Came in to purchase binoculars for my husband for Father's Day. Had to ask the man sitting at a back computer for help. He was busy ignoring another customer in there too. Seriously could not have been more disinterested in selling us something. I'm talking about a $200 pair of binoculars here, not a stick of gum. I asked a couple of questions and he could barely answer me. Must be awful to be such a miserable store owner. I went and purchased the binoculars on Amazon as there wasn't a chance I was giving this rude, disinterested, completely unhelpful man my hard earned $$$$. read more

What is the point of supporting a local business when their customer service is worse than a big corporation? I had been there several times giving them the opportunity to show me why they deserve my business. I'm not returning again. Not only are they way more expensive than any other place, but their customer service is very poor. They don't care to answer any technical question you may have; instead they push you to either buy something immediately or leave the shop and stop wasting their time. The phrase "penny wise, pound foolish" applies perfect to them since they rather make one pushy sale, than building a strong relationship with the customer for continuous future sales. I was very disappointed, but I learned my lesson. I'm never going back there again. Fortunately there are MANY other options. read more

The thing that sucks is that I want to like this place and support it, but I have to agree with the theme going on here that the service is lackluster. I wouldn't say they are downright RUDE, but they're definitely not warm and fuzzy. I went here out of convenience and lack of places that process 120 film, but then I found out about North County Photographic in Carlsbad right around the time EPC tacked another dollar onto their processing price. Again. I think this is a good place to go when you're in a bind, but the people up at North County are much more worthy of your business, both in their service and quality of work. EPC does have good prices on scans. read more

I felt I had to write a review after reading all of the bad ones. I took my Canon T3i in for a sensor cleaning, and the owner was nothing but courteous and professional. Not only did he have my camera ready in about an hour, it only cost me $29 (which is the cheapest I've heard of). I was very pleased with the customer service and would absolutely recommend this place! read more

It was tough to get a feel for the Encinitas Photo center based on the reviews, so I decided to give it a go. In brief, my experience was very positive. Having said that, my project/need was unique... So you have to judge for yourself. More specifically, I had about 300-400 photos that needed to be scanned for archival and a digital photobook. I brought the photos in on a Monday and had the disk in hand by Wednesday. They retouched and removed red-eye from a large number of the images. I also had a number of large format and unusual shaped items (think newspaper articles and magazine spreads). The quality and speed were great! It's hard to know how the price would compare, and it's wasn't "cheap".... but given the service and quickness - I felt it was a good value. I also brought in about 8 old VHS cassettes to have the content digitized/archived. The Enci Photo Center similarly did a solid job. Since I wasn't in a hurry, they had more flexibility, but still did this project in a reasonable time and with good value. Would recommend Enci Photo Center for similar needs! read more

I went in here with a busted lens on my digital Nikon SLR, woman at the counter was very friendly and helpful, and the guy in the back worked on it for less than 5 min and got it popped back into place. Cost me $19 instead of $200 for a new lens. Happy customer. read more

Had a great experience here. I thought my digital camera was broken since the inside connection where you would plug in the charger somehow became "pushed inside" the camera itself and the charger no longer worked. I was pressed for time and about to head to Peru the next day when I stopped into Encinitas Photo Center. Gary, the owner, was very helpful in pointing out that there were other ways to charge the camera battery. He hooked me up with a universal charger, showed me how to use it and I was set! I even left a few rolls of film with him that I picked up after my trip. Great quality and he even checked out some of the pictures with me. I would highly recommend coming to Gary with all of your camera needs. read more

The lady who was working was so nice and helpful! I couldn't fix the autofocus on my lens for two days and I tried every single hack I could find on the internet and nothing was working. I show up and she fixed it for me in two minutes. Come here! read more

