Went in for a passport photo and was not so happy with what got taken... Kinda bummed I will be living with it for the next 10 years.

I like to support local business so I tried this store out. I read the reviews but did not have the same negative experience. Owner is pleasant and did a good job on my video transfer. I would return and give them my business. read more

Do not get fingerprinted here. Go to Cal Live Scan. Phil is not someone that is rigorous or cares for his clients, something I expect from a small business. I might? have messed up and not written a number on a sheet that had been written on my husbands who was also fingerprinted at the same time. (I blame it on my crying baby during the fingerprinting) A normal livescan trained personnel would have asked for the information. (Information I later found out from Cal Live scan was important and Who assured me that even if I had not put the number he should have asked for it either way) When I called back Phils behavior was so rude and arrogant and was an extension of the same personality that scanned us. His customer service is severely lacking. He then proceeded to tell me that I would have to repay for everything and was really really really unhelpful. Even though the agency assured me that was not true and he could just send it back with correct information. I then went to Cal Live Scan who were shocked and then proceeded to resubmit with changes for free with a very small fee for their work. They said that Phil should have just done the work for free and could have easily done so in a moment. Especially since if anything it was at least half his fault. As a small business owner I would have had years of fingerprinting work to send. I will never send anyone to A1 ever Again. Go to Cal Live Scan you won't regret it and it is almost as cheap and the owners are sweet and everything you want from a small business owner. If I wanted bad service I would have gone I Fed Ex. Response to below: whatever you are saying is completely untrue because I took it to Cal Live Scan and they resubmitted without any fees being charged. They also said if a technician is properly trained they will make sure all information is properly input. read more

I was gonna repair my lens of camera here but ended up just asking another store. First the man said estimation takes a week, but he never contacted me even 10days passed. When I finally got a phone call after I kept calling them, he said the repair should be done in 2 weeks so asked to proceed. However, when I sent a email after 2weeks passed(again he never contacted me from their side) he replied that "2weeks is pretty EARLY though, usually repair takes 4-8weeks." I was like.. what? Later he said like "My tech has hard time to find parts so it is delayed." Wait, this is what tech should be done during estimation period I gave, right? I couldn't wait for such a LONG time because I needed to leave town soon so I just asked them to stop the repair ASAP. Looking back now, I literally wasted a WHOLE MONTH and estimation fee to find just my lens cannot be repaired at this place. Horrible. read more

The owner is rude, sarcastic and not very accommodating. Acts like he's doing you a favor. I will never go back to this place. Too bad the other guy is no longer there. read more

I don't give bad reviews, really, but this place is so bad I can't rate them low enough. I've had two different camera repairs done here, and the first time, my camera was "mixed up" with another camera and the repair I specifically asked not to have done (both when I dropped off the camera and when they called with the quote) was done anyway and A1 actually had the audacity to ask me to pay for it. At the time I thought it was an honest mistake, and ended up coming back several years later and having the single worst service experience I've ever had. They never called with a quote, ignored my calls for weeks, and when I finally got ahold of them, the "7-10 day repair" took almost a month. And of course they didn't call in the intervening time to tell me what was up-- just no word. When I called them three weeks after the quote OK, the manager told me he didn't know where the camera or the repair man was and he'd just have to get back to me. Uh, really? Anyway, when I finally got the camera back, it came scratched up and to be completely honest-- I doubt it's the same camera I dropped off in the first place. Same model, but it came with the battery they removed and handed to me when I dropped it off, and the condition is nowhere near the same. All that for an overpriced standard repair on a point and shoot digital. tl;dr: This is the worst service I've ever received which is so bad it borders on unethical. Booo. Go somewhere else. read more

I brought my camera in for repairs and it came back more broken than it was when I brought it in. When they finally called me with a $HUGE$ estimate of repairs, they implied that it was a bad camera because I'd purchased it online. I have no idea what they were talking about, as my camera has worked fine since I bought it five years ago. It felt like they were making up stories to cheat me out of money. Plus the shutter, which was fine when I brought it in, was broken when I came in to pick it up. So they charged me $25 to break my camera even more. Who knows what they did to it, really. They may be fine for other things, but NOT FOR REPAIRS, which they send out somewhere else anyway. The whole thing felt extremely shady to me. read more

Great, service and quality prints. Quick and easy...love the service...

