Overall, I've had a positive experience with their Burke (VA) store. True, District Camera is a bit pricier than other stores but their service and their recommendations have always been excellent. Some of the comments I've read here complain that Amazon or other online prices are much lower in price, but then again those are not brick-and-mortar (physical store locations) and as such they have much lower costs. Also and unlike District Camera, many online stores use a drop shipping company to fulfill a sale, so they're not keeping an on-site inventory and therefore their overhead expenses are minute. Others are not "Authorized Dealers" of the equipment manufacturers and as such they source and obtain their products outside the U.S. for much less and offer them at a discount so they're cheaper, but the tradeoff is that the warranties for those items are not honored in the the USA read more

I wanted to return a used grip 2 weeks after the purchase, they told me that (1) there will be a 15% restocking fee (2) I can only return it to the Burke store and not their other locations. Seriously, in the age of amazon ... restocking fee ? never going back... adorama/B&H all the way. read more

Love it Love it, small but they always seem to have what I need. Staff are friendly and helpful to the point you don't seemed rushed but a priority which is good especially when you are spending money. The staff are awesomely knowledgeable and gave me great tips as amateur was great information. If you are amateur or professional you will not be disappointed at all. Worth the stop and the hassle of parking... read more

District Camera and Imaging - Awesomely great - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I went to this store to develop 2 rolls of film. Now I have been getting film developed for over 6 years now and there were a few things I noticed about the store that was very different than any other place I have gotten film developed. Firstly, you pay for your prints when you drop off your film. Why am I paying for something that I haven't even received yet? They also acted like it was outlandish when I asked for 5x7 prints. I've always gotten 5x7 prints so I know that this is not an uncommon request. Also when I dropped off my film no one told me that it is extra for a CD. I picked up my prints and to my surprise there was no CD. This place charges $10 per roll for a CD or to email you the photos. So to develop 2 rolls of film and get 4x6 prints and them emailed, it ran me about $60. read more

We simply went in for Australian passport photos (which have very specific detailed requirements) but they were professional, competent, and friendly. They knew exactly what to do and handled it efficiently. If you are a real photographer, this place looks like a serious establishment for camera equipment. read more

At the very outset I have to admit this is one of the very few reviews I have written in my lifetime. In this particular case, however, I had to submit an opinion due to the exceptionally pleasant and efficient overall experience with both Embassy Camera in D.C. and their Burke, VA location, called Photo Craft. I have traveled extensively and I have dealt with many merchants of all walks of life. Seldom have I encountered such willingness to skillfully assist the customer like I have at Embassy Camera. I pay attention to detail and upon the few visits to Embassy Camera I have witnessed their calm, respectful, knowledgeable, and comforting approach toward their customers. Moreover, they do know what they are doing photography-like. In a nutshell, everyone is somehow on a budget and if I have to spend a hard-earned dollar, I would rather do it at Embassy Camera for all so many reasons, but mainly because they know how to do business - openly, resourcefully, efficiently, and with utmost respect for the customer's money! In my case, there is always hesitation and insecurity when I am about to spend a lot of money on a hobby. At Embassy Camera, however, you will not be rushed or looked down at just because you value your cash and you are not ready to jump and close the deal just yet. In my opinion this is something every customer should learn to appreciate. Doing business is a two-way street after all. Running a small business is tough. The fact that such a small business at such perfect location still exists speaks for itself. It sure is not easy competing with chain and online retail behemoths. Great job, Embassy Camera & Photo Craft! Peter K. read more

I came in here a few months ago and everyone was nice except for one staff. I believe he was the manager. I was there to buy a camera and lens. I'm getting new into the photographry world since I'm already a videographer. So I was looking for a camera that's aimed for more towards photography. I asked the manager a few in depth questions about the camera and started being rude after my fourth question saying I should have just done an online research. Seriously disrespectful, I feel bad for the other workers that have to work with this low life to be coming rude when asked questions he didn't know how to answer. read more

