I had been thinking of purchasing a camera for a while and had my research independently, and…read moredecided down to a Fujifilm XM5 or XT30III, but I struggled to make that last decision because I couldn't tell how the cameras would feel in my hands. I saw online that they had the two cameras in stock (although, if you are particular about whether there are kit lenses or not, you should call ahead) so felt pretty good about dropping in on a Saturday. There were a few people speaking to all available staff so I did wait a bit, but soon enough I was able to speak to two separate staff members. The first may have been a manager and was able to tell me upfront what was in stock and what was in the area (other location or in their warehouse - would need to be transferred). I asked if I could hold the cameras, either with the showroom cameras or whichever way. They had an XS20 on display (similar weight) and pulled an XM5 from the back. Just from the weights, I could tell that the XM5 was the right choice for me. The other salesperson was able to pair me with a Fujinon 27mm pancake lens that would keep my unit light and compact and a UV lens for protection. I will say that anybody coming in should do their research - the suggestions were helpful and already in line with what I had been planning to buy, but there are other options that are more budget friendly that they may not offer. I mentioned that I was going on a cruise to Alaska soon and asked about rentals, and he recommended that I call a few weeks in advance to see what they had in inventory to rent out. I will definitely do so! He said to aim for a 50-200mm and mentioned lensrental.com if they did not have what I needed in stock. Overall I was very pleased with their service. I would definitely come back for my other camera needs.

Positive interactions and got my questions answered. I came for a battery and walked out with one…read more But I could look at a used lens while I was there.

I recently finished the Beginner and Intermediate 1-2 workshops at PhotoSprouts. Jordi is an…read moreamazing and incredibly knowledgeable instructor who knows how to break down technical settings so they actually make sense. Photosprouts provides their own mirrorless cameras and lenses for these workshops but you can bring your own as well. I brought my own and Jordi helped a ton with helping set it up and answered tons of my questions about when to use various features. The class structure is a mix of lectures and immediate hands-on exercises. The photowalks during the intermediate sessions were especially useful for applying manual settings to real-world scenes and learning how to compose shots on the fly. Getting that direct practice with my own gear was the biggest takeaway and I walked away with a much better handle on my camera. Highly recommend PhotoSprouts and I plan to take some of the more advanced workshops in the future!

Christina is the best!…read more I first came across PhotoSprouts when I took a beginner photography lesson in 2023 with Jordi. Afterwards I followed up with questions on what the best camera to buy for a safari would be, and PhotoSprouts owner Christina went above and beyond in helping me compare and contrast the 2 models and lens I was debating. She literally wrote me an essay and I remember being blown away. Fast forward to 2025 when I bought my first real camera (the Canon mirrorless one that she'd recommended two years ago) in advance of a safari honeymoon. I took 2 private lessons with her to learn how to use it. I'm a complete beginner (ex. I barely knew how to attach the lens and adapter to the camera base). Christina is knowledgeable, warm, and patient. She suggested we go to the SF Zoo to practice shooting different animals to best recreate what the honeymoon would be like. We started off with the basics (ex. aperture, ISO, shutter speed) in the Zoo cafe. Christina was prepared with printouts, props, and example pictures which helped me grasp the concepts faster. After we went through the 101 printout, we walked around the zoo to put the concepts in action. It was so helpful to have her next to me so I could ask her all my questions as they came up in real-time. For example, she pointed out that I had a tendency to over-expose my shots (because they looked dark on the LCD and viewfinder when we were out in the sun) and that I could be more aggressive when pressing + holding down the shutter release button. I also only had one battery which died within an hour, and she kindly lent me another for the remainder of class. I was amazed by how much I learned in the 2 hour lesson and took a follow-up lesson on how to import, store, and edit photos. Thank you Christina for the amazing classes and tips!

I took Tom's "DSLR/M Jumpstart" class this June. Glowing review follows…read more.. But first, a bit about me: I've been a latent photography maven since my early teens, starting with a Polaroid and quickly graduating to my dad's old Bell & Howell 35mm. As things often do, it found itself on a shelf until the advent of the iPhone and ever-present cameras. Discovering that I enjoy taking nice shots, but always knowing I could do better, I finally splurged on a "prosumer" Canon mirrorless. Not wanting to let it be relegated to the same fate as the B&H, I immediately went looking for some classes, and found Tom literally one neighborhood away. I immediately liked his no-nonsense commentary about how good photography connects us to our memories and what we experienced at the time, but also his keen level of humility; I think that's essential to being a good teacher, as hubris stands in the way of connection with students. When I arrived, Tom had a cozy kitchen table set up for three students, with brief handouts at the ready, and a table full of curios just begging for practice. Alas, one student was a no-show, but we had lively chat until Tom decided to get underway. There wasn't a single boring moment in the day; Tom immediately got both of us familiar with the controls on our fancy cameras, then started reviewing the basics of photography. It wasn't a theory class, per se, but he spent as much time as it took going over both how our cameras take photos, and how we perceive them. The room was set up for a simple PowerPoint-style presentation, but it was always in the background as we moved back and forth between our devices and discussion. Just setting expectations: about 75-80% of the class is "ground school" -- we worked with our cameras and settings indoors, practicing a bit on nearby objects, and then venturing outside for some practice. Tom made it fun, setting us up for a bit of a scavenger hunt in his back patio that's clearly designed to get us looking at the objects a little more deeply, and playing with focus and depth of field to achieve artistic effect. By the end of the day, I didn't feel like a "pro," by any stretch of imagination. But I did feel like I had the potential to get there. I haven't switched my camera back to "Auto" mode since the class. I've taken some lousy photos, and then realized what I'd done wrong. And I've taken some amazing shots. My only gripe about the class? It's too short. I left wondering, "ok, what next?" Tom offers a number of other opportunities like photo walks, and I'll be taking him up on them in the near future, but I definitely felt like there could have been a second day. That said, I think that's a good thing: the class achieves a "jump start" for new photographers, and leaves you wanting more.

