I've been a patron of this store for many years now. While I do not visit it as often as I used to back in my collegiate and (worldwide) traveling days, I still pop in from time to time for my camera needs. Sometimes, I pop in just to see what new doo-dads and knick-knacks they have in store. Service is always good - at least I've never had any negative experiences. Staff are always kind and helpful. They have a good variety of popular / some vintage, and some niche items. Pricing can vary depending on what you are looking for. Usually, I find them comparable to other major retailers if you are looking at the more popular "items." However, you can get a good deal out of here. It really just depends on what it is you are in search of. All in all, this is a great little shop for your photography and hobby needs. read more

It is great knowing a local mom-and-pop business is still here and running. I first came to Colonial Photo & Hobby well over a decade ago when my daughter first became interested in photography and I bought her her first decent setup. Since then, I have been in here countless times and have always had nothing but a fantastic experience. Prices are competitive and the service was knowledgeable. I would definitely recommend here. read more

Colonial Photo & Hobby - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Great selection of hobby items. Lots of model and paints. Very helpful staff. They also have a god selection of trains cameras and cameras equipment. read more

I've passed them by countless times. I always wondered how they stay in business. How could a photo and hobby spot be so popular? It's a lot bigger on the inside! They have a huge selection of hobbies to choose from! Besides photography, they have a huge selection for just model trains. They also have board games, toy cars and other collectible hobbies. The staff here were extremely friendly and loved helping us with hobby related questions and a little history of the business. Even if you're not shopping here, it's worth checking out at least once! read more

Colonial Photo & Hobby - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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Service was excellent. They were very interested in helping and made me feel at home. I went for model railroading items and found that they had a very broad selection of items in virtually all scales. It appeared that they were heavily focused on N and Z. They did have a lot of Woodland Scenics items, including items I have not seen in stores before. I would have preferred to see more HO scale items. I would also have appreciated more of the better structure models (e.g., Bar Mills, BEST, Campbell, Fine Scale, FOS, Sheepsccot, SierraWest), Value seemed fair. I bought a couple of items and I think those were fairly priced. I like that it is apparently 3rd generation owned and operated. That is pretty neat, and I certainly want to support them going forward. Unfortunately I don't live particularly close. Their website if pretty meager so I don't see myself ordering that way, but next time I am in Orlando, I'll make a point to stop in. read more

Colonial Photo & Hobby in Orlando is an absolute gem! I recently brought in some very special, historical family photos over 100 years old to have them framed, and William went above and beyond from start to finish. He carefully helped me choose the right custom frames to both protect and showcase the photos, and his guidance really put me at ease with such delicate pieces. William directed me in the right direction with style, sizing, and layout, and you can tell he genuinely cares about the memories behind the images. On top of that, his communication was on point and the turnaround time was incredibly fast he actually had my projects completed earlier than expected. The finished frames look fantastic and truly honor my family's history. Thank you, William, and thank you Colonial Photo & Hobby for treating my memories with such care. Highly recommended! It's priceless in value to get things done right the first time around! I went to the right spot! @travelingfoodguys read more

Colonial Photo & Hobby - Solid Frame Work and Custom Glass Work! - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Orlando, Florida

This place is insanely unique! I really liked my experience here and was very surprised by all of the findings. I thought that I would only find camera and camera related items but they had a wide variety of items. I noticed that had a lot of items related to trains. read more

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I can't recommend this shop enough. Hector and Bill were unbelievably communicative and helpful in printing/framing a gift for me in under 24 hours. I would have been lost without them! read more

I have to give this place five stars because it's just the spot. If you do any photography at all, you know Colonial photo. Where else are you going to go where they're gonna sell you cameras from all the big brands at retail price. Scan, develop and print 35, 120and 110 film. Sell chemicals, photo paper, backdrops, lights, film, sd cards, lenses, rentals literally anything you need photography related in one place. And they have the hobbies and trains part, which I don't dabble much into but maybe you do. Must: Ask for Denver in the cameras department, he is a colonial photo legend * no tap to pay read more

Colonial Photo & Hobby - 35 mm film / Olympus Stylus - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Orlando, Florida

We come here a few times per month to pick up supplies for my homemade rockets and figurines, a wells as model cars and tools for my bf. The service is top notch and the employees are knowledgable without making you feel less than. For the price, you can't visit anywhere better. The first time we visited here, was when my bf and I started dating, so it holds a special place in our hearts. Do we come for nostalgia or the great deals? I'd say its a little of both. I hope they stick around for a long time, especially since I am now building a model boat! LOL read more

