Located virtually next door to the Savoy Hotel, is the London Camera Exchange in the Strand;…read morethis shop branch is just part of a nation-wide franchise, under the LCE Group and they have other branches up and down the UK, trading under the same name. The only thing, I like from this shop is the Think Tank camera bags. But I have strongly dislike the customer service from these people. You'd be better off shopping at Richard Caplan (Pall Mall), Classic Camera (Bloomsbury) Aperture Photographic (Fitzrovia), Calumet (Euston & Soho) and/or Fixation (Vauxhall)

Went here while on vacation, and I was very pleased. Robin gave an excellent consultation and I…read moreleft happy with a new piece of equipment. Yes, it cost more than ordering online or purchasing in the US, but I would have missed all those extra shots without my new 18-270 Tamron. :) Well worth it. Go check them out! Look at their used filters/lenses/etc because they have lots of stuff to choose from.

Harpers is a good, old-fashioned photography shop. There's something here for serious pros and for…read moreenthusiastic amateurs. Staff pride themselves on the advice that they can give and they really do seem to know their stuff. They're happy for you to handle cameras and will not try to push you into a purchase that you're not happy with. They're happy for you to go away. A wide range of makes are stocked. New and secondhand models are available. The shop carries a huge range of accessories for photographers from bags to lenses, metres to tripods, albums to frames. Prices are competative. There's a photo processing service which offers excellent results although it will cost you more than the main chains. The shop itself is old, cluttered and dark. It feels like it should though! I'd recommend Harpers and their service without hesitation.

Red Dot Cameras has recently relocated from their original shop in Old Street and now they are…read morecurrently located on the Goswell Road. Red Dot Cameras usually have a decent selection of Leica cameras both brand new and second-hand and they also stock the Japanese brand, Artisan & Artist; which specialise in camera accessories designed for mostly Leica Before Red Dot Cameras moved and relocated to Goswell Road from Old Street, the London Graphics Centre (an upscale artist shop) was in fact located at 86 Goswell Road; and that was fairly recent. Well, I have to say Red Dot Cameras have a pretty good website, that keeps being updated every so often. But a visit to Red Dot Cameras is always worth my time.

This place is owned and run by a husband and wife team. They are very personable; he is friendly…read moreand nice, she is friendly and sour. They are a Leica dealership that also sells Billingham bags and a few very funky little Manfrotto tripod - table top stand thingys. They also have a broad and ever changing range of second hand equipment that includes anything you might screw in, mount on or wrap around a Leica or other rangefinder camera. They often have a fair selection of Voigtlander and Zeiss lenses as well as a vast selection of used Leica lenses. It's the only Leica dealership within walking distance of the city (Jacobs doesn't count as a body and 3 lenses do not a dealership make). Their new prices are in line with everyone elses, the bags are possibly cheaper from Fleabay, but you can come in here and try them out, their secondhand lenses are cheaper than Fleabay and warranteed for 6 months by the shop, again, you can also have a look at them here and check them out on your M8/9 or whatever. I like the place, it's just a little too close to my place of work, which makes it a dangerous place for my credit card.

Good range of cameras in stock and helpful. Very close to…read morethe tube (Chiswick park station). A store worth offline shopping.

I like coming in here even if I am not actually buying anything. It is always a real pleasure when…read moreyou go into a shop where they are real passionate about what they do, and they know they subject matter inside out. They are friendly and are keen to match the perfect camera to you, not the other way around. I have been going there because I have always had an itch for photography and I explore non digital cameras, it reminds me of a simpler time, and it is a forgotten art. You can buy used equipment which has obviously been tested by them, if they don't have certain standards they do not sell them. Plus, you have a warranty for peace of mind. I don't know much about non digital cameras but here they willing to take their time to explain the basics, and I have my eye on a 35mm Canon with super zoom at £150, maybe I'll give to myself as a Christmas gift. I refrain my initial statement, I did buy a Crumpler bag for our video camera which comes in handy when you have a baby growing up at giant steps.

Aperture Photographic is what I'd call a perfect sanctuary for vintage camera lovers…read more At this branch of Aperture Photographic, they will mostly deal with Leica and Nikon cameras and lenses and a few other camera brands. However, if you are looking for anything that is Hasselblad, then I would go to the other Aperture Photographic/Camera Cafe on Museum Street, which is just off Great Russell Street. At this branch, they have a 35mm film processing service and I must say, they seem to do a really good job at it. All the retail staff here seem to know there stuff and the customer service is really good.