Wow! Amazing service. Went in confused about what lens to purchase and walked out informed and ready to take some great shots. Ivan and the whole crew are top notch!! read more

They did an awful job. They had me take the photo 3 times due to 'lighting' issues. By the end of it, they didn't even show me the photos they were going to print out. Didn't turn out great. Definitely not going back here. read more

This place is absolutely amazing!! They have a great selection of new and used cameras and lens. The staff is extremely helpful and knowledgeable about the equipment. My sale person Shyd was professional and help me pick out a great camera. He also walked me through how to used the camera and the best setting for what I was shooting. Shyd was a big help. I will definitely return for my next camera and/or lens need. read more

I no longer trust them with my film. After loosing one of my negatives. They were not able to put my film on a flash drive after multiple attempts. This is rather disappointing as a customer, that I cannot expect all what I get back from the person in charge of the film Lab. read more

I believe I accidentally reviewed this store and not the Burke store. The DC and Arlington locations are night and day compared to the Burke location. Super nice welcoming staff that have actually been helpful in dealing with Burke. I would give this a 5 start rating if it wasn't for that one location. read more

Purchase a *brand new* Sigma lens and found a Canon hood inside. The original Sigma hood is gone. Nothing impressive, Wait for 10--15 minutes for picking up an ordered lens. I have to spend extra money on buying a hood. read more

District Camera and Imaging - The Canon hood for a new Sigma lens. - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I went here to have three photos enlarged and printed, and Larry did a great job. Excellent service at reasonable prices.

I brought two rolls of film and a disposable camera in to develop. $60 total for a digital copy and prints. When I came back, only the disposable camera images were in the bag. I went back and asked why. They showed me the film canisters - the perforations were ripped. The manager accused me of not knowing how to use my camera, and kindly explained "You need to rewind the film at the end." I think I learned this at some point getting my BFA in Photography. Silly me. When I argued that the camera had not done this in the past, he refused to believe me. The whole interaction was extremely rude. They are quick to escalate and argue the moment you question them. I asked for a refund for the $40 development that never happened. After fighting a "free coupon for another development" deal, he claims he gave me one*, but my bank account doesn't agree. *UPDATE 06/06/17 - Refund did go through. Post has been updated to two stars. Not great customer service, but not crooks. read more

I went in District Camera and Imaging and spoke to Syde regarding ND filters. Unfamiliar with the product, I asked Syde plenty of questions. He sold the product very well and I purchased the lens filter for $127 dollars. Within a hour of leaving the store, I check the price of the item online and it's 60-70 dollars lower than what I paid at District Camera and Imaging. I then call the establishment to confirm they accept returns. The long haired Asian man answers my call, tells me they accept no returns on lense filters. This was contrary to what is listed on the website. On the walk back to get reimbursed for an item for which i received no receipt, I felt taken advantage of and disrespected as a beginner in the art. Once arriving at the moderately crowded store, I turn to the only available employee, the man who answered my call, for assistance seeking reimbursement. In the most demeaning way, he points to Syde, who was busy with a customer, in an attempt to shoo me away from him. Like many other reviewers of this establishment, I was faced with hostility when returning the product. This can likely be attributed to the schiesty return policy. In my experiences in the store, beginners and those with smaller budgets are treated differently than their counterparts. read more

Much better passport photos than the standard copy shop provides. They use a real camera with a high quality lens and lighting. Also, knowledgeable and helpful staff. Definitely not cheap - 2 photos for $15, 4 for $19, 6 for $22, and so on - but worth the trip. Would give them five stars except the price is a little high. read more

Upside: Convenient location. Downside: EVERYTHING else. 1) Pricing is exorbitant, both for new and used gear 2) Film selection is limited and overpriced, as appears to be the case for other gear. 3) Staff are marginally helpful, if condescending in their attempts to make the case for wasting your money there vs. buying from B+H or Adorama. If they're your only option, Embassy will suffice. But you're going to pay through the nose for the convenience, and don't be surprised if the transaction leaves you inspired to avoid doing business there again. Such was my experience, because of which I'm now a loyal BH customer. read more