Cute shop for those that love trains and photography. My husband is working on trains right now and was able to find pieces for his vintage sets. Staff were welcoming as well. read more

Love this place wish I lived closer I'd be here daily the staff is amazing and the selection is beyond imaginable

Had a great experience coming here for a lens rental and getting some film developed! Processing was super reasonable for colored photos and got them back in like an hour! Also, staff was super helpful and even helped direct traffic and save us a spot in the parking lot Wish we had more of these local shops around!!! read more

This is the #1 place if you're looking for camera gear. I had the pleasure of being attended by Maria. She was friendly , attentive, knowledgeable and kind. This is a one stop shop that offers quality items, a range of options from gear, lens, bodies, memory cards and etc. I'm so excited too upgrade all my gear and expand my photography business; knowingly buying from the right place with valuable items. read more

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I began my film journey here years ago. This is a mom/pop shop that has been on Mills for generations. I own a Canon AE1 and have had it dropped off on multiple occasions for repairs/routine/maintenance. It has never cost me more than a couple dollars for any of it, which has always surprised me. Even battery replacements are super affordable here. Not to mention, I've also had anywhere between 500-1K prints developed for me. Every time handed to me with perfection! The quality is always there, the negatives are always in place, and the price is right. Note* you always have the option to print Matte and/or Glossy and both are incredible. I always have the issue of choosing. Photography has my heart - I have genuinely taken up in interest in film photography as a hobby. I believe what I love most about it here, is that I always learn something new. Whether it's browsing through the aisles, speaking with one of the technicians, or simply asking someone a question...you'll always leave knowing something you didn't before. You'll find that a lot of people who come here are extremely talented and know what they are doing. However, the welcoming energy that this place holds for even those who take up even the slightest interest in photography is what makes Colonial Photo & Hobby a gem! Don't waste your time going anywhere else. read more

Parked in the lot outside the store (which was for multiple stores). Ended up going inside to take a look then left. Older white guy approached us, rudely might I add, and said we weren't able to park there as he couldn't afford to have people look and not purchase anything. We left and moved our cars but that man was rude!! He practically stalked us from the moment we parked, went inside, and left. I would never give them my business. read more

Don't sell these people your equipment. They will try and steal it from you! I got 1000.00 more from KEH camera in Atlanta. The only reason this store exists is that there are no other options within a couple of hundred miles! Sell to KEH and buy from B&H! read more

If your are into photography, model trains and model this is a good hobby store for you. I stopped by colonial photo and hobby looking for a gundam model. They had a good selection of them and reasonable prices too. They offer car models, domestic and foreign .They have military equipment and plane models as well. The offer some rc cars and accessories too mostly Traxxas stuff. The highlights of the store are the photo department and the model train department im not really into either of these but half the store is photo equipment . They have everything photo related from cameras to lights to flashes lenses it's an extensive photo department .The trains make up another quarter of the store. They have a bunch of train stuff different scale train models they have tracks and model trees and figures and anything that you would need for a model train set .There is more things than i would know to mention. Lol ,but if you have never been and looking for a hobby or something to help your hobbies ,they might have it. So i would recommend atleast checking them out. I will be back to get my gundam fix lol. read more

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I split my time between Orlando area and "up north". My wife and I have lived in several cities and it is a treat to have a retail bricks-and-motar store like Colonial Photo in the area. I have been shooting pictures for 50 years and over time the local camera shop has largely gone away, replaced by internet superstores. We used to have a great camera store in our Michigan home town - now out of business. Same for the camera store in the nearby town - gone. Like you, I use the internet stores when I know what I want or when I can't see it locally .. but Colonial Photo takes trade-ins, has a service department, lets you touch the merchandise before buying, actually does photo processing, and has knowledgeable sales people you can talk to. Personally, I will support Colonial Photo - I love having a local camera store. read more

