Very nice shop. They mainly sell used items, but sell some new items as well. Very knowledgeable helpful staff. They even offer media conversion service, and photo printing. I am planning of taking advantage of this later myself. They also buy used equipment. read more

Came here to sell a couple cameras . Been sitting in my closet forever. Thought I may as well sell them. I've seen their ads I think on the Rosemont Journal. I showed him the one camera. He was explaining how it was kind of used a lot and beat up. It was going to need to be cleaned up and fixed up. I can agree with that. I said so what would you give me for it.? He said let me see the other one. I said no I want to know how much you want to give me for this one. Well how much do you want? I said how much are you willing to give me for it? He said that we do them as a package. I don't run that way. I understand they want to get the best buy they can. Just tell me how much are you going pay me for the one. If I think it's fair, I'll sell it to you. So he didn't even get to see the second one I was going to sell. It was completely different from the first. read more

If you are a photographer this is your spot to get gear and your camera cleaned at a local spot. Had to send off my lens to get repaired. They were honest with the situation and gave an estimate and when I would get my lens back. Lucky I was able to get it back within two weeks instead of the 6weeks I was first given. If you need film cameras and film this is your spot. read more

Great customer service and very knowledgeable about cameras and photography equipment.

Just polite and helpful. I took my camera in thinking it would need another expensive repair, but it was determined that the only thing it needed was to have the battery contacts cleaned. They took care of that, re-set the time and date, cleaned the lens, and then sold me a clear filter to protect the lens in the future. That one simple transaction earned them all my future business. read more

I was not able to get our old camera to take a charge or even to open up to tell us we had a worn-out battery. It had hundreds of fotos in memory that we could not reach. Alpine spent a great deal of time, using a high performance charger, to demostrate the camera might still perform if it got some degree of charge to stick. Unfortunately, they did not have a fresh replacement battery to sell us. Was the camera shot or did it need a new battery? Our continued charging effort at home finally produced the "battery exhausted" message. Problem solved. There was no charge for the diagnostics. read more

At first, this camera shop looks pretty unassuming as it is in a strip mall in the middle of the suburbs. However, this place is actually quite extraordinary. I ventured here from Chicago with my wife because we were searching for new camera shops. There aren't many brick and mortar camera shops left, and this place is a nice find. First and foremost, the people who work there, including owner, are nice and truly passionate about photography and film photography. My wife brought in her Yashica Electro 35 that was wasn't fully functional (she couldn't get the electric parts of the camera to work, such as the light meter). When we entered the staff instantly recognized the camera. That sparked a conversation about it. Without cost or hesitation, they helped us fix the problem. It turns out we had inserted the battery and battery's adapter incorrectly. Typically, it would cost $30 to get a quote for camera repair. We were so grateful they took a genuine interest and helped us for free. That led to conversion about older, fully manual camera. The next thing we knew, Chuck, the owner, gifted us an older camera. I don't think it works as a functioning camera, but it made for a great conversation and shows their passion for photography and their customers. I don't think this is a typical experience, but it illustrates how much they love photography at Alpine. Second, they have a good selection of film cameras and film stock. If are looking for film camera this is the place to go. It's a much better selection that our regular camera shop in Chicago, Dodd, which mostly has digital cameras. Further, you just can't find film cameras at big box stores. Also they a decent selection of film at a decent price. When we were there the prices for film ranged from $6 to $22 per roll, depending on the quality and type of film you want. We ended up picking up five rolls and a some basic film equipment. Third, parking is easy. They are in a strip mall with plenty of parking. We were able to pull right up to a spot in front of the store. There are some drawbacks. First, their section of digital cameras seems to be limited when compared to other camera shops. However, I did observe one of the staff members assisting another costumer with digital camera issues, so they still have an expertise in that area. Second, if you live in in Chicago, it's not easiest place to get to. Overall, this is a great independent camera shop. Given that there are so few of these type of places left, Alpine is a must visit. read more

Alpine Camera Company - Exterior - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

