I was in an emergency situation where I needed a flash for my Sony, but I had to make sure it was exactly what I needed, that it'd fit my camera cage, and that I wasn't going to pay excessively for something I don't need. I am kicking myself for not remembering the guy who helped me's name, but he was a younger gentleman with glasses. He let me take my sweet time deciding, gave me an in-depth rundown of the different flashes available, and made me feel very comfortable to make the choice of making such a significant purchase. He was incredibly helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable, and I am so grateful I ran into him and came to this store for the first time. Sure enough, the flash I got is exactly what I needed, and I was the star at my most recent gig. Incredibly grateful to have found the store in the nick of time! read more

Can't deliver! Took two cameras in over 6 month's ago and wanted to trade for another camera. Sean the owner said no problem "I own 6 stores and can source the Leica you want" Well after a few month's he shipped me one that didn't work(returned it) and now it's been another few month's and nothing. No communication along the way. Now in the minimum correspondence I have had, which is me contacting them, they apologized with no solution except a totally different type of camera I don't want. tired I said I want my money if you can't deliver after 6 month's and now ghosted, no response. By reading some of the other 1 star reviews it sounds familiar, should of read those first but since I have bought 3 Leica's there in the past I thought they would try harder than to piss off a customer with lousy customer service. Will not buy another camera there and warn you if you are trading I wouldn't do it with them!!!! read more

This place sells Canon cameras, canon printer ink, and everything canon but has zero idea who is around to service canon printer pro 1000. No well let me see if I can help or find something out for you just "no" no no. Wow, there used to be a guy there who would at least attempt to help but now there's no one so I won't be going back to them again. I'm telling you, the world as a kinder place is down the tubes with this new race of bots manning counters at so called specialty shops...no wonder they are closing down left and right to the internet based supply houses. Good riddance Camera West. You know, it' wouldn't be so bad in my mind if they weren't selling the 800 dollar ink to refill the printer but they are so at least offer some info on how to have the printer serviced. read more

What ever good offer I can get I live in desert hot springs my phone number is 442-234-6769 email address is ry303960@gmail.com read more

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Probably one of the BEST Photographic outlets in the U S A ! The Sales Staff knows what Customer Service is all about. read more

Camera West - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Rancho Mirage, California

Camera West has been my photography equipment source for over 10 years. They have a great selection of cameras and a team of experts to help in your decision. No high pressure sales , just good advice. read more

I'm so very happy. I was having a horrible time getting my Profoto Connect to work on my Sony a7Rii after it working fine for awhile. The staff took the time to help me diagnose the problem as I was nervously waiting as I had to an important shoot on Monday. They were able to diagnose the problem and I walked away a happy customer (turns out the Connect had a bent pin - note to self to fully inspect used stuff). In any event, this is a beautiful store, too. I'm recently from L.A. and am glad they are here. read more

Many years, trades and purchases with Camera West...Honest, reliable, knowledgeable and fair.

Camera West is not a snapshot camera store, their prices are stratospheric. That's fine if high-end is what you need but for high-end prices I expect high-end service and this little mom & pop store has a lot of smoke and mirrors but was a big zero for me for customer service, which is a shame, all of these little boutique camera stores are going belly up fast. I'm not sure what to make of how they seem to intensely dislike their customers, or is it just me they hate. I also wonder if not actually being registered as an actual camera store is part of it, they are listed as a photography studio and from what I have read selling cameras is just sort of a whim with them, maybe something they can grab the cash and disappear? That's kind of what happened to me in a weird way. I placed an online order (and by the way their invoice indicates that they have only sold a relative handful of cameras online, EVER, something their owner doesn't dispute). So they didn't waste a second charging my AMEX, which of course has no realistic credit cap, I use it every single day at merchants all over the world. AMEX approved it instantly of course and put it on my statement. I got a written email from Camera West confirming my order and that it was being prepared for shipping. I trusted Camera West to be telling the truth so I placed orders for such things as lenses and other accessories from various places (which now I'm stuck with). Then three days later I got a form letter saying they cancelled my order with no explanation. Their sales order simply has the word "cancelled". Remember that they had already billed it to my AMEX card three days prior and they already acknowledged that by confirming my order in writing. They just took my unique, one-of-a-kind paid-for product and sold it out from under me to someone else without telling me. No apologies, no explanation. I asked them to put a hold on the camera that I had paid for if they had any problems. They ignored me. I asked that they refer this issue to the owner of this tiny 27 employee company. They ignored me. We got the owners name (they seem to have a tangled web of who actually owns the place) and wrote to him. He ignored me. Obviously something very fishy was up with why they would advertise a popular Fujifilm camera at far below anybody anywhere and then 3 days after they confirmed my order and charged my credit card all of a sudden simply cancel it and then go hide behind a rock. Do I have compassion? No. At the very least someone, anyone, I don't care, someone there should have at the very least responded to my emails with "We're very concerned about your order and want to assure you are taken care of, give us a few hours to figure out what went wrong and most importantly that we will make it right". But no one did that, they instead made it loud and clear that they simply don't care, that a paying customer is meaningless to them. Do yourself a favor and read all of the negative reviews about Camera West, they are the real reviews. My trust level of this place is zero, especially for the high-end prices they charge. For Leica I recommend Leica Store Miami, an excellent company. read more