If you're like me and bought a nice camera to better capture your life and travels, but then…read morerealized you had no idea how to actually use it, take Tom's DSLR/M Jumpstart to Photography class! Tom has a great way of breaking down concepts so they feel approachable rather than intimidating. The hands-on practice is incredibly helpful because you're not just learning the theory--you're immediately putting it into action. One of the biggest things I took away from the course was confidence. Sometimes all you need is someone knowledgeable to confirm that you're on the right track and help you understand what to work on next. This class did exactly that for me. Tom also reinforced something that seems obvious but is easy to forget: the best way to improve your photography is simply to get out and shoot. The more you practice, the more comfortable and intuitive it becomes. Whether you're a complete beginner or someone who has owned a camera for years but never moved beyond auto mode, I highly recommend this course. You'll leave with a much better understanding of your camera and the confidence to start taking the photos you've always wanted to capture.

I highly recommend this photography class! Peter is a very skilled photographer and will explain…read morehow to work your camera and take beautiful photos. He will give you tips on how to se

I just finished Peter's class today. I've read so many things on the concepts of how the elements…read moreof apeture, shutter speed and ISO work, but I couldn't get the concepts to click to put it into action with my camera. I'm now walking away finally understanding the main concepts to get my DSLR out of AUTO and it has already significantly improved my photography. Peter was patient, funny and very knowledgeable. I highly recommend this class to anyone wanting to improve their skills. I will say that this is not a class for someone that doesn't know how to use their camera at all. You do need to know the basics of how to find and adjust settings and in my opinion you'll get way more out of the class . Thanks Peter for inspiring my creative side again!

I've had a DSLR for four years and finally decided that I needed to stop treating it like a…read morepoint-and-shoot. At first I tried looking up photography blogs online and tutorials on YouTube. While I found a lot of helpful tips, I ultimately felt like I needed to set aside a dedicated chunk of time and attention to learning the basics. One quick "photography class" search on Groupon, and a cross-check of Yelp reviews for this studio later, and I had a voucher for two beginner classes and/or photo walks for $142.40 (the usual price is $178, which is still a steal, but Groupon usually has some sort of 20/25% off promotional code floating around). It was easy enough to book the beginner class because they offered at least one each week, usually on Saturday or Sunday morning. I chose a Saturday morning session, 10 am to 1 pm, at their studio in the Mission. For some reason 3 hours seemed like a long period of time on paper, but the actual class just flew by. Darrell was our instructor and he walked us through shutter speed, aperture, ISO and some composition tips, all while fielding questions specific to the different cameras everyone brought in - very helpful! He also gave some suggestions on starter equipment with reasonable price ranges (i.e. prime lenses, tripod, circular lenses, etc.). It was a bit harder to book the photo walk since those only seem to come around once per month, but it's not impossible. In late November, I was able to book a Sunday evening session, 3:30 to 5:30 PM, in early December. You start off at the Warming Hut Cafe near Crissy Field, make your way up to a lookout point with a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge, and then head up close to Fort Point with views of the Golden Gate and the SF skyline at dusk. Darrell was our guide on this excursion and we had a chance to play around with f-stops, depth of field, white balance, histograms and metering. After we wrapped up our class, I decided to head off to Farmhouse Thai for dinner with coworkers and then Salt & Straw for dessert (can't waste any trips into SF if you live in the East Bay), lol. All in all, I credit Isla Studio with helping me feel more confident in manual mode - no more auto for me!

Wow! After years of treating my expensive DSLR like a point-and-shoot camera, I decided to look…read moreinto a class, and boy am I glad I did! Our instructor (Lindsay) was incredibly patient, thorough, and taught us not just the basics of photography itself, but also how to operate our own cameras (and iPhones, for those who needed it). She gave great, practical suggestions on where we could go to continue our learning, and followed up with more great advice after the class. Couldn't recommend this class more.

James was very helpful in upgrading the firmware on our cannon R5. He instructed us on what we were…read moredoing wrong

Mike's always does a wonderful job on my photo projects. The staff is professional, friendly and…read morehelpful. I recommend Mike's Camera in Dublin,Ca Pamela Hallstrom Dublin, CA

We just finished a wonderful week of fundamentals of photography camp where my 13 year-old teen…read morereally enjoyed everything she learned from the instructor Tara. The various field trips to different parts of the Bay Area really built on each other and leveraged the techniques learned during camp throughout the week. We actually joined this camp as an out-of-towner (but ex-Bay Area-er) from Southern California and found it worth all of the efforts to make it happen, thanks to the heart and soul Tara has put into making this camp possible. Highly recommend!

Our son has joined Tara's photo school for three summers in a row. Tara gets the class to…read moredifferent, interesting places to take photos. She also has a teaching style that is both challenging and encouraging--helping students expand their technical skills and artistic vision. It has been fun for him, and exciting for us to see the growth in his work.