Hike Pics
Veteran Member
Shop Goodwill and (occasionally) eBay.
I've gotten some incredible deals I wouldn't have found at the nearest camera store.
I've gotten some incredible deals I wouldn't have found at the nearest camera store.
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QotW What is your favorite camera store?
- Thread starter Mathew Anderson
- Start date
Thanks for sharing a photo of the place! Looks like a clean setup.Schillers Camera, St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Special since they've been in business since the late 1800s (seriously)
These days they stand out because they are the last "real" camera store left in the St. Louis area. Everything else has closed down over the last decade. Creve Coeur Camera was a small local chain that had a pretty awesome main store, but they're gone. Schillers was always the best of the bunch, which is why they are still here. They are always busy when I go in, which is typically a Saturday. It's not a huge store, but but they carry all the major camera brands.
They offer lots of services beyond gear sales. Print services, including canvas and metal, photo restoration, film developing, audio/video transfers for old media, rental gear, photo classes, they lead workshops and group outings around the local area. Many of the employees have been there 20+ years and they know their stuff.
Finding gems in the used gear department is my main attraction these days. They don't list used inventory on their website, so it's always a treasure hunt when you go. Never know what you'll find in those cabinets. I've bought way too many lenses I didn't know I wanted just because...there it was! Finding something cool unexpectedly in good ol' brick-and-mortar store is a feeling online shopping will never replace!
I've bought plenty of new gear from them over the years, most recently my R6II the week it was released. I'll support the local stores when I can!
Old photo snipped from Google, but still looks the same
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DPReview Community Manager
Interesting! Are you in the area to grab a photo of the place? I'm curious what it looks like.
NICE! We shall have to meet there sometime if you like.
Sounds nice, will do!
That's an interesting look into WWII. I hadn't though about those limitations
. My grandfather told me stories about the Korean war he was in and certain personal supplies that were limited.B&H in New York City. Great array of products and helpful salespeople. I still remember years ago I purchased a brand name 24-70 f/2.8 lens and had it shipped. When I received it, the zoom ring operation had a bit of a rough spot...it wasn't smooth and even as it should be. Many people would have just used it, but I took it back and they exchanged it for a new one no questions asked.
breeze_of_wind
Senior Member
Hunt's Manchester New Hampshire
Good points:
(1) No state sales tax
(2) The managers I have worked with over 30 years have been great
(3) They dig to get answers when I have questions
(4) When I moved from Pentax to Sony, they were helpful and geve reaonable trade in values for my long lenses
(5) In short, in his price control environment great to have real people to work with\
John
Good points:
(1) No state sales tax
(2) The managers I have worked with over 30 years have been great
(3) They dig to get answers when I have questions
(4) When I moved from Pentax to Sony, they were helpful and geve reaonable trade in values for my long lenses
(5) In short, in his price control environment great to have real people to work with\
John
Adam-T
Forum Pro
they`re all over Britain - superb for warrantied used kit, generally in better condition than MPB and cheaper than them or WEXNice, a fellow "Camera Exchange" labeled store! We should check out each other's stores sometime. I'll make it a point to get over to London soon.
London Camera Exchange
The London Camera Exchange supplies second hand cameras, new cameras, digital cameras and other camera equipment and provides a camera part exchange in photographic shops all over England, UK.
www.lcegroup.co.uk
Don Karner
Senior Member
nt
Parry Johnson
Veteran Member
I'm in the prairies of Western Canada. There aren't a lot of stores to choose from anymore. However, Don's Photo in Regina (and Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Calgary) is my camera store of choice. If they don't have it, they can get it.
The employees are also friends, as many have been there a long time and they know what I have and what I'm looking for. That means that if an interesting used camera or lens comes in, one of the employees will give me a call and say something like, "Parry, you have a Nikon 1 camera, don't you? Well, you might want to see this..." They also know that I'm a bit stingy, so if it's overpriced, they're willing to dicker.
Don's website: https://donsphoto.com/
Regina and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan aren't large cities, but they're large enough to have many interesting places.
Our communities (and Canadian cities in general) are small enough that people are still trusted. The employees will allow me to take a camera or lens outside to take a few shots. I'll even leave something there (like a battery charger or a hard-to-find lens) if they or another customer needs it for awhile. We discuss what courses, supplies or displays might be needed; what sells and what doesn't. In other words, the customers and staff work together to improve each other's work. Even if I can get something cheaper elsewhere, I choose to spend my money at my local store. It keeps them in business, and service remains more important than convenience.
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Thanks! Google is generic, it's always nice to get personal photos too, which is why I asked. We are hoping to share some of your stories in an upcoming article, if you are interested.
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DPReview Community Manager
Parry Johnson
Veteran Member
I disagree. The Internet is full of complainers, but these forums are based on trust and good experiences. Good advertising goes far more than bad. Besides, one bad experience can taint an otherwise excellent reputation.
