Great store with amazing customer service. Has everything you'd need that you can't find at the big box stores for cameras. Hadn't visited in years but they're still upstairs when you go through the entrance. read more

Best helpful and knowledgeable camera store around. If you care about quality and professionalism this is the best place to go.

I'm new to photography and wanted to get some information on lenses and my camera. Everyone was extremely helpful and patient, no pressure to buy, just happy to share their passion with you. read more

Without a doubt this is the best camera store in Northern California. They sell the very best equipment. Above and beyond that, they give incredible service. I have taken my Leica camera to them twice with serious problems. Richard Herzog has gone out of his way both times to help me to solve these problems. Rarely does one get such attention and excellent service. Here is my blog entry for today: I had a huge problem with the card in my camera. I took it to Camera West in Walnut Creek. They found massive photos and videos on the card.(Somehow things were not deleting when uploaded to the computer despite delete commands being given.) They sold me a card reader that fixed it. I am the exception in the photography sphere. I have a Leica camera from Germany. It's a great optical instrument. Unknown to most people, in World War II Leica transferred all Jewish employees to countries far from Nazi Germany. They saved as many people as Oskar Shindler did. A company with a social conscience is very important to me. read more

My go to camera store. I've been a customer of theirs for years now before all the new renovations. Hal came through today when I picked up a black x100v which is a rare item to find. Definitely will continue shopping there to support my local shop. Swing by if you got time to drool over all the amazing collection of Leicas and used items. read more

I recently moved to the area, and like any good photographer I want to support the local businesses as much as I can. I had a lot of old gear and wanted to see if I could trade it in....Enter Tom... Tom made the process easy, professional, offered top dollar for my gear, made communication easy, and... helped me get a camera I've been ogling on a special deal. I am now a Camera West customer for life. I would rather give them my money, than Amazon. Do yourself a favor, go pay them a visit. read more

I just dropped by to see what has happened since the boutique renovation. The place looks awesome! Also, I wanted to say thank you to Dan for a through introduction to Leica cameras with an educational approach, rather than what I was expecting to be a sales oriented approach. I truly appreciate the sincerity in customer service that I consistently experience here. read more

Camera West - The biggest Leica Boutique in the world, right here in Walnut Creek. - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Walnut Creek, California

Upon entering I was very put off by the near silent environment - it was sterile and cold. Looking at bags I felt uncomfortable and as if I was not welcome. No one spoke to me and when I asked about my lens the man said that I didn't know what I was talking about - I'm a professional photographer but okay sure, I'm a millennial so I'm fairly used to that response from older people. I brought image samples along with me to show the focus issues and the gentlemen wasn't having it - he said I should talk to someone else, he then had the only female employee in the store take a look at my lens. She was friendly enough but not quite enough to make up for her rude coworkers. After taking a look at it she suggested I send the lens to Canon. It is really sad as a customer who would have been happy to make a purchase locally but instead bought the same products from Amazon. I recommend Looking Glass Photo in Berkeley - they're SUPER friendly and always willing to help. read more

BEAUTIFUL STORE..... EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!! Tom at Camera West in Walnut Creek went above and beyond to help me with a purchase and I was so impressed with him! I have 'found' my new FAVORITE Camera Store and I will be making all of my purchases here from now on and I will recommend that all my friends do the same!! Tom said that they feel their customers become "part of their family"....I can vouch for this....they definitely made me feel like I was "part of their family"!! THEY CARE!! I am a retired General Manager for Marriott and Hyatt....I know how important good customer service is.....we have a choice where we shop and Camera West Walnut Creek makes this an easy choice! THANK YOU Tom and THANK YOU Camera West!!!! You have gained a loyal customer!!!! read more