I thought I had died and gone to camera heaven. There are so many incredible cameras and so much camera gear.. If you are looking for the absolute finest in camera gear, this is your store for sure. Many fine used cameras, both large format and small cameras. Friendly staff who really know their merchandise. You can find Hasselblad, Pentax, Nikon, Canon, Leica, and many other camera brands. I used to shop at their store in Carmel all the time. Nothing but the finest in camera gear. read more

Just simply the best. Photography or filmmaking, Camera West skilled personnel understand what gear you need to get the best shot. I could not recommend anything better. Great people. read more

Great customer service explained everything and help me find what I didn't even know I needed aka forgot I needed. Very down to earth and friendly. I would definitely recommend this shop read more

The lens I ordered for $750 did not work on my camera. I emailed several times and sent back the lens. I have not received a refund. not happy read more

I always look forward to seeing the product and get good service and advice from this landmark camera store in Palm Springs. ys loolllllllk

despite the traffic from Hollywood to Rancho Mirage (it was horrible), I had a really great experience at Camera West. I saw a lens on their website that I was interested in getting, I sent a message via the chat button on their website, the owner who was at Leica in Germany at the time, answered all of my questions. I got to the store and the two people behind the counter were very nice,I told them what I wanted to see and they promptly got it for me. We started talking about photography and cameras and I don't know where the time went. Well, I bought the lens and I couldn't be happier with this experience. The lens is amazing, and the staff at Camera West were even better. Thank you all, I will be back for sure read more

I called this morning to see if I could bring my camera in for an issue I was having. The gentleman informed me that they don't fix cameras but that he'd be willing to look at it and see if he could help me. I went in and he was able to correct the issue and less than a minute! The two gentlemen were very knowledgeable and very kind. I would definitely recommend them! read more

Camera West - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Rancho Mirage, California

I had them clean my sensor on my professional Panasonic LUMIX. It took the 15ish minutes. Sensor looks amazing; images look amazing.

19 April 2023 received from: Camera West WC, 1255 So. Main St., Walnut Creek, CA 94596 (925) 935-1424 As received, the rear lens element has three pin head sized chips evident near the element's periphery. Why would the company rate this in good condition with this obvious fault? "The glass has no haze, marks, or fungus," said your description, yet the chipped rear element has obvious damage. For the purchase, I relied on the truth of your appraisal. It may or may not effect images, but it certainly detracts from pride of ownership. read more

Very helpful, quick visit. Needed a camera strap and the staff helped me pick one and even put it on for me!