I've had good and bad experiences at my local camera store. However, how those bad experiences are RESOLVED goes to show far more why we have and need brick-and-mortar businesses with real people who care about other people.
In fact, I expect some problems to happen -- that's real life!
Tony Hall
Senior Member
If you're ever in the Columbus, Ohio area, check out Midwest Photo. It's a very nice, large camera store with a large selection of used and new stuff, lighting, studio and film selection. The employees are pretty great too. In Cincinnati you've got Procam which I've heard good things about but haven't had a chance to visit. There are also a few Dodd camera stores, but the people they hire there remind me of Guitar Center employees... very opinionated and not as smart as they think they are.
WHAT? I've been to the Microcenter there, and had no idea I was so close to a camera store. That sounds like a dangerous geographical region for my wallet... Hopefully there's not a Clementine's too, that would be too much of a triple threat.I think you'll enjoy it. Definitely worth the trip. Also, Microcenter is 2 minutes down the road from Schillers. If you consider yourself any level of computer geek and you've never been to one...do oneself a favorPutting this on the to-do list for the next time I visit St. Louis. I suspect my sister will be extremely bored, but it seems extremely cool.
Old photo snipped from Google, but still looks the same
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I see your point and I do especially agree that how problems are resolved is what counts, you're right that many blame the shops when they themself are very un cooperative giving the shop a bad name, bit a two edged sword this though.
gipper51
Veteran Member
Indeed it is dangerous for the wallet. If I'm heading that way, I usually try to stop at both! Not sure if a Clementine's is nearby lol.WHAT? I've been to the Microcenter there, and had no idea I was so close to a camera store. That sounds like a dangerous geographical region for my wallet... Hopefully there's not a Clementine's too, that would be too much of a triple threat.I think you'll enjoy it. Definitely worth the trip. Also, Microcenter is 2 minutes down the road from Schillers. If you consider yourself any level of computer geek and you've never been to one...do oneself a favor
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IEBA1
Active member
I was on a trip in Alaska, back in the film days, and I had a SLR and it was cumbersome to get out, and use while on a boat, or horseback, or whatever. But one of the guides has an Olympus XA,- a tiny 35mm film camera that fit in his shirt pocket.
He could reach over, take it out, turn it on, focus, take a picture and more with just one hand. I wanted one immediately.
Fairbanks was not a big town back then, maybe 28k people, but there was this little photography shop on the second floor of a downtown building - Alaska Photographic Repair - Not only did he actually have an XA for sale, he had lots of gizmos and what-nots from trades and finds and loved to talk photography.
Same when I took the Durango and Silverton RR, spent a couple days there- found the Silverton Camera Company (silvertoncamera.com) with all kinds of used cameras and a few new ones. film, and more. I almost bought a stereoscopic camera right there but we couldn't get the shutter to release.
He could reach over, take it out, turn it on, focus, take a picture and more with just one hand. I wanted one immediately.
Fairbanks was not a big town back then, maybe 28k people, but there was this little photography shop on the second floor of a downtown building - Alaska Photographic Repair - Not only did he actually have an XA for sale, he had lots of gizmos and what-nots from trades and finds and loved to talk photography.
Same when I took the Durango and Silverton RR, spent a couple days there- found the Silverton Camera Company (silvertoncamera.com) with all kinds of used cameras and a few new ones. film, and more. I almost bought a stereoscopic camera right there but we couldn't get the shutter to release.
Niteryder
New member
These days my go to is B&H, MPB, Amazon and occasionally EBay. Back when there were any camera stores I could go to, there was a great store in Fresno called Boot’s Camera. It was in an old Tower Records store and had everything you could possibly want. The staff there was fantastic, they would spend as much time as you needed chatting with you. You could take your camera in and test out any lens you wanted on it.
I was and still am a Nikon shooter, walking in and seeing all those stacks of Nikon gear just made me want to spend my money
. Sadly they closed down 20+ years ago.
We also had a Circuit City and a CompUSA locally, which both carried a healthy stock of cameras, mostly focused on P&S cameras, but a couple of places to go and browse and get a hands on experience. Once those stores all shuttered, Best Buy came to town, and back then they had a very nice selection of cameras. These days, not so much, in my area, anything photo related must be purchased online.
i really miss the days of going in and just wandering around the old Boots Camera store, it was really an incredible sensory experience that just can’t be replicated buying online.
I was and still am a Nikon shooter, walking in and seeing all those stacks of Nikon gear just made me want to spend my money
. Sadly they closed down 20+ years ago.We also had a Circuit City and a CompUSA locally, which both carried a healthy stock of cameras, mostly focused on P&S cameras, but a couple of places to go and browse and get a hands on experience. Once those stores all shuttered, Best Buy came to town, and back then they had a very nice selection of cameras. These days, not so much, in my area, anything photo related must be purchased online.
i really miss the days of going in and just wandering around the old Boots Camera store, it was really an incredible sensory experience that just can’t be replicated buying online.
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