Lozeau

Location: On St. Hubert and de Bellechasse, which, coincidentally, is where you'll also fine one of Montreal's best murals. Street parking is available but metered. Alternatively, you can usually find parking west of St. Hubert, on de Bellechasse (no meters).

The place: Well. As someone who has been interested in photography for a very, very long time, there's zero contest - this is the place to be if you're looking for a new camera, gear, printing services, advise and so on. You can even rent equipment (including cameras) if you want to try before you buy, or if you're a professional in need of say, a drone.

The goods: Though I own a DSLR, I will admit that in the last 3 years, I got lazy and chose to use my iPhone over the camera. This is partly due to its size (way smaller) and also, I spend a lot of time in alleys, climbing over crap and basically getting down and dirty when taking shots. All of that being said, I decided it was time to get back to using a proper camera and came here to make a purchase. I already had a camera in mind when I got there and I left with exactly that camera. Lozeau offers a variety of brands for different skill levels and it would really surprise me if you couldn't find something to suit your needs. Besides the cameras, you can buy lens, extra batteries, chargers (yep, for overseas too), memory cards - if it's related to photography, they're likely to have it.

Service: The person who helped me was a fellow by the name of Christian (I think). When I arrived, I basically informed him that I was there to buy a camera, that I had a specific camera in mind, but that I wasn't going to tell him what it was. First, I explained what I was planning to do with it, and listed out the criteria that I was looking for in a camera. I then told him which camera I was considering - Christian nodded with approval and told me that it was an excellent choice that would cater to my needs. As a photographer himself, he was very knowledgeable and took the time to go over a few things with me, including asking if I was planning to buy many lenses - if this was the case, then he was going to point me to a different camera. As I only plan to buy 1-2 lenses, he let me know that my (future) camera was a solid choice. He didn't try to sell me something that was more expensive, or push accessories on me, which I appreciated. He gave me what I wanted, showed me potential lens options and let me know that I should buy 2 extra batteries since the battery life in this camera sucked.

Price point: Well, I'm not going to tell you what I paid for my camera but I can tell you that after doing my research, Lozeau is pretty on par with most places. In fact, for those of you who like to order from B&H in NYC, they tend to be a bit less expensive. They usually have sales too - you can check that online before going in.


So far I'm happy with the camera (though do need to brush up on shooting manual again). I need to pop into the store to get some batteries, and some tips, and am confident that I'll leave satisfied. Great place.

Has every thing you need for camera lovers and more.

Service wasn't the best on the phone as they kept passing me around but once I came in to the store I was able to get the help I was looking for.

Great quality but not cheap.

I am very, very upset at the moment, so congratulations Lozeau on getting my first ever one-star review.

I decided to give Lozeau another try, since my friend's wedding was coming up and she asked me to be the photograph. My camera had been stolen over a year ago, and I still hadn't decided on a new one. What better opportunity to both try a great camera (for free!) and capture memories of a lifetime for a friend? So I called in to ask if they still had that Fujifilm "try and buy" promotion. They did, so I went there on a Friday evening to pick up a camera. I really wanted to try the X-T2 model, but they were all rented out - so I decided on the X-T1, an older model from around 2014. The camera came with a bag, a charger, a sun hood, two manuals, two black plastic caps and one empty memory card protector. The employee went through the contents of the bag, something that hadn't been done last time, so I had a pretty good feeling! Last time, they forgot to give me the charger wire, and asked me to return something that was never given to me. Maybe this time, you know, there wouldn't be any problems! Oh boy.

Now, here is my mistake. I should have carefully went through the list of items on the receipt before I left the shop with the camera. But I didn't, because I assumed that the employee did his job properly. I was wrong, and I might have to pay for it now.

Meanwhile, I spend a great weekend with my high school friends. They married in a small, simple wooden chapel, and the ceremony was beautiful. The camera was wonderful to work with, and since many reviewers placed the X-T2 model well above the X-T1, I could only imagine what the latter could do! It was a great experience.

I returned the camera today around 15h40, and the employee (a different one) carefully went through the contents of the bag. She made little check marks next to every item on her copy of the receipt, then stopped, and circle one single line. I froze. Oh no.

It was the flash. I hadn't asked for one and there wasn't any in the bag I was given, yet the receipt listed that item as "Present". To make things more complicated, the guy who rented me the camera forgot to make me sign the contract (saying that I understood the conditions, blah blah blah). So.... everything is on the fence. Nobody knows where the flash is, and nobody knows what will happen. The girl told me that she will consult her superiors and if in 48h my 650$ safety deposit money has not been yet returned, I should call Lozeau to find out about the situation. UGH.

I'll update on what happens. :(

P.S. I corroborate with a previous reviewer. The rental desk is super difficult to get hold of by phone. They're often busy, but will call you back eventually.

EDIT: Well, they didn't charge me for the missing flash. Actually, my bank summary has no record of the safety depot at all! I guess they forgot to charge it? Added a star for not penalizing me.

As close to B&H as you'll get In Montreal
Great Store - Maybe The Best In Canada !
From Equipment to Advice to Help It's All Here !
It's really worth the trip.

One of the few professional camera stores in town, Lozeau offers great gear including camera bags, accessories, frames as well as pro services. I'd been by there a couple times with my sister who wanted to scope pro stuff, and then was recommended to use them this week when I had a lovely photograph of me and my Grandma to print. I used their online service to send in my file, the next day I got a message that my prints were ready, I walked over and picked them up and grabbed a frame. Loved the professional and easy quality of this locally owned service.

Update: while rentals used to be good, they don't seem to answer the phone anymore. I tried literally six times over three days and could not get through. How am I supposed to reserve equipment if I can't ask what's available?

I called Photoservice after that and got through on the first call.

After thinking about it for what seems like years, I finally bought my first DSLR here. The person assisting me was very nice, knowledgeable, and did not try to upsell me anything. He even recommended a reasonable alternative to the sdcard I had picked that saved me a few dollars.

I bought the camera during a promotion, making it pretty much the same price as on the internet, with the added benefit that I feel that I have a shop to go to in case I have problems.

"the photographers Toys R Us"

If you're a professional photographer or a self proclaimed amateur photographer, there is no other place to shop at. They have absolutely everything you can dream of.

Now all this being said, they aren't necessarily the best deal in town. But it's a fantastic place to start your search.

Go in, ask your questions, and be on your way. These guys are pros, not booger eaters from Best Buy.

Pretty well-stocked, well-organized camera store. Everything from cameras to drones to camera bags and everything in between. I purchased a lens and they have a really organized system where they place the order and somebody "upstairs" sends the item down in an elevator. Then the salesperson walks with you (and your new item) to the cashier. Staff was very helpful and sweet. Will probably come here again.

I came to enlarge (11x14) a photo for my wedding here, I used the counter service where the staff help to place your order. They ensure that the resolution, size etc will be perfect for the print size you want. Quality of service and print was excellent! They even said that if the print was not to my satisfaction it would be re-printed free. Ready in 24hr. Prices were reasonable, maybe $1-2 more than Costco but worth it!