Do not bring your film to these guys, you will not be happy. I brought two rolls of black and white film in on a saturday. They said it would take 4-5 days to get it developed and give me a CD with scans of the photos. A week later they hadn't called me, so I called back to find out what happened. They said they wait 'til they get enough film to get it developed, because developing is expensive, and it would be another 2-3 days. Ok, annoying, but not so bad. When I got the picture scans back I thought I had screwed up the pictures. The scans looked really bad. However, I got access to a film scanner and tried doing my own scans - they look great. As far as I can tell, they use someone else to do their developing, but they only send out photos in batches so you don't know when you'll get stuff back. The only thing they did themselves was scan the photos, which they did very poorly. Save yourself the trouble and have someone else do the whole thing. read more

I recently had a video transferred and when we received it, there was a problem with the ending. We did not get the video back until the day before we needed it for a special occasion When I took it back and explained the urgency, it was corrected within an hour. This is what I call GREAT customer service read more

Nice guys. Quick service Took a very good passport photo. And I'm picky!

This is a great little shop for professional work. The guy working the gave me a somewhat technical answer that I didn't really understand. After doing some research I found that he really did know his stuff. Not as cheap as some chain places, but you definitely get what you pay for, they stand by their work and you get the good feeling of supporting local business. read more

No other place will provide you with the genuinely friendly service and the quality like A1 Photo. We initially went to them because we needed to have a photo done for my fathers service. We also needed it done over night. They were the only place that didn't charge us an additional 50% for the rush order and the photo came out perfect! I later found out that he stayed late and came in early the next day to get our photo back to us on time with a beautiful frame and all! Thank you A1 Photo. read more

I needed Live Scan fingerprinting done for my new job. I called A1 to ask what I needed to bring in for the fingerprinting, and the guy was very helpful (Live Scan request form from my job, photo ID, and money to pay). You can walk in without an appointment, took only 10 minutes from start to finish, and the guy working there was very friendly. Cost = $50. Great service overall! Thank you :) read more

I needed over 100 photos scanned in a short turn-around time for a memorial service for my mother. These guys were fabulous! They told me that usually there would be a "rush fee" for getting the job done that quickly, but that they waived it since the photos were for a memorial service. They gave me a choice of three different resolutions; I said I had no idea which to use and they recommended the least expensive one; that's always a good sign. I said that it was my sister, who is not local, who needed the scanned photos, so they figured out how to use Drop Box to get the photos to her. They had the whole job done a day before they had promised. The staff were friendly, helpful and flexible. read more

Kudos to Joseph and Tarang for their personalized service. I had all of my home movies converted to DVD and they recognized that two reels I had brought in separately were really part of something I'd done the previous week. They combined them with no problem. Whether it be regular 8mm, super 8mm, sound super 8mm or Video Casette, their service is prompt and professional and quality. They are aptly named!! read more

I got my photo albums all scanned here. I got all my paper photos in albums scanned to jpg files. This way I can have a backup and watch them as a screen saver on my computer. This was faster and turned out more professional than if I had spent weeks doing it myself. The price seemed very fair. I was referred to this place by Digital Pickle website. read more

I returned to A1 Photo & Video Lab recently for several important personal / family projects to preserve precious memories. I called and asked a few questions of Brendan. He was very patient and professional. I went to their location a few days later. Brendan was just as helpful in person. He is very knowledgeable about the various services that the business can provide. I gave him my source material (a cassette made more than 20 years ago of songs created to celebrate an adoption in our family) and paid a deposit. A few days later I was called and informed that the final project was ready for pickup (a cassette to Mp3 and CD conversion with multiple copies). It was all done for a reasonable price. A week later as I was cleaning boxes for a downsizing project at home I came upon another special cassette (of my late father playing various songs on the keyboard recorded during his retirement years), I knew that this needed to be preserved and shared with my siblings. I went back to A1 Photo & Video and Brendan was just as helpful as before. The project (cassette to CD conversion with multiple copies) was completed within a few days. This company was a long list of services that they can provide. Check it out! If you live anywhere in the East Bay this is the place to go! read more

A small one person shop with lots of good photography and video gear. I've been there several times for live scan fingerprinting, passport photos, etc. No problems. read more

That dude that works there is cool. He will try his best to help you find a solution to your photo and video needs and desires.