I had a great experience with this camera store. Bought a Leica CL from them two years ago. Camera was in mint condition at a very good price. Recently bought a used M9 but it didn't work out but they were very good at processing the return. Certainly will buy from them again. read more

Was ignored by two employees until I finally made it clear I was in need of assistance with my camera that I wanted repaired then I was blown off with no explanation as to why it was in my best interest not to repair it with them. Told me three times my equipment was "trash". Everything here is insanely over priced and nothing here really compares to the online market place. read more

One of my many passions is supporting local enterprise. Unfortunately post modern American business models dictate that "online retailers" are the new prime. Meaning, that you get low prices at zero customer service. And understand this: photography and digital media is not only a passion for me, it's a way of life. So this next part is gonna hurt. Camera west is the Best local media store within a 100 mile radius. B&H , Amazon blah blah blah . I like to vote with the all mighty dollar . A smart person once said " talk is cheap, MONEY talks." Gary Faye, has the patience and knowledge too put up with my simple and complex questions. I've spent $15-close to the thousands, and plan to do so. Because I am a novice, I've also had the pleasure of hearing him speak. I highly recommend the series he does educating the masses with his experience abroad. College level knowledge if you ask me. That alone is worth cup of coffee ! Good job team ! read more

Very kind customer service! An older gentleman helped me because I didn't know if my camera would charge again. Will return back :)

After 30 years of buying camera equipment from a large LA photo retailer, those days are now over. Having met Sean, the founder, along with his wife of Camera West, I was very impressed by his knowledge and patience when it came to helping me understand the new Hasselblad System. Not being bothered or put off by a series of phone calls about Hasselblad's XCD II system , I decided to take the three plus hour drive down from our home in Ojai, to visit Sean at his store in Rancho Mirage, CA. Aside from having what I understand was the first "in-store" Leica boutique in the US, he caries their entire line of cameras and lenses. He described the manufacturing process for their new SL lenses which blew me away. They have a unique process of matching the right glass and fusing it together in a way that sounds evolutionary. Sean can best explain it, but it only points to his vast knowledge about Leica and their products. His knowledge reminded me of why I gravitated to that old LA retailer because of the backbone of expertise as well as staying up with the latest technology... That no longer can be found in LA, especially with the passing of Tibor, who so many of us loved and treasured. He's also a Hasselblad retailer. Once again, he showed me his depth of knowledge when going over medium format characteristics associated with this brand. Sean represents what real customer service is all about in the truest sense of the term. It's about what's right for the customer and not just merely selling you something that doesn't fit your needs. I can't recommend a better place to buy your photo equipment than from Camera West. I know you'll enjoy the experience as much as I did read more

Sean, Gary, Bret - and the entire crew - at Camera West Rancho Mirage are utmost professionals with the knowledge and component selection to help you get closer to your photographic goals; whether professional, amateur, film or digital, video or stills. They have cameras and components at varied price points to suit most individual needs. As well, their pre-owned selection is fun to browse. You may find a cool hidden gem among the nooks in their showroom in which you can comfortably browse. Service, selection and after care support is top notch. Great to have them as a resource in the Coachella valley. read more

I've never seen such an excellent collection of new and used high-end cameras, and lenses. As a commercial photographer I was literally like a kid in a candy store. The staff is warm and informative, and Camera West also has a room full of professional lighting equipment. I almost bought a like-new Canon EOS 5d Mark IV, but instead walked out with just a used Bogen light stand, (which brought my total up to six). Thank you - Robert Marcos La Quinta, CA read more

What a great place to go! Soft spoken Gary is extremely knowledgeable and experienced, having done so many things in the photographic world. I'm a retired professional and these people have most extensive array of cameras, lighting, and and the most impressive Leica camera collection you'll ever see!! read more

Cool people. They do offer to buy back your camera for store credit. So you can use it towards your purchase for another camera or accessories. They also do offer a check for your buyback. However, if you choose this option it will be 20% less than the store credit option. read more

Meh. Sent my girl there because heard they were good at cameras but didn't read all negatives in customer service. She has a lot on her plate being a trustee. Her mother died recently and her father is ill so her time is very precious. Told Monday a bad day so to come at 4 pm. She plans her busy day helping her family to get there at 4. After waiting for 35 minutes....told the owner can't see her and she needs to come back another day. She asks if she can leave the cameras and told it would take another 40-60 min to write down the serial numbers... why didn't they offer that first or tell her on the phone before she drove there? She needs to sell these as part of her duties ....but just dropping off two boxes is to take 2 hrs is ridiculous. This is to sell to them , so I guess it's not a great place to sell to. I'll find her a nicer place to deal with in Los Angeles. She wasted 1.5 hrs today in driving there and back. Said the older gentleman was nice but didn't seem too keen on writing the slip and would rather her come back. Felt bad I recommend it. read more