Okay, so I've seen a few 'THE SALES PERSON DIDN'T HOLD MY HAND AND WIPE MY BUTT SO I'M MISERABLE AND THEY'RE A BAD BUSINESS'. First thing every person should already know about buying things that are super expensive and from a place that has a 'no returns/exchanges/refunds' policy --- DO. YOUR. RESEARCH. It's literally all of your fault if you got the wrong product, you weren't forced to to take out that cash. So seriously, calm down and blame yourself. On to the review --- I've always been happy, with pricing and service and the nice walk from my Shaw house to this place. And hey, I guess part of that is the fact that I DO MY RESEARCH BEFORE A MAJOR PURCHASE. Bladow. read more

Overpriced. Paid to get a passport photo done here. They take the photo on a digital camera so I asked if they could also email a copy but they refused unless I paid an additional $23.58. Literally just to email me the same photo that I had already paid for. Very disappointing. read more

This review is about film processing and photo printing. I brought in 3 rolls and was charged $45, which already shocked me. The photo printing job was one of the worst I've ever seen. It appears that they use a digital negative scanner at low resolution, and then make a low-resolution digital print. No matter how clear your film photo is, they scan/ print it digitally at low resolution. Some of the photos are warped and stretched beyond what the negative image portrays. It looks like they used a cheap home digital printer, the dark areas of my prints have multi-color pixelated blotches, and you can see printing lines across a couple images. Overpriced and poor quality. I'll go to Rite Aid next time. read more

Like an idiot, I left my DSLR battery in the charger at home during a visit to D.C. Embassy Camera had what I needed in stock (non-Canon branded, therefore slightly cheaper) and the battery had a pretty solid charge--it lasted three days of shooting and then some. I was in, out, and powered in less than five minutes thanks to the helpful staff. Thanks for saving my trip, Embassy Camera! read more

I was looking to buy an SLR, but didn't know where to start. I brought a friend that was knowledgeable to get me started. Saed was patient as we looked at each different lens and camera combination, asking a ton of questions. When I finally decided what I wanted, I found them to be very competitively priced. Amazon could only do about $35 cheaper. And for that much, I'd much rather give my business to local stores. read more

After calling and setting up an appointment, two of my colleagues and I went in to District Camera and Imaging for an hour-long informational session to learn about how to best use our office cameras (purchased by a former employee who was a camera pro). Our experience was all positive - the staff was helpful and clearly had a thorough knowledge of photography and photo equipment. Bob sat with us and went through the basics at a digestible pace, happy to answer all of our questions; even with differing levels of photography experience, we all learned a lot during the hour. At the beginning of the session, Bob also told us he would go through our camera settings with us to make sure everything was set up for our needs. We hadn't gotten to that step when the hour ended, but Bob kept his word and got everything set up, not charging us for the extra time. We will definitely be returning to District Camera for any future photography needs. Thanks Bob and the rest of the District Camera team! read more

I went to Embassy Camera few weeks ago to get a price for my used gear, with the idea to cash it in and get something new. Overall the personnel was kind and qualified. However, I have been asked my SD card to count the number of shoots on my camera. I forgot the card there in the shop (8gb, value $10-20). I could come back a week later only. I kindly asked if I could get my card back, since they forgot to give it to me. The owner laughed at me asking if I was really hoping to come in the shop and get a card for free like that. He even said to me "even if the card is yours, you know, it's only 10 bucks, so why bothering?". Maybe because I go around with very casual clothes, maybe because my camera was a cheap DX from Nikon or maybe because I was probably not a customer promising a lot of cash to them... whatever the reason is I found these answers very inappropriate and also a sign of really bad care for the customers. In the end... I reply here to you, Mr. Embassy Camera: what is more worthy for you? a 10$ SD card, or a bad comment from a customer. Good luck with the next businness. I definitely won't go back to your store. read more

