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.

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.

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.

This is a Canon Pro shop with a deservedly good reputation. I bought my 7D here for a very…read morereasonable price after leaving the dodgey import shop Microglobe which is just around the corner. The staff are old school old guys that know their stuff and this is really a shop for photographers rather than a place to pick up a point and shoot. The manager, Robin is very helpful and you can tell from the talk in the shop that a lot of the people in here are regular customers. I have absolutely no reservation in recommending this place. It would get five stars if they carried a better selection of tripods/heads rather than a very limited selection of the ubiquitous Manfrotto range.

Amazing place. Loads of old cameras, camera stuff and general camera accessories, apparently York…read moreCameras specialise in Canon. It's all UK stock - no imports, second hand stuff, etc. Cleary, these folks are real camera experts, so they know what they're on about. Bit of an old man kinda vibe which put me off going in. But if you know your camera stuff, they'll be good to talk to, even just for practical advice. Novices beware, know your stuff and you'll have a ball. Come in showing your newness to the scene and you'll leave blushing...

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.

food came our really fast and tasted very good. The hot chocolate comes with a star as well as a…read morecool atmosphere with all the cameras around you. They do play jazz so if you don't like jazz maybe not for you

What a cool little museum! Cameras from every decade and lots of history to accompany them. A very…read moreknowledgeable and kind staff. This is neat place to check out if you're near the British museum!

So long as you don't expect super snappy service, Snappy Snaps is a fine choice for passport…read morephotographs (because I didn't utilise them, I cannot comment on their other services.) I picked the place because it's conveniently located between my flat and my office and I needed two passport photos for a visa renewal. I was served straight away and they snapped a flattering photo of me (hopefully the border agents I'll be meeting in my upcoming travels will appreciate that as much as I do.) Then, after waiting around awhile they asked if I could come back, citing something about a big printing project in process. For me it wasn't a major deal -- I swung back by whilst out picking up lunch -- but it might have been if one is truly in need of snappy service. Passport photos always seem overpriced to me so at £7.99 for four, Snappy Snaps seems around market rate.

Do not use this store for passport photos! - firstly it's £10 which is a rip off and then the lady…read morein store Cristina 'forgot' to send me my digital image - I had to call and email to get it from her. Then when she sent it she realised it was blurry and told me I might have to come back into store again.

Very pricey and it's not even worth investing your time and your money. Personally, I'd rather go…read moreto Camden public libraries than this place. If you're a tourist, you do not know that you're being ripped off. However at Rex Lounge they seem to do very good quality printing and that's all really. They even charge you just to use the PC/Internet for GB£1.00 for just under twenty minutes. So therefore, it's not even worth coming in here, at all.

Hopeless company! Used Rex Lounge (or 'Rex Express Shipping' as they also call themselves) to send…read morea package via a courier company. They entered the address incorrectly, then when I pointed out the errors they refused to make any changes or to notify the courier company of the mistake! But since the shipment had already been put in the system I still had to pay!! The place is a mess and the member of staff who served me was *beyond* unhelpful. Don't touch this company with a barge pole.

Do NOT get your camera sensor cleaned at Park cameras. See the photos attached to see the state of…read moremy sensor after 2 sensor cleans. I got my sensor cleaned on 17th November, and after testing when I got home I counted 17 dust spots in a test image. After contacting Park cameras I was told that there should be no spots after a clean and I could get it recleaned free of charge. I did so, but after the 2nd clean the sensor was, if anything, worse. There were still many spots, including a huge one, wich you can see in the attached photos (prominently visible even without visualise spots on) which thankfully was loose, and moved between images, then finally disappeared though may still be in my chamber. I have never seen anything like this in my images before, so it must have been introduced during the cleaning process. I had had enough at this point, so asked for a refund on the 14th December. I finally got a refund processed on the 7th of January - 24 days after asking for the refund and nearly 2 months and much hassle after the original sensor clean. On the park cameras website it states that you will get a report on how the cleaning process goes, but I did not receive this on either occassion. Clearly the people who perform the sensor cleans are not trained to follow the shop's policies or even, it seems, in how to conduct an adequate sensor clean.

Located just off Oxford Street East and less than ten minutes away from Tottenham Court Road tube…read morestation, Park Cameras is yet another really decent place to go, if your looking for a camera that's either professional and/or amateur. I'm afraid, that this is the only Park Cameras shop in London, however they have a much larger store in Burgess Hill, West Sussex. Park Cameras (London branch) have a wide variety of photography accessories, such as Domke bags and other forms of professional equipment. They seem to have a very good selection of Sigma cameras and lenses, which are not easy to find - not many camera retailers stock Sigma lenses. They also have a really good selection of second-hand/pre-owned DSLR cameras and lenses as well.

Good coffee with good ambience. Good for studying and love the art though. The art really helped me…read moreto focus on my work while drinking the coffee. Recommended to come if you are in london. Cheers guys thank you for the good coffee! Pretty latte art too!