Location: Great location! There are parking a lot everywhere. Especially across the street. It's in a middle of Downtown and literally everything is near by. Pricing: Not too over priced. I think they are pretty fair prices for the quality you are getting. And they have Leica section as well and more medium format cameras such as Phase One. Interior: Just.. WELL DONE! Service: Hands Down the best customer service ever, super nice people. Just ask for TOMAS especially, he will find you everything you need. He is very friendly and he knows a lot of cameras. He also know where everything is, (which means he actually cares about the store he works at). Emily is another person that really help me while I was there, she is super friendly and knows her stuff, *they don't kick you out even though you come like 1min to closing (that's my fault). They will take care of you no matter what. Overall: THANK YOU CAMERA WEST for a really good experience, definitely place to GO when you need stuff for your camera. They take care their merchandise and they are very genuine people. read more

I went there today (11/25/27) to get the sensor cleaned for Canon 6D. They returned the camera back within 30 mins with the sensor, front/ back of lens cleaned. I was attended by Emily and she was extremely great in customer service. Their sensor cleaning charges of $50 is most reasonable in the Bay Area. I will go again for my photography needs. read more

Great people, very nice and knowledgeable. Excellent service. It's a wonderful store, very open. Everyone is careful and wearing masks. I love this place and am so happy they are here in Walnut Creek. I didn't know about them and bought too much stuff online. I plan to buy all my equipment here now. read more

The person at the counter was very helpful, and gave me a very good idea of the problems i faced with the nikon D50. Unlike past nikons, that lasted forever, the new digital Nikons are made in China. /Nikon is the only place to have them serviced. in the case of this camera, the lens and body went bad at the same time. The store person informed me that my option was to send it to /Nikon. They would charge 100.00 an hour to repair, and would likely send it to a third party vendor to repair, since it was digitally ancient. Rather then do that, i returned it to Costco, took a 50% loss, since it was bought before 2009, their new cut off date for refunds, and will use the D90 until it breaks. i'm then switching to Canon, that has better products, and better service, or even Sony. i would have wasted a lOT of money on a little used camera, trying to get it working again, if not for the ecellent help at this store. The store person tested the camera, and determined that both body and lense were shot, free. This review is my way of saying thank you. read more

I recently came into this location with an ambition of getting myself a full frame camera within in the next couple/few years. I am supremely pleased with the service of Richard, a man with so much knowledge with camera functionalities, especially the Sony mirror-less cameras that I've recently heard a lot of praise for. I explained to him every concern and question I had from my imagery style, gear, post-processing, and his personal experiences using Sony full-frame mirrorless. Through our dialogue, I learned more than I was expecting, with the advantages of purchasing cutting-edge technology that's rolling into these cameras and that was the advice all intertwined with his stories. Our dialogue was lengthy, yet worthy of my time. From cameras, to lenses, tripods, and SD card recommendations, they're all what I was looking for. Richard was so kind and supportive to my soon-to-be decision. I can't believe that even though I wasn't ready to buy, I know that I'll be coming back to Camera West buying from them after being guided in the right ways. Richard and to those of Camera West, your professionalism and expertise is top-notch and to anyone who is looking for professional gear with professional service, come HERE! You won't regret going to them read more

I agree with other reviews that mention this store giving off a somewhat snooty vibe. I called asking if they carried a specific kind of film, they replied yes, then I made the drive over. When I arrived, they didn't have what I just called about. They offered something similar, but it was far more expensive (ISO 400H instead of 400). I wish they would have made the distinction over the phone to save me a trip! Even amateurs know that there is a big difference, especially price-wise. read more

If it were possible to give this store no stars, I would. I was ignored when I entered the empty store; I browsed around and looked at lots of familiar merchandise in the cases, both used and new. I went there to purchase a sensor cleaning kit, digital printing paper, and see what kind of soft box for my lighting equipment they might have that I could pick up. After about 15 minutes (yes, 15 minutes!) of being ignored by 2 male salespeople, I finally approached them for assistance. My question regarding sensor cleaning was ridiculed by an older asian guy (Hal?), who said that I would not be able to clean my own sensor without damaging my camera. (untrue!) They would do it for me and charge me $50. Other male customers had come in who were known by the salespeople and were promptly assisted. WOW~ When I asked about the paper selections that I had looked at, he said that they were digital papers. DUH, yeah really? Hmmmm, I use a Epson 3880. THE DIGITAL Printer series used by the majority of labs and professional photographers. I opted to pass on a purchase of paper. I didn't even bother to get to the soft box query. I knew what it was like to be judged for being a woman. I'll take my business elsewhere Hal. So I will continue to buy my products in SF or order online. Too bad for Camera West, they could have gotten not only all my business, but all of my colleagues business, if they had just bothered to qualify the customer before passing judgement. read more