A few years ago I had purchased an expensive - and essential - piece of equipment for my Leica M series digital camera. Recently that piece of equipment, a Visoflex 020 EVF, had, seemingly, simply stopped working. Last Tuesday I asked Gary Faye of Camera West if he could tell me if my Visoflex was really broken or simply not working with my new Leica M10-R camera. Gary went to considerable trouble to determine that the problem lay in my new M10-R, not my Visoflex EVF. By 'resetting' my M10-R he fixed the problem. I'll be forever grateful to Gary and Sean at Camera West. A new Visoflex would have cost $600 US. read more

BEWARE ... I bought a Leica SL2 from Amazon but sold by Camera West. Upon receiving it, I took off the protective film on the rear LCD screen after turning on the camera. I didn't use the camera apart from taking off the film protector since I have not purchased any lens. After two days, I decided to return the camera in order to buy the Leica M10 Monochrom from Camera West since Amazon had a return policy for the camera. I was charged 10% restocking fee for the SL2 for taking off the protective film. After two weeks with the Monochrom, I then decided to get the Leica SL2 again since I needed a color camera. I placed the order from Camera West for a brand new Leica SL2. It arrived two days later and upon unboxing the camera, everything fell off from the box loosely unlike the first Leica SL2, which was well packaged tightly in the box plus the protective film cover was not there. I told Shawn, the sales agent I bought it from about the missing protective film, for which I was charged 10% restocking fee the first time I bought it. He told me that Leica must have decided not to put the film protective cover on the rear screen. I couldn't' believe what I heard! The camera works fine but it left a nagging feeling that Camera West must have sold me a store model or a preowned camera claiming that it's a brand new camera. I am writing this review to warn potential buyers from Camera West not to take it for granted that they are selling them a new camera. Beware ... read more

I was very happy to fin this store close to home. They have every thing for the professional or enthusiast. I have been to camera stores all over and seen none as beautifully displayed store. Even I was able to get a specific battery for a flash I own that has been backordered for 3 months from one of the superstores back east. I am sure I will be back and I appreciate the service I received. read more

Besides being very over priced the staff has a better than attitude. I wouldnt spend a dime here Really snobby bunch of people. I wonder how they stay in business read more

Fantastic camera store and great hospitality. Mostly used cameras, lots of good info, wonderful experience. Hidden gem in the desert!

Bret and Sean are so kind and respectful. Thank you both for a superior experience. I had equipment I wanted to sell and Camera West treated me so well and offered a fair price for what I had. I'm truly thankful for you Bret and Sean. read more

I wanted to get a dsrl camera and had been researching all the different models and finally decided on a nikon model. Of course, that was the easy part - dsrl cameras are not cheap, so I scoured the internet for prices. I found a number of shady websites offering the camera for $500-$600, but decided I would rather pay extra to know exactly what I'm getting. Went to all the major retailers that carried the camera, all at the same price, then found this shop. I was a little hesitant, as I basically consider myself an amateur when it comes to photography. To be honest, its intimidating walking into a shop where you know that they have far more knowledge about a product you want to buy and could possibly use that to pull one over you. Kind of like going to an auto mechanic for a repair. You all know what I'm talking about. However, when I walked in the first time, all the staff was super nice and friendly and showed me the model I was looking at. Their price for the camera was the same as Best Buy and Walmart, which in my opinion is pretty awesome as they certainly don't have the big buying advantages that larger corporations do. I ended up buying my camera from them for a few key reasons - one, they are a local business and I like supporting that. Two, they actually know what they are talking about and you don't have to hunt down a sixteen year old sales boy who doesn't have a clue about life, let alone cameras. Three, their prices are fair and I feel a lot safer about spending $700 or more there. The other awesome thing about this store is that they also sell used cameras, and the prices looked very reasonable to me. They have a lot of high end merchandise, unfortunately stuff I can't afford, but its also there. Overall, I would highly recommend this store to a first time dslr camera buyer or a professional. read more

