Brighton has always attracted artists, wanderers, and curious eyes. Pierframe Vintage Cameras was built on that same coastal rhythm — a belief that pictures mean more when they take time. We opened in a small ground-floor workshop on Gloucester Road, surrounded by cafés, antiques, and the hum of seaside markets. From the start, the goal was simple: make film shooting practical again without turning it into an expensive hobby or a museum display.
Most of our collection comes from private hands across the south coast — cameras that have travelled, seen salt air, and still work perfectly after a gentle tune. Each body is tested in-house, seals renewed, and meters checked by hand. We catalogue the quirks, write them down, and share them openly. Our customers don’t rent mystery boxes; they borrow tools with a history and a clear note of what to expect.
The hire process is intentionally direct. We keep three core kit types: rangefinders for street and travel, SLRs for portraits, and point-and-shoots for those spontaneous beach afternoons. Every set comes with a short card explaining film loading, battery type, and safe shutter speeds in coastal light. No long forms, no jargon — just a focus on getting you outside with something mechanical that makes you slow down and look properly.
Film behaves beautifully here. The light shifts quickly between sea haze and brass sunlight, creating a tone that digital sensors rarely imitate. The streets are narrow and colourful, the piers reflect evening sky, and nearly every corner invites a frame. Many visitors tell us their favourite images came from an accidental moment while walking to collect their kit. We think that’s exactly how it should be.
Pierframe is more than a shop; it’s a quiet space to pause, rewind a roll, and talk about lenses or labs. You’ll often find a few local photographers dropping by to share test prints or compare developers. We don’t chase sponsorships or social metrics. Our satisfaction comes from the steady rhythm of people returning — sometimes months later — with a folder of scans and a story about a missed train or a windy pier shot that somehow worked.
We keep a small bench for light repairs: mirror foam, slow shutters, misaligned advance levers. While we don’t advertise as a repair centre, we prefer keeping gear alive rather than replacing it. Many small faults can be fixed with a brush, cotton tip, and patience — and we’re happy to explain what we did when you pick up the camera. That transparency builds confidence for newcomers and keeps film photography approachable instead of mysterious.
Film photography creates waste if managed poorly. We work with Brighton Photo Co-op for safe chemical disposal, reuse packaging, and offer discounts when customers return used rolls for local lab processing. Our shelving and displays are built from reclaimed wood, and our lighting is energy-efficient. We want the business to feel sustainable in every sense: environmental, financial, and emotional.
We’re expanding our stock slowly, adding medium-format cameras and instant film kits. Each addition is tested in Brighton’s conditions — humidity, wind, street vibration — before it appears on the shelf. Growth here doesn’t mean bigger; it means steadier. Pierframe aims to stay small, local, and useful for as long as there are people who prefer the click of a leaf shutter to the beep of an app.
For questions, collaborations, or simply to talk film, reach us any day except Mondays. Messages by email are usually answered within one working day.
Address: 19 Gloucester Road, Brighton BN1 4AD, England
Phone: 441 273 764 503
Email: [email protected]