Great experience at Dodd. I was searching for a new camera for future travel and really haven't…read morebought a camera in probably decades. Rye, the sales person that assisted me, was great. He walked me through the basics, recommended both a camera, lens, storage and accessories. I will definitely be back for anything further I need. I'm really looking forward to use my new camera and Dodd made it easy!

I went for some lens covers I saw them and grabbed two. Once I was leaving I noticed that the price…read moreon the lens and the price on the receipt didn't match. They charged me two dollars more per lens. So I go back and instead of fixing it they give me an excuse that prices were raised and if I didn't want them they could return them, Instead of fixing the problem on their end. Not happy.

Highly knowledgeable folks who do a good job for their customers…read more Excellent products/inventory. Dan knows what he is doing. Located in upstairs in a very cool, beautifully renovated 1880's building -- in a nice area of Chicago.

I have bought 4 or 5 new Leicas from Dan. Great advice, great service and nice selection of…read moreaccessories as well. The only place to go for Leica! He also has beautiful leather bags!

04/17/2000 - I guess this review is a little past due. I found my old 35 mm Nikon N70 that I…read morebought 04/17/2000 @ Central Camera. At the time I was planning my first trip to Europe. In 2000 the digital format was minuscule w/2GB & 4 GB memory cards. Being an architect and planning a trip I knew I would be shooting a ton of photos & the SD cards @ the time were just too small so I decided to invest in a 35mm film camera. My wife and I spend 3 weeks in Italy (Rome (4 days), Florence (3 days), Venice (2 days), Zurich (1 day) Lake Como (1 day), Milan (1 day), Paris ( 7 days), & Versailles (1 day). What a remarkable trip. I shot 20 rolls of film & 17 rolls of slide so it's a good thing I invested in a 35mm camera. It's a good thing I did because I ended shooting 37 rolls of film. I did 20 print & 17 slide photos. While cleaning our house I found several 35mm cameras along w/the receipt of this purchase. This 35mm Nikon N70 in the original Nikon camera bag. This served me well but I haven't used it since 2000. In addition I found an Olympus 35 mm camera & a small digital Cannon Power shot Elph 150 w/2 batteries & chargers. I thought I would bring it in & see what Central Camera would offer me for the 3 cameras & bag. NOT MUCH $$$$ so I decide to keep them and see if I could sell them on Marketplace or Karrot I'm going to post the 3 cameras on this review. Any credible offers will be accepted

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this store! Patience is a virtue. I've been to used and new…read morecamera stores coast to coast -- since 1978! I went to the original B&H on 17th street. I shopped Helix in Chicago in 1996! I've been to Camera World of Oregon and Samy's in LA. Camera stores have mostly gone the way of film upon the advent of digital in the 00´s. And now that Kodak's concept of The Brownie has reached fruition with the iPhone... well, it's a wonder anyone still appreciates the richness and deliberate slowness of analog. This place remains! This place understands and values the foundation of photography. That in itself is worth a lot! I first shopped here when I first moved to Chicago to attend that small university on the south side known for its Nobels in 1982. I shopped here again yesterday and returned today -- June 2026! Why? Their selection of used gear is unique and fairly priced. They don't sell their used gear online or on eBay. It's here on Wabash or nothing. They don't even want to get involved with shipping. The insurance and risk of loss just isn't worth the expense. So, this is just another reason to visit Chicago. And I'm glad I did! And for you locals, consider yourselves lucky that Central Camera remains in business in service to the analog photographic community here in Chicagoland. Cheers! I bought a 55mm for my Pentax 67 at a very fair price. The glass was in near mint condition. Zoe was an excellent salesperson. And that's what counts. I get the impression this store focuses on relationships -- not greed. Are they computerized and QR-coded for rapid transactions? No. But if you're shooting film, why care? Enjoy the spectacle -- the shelves and displays filled with retro cameras, camera boxes, selections of darkroom tools and spare parts. The large format and esoteric gear of all shapes and sizes. When's the last time I saw a 250 exposure film back for Nikon F cameras? Maybe 1980. Maybe never. I don't remember. That is a rare piece of equipment. If you need one -- they have it here -- at least until it's gone. There was only one. Anyhow, I go on and on in defiance of the angry elf reviews here on Yelp. Ignore those naysayers. If you need good used gear or some film... Central Camera will have the film and may just have what you've been looking for in gear without resorting to Bezos or eBay. Cheers!!

In November 2024, I paid $350 to repair my Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens (valued at $2,500). Bill…read moredemonstrated it working in his shop, but it broke again within days with the same issue. I returned the lens on November 25, 2024. Bill acknowledged the failed repair and promised to fix it at no charge. Over the next year, Bill kept my lens and never returned a single call. I visited the shop at least five times and called periodically, too. Each time he seemed anxious and irritated by my persistence, promised to call, and then didn't. On October 29, 2025, I delivered a demand letter with the building's security guard as a witness. Bill tried to make me sign a receipt stating I'd received cash before actually handing me any money and after I declined his offer of writing me a personal check. After I finally received the $350, he forgot he was still holding my lens and had to search for it. He appeared confused throughout the interaction. Multiple recent reviews describe nearly identical experiences: repairs failing immediately, equipment held for months with no communication, one customer calling police after seven months, another told "I gave up" after four months. Bill was once regarded as the best in the city, in fact, he repaired my equipment perfectly back in 2005. But now it's clear he can no longer handle repairs or manage his business. TL;DR: Repair failed immediately, took one year and a legal threat to get my money and lens back. Bill forgot he had my lens during the final exchange. Check the other recent 1 and 2 star reviews showing the same pattern. Find another repair shop.