Upon arrival in the Palm Springs area, I was very sad to discover that the image sensor on my DSLR was infested with dust, causing dark specks to appear on every photo I took. Fortunately, I found Camera West--they wet cleaned my image sensor while I waited, and the vacation photos were saved! During the (short) wait for my camera, I had the chance to check out the store. It is fantastic. The staff are knowledgeable, friendly and not at all pushy. The new gear is drool-worthy, of course--did I mention they are an authorized Leica dealer?--but most impressive was their solid collection of used and vintage/collectible equipment, all fairly priced. And the complete selection of photographic paper. And the complete selection of film (film!). And the complete selection of accessories, including filters. And...well, you get the idea. There was a time when stores like Camera West could be found in every city. Sadly, this is no longer the case. If you live in the desert cities, you are lucky to have a store like Camera West in your midst. Whether you are a pro or a first time point and shoot buyer, this is the only camera store that matters between the desert and LA. Go there, now. read more

This place is an old-school camera shop, and I would add an extra star if I could. I recently purchased a vintage 35mm Minolta camera. It originally used a battery which is no longer available because it contained the poison mercury. I needed a replacement battery, but the newer batteries have some voltage issues that affect the accuracy of the light meters found in vintage cameras. The resulting photos can be improperly exposed leading crummy picture outcomes. So I started looking for a local camera shop and I found this establishment. (Not too many camera shops around anymore!) I brought the camera to this shop, and the owner was more than happy to go through the camera body and lens; cleaning a bit here and there before pronouncing it good. He squared me away with the right battery and some solid advice on how to operate the camera properly taking into account how modern batteries affect the operation of older vintage cameras. I was taking notes like a school kid! Like a previous poster surmised, you just cannot find this level of knowledge and expertise from a teen at a big-box store. These guys knew what they were doing and they have the right products in stock. In addition to purchasing batteries for the vintage 35mm, I purchased a wireless remote shutter release for a newer Nikon D3000 digital camera which my daughter uses to make claymation videos. The owner knew exactly which remote I needed, and without missing a beat, he handed one to me. The prices weren't bad at all either. I was quite impressed with this store, and this will be my new place to go for anything camera. It's always cool to discover a new place where you can trust the people who work there, be sure they can take care of your specific needs, and not rip you off. read more

I'm pretty shocked to see this store has a five star rating. My experience was definitely not like that at all. The people that worked there were rude and pretentious and stared at me in disbelief when I wanted to put a used lens on my camera to see how it looked. It's a USED lens. Of course I'm going to put it on my camera to see how it performs! Idiots. Their selection of lenses really wasn't impressive either, WAY overpriced and small. It's not a friendly place, overly ritzy, and take themselves way too seriously. I'll never go back. read more

Originally went in with a bunch of pelican cases and camera bags loaded with all ages of cameras and misc equipment. It was time to do some housekeeping and get rid of the old and i wasn't up for the internet hassle. Not only was I given a fair price for my "junk"...but I wasn't treated like a homeless person looking for a pawn shop. Even though I felt like a Hasselblad buyer on a Kodak budget. Everyone treated me well and all have not only the equipment savvy but can make the most complex camera lingo understandable. For my needs, they went through my assortment of Canon lenses and approved. One was sent out for repair and came quickly back. I grabbed at the Canon D60 and was wondering where to drop the APS film cartridge (just kidding folks). If that wasn't enough customer service I also needed to replace all my lens filters and made an idle remark about the pricey B&W filter for one lens. It was checked, online, against the current "New York Deal Joints" and it was found to be slightly more expensive. But, the price was instantly lowered to match the big guys. I still would have bought it for all the service they shower you with. Customer service is their mindset and everyone had the patience of a saint as I searched the place for elusive flashbulbs (feeble attempt at humor). Everyone made the transition from the dark ages into the digital age a painless process. Painless to my fragile ego and my wallet. It's worth a drive to not only be treated well but exposed to lots of goodies in all price ranges and used but pristine equipment AND if they don't carry something or are out of stock they have a second store in Walnut Creek that they can draw from. I haven't written so much since finding out that there was an In N' Out Burger joint in Indio! read more