Awesome place, amazing service, and huge variety of cameras in store! The workers are all very pleasant and knowledgeable. Chuck, the owner is such a kind person and has so much experience in his field. I really enjoyed talking with him! I will be going here for all my future development needs :-) read more

I went there just before Christmas to see if I could buy a new camera body. It was my first time there. I spoke with the owner about what I thought I wanted and he was honest enough to tell me the camera body I currently use is every bit as good as a new body would be based on how I use my camera. I really appreciated his honesty. We chatted for a bit and he asked me how I found his business. I told him Yelp and he cringed. He said just don't read the reviews. I laughed. I told him I had already seen the 1 and 2-star reviews and he shouldn't worry about them. Yelpers are smart enough to know there is something those reviews aren't mentioning. He agreed and said the one guy came in obviously drunk. And I don't know if the owner was referring to the same guy but he said one of the reviewers who slammed him didn't like that the owner wouldn't let him 'buy' (essentially borrow) a specialty lens with the agreement he'd be allowed to return it in a week (when he was done using it for the shoot) and get a full refund. There are all kinds of people out there and ones like the owner of this store are a dying breed. I would give this guy my business in a heartbeat if I needed to use his photo processing services or to purchase photo equipment. It's so hard to find a knowledgeable, honest photography place anymore so I'd want to do whatever I could to keep this guy around. read more

Went there today to buy my first film camera. They were so nice and helpful! I wasn't very familiar with cameras or film and they helped me find the perfect one for me and how to use it. Definitely recommend! read more

I love Alpine Camera! The gentlemen that run the store are the most friendliest people you will encounter nowadays. Not only are they a pleasure to be around but the are walking encyclopedias when it comes to cameras. Its super hard to find people nowadays who genuinely know what they are talking about when it comes to photography especially in classic film photography. I have come here twice for camera emergencies and I have always left feeling happy and taken cared of! I can't wait to come back, their selection is incredible. If you're looking for a good camera store look no further. :) thanks! read more

In the Amazon / big box era, it is very hard anymore to find true expertise in retail that specifically deals with photography. Just knowing about the latest and greatest camera toys does not make one a camera expert. So I searched and found Alpine Camera. Chuck and the folks there have a long track record and a deep knowledge of all sorts of camera gear covering several decades. I specifically was searching for a "vintage" lens for my Sony a6000. So I walk in and WOW, look at all those amazing lenses. I could spend hours in there. Chuck helped me find a lens that was from the 1980s or so and was actually never used. But more than that, he understood exactly what I'm trying to accomplish. One cannot replace decades of camera expertise with a "geek" who just tinkers with stuff and wants to sell you an expensive lens to get a good commission. This lens was very affordable...and I'll be back for more! Stores like Alpine struggle to compete because sales tax laws make it easier for online distributors to save consumers money. The laws need to change. We cannot afford to lose the expertise of camera shops like this. Just as more photographers discover the hidden value of vintage lenses, we also need to see the tremendous value of stores like Alpine. read more

In a last-minute request, they were able to find a practically new Nikon camera body that waa no longer being produced. I loved the model and really wanted to have one again, but the problem was I needed it asap...in hours. They provided me with a camera that had a comically low number of shutter releases. It was perfect. I took it with me to witness and photograph the incredible eruption at Kilauea volcano in Hawaii in June 2018. Got some of the most incredible photos of my life. Many thanks - I do plan to return for that lens I had to skip! read more

Alpine Camera Company - One of the photos I was able to snag with my practically new Nikon DSLR from Alpine. Awesome stuff!! - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Des Plaines, Illinois

Quick, easy and painless! I came here to get my passport photo taken and was done within five minutes. $10 for two photos. The guy who helped me was nice, made conversation while I waited. read more

