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The Camera Store
Category: Shopping Photography Stores & Services Photography Stores & Services [Edit]
802 11 Ave SWCalgary, AB T2R 0E5
(403) 234-9935
- Hours:
Mon-Wed, Fri 9 am - 6 pm
Thu 9 am - 7:30 pm
Sat 9 am - 5 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
13 reviews for The Camera Store
Review Highlights
"...tripod equipment, point-and-shoot cameras, camcorders..."
(in 3 reviews)
"The most extensive selection of photography equipment."
(in 6 reviews)
"...been twenty years now, and I still buy my gear from them."
(in 3 reviews)
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13 reviews in English
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Review from Wendy P.
10/6/2011 1 photo
I know about as much about cameras and photography as Cookie Monster knows about broccoli. Okay, I'm not quite that bad! When you say words like "aperture" I have a vague idea of what you're talking about. But beyond playing with some of the big kid cameras some of my friends have, my experience has been limited to my point and shoot.
I needed to rent a big kid camera earlier this week, and after poking around The Camera Store's website, found they had rentals. Nice! And the option to call in or email to reserve or just walk in to book what you need.
The rental counter is at the back of the store. Go find Pierre, he'll hook you up. Pierre asked me questions like what kind of shots I'd want to take (more up close portrait types or full body/head-to-toe types), what my experience was with cameras, what brand I had used before, etc. He then set me up with a Canon and a corresponding lens. It was the lowest price point for a rental at $75 and $30 for the lens. Before sending me out the door, he gave me a run down on all the different settings of the camera and a bit of instruction on how to change a few things like aperture and what levels to set things to for indoor vs outdoor shooting. Oh, and a full battery! He didn't miss a thing.
The shoot went well and I had a lot of fun pretending to be a photographer for an evening. Returning my camera the next morning, there was Pierre again with questions on how the shoot went for me. I love it when places take an interest in the projects their supplies/equipment are being used for :). Thanks Pierre!
Tip: Make sure you've got your own memory card. The rental doesn't come with one. Also, be prepared to pay a deposit equal to your rental fee. Don't worry, it'll all be refunded so long as your stuff is back on time and in the same condition you rented it in!Listed in: Five Star Calgary Reviews, Grab your camera
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Review from Kevin K.
Airdrie, AB
2/2/2012
The Camera Store is awesome. Period.
I am an extremely picky and demanding customer. Bad customer service drives me nuts. For these reasons I rarely write reviews; unless I want to warn others. With that said, The Camera Store and its staff continue to impress me. Not only is the customer service incredible; where they go above and beyond my expectations again and again, I have yet to find other places that are cheaper.
To-date I have purchased a Canon 580 EX II, 2 x Canon 50mm 1.8mm, Canon 24-70mm 2.8 L, 2 x Manfrotto 5001B Nano Stand, 2 x PocketWizard Flex TTL5, 1 x PocketWizard Mini TT1, Lightrein 36" Octo Softbox, Aurora Mini/Max Beauty Dish... and much more from The Camera Store. Everything I have purchased at The Camera Store was priced competitively, something I research before purchasing.
On numerous occasions I have tried to shop at Vistek (because I was driving by or was looking for something specific) but always left frustrated without a purchase, as Vistek's customer service is horrible and their prices are extremely overpriced.
If you need camera gear, go to The Camera Store.
Special thanks to Evelyn Drake, Chris Tait, and Jim Slobodian. You guys ROCK! -
Review from Michel G.
Edmonton, AB
9/19/2011
I only dealt with the Camera Store through their website and their service is fantastic. The more I deal with them the more I want to visit their store. Their prices are amazing for what you get. Their selection is also amazing for such a small regional store.
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Review from Geoff B.
Strathmore, AB
8/19/2010 ROTD 11/10/2010
Sapna and Bernard pretty much said it all. There is really no reason for anyone -- from professionals to those buying their first point and shoot -- to go anywhere else for anything related to photography.
The only exception would be if they didn't carry something and it was available somewhere else (for me, that was gaffers tape, which I bought at Vistek, and a 70-200 lens, which I had to buy from *shudder* Saneal, which has the world's worst return policy -- as in, they don't).
When they do carry something, you can be almost certain it is the cheapest in the city. Except maybe Costco, but they only carry about a dozen cameras at a time and their return policy on electronics is no longer great like it used to be.
They have cameras, memory cards, film (the only place in Calgary with Polaroid), lighting (not much though -- buy that online if you can), books, tripods, stands, camera bags, good glass (lenses), photography-related software, light modifiers (grids, reflectors, etc.), flash triggers (i.e. PocketWizards), filters, backdrops, and all sorts of accessories. They rent camera equipment. They also sell video and film processing equipment (enlargers, etc.). Not to mention a bunch of other video and audio-related stuff.
If it's photography-related, always make sure AT LEAST to look here first before buying anywhere else.Listed in: Calgary and area
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Review from Reginald T.
Calgary, AB
1/3/2011 6 Check-ins Here
I love The Camera Store. Conveniently located on 11th Ave SW, they have some of the best everyday low prices on photography equipment in the city, and in some cases, in the country as well.