These guys know what they're talking about. I've been coming to them for years with my on and off interests (be it film or digital or what have you). The thing you have to realize when you're coming in to this store is that they aren't just telling you what you want to hear to sell you something - they're telling it to you because that is the case of the matter. Reading some other reviews of the customer service and having witnessed countless transactions other than my own my response leans toward the fact that some of the individuals coming here aren't expecting a certain level of expertise. Expertise and care warrant paying a bit more. Gary is by no means rude but he is definitely a busy guy running a store which there are few of around. Over the past seven years I've brought in broken holgas, random films, old lenses, nice lenses, nice film cameras, etc. and over time have really come to appreciate all the help they have given me. They never judge the super amateur things I brought in or the off the wall questions I had from reading something about a manual from 1980 being incorrect. They have batteries I can't even find on amazon. They develop film no-one else will. Come on now! If you want it done right, go to these guys. If you want to create a dark room in your basement so you can just do it yourself, still go to these guys to set said room up properly. I'll be supporting them as long as they're here. read more

Here's the thing: The owner isn't the most charming guy on the planet. The woman who works here is super friendly and knowledgeable. They have a great selection of new and used camera gear and accessories (and will sell things for you on consignment). They offer 1-1 instruction for you to use your camera - this is HIGHLY recommended. The woman who teaches it is just so knowledgeable and helpful, and the series of classes (I think 3) are super affordable. So if you got a camera for a gift, or are giving one for a gift, buy a gift certificate for those classes. The new camera owner will be glad you were so thoughtful. (I was!). read more

Gary is an outright asshole, something he may actually enjoy. He was very rude to me on the phone after mishandling and incorrectly doing some scans of old pictures after I explicitly and specifically told him exactly what I wanted in terms of the quality level (I am a photographer). He under-scanned them (not enough detail) but would not admit it. When he said he would re-do them *even though he had done nothing wrong* (my how generous he is!!) and I corrected him on this so as to keep the facts straight going forth, he exploded and said he would not re-do them but would reimburse me. So I had to come by and get the pics and do it all over again elsewhere at great inconvenience and irritation to me from having to deal with this jerk. All with incredible attitude dripping with superiority and expecting immense deference to him, the King - even though he screwed up a simple scan order but couldn't admit it. This guy is absolutely unreliable and I would highly recommend that everyone do themselves a favor and go elsewhere. It's not like he offers a great product so his bullying behavior is worth it - it's not. I would give him minus-5 stars if I could. read more

I have gone to Encinitas photo Center to get a poster printed. I was greeted by a friendly woman who took in my order. They were very fast in printing out my design on the glossy photo paper. It turned out great and the quality of the print looked so good. Thanks, Encinitas Photo Center for the fast service! read more

I've been going to this shop for 10+ years. When I was younger I used to go multiple times a week with my camera just to try on lenses. The owner has always been cool to me, I've never had a negative interaction with him. The same goes for the woman that works there as well. I can't speak for others experiences but mine have always been pleasant. I still go there to get my film. read more

I forgot my light stands when I came to Carlsbad for portraits. I was recommended to head over to this camera shop. Low and behold, they had to light stands that I purchased. Saved me from embarrassment. The guy there was very cordial and nice. read more

I get my 35mm film developed here all the time. this place is amazing. i also bought a new film camera here and it works perfectly!! i needed some help with it and the owner helped right away when i came in. i really think the owner is a nice guy once you actually have a conversation with him! some people are really nice, but don't give off that vibe at first, and i think so many people are just assuming he's the worst when he is not at all folks!! You can't deny the prices either!! Some of the cheapest development and cameras around our area hands down. I'm telling you guys both of them are really sweet, and the shop is amazing !! Hope it stays open :)) read more

If I could give this establishment negative stars I would! Don't understand how a business can treat customers so poorly. Do NOT shop here. There are plenty of other photo shops that will give you better service. I wish we would have never had our film developed there! read more

The owner Gary is the rudest person I have ever seen. I was there to develop a ton of film and his rudeness was such a turnoff I came in and left within 5 minutes. I've heard from my neighbors how bad he is, we're trying to start a petition to force him out of Encinitas. Gives our great little town such a bad name. What a loser! read more