I went into Alpine Camera because I wanted to get an estimate for fixing my broken camera. This is probably common, but Alpine charges $20 to cover the cost of shipping the camera to an outside facility, which would then look at it and give an estimate. I told the teenage boy at the store that the camera only cost about $100 and that if the repair cost more than $40, I would just buy a new one, so it didn't make sense for me to spend $20 before I even had the camera looked at. Then the teen tried to sell me a camera. He was helpful and knowledgeable, but I finally had to say, "I'm just not ready to buy a new camera yet." So I'm about to leave the store and this older guy (I think it was the teen's dad) is like, "So when do you need that camera?" And I'm like, "I'm not in a rush." So then he starts talking about all the different cameras and asking me all these questions, and I'm a little annoyed that I can't get out of there. I was about to walk out of the door -- let me leave! I'm clearly not ready to buy yet! So I finally have to lie to the guy and say that I'd be back in a week to buy a camera. The bottom line is that this guy is just way too pushy. I know that small businesses have to be aggressive if they're going to survive, but this guy made me feel uncomfortable. I'm sure the staff at Alpine Camera is very knowledgeable about cameras, but they could take their sales approach down a notch. read more

I came to check out the used camera equipment, was very impressed with the expertise! I'm a total camera noob, and the staff gave me a handy rundown (in terms I could understand) of the different DSLR cameras they had in stock. Personally, I didn't think the staff were pushy at all to make a sale - some other folks have mentioned that, but I didn't notice. Just a bunch of good information :) When I'm in need of more expertise, I'll head over to Alpine! read more

It seems like in this day and age that people love to complain but never give praise for when companies do things right. Alpine Camera is one of those places that deserve praise. I don't leave many reviews on Yelp but like to when it is truly justified. Pros: Local, Friendly and knows the ins-and-outs of photography Cons: You might spend more time i the store than you planned. The owner has tons of great stories and gives extremely detailed info. Small store. Prices slightly higher than online. The Basics: I previously sent one of my lenses to Canon for repair after a boating accident. Canon said that they no longer service the lens and refused to repair it. I tried finding a few repair shops online but none of them ever emailed or called me back. Alpine camera is the only shop in the Chicago area that responded to me. I went to the shop a few weeks ago with some damaged photo gear. I was initially worried that it was a small shop and that they would't be knowledgeable enough to fix my gear. Well, to make a long story short they had a close relationship to a great repair guy and sent my lens out immediately for repair for a very reasonable price. Bad Reviews: I have read some of the other reviews before going to Alpine Camera and was hesitant to go to a store where people called the owner, Chuck, Aggressive Salesman, Rude, and Pushy. I felt the exact opposite. Everyone in the store helped me as a team. Chuck gave me detailed recommendations on what to do with my lens and offering up some advice that I didnt think of which is pretty rare for me since I have been shooting full time for may international clients for over 15 years. If you want to go to a very condescending store, check out Calumet downtown Chicago. Tax Law: Some of their prices are a bit higher than online and others aren't. You can get away from paying sales tax if you purchase online to save even more money but I recently found out that is against the law and you have to pay Uncle Sam for "Use Tax". If the online seller does not collect at least 6.25 percent sales tax, you must pay the difference to the Illinois Department of Revenue. Not doing so is considered Tax Evasion. Conclusion: To wrap up this long winded review; buy local. You aren't legally saving money in taxes and you are helping out the local community. Alpine camera is a small family business that keep the customers well informed and are a pleasure to buy from. Feel free to leave questions in the comments and I will try to answer them quickly. read more

I'm a photo major at Columbia so I'm always looking for photo stores. I live in the area and though normally I would always go to Helix (Seeing as I had had a bad experience in this store when I was younger.) But since that's out of my way, I decided to call Alpine one day after sadly central camera didn't have the film I needed. (You'd think the closest camera store to a school with one of the best photography programs would carry large stocks of the items used in the classes.) I called Alpine in hope of not having to take the trip in the opposite direction of the blue line then fighting the rush hour crowd. Happily, they had the film I needed in stock. They were very happy to put it on hold for me since it was the last one. Once I got home, I ran to the store to find happily that they'd hidden the film for me and that they also had things I'm ALWAYS looking for. Including photo paper. (First place other than Helix, Calumet, and central with paper) and it's right down the street. I was happy to find that when talking with the people there, they could and would happily order all the supplies I needed from paper to matt board. As long as I gave them advance. I can understand that the owner has some social skills problems.. But, I cant NOT five star a place that is willing to help me so much, and carries so many things most photo stores don't have. (Since all are going digital) It's hard to keep a camera store going without a steady stream of customers like the college kids downtown. So, I can understand why he'd be pushy. But overall, I love this place, it's my new favorite photo store. read more