Their in-stock selection isn't as great as say Vistek, and their website doesn't seem to list all of the items they have in the store, but if you find that they don't have it in stock, they're usually willing to special order it for you. But chances are, if they don't stock it, you probably don't need it unless your needs are very specialized.
They are one of the few official resellers of Singh-Ray filters and Think Tank equipment in Canada. The staff are very friendly and knowledgeable, and if you go visit often enough, will eventually get to know you by name. In fact, if you manage to find a lower price for an item they carry, either locally or on-line, they're usually willing to price match. My only complaint is that they close at 5:30 p.m. on most nights (except for Thursday, when they close at 7:30 p.m.) and that they aren't open on Sundays, which makes it hard to shop here if you can't get downtown fast enough after work, and are unavailable on Thursdays and Saturdays as well.
I've purchased a little bit of everything from here: camera bags, filters, tele-extenders, tripod equipment, point-and-shoot cameras, camcorders, various photo accessories and more. They're a great resource, especially in-town, when you need something right away and don't feel like hunting around for bargains or the best price. If you're looking for some photog gear, The Camera Store makes a great first choice.Listed in: Photography Shops around Town
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Review from Mike M.
Calgary, AB
8/31/2010
I think I'm one of those people that buys expensive cameras and thinks he is a professional photographer. Luckily for people like me, there is the Camera Store.
Last year when I decided to invest some serious money into the Canon G10, I really did my research as to where to buy it for the best price. The Camera Store was about $10 more expensive than anywhere else, but then I considered what you got when you buy something there....
They are by far the most informed staff on all things cameras, they have an amazing selection of cameras, supplies and if you look in and round the binds, you can always find great stuff on clearance.
About 10 months after I bought my camera, the sensor got some dust on it and it had to be replaced. I had misplaced my receipt and thought I was going to be out an awesome camera, but I took it back to the store and were able to track down my receipt, print out the warranty and send it off to Canon. Two weeks later, I had my camera back good as knew.
You could look at buying something at the Camera Store as throwing away an extra $10 or $20, but it is an independent business that proves time and time again why the big guys still aren't doing it right.Listed in: Who needs Mashable?
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Review from Kerri O.
Calgary, AB
5/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Best camera store in town and I've been to them all. Jim is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, super helpful and he knows his cameras. I had a bad experience at another camera store in town and nearly put down my precious DSLR for good. TCS to the rescue, knowledgeable staff, great prices and a huge selection of everything camera.
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Review from Victor P.
I've been buying my photo gear from the store's co-founders since long before they started their own store. It's been twenty years now, and I still buy my gear from them. Echoing a friend who also shops here: I wish I owned shares in this place. They've even stopped me from spending money when it didn't make sense for my needs. I mention this to provide a bit of additional context for the other reviews. You'll be hard-pressed to find a better shopping experience for photo and video-related equipment in Calgary.
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Review from Svetlana Y.
Calgary, AB
6/1/2011
I love the Camera Store - I bought numerous things from them, including light stands, umbrellas, backpacks, CF cards, etc and always got the best advice and explanation about the products from the staff.
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Review from Sapna G.
Calgary, AB
1/9/2010
Introducing the Coles Notes version of The Camera Store:
- Knowledgeable, approachable and friendly staff
- The most extensive selection of photography equipment
- Some of the best prices in town
Any questions? -
Review from Sean E.
Calgary, AB
8/12/2010
I have been shopping from this store for things from pro-sumer to professional DSLR and they've been great. The staff is knowledgeable, enthusiastic, not pushy, and their after-purchase customer service is reasonable. I've been a customer for almost 6 years. This is always the first place I check for stuff and will frequently pay 5-10% more than the competition because of the good service and selection they offer. Keep in mind this situation rarely happens because their prices are usually 5-10% LOWER than the competition. I don't know how they do it.
They do a good job at attempting to cater to niche markets (best in the city for this) but I've been finding myself going to forums, kijiji, craiglist and B&H photo (in the states) for obscure items more frequently. I think this is how the market is going for film photography though, and is of no fault of the store's.
This place deserves to be the first place (and hopefully last) that anybody visits when looking for camera gear. -
Review from Bernard L.
Calgary, AB
11/10/2008
If you are in the Calgary area and is looking for photography equipment, The Camera Store is the place you should go. No matter you are just shopping for point n' shoot or DSLR, the friendly staff provides you the same professional opinion.
I found that they usually have most of the items in stock and the prices are typically cheaper than other professional outlets in Calgary.
Happy shooting! -
Review from randy k.
Calgary, AB
1/29/2011
I'm very surprised by these comments, My experiences have been this is the worst store on the planet. Prices are unbelievably high (the last lens I priced at TCS was $1300 higher). Tried to purchase an adaptor ring to mount a macro ring flash on my macro lens, was informed the only thing that goes on the front of a macro lens is a filter or lens cap there is no such thing as flash mount adapter. Went to buy a drop in polarizer was told there is no such thing as a filter that screws on to the front of 500 and 600 mm lenses, the employee clearly had no idea what a drop in filter is.
Comment from Ian G. of The Camera Store 7/11/2011
Hi Randy, we're sorry your experience with our store was a… More »