Despite the great reviews, my experience was utterly horrible. They treated me as if I don't exist -- like I'm not a customer to them. I was not greeted nor asked if I needed anything. After observing them walk by me numerous times and pretending to be busy in a empty store, I stepped up to the plate. Asked for help, and said they didn't have the product when I checked before hand which it clearly indicated on their online store that it was available. WTF!!!! read more

I went to Camera West based on the glowing yelp reviews - I'm getting ready to buy a new Canon 6d bundle and wanted to get their take on it when compared to the 5d Mark lll. I'm a long-time Canon user, and have owned the original 5d, 5d mark ll, and 1Ds Mark lll. In other words I'm a seasoned photographer and know my way around photography equipment, software, and printing. And, as Amazon now charges sales tax on purchases, I was actually prepared to spend my money locally (which I haven't done in a long, long time). Over the years I've relied heavily on yelp reviews for guidance, and never have I been as disappointed as when I entered this store. I waited 10 minutes before I was acknowledged, and even then it just a 'how you doing' nod from an employee who continued his conversation with what appeared to be a friend. Another employee sat in front of a computer up front, and never looked up from it or at me (at least not when I was looking directly at him). Did I not look like a serious customer - for that matter, what does a serious camera store customer look like? Guys, wake up! It's 2013 - no legitimate retail business profiles customers in this manner. If they did they would quickly be out of business. As for the store itself - a good portion of it looks like a mausoleum for retired camera equipment. For the modern equipment, many of the displays look like they would fit right in at a camera museum - nicely arranged but in a cold and distant manner. It definitely reflects the attitude of the employees. There are many high quality camera stores in the Bay Area - I guess I had hoped to find a local one. This wasn't it. read more

I have gotten advice, traded and purchased gear, and have attended some of their workshops. In all instances, the folks at Camera West have been thoughtful, helpful, courteous and friendly. Yes, they carry high end gear. When I first came to them, Hal helped me pick the Leica DLux 5, a very small, compact camera that has and still does serve me well. Now, almost ten years later, I still use it, and Hal continues to advise me on how to choose the best gear for my pictures. They will partner with you to grow your skills. I really appreciate having someone who is not just interested in selling you the next bit of gear. read more

Fantastic camera store. Best in the west. The Leica gear is to die for. Friendly staff (Hal and everyone else) and just outright professional. Bought a brand new Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 FLE 'Leitz Wetzlar' (rare bird) on Saturday. It's such a magical lens on my M10 Monochrom!! Very, very happy and cannot wait to do business with Camera West again. Thank you. read more

Camera West is an absolute Leica Lovers' wet dream. That being said - I am a Canon using professional photographer so I don't really care about the Leica selection. For big purchases (like lenses) I usually buy my stuff online from B&H but for quick accessories like lens caps and UV filters Camera West was my second choice brick and mortar shop until Calumet in San Francisco Closed! Now that Calumet is gone from the city I'll probably be spending more money and time at Camera West (I hate hate hate Sammy's in the City). Note: I've been involved in photography since High School and in my younger years I was often treated like I didn't matter at camera shops. Sales people often think young people don't have money but I was always treated well at Camera West and bought my first 5D Mark II body there when I started freelancing. If you are a non-professional don't be shy about going in here and asking questions. read more

I am a huge camera enthusiast and am always looking for the best equipment and service to go with it. I am a semi-pro and do a lot of photography gigs on the side of my main job. This is the place to go! Yeah you can order things off amazon like I sometimes do without looking at your items but man I am blown away from the service here! I have been in here many times just to look and to ask questions but the last time I went in to find a few things and get some info on a tripod. They let me try almost every tripod out along with multiple different heads and I got to play with them with my camera move stuff around and get comfortable with what I actually wanted. They chowed me a used Gitzo they just got in and I was sold along with a sweet tripod head. I was wowed by the service! Better yet the next day, today, I received and hand written thank you letter thanking me for my purchase and hoping that I ca capture some great shots with it. SERIOUSLY awesome! I'm very impressed! yes some of their items are expensive but not one time have I regretted buying anything there because of the quality. you give them a budget and an idea of what you need they will find it for you! Thanks a lot guys! read more