A much better experience than getting your photos taken at Walgreens. I always feel odd getting my photo taken in a drugstore. Sears does a good job, but if you are near this place, then it is a good place to go. They were quick and efficient. Note that two passport photos will now run you $13 bucks and not the $10 that a reviewer noted. Also come with cash for purchases under $20 bucks. read more

My husband surprised me with a new lens and filter that he "swapped" out at Alpine. I guess he traded in my outdated lens for a better option. I never knew this service existed! The service was genuine and accommodating; even educating him on receiving a rebate too, saving him a lil more money. I love my lens and already enjoy playing with it! read more

This is an incredible store if you can afford to shop here. It's a strict camera specialty store and what's great about them is that you can pick up paper for printing your pictures on. It's EXPENSIVE but readily available. I recommend their negative case which snaps closed all the way and completely keeps out all the dust and whatnot from your negative sheets. (which you can also purchase here.) Pro film is available but you don't necessarily need to buy it here every time because you can get it at Wolf Camera stores which there are many of. The staff is slightly elitist-jerkoffey but they know their shit. Careful if you're not familiar with Des Plaines roads because it's easy to pass up and get lost. read more

With most of the photo stores going out of business, these guys have managed to stick around and keep their film processing in house! Their rates for development and printing are very reasonable and their scans come from a quality scanner, not that cheap stuff I would get at Walgreens. There is a very large amount of used equipment available. This is the place for obscurities. Chuck, the owner, has encyclopedic knowledge of film equipment. The amount of stuff on the shelves is nothing short of staggering, if you don't find what you're looking for here, you're not going to find it anywhere. It's rare to find a store in any industry that has so much talent behind the counter. These guys really know what's up. Being a small business, they will bend over backwards to accommodate. I had the sales rep pull four different camera bags from his shelves. He explained every single feature of each bag in detail, citing the pros and cons of each product. It's a wonderful experience every time and if you're a film shooter, there is no other place in Chicago that can provide more. Last I went, they had a good amount of digital gear on the shelves. A selection of Fujifilm cameras really stood out as they're the best point and shoots on the market and tough to come by locally. If you're into photography, it's worth a visit. You'll get lost in the wonderland of awesome equipment. read more

I've visited Alpine a handful of times now and both Chuck and Cassy have been extremely helpful and knowledgable. I've purchased a couple of used lenses and both were in great condition. In addition, Chuck gave me pointers with them and showed me the best ways to use them. It is tough to find an actual camera store now a days. On top of that to find the employees to be so knowledgable and helpful. I'm looking forward to doing more business with them and support a local business. read more

I needed a monopod and its tilt head for my DSLR. Like always, I searched Amazon and bought one with great reviews. There was something wrong with it and brought it into Alpine to hear his opinion. He explained what I should have looked for, what was wrong with the one I ordered from Amazon which made a complete sense. Camera and its accessories are something you should never buy online unless you absolutely know what you are looking for. So I ended up buying the ones he recommended and they were almost as same price as I paid on Amazon, but function as it should. I am very happy with my experience. As I was shopping, there was a gentleman shopping for a lens for his teenage son and they traveled 25miles to get there. Unlike other big national chain camera stores which constantly switch ownership, Alpine is there forever and I know why. read more

