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.

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.

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.

Had a passport photo taken here. It was only after the photo was taken I was told it was the…read more'£12.99 special' which is more than double the price you would pay anywhere else in London. Nigel who took the photos was very friendly however I was not shown the photos or given an option before printing. The photos provided were unusable and rejected by the passport office as they were taken against a dark grey background. I went back in to the store the next day where I was offered a replacement however as the photo printer was broken I would need to wait 20 mins. In fairness the background was much improved but instead of receiving a set of 8 different photos (as with the first attempt) I was given 4 photos - of what I assume was the worst shot. This is not a photo I will be using in my passport. I have since given up and gone two doors down where the cost came in at £6. It also turns out this is where Nigel had gone to print out the photos charging a considerable markup. To cut a long story short - avoid at all costs. Rip off merchants.

As a Photographer that has a borderline obsessive love for Nikon, Grays is a mecca for a self…read moreconfessed camera perv like myself. I love going in there to look at all the amazing equipment, but also love that the staff are very knowledgeable about the stuff there and I have received very good advice in regards to choosing lenses and kit that will suit my needs.

As previously mentioned this is THE place to buy Nikon equipment in the Uk,I've used Grays many…read moretimes and I must say their knowledge,expertise and service are second to none, and they are more than happy to answer questions over the phone or via email. The shop itself can only be described as quintessentially English!

On June 10 2025 I booked in 2 Canon camera bodies and a lens. On June 25 I approved an estimate but…read moreheard nothing for a month so I contacted them on 22 July and they said they'd just received parts on the 18th. I then heard nothing for a few more weeks so I emailed on the 6 August but got no reply and again on the 12 August. On the 13th I phoned and was told one body and lens were ready for pickup. They said I'd already picked up the other body which is not true. They said they'd call back and when they hadn't by 3:45 I called them today but got an out of office reply stating the office was now closed (the times are meant to be 10-4)

Located right opposite the Tesco flagship superstore, Fixation Photographic seem to offer a lot in…read moreretail, sale and repair services to virtually every single professional photographer I know of. And I have to say, the customer service at Fixation is totally first class. Fixation seem to have every camera accessory that I'm looking for and they stock items which are practically hard-to-find elsewhere. A visit down to Fixation Photographic in Vauxhall is always worth my time.

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.

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.

Like a lot of people I enjoy photography as a hobby. I have a fairly battered SLR which is pretty…read morefun and recently I have been experimenting with films and equipment. As a result I was on the lookout for a good camera supplies shop. A few summers I ago I went to a Calumet store in the States to buy some lenses and I was excited to find out they have a store in London. It is a small store on Wardour Street with a range of camera equipment on display. I go to buy film which is kept in fridges at the back. It is a professionally focused store and so there is a lot of cool stuff. They have a catalogue so, if you don't see what you're looking for immediately (which is likely given the small size) it is worth checking the catalogue. The people serving are really friendly and informed, and happy to help with enquiries at any level. Calumet is a great shop if you're looking to take your photography a little further.

This is a great place for semi pro or serious amateur kit. Think film, paper, lighting equipment,…read moretry getting a super-clamp, or a gold reflector in a hurry now that Jacobs and Jessops have closed down. I'm in here quite often, the staff are good, they nearly always have something I want. This is part of a small chain and they also run courses in all manner of photographic subjects put of their Euston branch. I like it.