So far, so great... 6 stars! I switched to AbelCine recently after experiencing some unusually rude salespeople at B&H this year (not in the camera department, mind you, but it still left a bad taste in my mouth). This caused me to seek out alternatives, and after taking an excellent course at AbelCine, it really sealed the deal. As knowledgable as some of the camera people are at B&H, these folks are actually far more knowledgeable. They have *working* knowledge of the latest of everything in pro video. It's like a dream come true. These people are SMART, and stay up to date. If you dig a little, you quickly find out that these are the folks who help set up many professional TV programs and movies with their gear. (And the consulting to put it together right, and use it properly for the best results) For instance, they put together the Sony FS700 package and dressed it up with the right rigging, lens and sound for Anthony Bourdain's new CNN show "Parts Unknown". This was brilliant, and took the new show to a whole new level! Ever notice the new sharpness of the show, and the cool slowmo? Well, thank AbelCine for that! Same thing with you... What they can do for an already incredible show like Anthony Bourdains, they can do for you. They're really nice folks, and don't seem to talk down to people who aren't as well versed. They're like the video equivalent of what Coffey Sound used to be in Hollywood for audio. I have literally been searching for a place like this for years and years now. B&H was close (and was fun to shop before they became too aggressive this year), but this is the real deal if you need someone to help you get pro TV and cinema level results. I think they're under-reviewed because people view as a trade secret or something... And folks keep this secret selfishly to themselves. But seriously, try 'em -- maybe take a course or something like I first did. They're so damn smart, they can take you and your productions to a whole new level, too! (And yes, they do things mere mortals can afford, as well... But do keep in mind, this is really the shop you want to go to when you want to make money from your video work) PS -- They also offer one of the better selections of rental cameras and lenses I've seen. Even uber expensive stuff, like Alexas and Phantom cameras. Even real film cameras! You can also rent things you could never normally afford to spice up a production, or you could rent something cheaper that you're considering buying (like an afford Canon or what have you). It really is good to rent gear before you buy it. They have so many camera body and lens options here to try, you'll be in awe! read more

These guys are Pro's with a capital P. Matt or Alex are both incredibly knowledgeable, fair and the type of people you want to deal with when renting or buying professional film/video gear in NYC. Great customer service and a great location makes it easy to pick-up and drop-off gear. Always a positive experience at Abel. I've been shopping (and renting) here for years now and have never been disappointed. read more

The service department here is like the DMV. If you want to drop off your $50,000 camera package and have it go to a black hole of people who don't call you back, this is the place. read more

Abel Cine rocks. They have a great selection of gear... A very knowledgeable staff. My order was processed quickly, shipped on time and 100% accurate. They gave me a great deal on my camera package. What's not to love? Our sales rep is Matt Livingstone and he provided terrific service, was patient with all our inquiries and recommended many cost-saving and effective options. We got exactly what we were looking for because of Matt's help. read more

Not sure about party equipment rentals, but I'd rent anything from Mike Nichols and the rental department. And if you're buying camera gear and not talking to Steve Cohen at Abel, you're doing it wrong. read more

Astonishingly unhelpful. Trying to carrying a giant load of gear? Multiple employees will walk right past you, maybe even drop a line like "Good luck with that". They do not deserve their 5 stars on Yelp with such horrible customer service. read more

Fantastic people from Abel Cine were able to accommodate our last minute, international, two-hours-on-the-phone through several time zones request to put together a perfect package that consisted of one stellar Kessler CineSlider and a whole bunch of miscellaneous add-ons, some of which where flown overnight from LA and picked up on a Saturday, which can be a tricky day for photo- and videographers. Truly remarkable customer support from Alicia - thanks to her, our crew got everything they needed to complete the project. read more

I usually use Abel Cine in Burbank but whenever I'm in NY, I visit their West Village office. Really like the guys there. Great service & they know their stuff. Much more personal & friendly than places like B&H or Adorama. They're also open on Saturdays, just wish they were open on Sunday too! read more

These guys SUCK. Unfair and unprofessional. We fixed two tripods with them and after a few months they were broken again, we took them back and asked for a quote to get them fixed again. They came back with a quote that was extremely high particularly for one of the tripods, when we asked to take back the tripods and not do the work, they wanted us to pay $135 dollars for each for the time it took them to give us the quote. I was surprised, we were never told that would be the case. The said that if we go on and do the job that money would go towards the actual fixing of the tripods. So we decided to fix only one of the tripods, the one that came back with the lower quote. To my surprise even then they charged of $135 fee for the estimate on the other tripod and would not budge on it. Shame on them. read more

Absolutely the worst customer service experience ever. I was going to spend $30K on Camera equipment (Panasonic AF100 kit), they sold my camera to someone else when it arrived from panasonic after waiting 1 month, kit had missing pieces, no response to multiple email requests asking about additional equipment that I wanted to purchase, no response to multiple emails about status of kit, they said they would issue a refund and didn't, had to ask for a refund again a week later, sent refund to wrong account that I didn't even give them. Currently have Amex involved in a dispute with this company to get a refund of my deposit. These guys are operationally a complete mess, back office has no idea what orders are pending, what has been paid for , how its been paid for. No response to voice mails or emails. Special Customer service resolution lady went to a conference in Vegas and left a message on her VM saying she is out of pocket for next week....what the hell kind of customer service is that if you can't even get hold of them for a week. I am no means a complainer, I really really tried to work with these guys....these guys are either very busy that they dont care, inept or indifferent...for the size of the order $30K they should have damned well cared and have much better customer service....perhaps they have too much business that they can tick off $30K customers as small fry. I am not expecting anything special, just plain old reasonable customer experience that you get with most online transactions. Just bought whole bunch of stuff from B&H and it arrived exactly as order, on time, no fuss, no hassle....perhaps B&H is set up more for online transactions and Abel Cine more for store front focus......avoid online transactions with these guys. read more