Based on some of the reviews and even though I am closer to this location, I almost skipped it and went to another. I'm so glad I didn't. I had to locate supplies for my daughter's college photography class and was having a hard time finding everything I needed all in one place. The prices were also lower or the same that I could find online. And much cheaper than what her college bookstore was selling them at. I called and was helped on the phone and when I arrived, the staff greeted me and let me know they would be with me shortly and apologized for the wait. I regret that I do not remember the gentleman's name that assisted us both on the phone and in person, but he was extremely helpful. He even gave my daughter a short lesson on how to use the camera functions and how to load her 35 mm film. He took the time to encourage her to have a great time learning photography and to come back any time she needed assistance. I would recommend Camera West to anyone looking for experienced, professional and friendly camera assistance. An added plus for this mom is that they are right next to all of my favorite stores! ;) read more

I have never written a Yelp review before. But after my last few visits to this establishment, I felt compelled... This used to be my favorite camera store for both new and used equipment. However, my last 3 or 4 visits have really soured me... With all of the information available online, I really only go into a brick and mortar store if I'm seriously considering a purchase. The last 3 or 4 times I've been in, the employees could not be more disinterested. After greeting me briefly, they loll behind the counter chatting. It's awkward, standing around being ignored, in an empty showroom. This last trip, after about 10 minutes I left the store unnoticed, and placed my order online. I'll be driving to Berkeley from now on for photo equipment or advise... read more

I 'attempted' and failed to clean my Nikon D3s sensor and only made it worse! I was in panic mode as I had a job the next day. I called and was told to come on in! I did and Dan had my camera cleaned in about an hour (and he cleaned the body and the lens and he reattached my strap which I had not installed properly). While he was busy I was busy shopping with the list I had planned to fulfill online at B&H. I got a new tripod, parabolic umbrella, and a short roll of seamless. I will be back to get a good travel backpack as the sling I have now hurts. I was told to bring in all the gear I am traveling with and they would help me pick the perfect one. I will be back! I just read Roseann's review and am pleased I did not experience what she did. I felt welcomed and not put off by all the 'guys' at all. read more

Finally! A high-end pro photo shop in Contra Costa! With reasonable prices! And they actually know their stuff too! They are located in the hipper shopping district of Walnut Creek. No, not where Reed's used to be; indeed this is a real departure from that old-school institution. Camera West is on a second floor business suite and easy to miss, but it's modern, and they stock the good stuff. I went in to get a hands-on look at ThinkTank rollers (the only place in the East Bay that stocks them). They've got Canon and Nikon of course, but also Leica, Hassie, MF and LF. Used and new. Dan runs the place and as a former product photographer of 20 years he knows whats up. He and his staffer were very helpful, and they both stayed way past closing to help us out. -m read more

This is an indirect review of the store; I came here to pick up a lens rental from borrowlenses.com, Camera West allows people to pick up lens/photography rentals from borrowlenses.com at this location. Anyway, I rented the 10-22mm EF-S Canon Lens this past weekend and from my initial experience, the employees seemed to be extremely helpful and willing to assist me with whatever I needed. I thought this was cool since in my case, I was only there to pick up a lens, and they didn't give me any shit or attempted to up sell me on anything they had in store. Besides that, the view is nice; they're located on the second floor of a corner suite facing outside. They also have a pretty huge selection of Leica stuff here, with small dabs of Canon and Nikon stuff sitting on the side wall. read more