I had found a box full of old photos and slides that had belonged to my grandmother. I wanted to have them digitized in time for the holidays so I could give them out as gifts to all of the grandkids. A1 not only did an excellent job with the scans but they also managed to get it done much quicker then I had anticipated. Everything was placed back exactly how I had dropped it off and it's obvious great care was given to my photos. I can't state how important that is enough, as these are some of the only surviving photos of my great grandparents. Seeing the look on everyone's faces as we went through the photos on Christmas was priceless, and now we'll have these for years to come. read more

I needed Live Scan fingerprinting done for my new job. I walked in after checking the price online that says $20, the store was completely empty "ghost empty" and 1 dude behind the counter. I asked if he could do the scan and told me what I needed, I handled the docs/papers and he started the process I asked to use the bathroom. When I returned apparently he had finished the bureaucracy needed and we started the scan.Only then he disclosed the price; He charged me $69.Notice that the price was only disclosed after we started the process. The fingerprint process was OK but the service...fast however extremely unfriendly. When I said I needed a receipt to be reimbursed by my employer he refused to write a receipt 4 or 5 times, I asked: " Would you please write a receipt because I need it for reimbursement? He responded 5 times you don't need it; Because ,"of course" he is the one who knows what I need. After finally agreeing to write a receipt he wrote something "unreadable" on the stationary receipt then picked up his copy and ripped apart on my face and knock it on the counter like a 12 year old who got suspended from school. Needless to say...I'm not coming back. read more

Didn't realize they did Live Scans but I'm glad they did. Tried to go to Cal Live Scan but they turned me away. So glad I came to this place, it's a small operation, but the owner was super helpful in getting me taken care of and making sure everything got processed right since my employer forgot to fill in some parts of the Live Scan form. Berkeley needs more awesome mom and pop shops like this. Definetly gonna find an excuse to come here again. read more

A-1 Video Lab saved the transfer from a Sony mini tape onto a DVD. Wolf camera in San Jose was unable to do this. We thought the recording of our family event was lost. We dropped it off at The Hayward store. Edward Miller and Rickey Arthur were knowledgeable. I have since taken faded old photos and come away with colorful, detailed photos from negatives. Nice work A-1 Photo. read more

quick and solid super 8 transfer. footage was clean and crisp and the HD digital telecine only enhanced this. thanks!

They can print non-standard-size passport photos here. The attendant explained my options clearly and printed the photos promptly.

I had the opportunity to use A1 Photo lab in Berkeley CA this past October to put a slide show together for the death of my husband. I discovered a box of very old photos that I had never seen before of my husband as a baby and small child. They were many different sizes and some were a bit faded. I wanted to add music to fit the photos of our lives together for over 30 years. A1 Photo in Berkeley did a magnificent job in sizing the photos, timing the music and presented to me an absolutely perfect memorial to my husband. They are very efficient and can restore old photos to look like new. I also had a photo restored of my husband and his brothers as small children that had been damaged with glue over most of the photo. I framed the finished copies and gave it to the three families. They are so worth using for any conversions from video to photos and will do it right the first time. I highly recommend giving them a try and know that you won't be disappointed. The customer service is excellent and they will get you what you need. I highly recommend this business as one of the few things that you can always count on. Donna H. read more

I travel for work quite a bit in the East Bay Area, and have had last minute things come up for clients where I would need photos scanned to CD's or printed and enlarged. The staff at each locations is always helpful and attentive to my needs, and always deliver as promised. Great service at competitive prices!! read more