We stopped by here for passport photos a couple weeks ago. The photos were quick, easy and a good price. While waiting for the photos to be printed, I watched the staff help a couple other customers with more serious camera needs. I was surprised how young most of the staff was, but they were all incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and polite. Would definitely go back. read more

Embassy Camera is on the last places in DC serious and professional photographers can get way they need. The shop is small and the inventory limited, but the prime essentials are there. Penn camera has closed down (because Camulet took it over and ran it to the ground) and Dodge Chrome (great as they are) too far for me. Embassy camera is close, convenient and I will keep coming back. read more

Best customer service in town!!! These guys know there cameras. I would drive 30 miles to visit this store if I needed advice on a purchase.

NOT KNOWLEDGEABLE. 6:20PM, 11/29/12, called to check stock and specified 8X10, glossy inkjet photo paper. Told yes, we have, 25 ct, $12.95. Sent a friend in today, they "looked at me like I was an idiot" (happened to be a petite female) and handed her 8.5X11. Told her that 8X10 does not exist. Industry standard for publicity (headshot) photos is 8X10. Owner insisted that it was not, that inkjet photo standard is 8.5X11 and that 8X10 does not exist. Then I was told that selling such papers was a sideline for them. So, incorrect info, not even aware of the existence of certain papers or industry standards, rude, elitist, condescending and misogynist as well as attempting to marginalize customer base to cover their inadequacies. Yeah, that about covers it. Shop online or go to Penn Camera. ~ jb ~ read more

This is the best camera and film shop in the District, in my experience. The guys who work here are very knowledgeable and expert about all of the cameras and film development. They are very patient in explaining different camera aspects to new purchasers. They also take a lot of care in preparing your passport photos. read more

I dropped my camera at a shoot and damaged my go-to and best lens. (The UV filter threads were jammed into the actual lens' threads making it almost impossible to get the filter off and assess the lens itself.) I had a wedding coming up that weekend and another the following week. Needless to say, I was panicked and desperate. Fortunately, Embassy Camera came to the rescue. Anthony, salesperson extraordinaire, actually remembered me from my first visit to the store over a year ago and quickly removed the filter and assessed the relatively minor lens damage. In 20 minutes and for under $90, I was back up and running with a new UV filter; a functional lens; and a new-to-me, used eTTL cord. Not only did Embassy Camera and Anthony save the day, they enabled me to take some of the best pictures of my career at the wedding that weekend. I am eternally grateful, and Embassy has earned a customer for life. Thanks, everyone! read more

This place is trash. I don't ever write yelp reviews but this particular place made me come out of comfort zone. I feel the world needs to know how bad and disappointing this store is. Let's go down the rabbit hole of misadventures District Camera and I have had in the past. So, a few months back I dropped off a few rolls of film to get developed and first off let me say that they are EXTREMELY overpriced for a mediocre dev job and once I was coming to retrieve the film that I paid so much money to get developed, the employees ended up giving me the wrong photos! They gave me a bunch of photos of white people at a bar having a good time in New York somewhere. I have NEVER seen these people before in my life (or even been to New York) so naturally I was upset that they messed up my order. After months of careful consideration, I decided to give the store another chance so, I come back almost 2 months later (remember it's 11:00am in when I get there) and boom something else pops up. Once again I was charged a crazy amount of money for a normal dev job of 2 rolls and specially requested that it would be done ASAP. They still tell me "They should be done by 5 o'clock at the latest tomorrow". Mind you, I specially requested that the film be processed a little sooner and I feel that it reasonable for paying almost $40.00 for 2 rolls to get developed onto a flash drive, not even prints or anything, just the negatives and the flash drive. So they then tell me "call back in the morning". The next day comes and I call the store at around 10:30am and I was told that my film now won't be done until 12 in the afternoon. I was outraged because color film developing does not take that long and I should know, I've practiced the skill myself. So once I hang up, I call the store back immediately after requesting that it can be done sooner, and what was said me ensured that they will no longer get my business. "Oh it should be done by 3:00 now" said with no remorse from the manager. I was extremely upset but kept myself and let them know that I asked for the film to be done WAY sooner. They didn't care. So now I have to wait an extremely unrealistic amount of time just to get 2 rolls developed and put onto a flash drive. All in all, DO NOT GO TO "DICKHEAD CAMERA", THEY ARE THE WORST FILM PROCESSING PLACE IN DC AND YOU'RE HONESTLY BETTER OFF GOING TO CVS OR RITE AID. THE EMPLOYEES ARE ALL WEIRDO'S AND DON'T GIVE 2 SHITS ABOUT THE CUSTOMERS AND THE LOCALS. THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS, THEY CLEARLY JUST WANT THE MONEY. THEY WILL NOT BE GETTING MY BUSINESS AND I HOPE THIS REVIEW HELPS CHANGE YOUR MIND. FUCK DISTRICT CAMERA & IMAGING. read more