The owner of Alpine "Chuck" is a friendly camera enthusist that really has a lot of knowledge on both digital or film cameras....Even if all you need is a lens cap or some film Chuck takes the time to make you feel like you just bought something expensive....when it was only a couple bucks.. They develop film right in the store instead of sending it out and the prints really come out shap with the lab they use. Chucks assistants: Cassandra and Tanya are equally cordial and knowledgeable, and go out of their way to help you find what you need....I would highly recommend this place for buying, selling developing or enlarging.....Great place.....John Huttner Des Plaines IL. read more

Excellent Processing and service. Not sure what these other people are talking about regarding Medium Format processing as my experience over the last 15 years has been stellar. I have been a professional photographer for over 30 years and process my 120mm film there weekly and have never had any problems. The Owner and Staff are amazing and extremely helpful and will go out of their way to cater to my special requests. I have also taught commercial photography for 6 years and know my processing. Highly Recommended! read more

Very helpful today answering my questions didn't have any emount lens or eclipse viewing stuff but would go back if I had questions again.

I have been meaning to write this review for months. I came into Alpine a couple days before Christmas asking for an old picture of my dad to be copied and framed-6 times. My dad was a regular customer @ Alpine for years even though it's not necessarily close to the house. This project/present was important because our dad passed away earlier in the year and I wanted to have my siblings to have an old picture I'd found. Alpine exceeded expectations even though it was so close to the holiday. They completed the copies earlier than expected and gave me a discount on the frames. I was nervous to frame the pictures so Jean(I hope I remember her name) was wonderful and helped me in the store. It was a rough time of year and the service and understanding Alpine provided helped-grateful. read more

The salespeople are nice and knowledgeable but the owner is very condescending, I could actually use more expletives. I knowingly bought a Tokina 11-16mm ultra wide lens for $650, and thats $50 more than I could get at major online retailers just to support our local photo store. He sold me a CPL filter with it. Later on, I found out that using the CPL filter on an ultrawide does not get good results so I returned it 1 week later. He gave me the BS that they do not take returns on filters and the kicker is that he insists that he uses CPL filters on his wide angle and it OK. This is a local guy who I will not support anymore. "SELL SELL SELL" is his motto and not helping the hobbyist in which in turn will buy more from him. This guy will not be able to keep patrons if he does not change his attitude. read more

Insulting Owner, Helpful Staff I don't enjoy writing this review, but the review must be made. Over 4 months I spent $400 to $500 dollars on a new camera, used camera, and camera repairs. Isn't that enough to qualify as a repeat customer and expect some modicum of gracious service? PS: At my wife's suggestion I am increasing Alpine's rating from 1 to 2. She isn't a big fan of anonymous Yelp reviews, although I feel my review was accurate. I am increasing my rating from one to two only because this store's owner is honest, albeit clueless about customer relations and satisfaction. I became hooked on used cameras and purchased them from eBay or Craigslist only to hear the owner say, "Don't discuss your camera purchases in the store." I purchased one of the store's used books only to have the owner say, "Don't leave the price tag on the book. It makes you look cheap." The owner asked why I didn't have my 35mm film developed at his store. I quietly told him that his prices were too high and that Costco or Walgreens could give me 90 minute turnaround. Then I had to listen to the owner tell me how undependable the other stores were compared to him. (Denigrating the competition is never a good idea.) The two young people were always helpful at the store. I visited on Mondays to buy a few things, check up on my repaired cameras (they were normally later than promised), and visit with my young camera friends. A few days ago I came in to say good-bye to the nice young staff working at the store. The non-customer friendly owner finally turned me away from the store. The owner knows his cameras. Sadly, he doesn't know how to treat repeat customers well. read more

I was looking for a place that focuses on film because I'm very into film photography now and I'm very glad I went in. They're very friendly people and extremely helpful. It's a mom and pop feel, which is great because they know what they're talking about. They also gave me a box of darkroom products someone dropped off for free, which is awesome. I really enjoyed coming here and I'm glad I did because I enjoy friendly places and supporting mom and pop shops! read more