Wow... just stopped in because I had a simple question about my new D750 and the guy couldn't have been more bothered by it. I never leave bad reviews, but since he couldn't make an effort to help me, I'll hopefully help others decide on other options read more

I went in to get my Canon 70 D checked out to see if I need my sensor cleaned. I didn't get the guy's name but he was really helpful. He told me everything looked ok. He went as far as blowing out any dust. Great customer service. I'll be a return customer soon. read more

I needed to get a passport photo today, so I called Encintas Photo Center at 10AM and asked if I needed an appointment. The woman said no, but I would need to come in at 12:30, when the person that does the photos would be in. I arrived at 12:30 as instructed, and was told by a rude older man that he was too busy and I should come back in a half an hour. I told him that I couldn't return but didn't get a response from him. No worries, will never darken their doorstep again as a customer. read more

I came here to get a quick consultation on a camera that my friend had given me. She was cleaning out a lot of her DSLR cameras and knew I was an avid photographer so she gave me a camera, lens, and another DSLR Body. One of the bodies she gave me had a small issue with a knob on the top and I couldn't figure out what was wrong with it. I did a search on Yelp, and this was the closest camera shop to me. I brought my camera in one day to see if they knew and could lead me in the right direction to give me a quote on how much it would be to fix. In the end, they gave me some information but it wasn't much help because they told me that I should super glue down my piece to hold it in place and see if it worked... THEN if nothing worked, then they would help me. Also when they were looking at my camera, they asked if it worked and what condition it was in. They asked if there was a battery and I said no... That's when they gave me the super glue answer because they couldn't really play around with my camera to see what was wrong. EXCUSE ME... YOU ARE A CAMERA SHOP!!! YOU DON'T HAVE ANY EXTRA BATTERIES AROUND?!!??? Unfortunately, this is the only camera shop in the North County area, so I will see if I will bring my camera back and then I will update my review. read more

Horrible customer service. Came in to inquire about leather cases and was told that most stores wouldn't carry them because they aren't PC. Whoa, holy judgemental batman! I could have done with a simple, "We prefer to provide vegan accessories." I am not local so they didn't lose a regular customer, but they probably could have convinced me to buy a neoprene case instead. read more

When I bought a new camera to replace my broken one the man was basically cordial. But when I brought the broken camera back for repairs, the guy was a jerk. He was completely non helpful and apparently his service stops immediately if he is not making a big profit. That is not where I will spend my money. I will never purchase there again! read more

I have never been treated so rudely in my life. I felt physically threatened. The owner's parting shot to me was "Never come back!" I can assure him (and anyone else) I never will and encourage the same from anyone looking for professional service. Take your business elsewhere. I will let the text of my email to Canon Tech Support tell the story: This is to post a formal complaint against one of your dealers, Encinitas Photo Center. As I related to your technical support representative when I inquired into how to best ensure my camera would survive an immersion in fresh water, I took my camera into Encinitas Photo Center and the woman behind the counter, without asking me anything about when the camera had been submerged or for my permission, inserted a battery and powered on the camera. I was horrified and said so to the woman. She said that it's no problem whatsoever. I went outside and called Canon Tech Support. The call was concluded at the time indicated on your email to me. Your tech support person confirmed that powering on the wet camera was not what should be done. I went back into the store at that time and informed the owner that what I heard from you (tech support) was counter to what they had said and asked for his card. He became verbally abusive and loudly said he wasn't going to pay for a repair and accused me of threatening him. I told him that my intent was to find out if the electronics were damaged by being powered on wet and, if that's the case, I would want to talk to him again. At that point, he told me to get the #$@# out of his store or he would throw me out. He said he was going to call the police and I said he should do that. He stepped close to me in a threatening manner and I stood my ground. If he would have touched me, I can assure you I would take every legal recourse available. I am appalled at such a violent response to a simple request to review the situation if it turns out that his store did additional and irreparable damage to my camera. The owner would not give me his card, instead again raising his voice and telling me to get the "&*^ out of his store and never come back. To be clear, I do not hold him or anyone else responsible for what I've done. I do, however, hold Encinitas Photo Center responsible for what they have done if it caused a fatal short to my camera's electronics. If you have standards for your dealers, I would strongly recommend reviewing your relationship with Encinitas Photo Center. For my part, I look forward to your response. read more