I really like this place. It is an offshoot of the Camera Cafe and Aperture Photographic branch on…read moreMuseum Street. The have moved all their classic Nikon ( read film Nikon F/F2/F3 ) here together with their Leica and Medium Format kit. They also now have have a photo lab with a 24 hour turn-around for C41/B&W 35mm/120 their standard print size for 35mm is 5x7&1/2 which is a very nice size print. I had a roll of BW400CN developed, printed and scanned here and was quite impressed. Their lab could be a little more sterile, but it will do. Also they will just develop and scan if you are not interested in prints. I was the first person to request high resolution scans here an they gave me a CD with 10-12MB jpeg images on it so I could compare film with output from my M9. The extra charge for slower high res scans was £3 which I thought was fine. I have to avoid the place really, the last time I went in I left behind a 35mm f/1.4 lens and walked out with a 35mm f/1.2 lens and bleeding credit card. Go here if you like classic cameras, if you don't like classic cameras, go here for the tea, coffee and cakes.

Aperture always seem to have an item that I'm always on the look out for…read more For example, I was here the other week and I've purchased yet another powerful Nikon SB600 flashgun. And a couple of months ago, I needed a special set of Nikon batteries and lucky for me they had them in stock. Richard, the Bloomsbury Retail Manager, is always very honest with me, before I'm making a purchase of Nikon and other photography/camera related goods. Patrick & Richard from Aperture Photographic always demonstrate the best retail customer service at a personal and professional level. And if you are looking for retro Nikon cameras from the past, then I would definitely recommend Aperture Photographic, either in Bloomsbury or Fitzrovia. As of January 2015, this shop branch of Aperture Photograhic, no longer deals with Nikon and Leica cameras and lenses. During the Christmas Holidays 2014, both the Aperture Photographic shops were in the process of swapping round, all of their stuff from Museum Street to Rathbone Place. However, if there is anything you are looking for, the retail staff of Aperture Photographic are always willing and happy to help.

Nice shop , the attendants are pleasant. The choice is not collossal but prices are good…read more Efficient mail delivery as well.

Welcome to the Leica Shrine of Saint James's in Pall Mall!…read moreWell I must say, this camera shop is the most helpful, honest and decent. All the retail sales staff at Richard Caplan's have always been good to me. The retail customer service at Richard Caplan Photographic Ltd is seriously superb, and the staff here are always helpful unlike some of the other camera shops in central London, especially that camera store on the Strand (I would avoid them at all costs) As with these guys at Saint James's', I would always shop and part with my money at Richard Caplan's of Pall Mall. Remember R.G. Lewis in Holborn? From back in the day? Well, to me, Richard Caplan Photograhic Ltd is basically the reincarnation of the now defunct R.G. Lewis shop; and also I'm pleased to announce that Mr Len Lyons (owner of R.G. Lewis) is working for Mr Caplan's shop, three days per week: Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday. Jakub, Siyu, Emil, Len and of course Mr Caplan (the owner and managing director) are always accommodating with all their customers; which is somewhat a very rare sight in today's world of the photographic retail trade.

Old School St James's camera shop. Other than tripods and a few accessories they don't really seem…read moreto sell anything that isn't German. The second hand prices are fine considering what it is they sell although as with everywhere you get ripped off on memory cards. I rather like the place and would probably pop in regularly for a nose around if it was local. So in summary I guess If you'd like a Leica this place is alright.

Great range of product. Miserable staff (but actually quite…read morecharming). Hardcore sales tactics "You are wrong, we are right. Seriously, forget what your professional photographer friend said about Canon, it's the Practika you need". Let you get hands-on with stuff, so you can see it working - which is a huge bonus. But, after all that, then you have the pricing. Good web sites beat John Lewis by around 30%. John Lewis beats most high street stores by around 10% - and often give a better warranty. Other high street stores are probably 10-20% cheaper than Spectrum. When you add it all up, the real cost of buying here is phenominal.

I popped in to this shop looking for some sound advice, only to be met with the most arrogant,…read morecondescending and snotty comments. I knew what I was after, and had done my research, yet all my comments and points were scoffed at. Another member of staff made some embarrassing attempt to salvage what was obviously a ridiculous display of customer service, but only served to make things worse by telling me a load of nonsense. I was asking about compact system cameras, and from my research believe some of the Sony ones to be the best. I was then told that they definitely wouldn't recommend these, they wouldn't tell me why though. I'd imagine it's because they don't sell them. And then, in the same "I know everything, you know nothing" tone as the first staff member, I was told that I had to buy Olympus, as they invented the system so must be the best. Absolute rubbish. Even when I asked about the Olympus brand out of curiosity, I had to prompt him to even give me some model numbers, but no offer to show me anything, either actual product or in a catalogue. Absolutely would not even think about going here again. I didn't even see what their prices were like, I couldn't care less. With such appalling customer service, it's a wonder how they do any trade at all. I guess they can easily prey on vulnerable customers, bombard them with jargon and information, until they give in and hand their cash over. Having run my own shop for several years, I know a thing or two about customer service...now, I'm not saying I'm any sort of customer service guru, but the fact that I walked out mid conversation says a lot. It's been a while since a retail experience has left me so disheartened. Seriously, this place is awful. For some proper, sound advice on cameras, I'd suggest heading to Camera World on Wells St in Fitzrovia, the place where I'll be heading to spend my money.