Readily available film processing! Although timelines can be all over the place, overall the service is exactly what any one who shoots film could ever want and need. After a couple years of shopping here, I'm pretty sure they've always had what I needed unless it was something very obscure or niche. From development supplies to film stocks, they've got someone for everyone, and for reasonable prices. The only thing that really lacks sometimes if you're not the kind of person to be in and out is customer service. Some employees are super nice and readily make themselves available to you. But sometimes there are a set of older employees that can be rude or just come off as uninterested. I've had quite a few times where there are at least 4 people on the back counter and they just stare at me and turn away as if they never saw me while they continue to stand there not helping anyone. I have to loudly call for attention and then they all look at each other as if drawing straws. 99% of the time I already know what I want. I'd grab the item myself if it wasn't behind the counter. It isn't OFTEN but when this happens it's very disappointing. read more

Colonial Photo and Hobby a wonderful store. The have a fantastic selection of cameras, lenses, tripods, monopods, etc. the staff is very helpful and if they don't know the answer to a question they find it out for you. The prices are really good too, during presidents week the prices were less than the typical online retailers. They also have a marvelous electric train set up! read more

Colonial Photo & Hobby - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Orlando, Florida

I stopped into Colonial Photo & Hobby on my way through town, as there aren't many photo shops near me in the south Florida and I've been on the hunt for a used film camera to start my newest hobby. So I took a slight detour on my roadtrip and decided to swing into this local gem in the heart of the Mills/Colonial action. Upon walking into this huge and overwhelming hobby store, I walked around orienting myself with their selection and quickly found a very busy camera counter with multiple employees helping multiple customers. While waiting to speak to an employee, I perused the glass display housing used cameras and spotted one I had researched. When it was finally my opportunity to speak with an employee, he was incredibly kind and took the time to explain the basics of the camera to me after telling him I have very limited knowledge about photography. He wasn't condescending at all and answered all my questions. Best part, the camera was cheaper than another shop I'd called AND it included the lens (the other shop was charging about $50 more for just the body). I will happily return to Colonial Photo & Hobby when I'm in Orlando again to develop film, check out new gear, or just to have my questions answered! read more

Colonial Photo & Hobby - Canon AE-1 35mm camera - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Orlando, Florida

My mom has been looking for a zoom lens for her camera, so we consulted our trusty Yelp app and ended up at Colonial Photo & Hobby. This quaint store is located near the intersection of Mills Drive and Colonial Drive/State Road 50 in downtown Orlando. It's bigger on the inside than it appears to be outside and I felt nostalgic peering over the camera counter and seeing stacks of Kodak film and watching an employee develop film on-site. The store is divided in half - with cameras and camera to the left (when you walk into the store) and train hobby collectibles and trinkets on the right. I explored each aisle as I waited for my mom to come to the conclusion that this store is pretty over priced (we found the same camera lens that she was looking at in the store for hundreds of dollars less online). It made me smile when I got to the "train section" and saw three generations (a grandfather, son and grandson) deciding which trains to add to their growing collection. The grandfather was explaining to his grandson the difference between the two trains that he was holding in his hands. So, while we left the store empty-handed, we enjoyed the nostalgia, people-watching and browsing. read more

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My favorite lens decided not to work, I didn't have time to have it repaired because I have a wedding tomorrow. I am so thankful to find that Colonial Photo & Hobby had it in stock! Mike was extremely kind and helpful! Thank you! read more

This shop has never been open the other times I've been to Orlando so I wasn't really sure what hobbies they included until now. They have photography related, trains, Gundams, board games, and other models. My husband builds Gundams and they have a wide variety to look through! read more

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I recently purchased a Godox Light case. I used it one time the wheel was bent, poorly made. It was falling apart after one use flying to New York and back. In less than one week of the purchase, I called Colonial to return it. They told me I had to send it to Godox to have them repair it. The case just is not durable the reason you shop local is to support local but if they can't even be fair with their local Orlando customers, I live in Orlando, I shop in Orlando. Sad I guess that's why people shop on Amazon or BH because when we purchase with our hard earned money, a poorly made product, we can return it easily. I have purchased numerous items including Sony cameras from Colonial Photo And Hobby and a huge supporter of theirs, but never again... read more

Colonial Photo & Hobby - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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Bill is a fantastic framer! He's very creative and knows what is best for my artwork. I use him for ALL my framing projects.