It's a Photo center that can't answer any technical questions about film developing. I understand they send out all of the film they receive to actually get developed but to not know what kind of chemicals they use, what types of machines and processes the lab uses they send the film out to is quite unacceptable. And to act arrogant when a customer asks these questions like it doesn't truly matter is senseless and rude. Every film processor and film scanner outputs different colors, color corrections and a different "look". When I got laughed at for asking these questions like it didn't matter, I told myself I'd never come back and actually decided to write a review. In the end I will always choose to develop my own film (color and b+w) and not waste my time dealing with clueless people about how they process another persons pictures and art. Especially when you only have one shot at getting the results you want with film. I would recommend The Darkroom Lab in San Clemente to process your film. They are better priced and actually listen to your requests and are transparent about the processes and machines they use. The process and quality matters! Makes me kind of sad to see the local photo shop losing its customer service but you have to go where the quality is. read more

We went to Encinitas Photo Center looking for some help with a school project. When the outcome wasn't what we wanted there was no sympathy or willingness to work with us on the price. When asked if we could redo the project for little or no charge there was no willingness to assist. The answer was no. We went here hoping to help a small Encinitas shop but came out disappointed and out 80 dollars. read more

Wow find a different place. Disorganized with rude staff that gave me different instructions to get photo prints every time I called. I came in with a disc of photos / 42 to print and mount. A big order. Clerk would not take the time to show me sizes or options. Too bad for whoever the owner is. I will NOT be back. read more

I really have to disagree with Bret. I've been in to this place several times, the first of which was MANY years ago, to get some B&W film developed. At the time, they did a great job, some of the best prints I've ever had. More recently, I came in with my OLD Minolta 35mm and a whole lot of questions. It had been in storage and now that I find I need it for a darkroom class, I found the camera was missing a lot. The woman at the desk was super helpful. When I said I needed a new UV filter, she helped me find a good used one, to save me some money (even though I hadn't expressed a concern about costs). She was good enough to look at the camera for signs of damage, mildew and wear. While she could easily have told me that the camera needed this or that (how would I know, the thing is literally older than I am), she gave it a good look over and declared the camera fit for use. Finally, when I expressed interest in some used lenses and asked her opinion about which she recommended, she actually told me that the less expensive one was really the most worth it. Basically, she was friendly, the place was cozy, and she seemed more than willing to help me fumble back to the world of 35mm film. read more

I really miss this place since I moved! Anytime I had a camera issue or a questions about the best film for some random lighting or situation, they were very pleased to offer some solutions. This place makes film fun again. I always looked forward to that "your film is ready for pickup" call. read more

I have only had positive experiences here. I took a private class to learn how to use my camera better and if i pop in, she gives me great tips, cleaned something off my lens for free and has made recommendations on products. I also sold some old stuff there on consignment. Will keep going back! read more

I took my camera there for sensor dust cleaning. At some of the other places in San Diego, I would leave my camera for a couple of days for this service. Encinitas Photo Center took care of it in less than an hour, and the price was great. The work was excellent, and my camera is nice and clean. I highly recommend this store. read more

While looking up the phone number I noticed the reviews and figured I would leave mine. I have been in a couple times now, usually if I am in the area and passing buy. Both times I have gotten great deals. Once on some used lenses - I paid about a third of what it would have cost me on eBay. The last time on a new lowepro backpack that was on clearance and almost half of the normal price. Despite what some of the other reviews say - customer service is great. The lady that is there is always very nice and the guy is always brief and to the point, but still good with people. read more