The kindest man helped me with my film camera. It ended up being a simple fix, but he didn't charge…read moreme anything. Despite a slight language barrier he was very knowledgeable, kind, and helpful. I highly recommend!

A great resource for the expert lensman, novice or if you want to know what it feels like to get…read moreyour hands on some pro gear. Right, that's why they call it ProGear. We come into town to shoot technical and installation videos. We land at O'Hare, grab a car, and then make a bee line to ProGear where Peter takes great care of us. They are expert in their suggestions and run an incredible organized shop. They'll even load up your car. Do you need sandbags? Ask for a couple, you'll need them in the windy city. Great place.

I made a call to inquire about selling my equipment and although they're not doing that Brian took…read morehis time to guide me to business that might be doing that. Awesome customer servi, would definitely recommend.

Had an awesome experience dropping off my film here! Had a great conversation with Matthias who was…read morevery cool and informative about the developing and scanning process and went in depth and explained all the options. I'm already familiar with converting negatives so I went with the Raw files and my 6 rolls of film were sent to my email fast the next day. Was able to have my film shipped out to me as I was just visiting and leaving the next day. Prices are very reasonable compared to other options near downtown and Wicker Park.

Quick and dependable. E6 in 35mm. C-41 in 35mm, 120 and 4x5 all done properly and easy to scan.read more

I hired Jill to complete a shoot of headshots for me a few months ago. I was very satisfied with…read morethe services she provided and her work. She was professional, on time, her photography skills were excellent, and the price was reasonable. I would consider using her again for future headshots or other photography services. *This is an actual review - "not fake".

Photos are great and Jill was pleasant to work with. Kind and warm also. The photos are easy to…read moreaccess, download, and share.

Brought an old point-and-shoot camera to them. They got back to me in the original estimated time…read moreframe and were extremely kind throughout the whole process. While I did not go ahead with the repair (old camera, wasn't worth it), the proposed pricing was fair. Overall a great experience!

Yes. Good service - had my camera checked and then fixed (on-off switch stopped working). Took a…read morebit longer than originally promised, but got done in time for a trip.

I love the concept of this place and was excited to come here after they moved from their Damen…read morelocation. I came in to get a disposable camera developed. Had I not been here before or knew the process of how it works though, I think I would have had a little difficulty. The person working wasn't too friendly or keen on explaining the form to me, so I took a few guesses and looked at the sign they had on the counter. She was more interested in talking to her coworker and not really paying attention to me so I just filled it out and went on my way. Not the best customer service experience. I felt too inconvenienced to ask about any of the other items they had in the store. My photos however turned out alright but seemed to turn out a lot more muted than my previous prints, This experience has me wondering if I should just do mail in through Darkroom next time.

It seems like all at once and out of nowhere I started receiving ads from a bunch of different film…read moredevelopment companies and those rolls sitting in the back of a drawer started screaming out to me to solve their mysteries. When I found that there was a shop right here in Chicago offering a first roll development and scan free I figured I would give the local option the first crack. So I signed up for the offer and placed some old rolls in a sandwich bag in my jacket pocket but then weeks passed by and it just kept slipping my mind. This was where Bellows first impressed me. I received direct messages from the shop saying that my offer would be expiring soon and asking if I'd like to extend the redemption date which was nice. I finally dropped in the day of that really bad snowstorm back in November and my first impression of the shop was positive. I liked the laidback and clean feel of the place. There is just about every type of contemporary film as well as some cameras and accessories available to buy and they had a good number of people at the counter for taking film development orders. There was also a tintype photographer doing a pop up event which is always cool to witness. I realized while I was there that my already amateurish photography knowledge was pretty rusty so I appreciated the staff going over things with me while I was filling out my development order form without being condescending. I also liked that they said that if the rolls came out blank or with no usable photos they would contact me about price adjusting. I went with the take your time option for development and scans for 3 rolls and the scans were ready for me in 3 days. The development came out about as well as they could with such expired film but nothing some color correction can't fix. They actually turned out a lot better than I expected they would and I am happy that I now have had some of the mysteries revealed. Bellows staff contacted me about picking up my negatives as I was traveling but a quick message and they assured me that they would hold onto the negatives for a little while longer. Although it's very much a shop for serious film photographers I think Bellows is a great local option for film development and I'll probably be returning with some more film to develop soon.

Maps says it's at 401 EAST Ontario. It's actually 401 WEST Ontario. Very nice staff. I dropped…read morein to get my Gratical fixed and they did it in 15 minutes.

From the owner: Zacuto makes, sells, and rents high quality, USA-made filmmaking accessories and creates Emmy Award…read morewinning original content for the web. The Chicago location focuses on renting high-quality equipment to local filmmakers. Check out our rental specials! Plus, when you check-in on Yelp, you get a free Zacuto t-shirt with your rental.