I think when yet another shoe store replaced Reed Camera in Walnut Creek, a little piece of my photography-loving soul died, not to mention it was the only professional photography game in town...or so I thought. Enter Camera West, just 7 months old and sparkling new in the Plaza Escuela shopping center. My mom is a long-time customer at their fantastic store in Monterey and as luck would have it, Hal, a veteran Reed Camera employee works at this new location - glory be! My husband just upgraded to a new Canon 5D Mark II (yes, I know, he's a lucky boy) and he needed a better L glass lens to go with it, so we headed in here to check out the selection. Unfortunately with Christmas having just past they were low on their Canon lenses, but were able to ship in a used version of the lens we were looking for from Monterey (and for $300 less than a brand new one!). My hubs also managed to get a great new padded camera bag, battery grip and compact flash case for very reasonable prices. Don't get me wrong, you'll still drop some serious coin at this store, but for good reason, they sell nothing but the best. The store is very well laid out, super clean looking and prices displayed easily, so you know exactly what you're looking at, and the customer service is first-rate. In short...we'll be back I'm sure :) read more

This part of Walnut Creek has many stores deadly to my credit card/bank account. Apple. lululemon. Nordstrom. Add Camera West to that list. This camera shop is a little on the snooty side, compared to the hipster/artsy vibe from other places I've been to, but the guys here have been more than helpful when I came in to browse, but I did end up buying a gently used Canon Speedlite 430EX II. They have an abundance of used gear. They carry Canon, Hasselblad, Leica and Nikon for cameras. They have accessories from the usual suspects. It's probably the only real camera shop on this side of the Caldecott since Reed's departed years ago. read more

This place is amazing. I can't believe the selection they have available for new and used camera accessories. I'm all about Nikon and I'm looking to stock up on a range of different lenses for the D7000. Wide Angle, ultra zoom...etc believe it or not they have everything I need...although it will take some time before I can afford it. The location was hard to find at first but it's right downtown Walnut Creek which makes it super convenient to go to when I'm doing the rest of my shopping. I've been to a few different camera stores around the area and Camera West has always been very helpful with instructions and advise. A++ Business! read more

Happened to find this place on Yelp as there are no pro shops in the Fremont area. I first visited them looking for a Nikon 35mm f1.8G DX format lens for my D90 but they were sold out due to popularity. Sean, from their Monterey store helped me out and let me know when they would have some more come in and put one on hold for me. Sean was very prompt in our email communications and kept me updated as to when the lens would arrive. Once it came in, Hal called me and made sure I still wanted it and kept in on hold for me a couple more days so I could pick it up on a Saturday. Saturday finally arrived, I made the trek up to Walnut Creek where Dan helped me with my purchase and gave me a mini review of the lens which assured me that this would be a good lens for me. I would have to say after using this lens a couple of days, I'm impressed and now see why Dan gave it high praise. The moral of the story is that these guys are great to work with, they even offer seminars now and then. I'm definitely going to come back to them for future lens purchases and advice. read more

I'm sorry to see a 1 star review for these guys due to someone feeling ignored...I understand it can be busy at times and customers might have to wait for assistance or perhaps they're overlooked, but maybe people should speak up if they're feeling that way, not turn to a review site. Especially 1 star...that's rough. Based on my experience here, the staff seemed friendly enough to assist with any issue that might come up...just give them a chance to do so. Fortunately, I had a great experience when I went in here for the first time. It took me a while to get up to the sales floor because I was distracted by the beautiful photos hanging on the walls as you walk up the stairs. Once you reach the top they have a very large vintage camera on display...a very unique piece! Loved it. As you walk into the main room you're greeted by nice camera displays with plenty of room to walk around. I was immediately taken back by how clean and organized everything was. Camera stores tend to feel dark and overcrowded to me, so this was a pleasant change from the usual shop. This is officially one of my favorite camera stores I've been to in the area. Emily greeted me right away and was incredibly helpful. She quickly understood my needs and helped me choose the right products for my budget. She allowed me plenty of time to test out different lenses and even showed off some impressive modeling skills when I was testing out the reflectors. I'm a beginner, in need of some extra training, so Emily signed me up to be notified when one on one instruction becomes available (with a retired 30 year photography vet - yes, please!). Can't wait for that! All in all, I had a great experience here...from the friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful staff to the well-maintained space...this place is a winner in my book. Thanks again to Emily and the Camera West staff for all of your help. I'll definitely be back! read more