I've found the people in Embassy Camera to be really helpful. I don't know much about photography or cameras and I'm starting to love taking pictures, so I ask a lot of questions when I go in to have them developed, and they know a lot about cameras and don't mind answering my questions. read more

I took my Canadian visa photo here. They were helpful and did the work very fast!

If you want a digital photo file, suggest avoiding this place. When they took photo of you, they used extremely strong light onto your face. So the result is that on the digital photo your eyes look like two hollow spots. It looks unreal. And won't pass any serious scrutiny for passport. If you only want a hardcopy, then maybe it's fine. Their service is nice, anyway. read more

Great Service! I came in to purchase a camera cord to be able to download my photos from my camera. The shop assistant advised me to get an adaptor for the SD cards and all other types of cards that is easier to handle and same price. I was very happy with the advice and service. read more

I was referred to District Camera to reproduce an old black and white photo in revised format. After striking out a few places and finding the cost prohibitive at a few more (I didn't want to spend over $100 to have a custom frame made), I was incredibly happy to find this place. The staff seem to know just about everything related to photography, reproduction and other forms of imaging. And they also seem to know several of the customers personally from the repeat business they do. Although my project was very small, Paul took an immediate interest in the solving of my problem without spending a lot of money. The final product was exactly what I wanted, and for the cost of $26! Everyone in the shop seemed both competent and courteous. I recommend District Camera highly for any imaging work. I plan to be back with whatever project I have next! read more

The staff here has always been totally patient, helpful, and informative. I love having a local store to try lenses on my existing camera body and get solid, practical advice on other eqipment. Photography can be a very pricey hobby. Still, their prices are competitive with outfits like B&H or Adorama, but THEY ARE HERE IN DC. So I would rather shop here whenever I can. read more

No customer service (Binoculars) I was sold a very expensive pair binoculars to use for field work abroad. The pair proved defective and were terrible. The binoculars proved worthless. Embassy Camera did not take responsibility for selling a malfunctioning product. I was told in the store to send the pair of binoculars to the Bushnell company and that the store could do nothing else. Embassy Camera offered to send the binoculars for me (but I do not live in DC anymore so this would have been pointless) but they offered no compensation and took no responsibility for selling me such a terrible product. Emb. Cam. gained almost 400 dollars from my business with them and now I am left with all the problems and a worthless product. read more

Embassy has done a good deal of work for me over the past number of years - it's my "friendly neighborhood photo shop" as it were, but all of the work they've done for me in that period is excellent - and for a good friend who I recommended 'em to they've done some challenging restoration and preservation work there and what they did is very first-rate - at least to my needs, and some of my work has been commercial and needed to be to that quality without question, so it's certainly up to the high level I expected and needed. read more