from Joe. Shortly thereafter, a devastating fire in 1974 forced Ray Blane to move Gary Camera to its current location south on Broadway to Merrillville, Indiana. In 1983, Gary Camera changed its name to Gary Camera and Video to keep up with the changing times.

In 2001, Gary Camera jumped into the Ebay marketplace and launched an online webstore to seek out new customers nationwide. Today on Ebay, we are a Top-​Rated Seller and a Top 10,000 Reviewer.

Our greatest focus today is our loyal base of local customers. There are not many of our specialty camera stores still in business, and we’re proud to have built such strong customer relations over the years. If you haven’t visited us, please come in and support one of your local, small family businesses!

Meet the Business Owner

Mark B.

Business Owner

Mark Blane is the proud father of his three children, Travis, Mark, and Carly. His son Travis grew up working in the store and took his love of sales to work in the tech industry of San Francisco. His son Mark now lives in New York where he’s taken his love of theater and writing to work on TV shows and documentaries. His daughter Carly also lives in New York where she performs on Broadway.

Mark has worked at Gary Camera 45 years. Wow, he’s old! He continues to work side-​by-​side with his brother Barry and his wife Christine as they operate one of the oldest businesses in Northwest Indiana. The photographic industry and economy has drastically changed over the years, but Mark and Barry have worked hard to keep Gary Camera in business and finding new customers.