I have used A1 Photo & Video Lab twice now on two very important jobs. The quality of their work is outstanding, and it was done very quickly. My originals were returned to me much better organized than the way I submitted them. The price was right and they indeed seem to be able to transfer anything and everything including a few items I gave them that were well over half a century old. They were very careful with my originals for safekeeping. I'll definite return and am a happy customer. read more

Easy people to talk to, quality of transfer from 8mm to digital is good. The CD they provided can be viewed in either apple or pc or DVD drive connected to the TV. The reason I chose this lab was that they actually cleaned the old film before transferring it to digital. Some of the 8mm was from 1951, it needed some attention. read more

I used them for printing live size photo enlargements (poster) for an event. Great quality prints, helpful staff and quick turnaround!

I was so disappointed by this service that I decided it was time to take out a Yelp account and warn others. My first time visiting this photo lab was at Christmastime, when I ordered (very simple) photo Christmas cards. They promised them six days hence--already a pretty inexcusable wait--yet when I returned to pick them up, they informed me that my order wouldn't be ready before an additional day or two, meaning that I would pick my Christmas cards up on the 22nd of December!! Whyever a photo lab should need over a week to print 40 simple cards is beyond me. When I made it clear that the order had been promised to me that day, they capitulated and agreed to have them printed that afternoon. I was pretty annoyed, but decided that Christmas was probably a very busy time, so I cut them some slack. Idiotically, I came back for more punishment. This time, I had a negative from which I wanted one photo enlarged. This is a simple task--Photo 101, baby steps--should be a harmless request. I placed the order on a Friday morning, and they told me that it wouldn't be ready until Tuesday or Wednesday. (Again, why these ridiculous delays?) I asked for a firm promise for Tuesday, and they agreed. When I showed up on Tuesday afternoon, I was asked if I had been called that my order was ready. "No," I replied. The worker told me that the person responsible for this might not be in that day (?), and then asked if I really needed the photo. When I told him that I did, he called this person. Having spoken with this absent technician, he told me that my one print should be ready around 4, but that he would give me a call. By 4:30, having heard nothing, and needing to mail the photo that day, I called them. "Oh yeah, it's ready." Ridiculously slow service and incompetent organization. I HIGHLY DISCOMMEND THIS SERVICE AND URGE YOU TO RECONSIDER BEFORE YOU PLACE AN ORDER WITH THEM. read more

This shop provides a multitude of audio-video services any community would wish to have but very few do. Under one roof they preserve, repair, create, and do so many things you'd normally expect several different shops in one town to do, if at all. They are a rare contribution to the arts and individuals of this area. If some of the charges seem a little high at first, consider the quality of their work and level of customer service. Recently I brought in several historic black and white photo prints for scanning to CD. The scans were fine but I had failed to ask them to include all of the image including the original faded paper border; they had cropped the images instead, making them look more modern than I preferred. When I told them I wanted it the other way, they were happy to re-do the scans at no extra charge, changing to a better dpi resolution at the same time - and they turned both orders around in just a couple of days. The staff was helpful and friendly, staying in good contact by email and phone. I'll go back for sure and I hope they stay right where they are (the Berkeley branch). read more

I wish I had as happy an experience as the other customers, but mine was very bad and costly. I took my Sony Z1U HD camcorder in to repair the cassette elevator on 3/9/11. Six weeks later they said that it was fixed (I had to call them because they didn't call as they promised). When my wife brought it home it didn't work. So on 5/5 she took the camera back to repair and four weeks later they said it was fixed (again, I had to call). The elevator worked fine but didn't record properly and the resulting recording could not be played on any other playback device such as my sony deck attached to my final cut pro. The camera now could not play back tapes that it recorded previously, before the "repair". When I called I was told first that the problem must have been in my deck, and then they blamed Sony and the HD medium and told me to bring the camera back. I was afraid to do that because twice they released a non functioning camera from their shop. I went to another technician who diagnosed their mistake and had the camera working properly again. Of course, I had to pay again. So, this is my tale of woe. read more