Great photo lab. The paper they use for the color prints is very professional. Prices are very low too. I've use other online printing sties but they are the best I've found. (Retired commercial photographer) read more

Great customer service ! All the employees are knowledgeable in their products ! I would recommend them if you are shopping for new equipment read more

Great jem for your scale modeling needs. Pints, kits, and tools a plenty. If they don't have it, they typically can order it for you. Great selection of Gundam and Sci Fi kits. Also many model railroad and massive photo items and printing! read more

Honestly not sure how I somehow missed this store being an Orlando photo/videographer the past 3 years. I came in simply looking for a camera charger but ended up feeling like a kid in a toy store when I realized just how much stuff they have in-store. A man named Pat helped me find what I needed but also proceeded to have a great conversation about photography and life in the business. I can tell the staff here is VERY knowledgeable about their products (unlike big stores i.e. Best Buy) and are passionate about what they're selling. Highly recommend whether you're a gear enthusiast or just a starting Photographer. Definitely coming back. read more

Colonial Photo & Hobby - Absolutely love the selection of accessories here! - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Orlando, Florida

This is one of my favorite stores in Orlando. I get all of my photography equipment here. They literally cannot be beat on price. very knowledgeable staff. I've been shopping here for 26 years. Very good service. Jeff B. read more

To keep it short, it's the worst place to develop film. Quality sucks and their customer service is terrible. I found a spot in Tampa to develop film where I can mail it in or drive to and trust me when I say it's so worth the drive to Tampa rather than ever coming back to this place. I called the other film place nearby (10-15 mins away) and they were also rude and slow, Orlando is really bad with film developing. Got quoted a month due time to get my roll developed back. Crazy slow. When I asked how much it would be to get prints they said I pay when I pick up. I asked ok but how much will that be. She said "we don't know cause sometimes not all the pictures come out". Why would I leave it here if you won't be able to develop my roll correctly? read more

Great selection of camera gear & etc --ask about trade in but expected more than offered --had 2 full frame Nikon cameras & had 6 lens from telephoto to wide angle--2 prime lens --wanted to get a new mirror less Z8 but they were way to off --they want everything I had plus they wanted me to pay extra $1500 more for just the body --I kept everything and got a few items to added to my mix to my camera bag --great sales people that know what they have behind the counter read more

Truly atrocious customer service. they lost an ENTIRE roll of my film and handed me someone else's roll when i came to pick mine up. confronted them in person on multiple occasions and they genuinely had no idea what to tell me except that they would "look for it" and then didn't. blew off their own mistake completely and started attempting to convince me that maybe i had the right roll when i obviously didn't. i have no idea who these people are on the film i got back. they were incredibly rude and aloof to both myself and my mother, an employee named Mike specifically. extremely unhelpful, and i'm honestly shocked that a film store is literally allowed to just LOOSE film and get away with blaming the customer?! disgusting. I still have no idea where my film is and i'm coming to terms with the fact that I never will. No one in this store takes accountability for their mistakes. Such a shame that customers have to bear the consequences of their mismanagement. I highly recommend literally any other camera service in the area. Anything except for this place. read more

I bought my first camera from Colonial Photo & Hobby a few years ago (Canon 80D). The gentleman who helped my brother and I was very friendly and informative. My brother traded in his former camera, which you can do there, and we received store credit which we used towards the new camera. They have a great variety of cameras, lens, and photography equipment in general. The staff is very friendly and when I returned there lat week to find out the difference between the Canon G7X Mark ii and Mark iii they were thrilled to tell me the differences and show me the Mark iii. I also was able to get some help with lighting for my videos and different backdrops. I always refer friends here when they have any camera needs! read more

Colonial Photo & Hobby - Front entrance, street view - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Orlando, Florida

It was my first time having film developed as a newbie in film photography and everyone here made me feel so welcomed and comfortable. They were even asking me about my camera and how I can work it more and even the type of different films. Their prices are also pretty cheap compared to other photo stores I saw and they dont make you pay extra for the negatives. This is definitely going to be my go-to store for film read more

Came in at 4 pm the night before a wedding needing a print resized for a memory photo. Ray I believe was his name made it happen under the time crunch and it was perfect! He was wonderful! Thanks again! read more

Came here to have some film developed. First of all, the staff was incredibly rude and gave off a "I'm too good to be talking to you" vibe. A few weeks later, I was in the area so I stopped in to see if my film was ready ONE day before my allotted pickup date. The girl behind the counter refused to even check on the status of my order. Secondly, when I got my film back, the development quality was extremely poor. Will not be back. read more

absolutely fire store, spoke to mike, real great man. super sweet and you can tell he loves what he does, great energy and cant beat the price:3 also the film selection is pretty stacked! will be returning for sureeee read more