Alpine Camera is a cool little camera store, with a decent selection of film and digital products. However, Chuck, the owner, is a crazy aggressive salesman. He's persistent to the point of rudeness, and will almost definitely make you feel uncomfortable. Don't go in if you simply want to look around. read more

Walked in today and asked a nice young lady where the used Canon lens were.... "What are you looking for?" bellowed from the other side of the shop. I spent the next 4 minutes disagreeing with the bellowing owner--at which point I headed for the door. As I got to the door he boomed "I have been doing this for 30 years...." "It shows." I replied. read more

Needed to process old film, came here out of all the places around. Fairly good development, however, the service was horrendous. We came in, handed over the film to the guy at the desk, who first wrote down the wrong type of film and then the wrong type of processing. We corrected him, and left. (He also promised not to charge us for film that wouldn't come out, but he was apparently a new guy and didn't know what he was talking about) When we came in, we were handed only about a quarter of all the film we submitted, and when we asked about the rest, the girl at the desk had to go and search for the remaining film in the back room. Although we were told that we wouldn't be charged for film that didn't come out, we were charged a discounted amount, which is understandable due to the labor and resources. The gentleman we were dealing with, who seemed to be the owner, was very straightforward and unsympathetic. Made sure to inform us that the promises made by the new guy didn't hold up with him. Again, it was understandable, but his unapologetic attitude was very off-putting. Conclusion - bad service, definitely not a mom and pop store, but rather a business environment with, what seemed like, little care about the consumer. I am certain it was the series of unfortunate events and they are usually pleasant, but for me, this experience was enough to turn me off the camera shop. read more

I understand people's complaints about the owner. I had a bit of a chuckle reading them knowing how this guy operates and what they say is completely true. He loves to talk and he will keep you going for a while. lol If you know your stuff he becomes a little less pushy. It's nice to have a local store to pick something up in a pinch if they have it. The fact that there is no online presence for his used gear must be killing the business. Of course prices (plus tax) are higher than the major online retailers. I would go back but only for hard to find items. read more

Went in late on a Friday night to see if they had any Tokina lenses I could look at as I was in the market for a replacement for a Tamron 17-50 lens. The gentleman behind the counter (I didn't get his name) was very helpful and was able to answer my questions about the lens line and suitable replacements. I also was looking at the tripods they had in back and both he and Chuck (owner?) offered enough guidance to help me make an informed decision. When I told Chuck I wanted to see the price on the Tamron lens he had in stock that would be a direct replacement to what I had he showed me the lens and was very helpful. Initially I walked in the door thinking of just looking at a few items, but the prices Chuck gave on the tripod, head, lens and a filter were as good as if not better than what I could get online. Chuck was honest about the prices and how much wiggle room he had to make a good deal. At the end he suggested I come back with photos to show him and tossed in a small lens cleaning cloth for free. Bottom line - very helpful and patient, very fair prices on equipment (minus some more common filters) and honest group. If I need any other big items I'll talk to them first. read more

I got my passport pictures done from here and I am very happy with their services . Not only were they professional and fast but also the owner (chuck)is an extremely nice and friendly person . In future if I have any business for them I would give it in a heartbeat ! Extremely satisfied ! read more

They charged me $25 for 2 copies of one print from a negative in perfect condition. $25 for 2 photos. And to make it worse they were supposed to be 5x7 and they are actually 4.5x6.5 so I can't use them with the mat that I specifically bought for them. Very disappointed. read more

Brought my photos here after having a poor experience at a competitor's store. He was very helpful and said he would work with the pricing since I had been somewhere else and had not gotten a refund for the job that I was unhappy with. When I went to pick up the prints I was surprised to hear that my total was more than it was at the first place. When I reminded him he said he would work with me he said it was their prices. They were nice but Basically I'm going to use snapfish, jewel, walgreens, or my own printer from now on. read more

Wow! I wasn't even in your store...just the recipient of photos we had made from an email. The end result was fantastic! It is refreshing to know that a camera store such as yours still exists in this day and age of online/DIY. And, the price was right too! Thank You! We will be back. read more