I truly had a bad experience, just like all others previously leaving posts on yelp. I walked in for a simple passport photo. That guy Gary working this place is a dork. He's arrogant and classless. He doesn't have a good handle on how to properly deal with the public. He's overpriced, non-communicative, and when he does open his mouth he's very condescending. Avoid at all costs. I would drive to a "photo center" all the way in Chula Vista to avoid an interaction with this grumpy middle aged man. read more

Went there to have a picture enlarged and printed. Pretty easy, e-mail the picture to them and they did the rest. Done in a few days, the pictures were beautiful and the cost little. Definitely will return read more

Gary is awesome! i've been bringing my film here for about the past year now and am always happy with my experience. When i first started frequenting Encinitas Photo i would bring 1-2 rolls every Tuesday so that I would have them on Thursday & Gary never disappointed. There are a few film cameras I have that I found at thrift stores and he's always inspected them for me and shown me which batteries i'll need. A lot of the reviews on here mention customer service but I have seen a handful of people come in to the store and be rude/demanding and get visibly upset when they see that other people are being helped at that moment and that they must wait a few minutes. It's a small shop- be understanding if the only 2 workers are clearly busy helping others. And working customer service is exhausting!! Give them a break. All in all it's important to support small businesses and with the scarcity of photo developing centers in north county, this place is an all around gem. read more

The woman that works there tries hard, but as someone else mentioned, if he-the owner, is not making a profit, he will do minimal service. He has terrible customer service skills. The only reason people go here is because it is the only one in the immediate area. read more

Make sure you know absolutely everything about what your looking to buy because you will be bothering them if you have to ask anything. Been here a few times and the selection is meh and the prices are typically 30 to 40 bucks more than Amazon on items as low as 75 bucks. Needless to say I'm all for supporting small businesses even if it means paying $140 for the same adapter that sells for $95 on Amazon with free 1 day shipping. Went in to look for some old manual lens and after trying a few out on my camera the old guy tells me "look I don't have time for this so why don't you go home and figure out what lens you want and come back cause I'm busy".. ookay let me just put back the $300 I was going to spend on a few lenses and go through Amazon while saving money too. Go to George's camera. read more

I went to Encinitas Photo Center with a specific need in mind for a project. I was very clear about the size of photo I needed and the owner seemed to understand. When I got the pictures back they were not the size I needed and the owner Gary said the size cannot be done at his shop. He was pretty defensive and negative. He explained he could not size the pictures the way I needed them and I had no recourse. My boss called to discuss the problem and he offered no way to please a very unhappy customer. Do NOT go to to this business!! read more

Don't go here the guy working on March 28 at 4:30 is not a friendly individual just walked up to but a external flash. I approached the door to find it locked and I asked a woman who was standing off to the side waiting if they are closed she said she had been waiting for 10 mins so I peaked in the door and saw a man siting in the back. Naturally I knocked on the door to get his attention to ask if they were closed sorry I missed your be back in 5 mins sign that was on the very bottom of the door not in plain sight anyway the man opens the door and goes who the HELl is knocking on my door the sign says be back In 5 the woman reply's I've been standing here for 10. I smiled and said that's ok I'll take my business somewhere else... customers don't deserve to be cussed at because your having a bad day old man god I hope your not the owner sad business protocol man... I mean who opens a door and says who the HELL is knocking on my door ....then he was embarrassed and invited us in after the lady called him out.... like I said I'll take my business else ware bummer for you I wanted to buy a 200$ flash.... idiot I never write bad reviews either but this dude deserves it.... read more

Gary is such a knowledgeable guy! Extremely helpful as well. I am in the shop every week for various film related purchases and have never had a bad experience. So thankful to have a great shop for professionals in the area. read more