Dan Leto is the MAN! I love this place and Dan, the manager, is one of the reasons The amazing selection is also a plus, their sales people (I'm talking about you, Hal!) are awesome. They've purchased a ton of my used gear and given me great prices, and credit towards new stuff. They've cleaned my DSLR's sensors, and taught me how to do it really well. They always have the latest and greatest toys, the best selection of bags and other accessories and the new store is gorgeous!! read more

Camera West is one of the best professional camera stores around. They have a knowledgeable sales staff, reasonable return policies and competitive pricing. Although I live in Washington D.C., I continue to buy the majority of my camera equipment from Camera West. Their used equipment department is hands down the best I have ever seen. Every used item I have ever purchased from Camera West has exceeded my expectations. These days, it can be difficult to find a really great camera store. With Camera West, your search is finally over. Great service and a knowledgeable sales staff makes them second to none! read more

Great to have a knowledgable and professional camera store here. I bought my small point and shoot Leica here last year. Hal (staff member) directed me to this camera and it's been exactly the right thing for when I don't want to bring the bigger pro camera / lens. I use Canon and they have quite a selection of new and used. Great shop! read more

Not only did I come to this camera store with lots of questions, but with my 3 year old son as well. A 3 year old and a camera store don't really go hand in hand....but these guys are awesome. Not only do Ryan and the other gentlemen know cameras, but they were super cool with my little guy. Ryan helped answer all my questions for lighting and tripods and we decided that I might want a camera upgrade. I was impressed with the time and patience Ryan had with my many questions. He took his time explaining different camera, lens and lighting scenarios with me. I eventually decided to buy a used camera from him and love my new Nikon and lens. I have been back in the store several times and Ryan and everyone else are friendly and answer any questions that I have. read more

I started shopping at camera west a few years ago but in recent months I've been shooting a lot of film and I've been in a lot to buy film and accessories for my hassleblad. The staff at Camera West is super friendly and knowledgeable. Sometimes I find myself stopping in just to chat and eat the jelly beans they have at the counter. I normally see Robert or Hal when I go in and they are awesome. I'll never shop at a big box camera store again. Love you guys! read more

A dear friend of mine just returned from a 17 day rafting trip through the Grand Canyon. She took over 300 photos and when she went to show them to me at lunch today, the memory card she has used to download 9 of the 300, that morning, was empty. Yes, empty. After numerous tries to find where they could have ended up on her computer, or elsewhere, and much crying, we decided to look for a camera store. We were on N. Main St. in Walnut Creek and google on my phone suggested Cameras West at 1255 S. Main. Theses guys were exceptional and recovered all her photos. They were kind and helpful and did not exploit a terrible situation by charging $300 for the service, they charged $25. They sent her home with a disk and said they would keep her recovered files on their machine until she called and said the CD was working and she could access all her photos. What a delight to have such a superb first experience. If I EVER need anything related to photography in the future... Cameras West earned my business and it deserves yours. read more

This place is great! No pushy salespeople, great selection and even some cool antique stuff to look at. They dont have everything a serious photographer would need, but the internet never fails for that. I went in looking for a hard to find Lee Filters Foundation Kit. They had 2 in the sales case, one brand new, the other used. The sales guy really tried to convince me to get the used one, since it was cheaper. He even opened the brand new one, to show me that it was identical. After that, he spent about 10-15 minutes showing me various filters and recommending what I needed. I couldn't recommend this place enough. Even if you have nothing to buy, just head over there and drool at all their Leica stuff... read more

I found Camera West by using Yelp to search for any remaining camera stores in the East Bay area. Unfortunately finding a camera store seems to be a thing of the past since the majority of people buy their cameras online. I go to Walnut Creek often, but never knew about this hidden gem. The store is tucked away upstairs sort of off the main drag of Broadway Plaza. The store is beautiful. It's like a museum for Leica cameras. The co-owner was a great wealth of knowledge. I could've spent all day in there talking about photography. If you have the money to spend and love photography this boutique camera shop is the place for you. read more