The last month of my life has been spent glued to my computer working on a 50th anniversary…read morephotobook for my parents. Actually, it started a bit earlier. I did LOTS of research before deciding what company to use. I wanted good software, MATT paper, and a high quality finish. Jessops came out quite high in all aspects but I still needed to be 100% sure. The one flaw in online services? You don't know for sure what you're getting til it arrives. But..... Jessops had a shop in Edinburgh! Woohoo. So, a month ago we plugged Murrayfield Sainsbury's into our GPS and ventured out into a section of Edinburgh we were unfamiliar with. Apparently, so was our GPS which wanted us to enter via the Gorgie road side, but (big tip here) the parking is on the Westfield Road side. Jessops is a small unit within Sainsburys. They carry everything you need for your camera, have instant print stations (glossy paper only) and a full photo lab with more paper options and superior quality, but you have to wait. On our first visit, we just wanted to see samples of their photobooks and we weren't disappointed. They had several different styles there so we could get a good idea of what the final product would look like. The staff were really helpful with letting us know all the options. If you just want to dump a bunch of pics (maybe all from one holiday) into a book - they have computers set up where you can make one on the spot. Or, you can use the comprehensive software that is free to download. My research informed me that the CEWE software Jessops uses is top notch. So, we liked the software, liked the matt paper options, liked the product and loved that we could collect the book in store and not worry about being away when it's delivered. One big decision made, now it was time to work on the book. The CEWE software was fairly easy to use. A few options were not easy to find, but thanks to the online help, I eventually managed to figure out how to do everything I wanted. There was also a separate download for a photo editing package - it is recommend to edit the pics before uploading to CEWE. I used my own software which I was more comfortable with. I used a lot of old photos and did my best to make them look as good as the up to date digital ones (without losing the vintage feel). It all looked 'OK' on my monitor, but wasn't sure how it would print. I was also able to add cute little touches using clip art, frames, masks which could be downloaded from CEWE's website - the selection was amazing. Well, a month later, practically blind from staring at the monitor, I pressed the submit button. Took an hour to upload! Now I had 7 to 10 days to wait. After paying online (when you submit) I went over to Jessops website to double check the delivery times. To my surprise, there was a 30% off voucher code!! Oh no! I quickly emailed Jessops with my order number and they graciously applied the offer and refunded my credit card the difference. In about 7 days I got an email to collect my book. I was nervous. I knew the pages would be matt but all the sample books had a glossy cover - would it be too shiny and cheap looking? Would the box I paid extra for be nice quality? Would my old, edited photos look nice? Well, Jessops outdid themselves on every aspect. The cover was MATT! and looked so classy. The photos that I scanned in printed out looking far better than the originals. The paper was gorgeous, the colours were true and natural. The box was black linen and had a magnetic clasp and hinged lid (I thought it was going to be a standard two part box). Now I want to turn all my photos into books! And I'm sure my parents are going to be blown away.

I bought my Nikon Coolpix B700 camera there, was served by a very nice and professional young lady…read moreand I paid the same price as other internet retailers. Will certainly go back if I need to. Recommended.

Although I've heard great things about this shop, I must admit I was a bit disappointed to find…read morethat it sells mostly second hand equipment. When I asked if they had the new Nikon DSLR that I was interested in, they just said rather abruptly that they didn't have it there was no offer to get one for me or a suggestion of where else I could look for it. I think the outside of the shop ought to say that it stocks mostly (or all?) second hand gear. Having said that, it may well be the best place to pick up bargains but I can only rate it so far on my limited experience. It's open Mon-Sat 10.00am-5.00pm, closed Sundays.

This place is the photographers camera shop. A fan of taking your memory card to boots to take…read moreadvantage of the 1 hour print service? then maybe this ain't the place for you. Got yourself a proper, non point and shoot camera and need some gear/advice then this may well be the joint you've been looking for. Now in all honesty, in terms of Cameras i'm probably in the former category listed above, however while popping in here for a quick nosey, its hard not to be impressed by the array of new and old Cameras they have on display. And i bet they actually know what there talking about as well..

This is one of the few actual camera shops left in Stirling. The staff in the store are very…read morehelpful and will help with any needs that you may have. It doesn't matter whether you are in buying thousands of pounds on a camera/equipment or just need advice about what is the best size photo print to go for. They don't talk down to you and there advice is easy to understand. I go here for all my photo prints, whether actually putting in an order instore or using there online service and collecting my prints instore, the service is always fantastic.

Smallish shop. Very helpful staff but small stock.read more

Nestled inconspicuously beside a beauty product wholesaler, in a corner of an industrial estate off…read moreBonnington Road, Calumet is one of the best places in Edinburgh for photographic kit and advice. The range is excellent, with a good selection in-store and a much wider lineup available for quick delivery. It's primarily aimed at pros (which I am most certainly not) so there's a lot of high-end names on show, covering cameras, lenses, studio kit, lighting, stands and other accessories. But Calumet's own-brand stuff is very decent and affordable, and is my primary reason for going there. For example, I needed a set of wireless flash triggers and didn't fancy laying out £300+ for an all-singing PocketWizard setup. Calumet's basic own-brand? £40. Now the downside: It can be a little intimidating. I've never once been in there when the customers have outnumbered the staff - most often it's just me. A couple of times, they've actually seemed quite confused to see someone not wearing a Calumet polo shirt. That said, once they get their bearings, the staff are exceptionally clued up, friendly and helpful. They're patient with my dumb questions and very candid about things like value for money. You really get the feeling they're personally passionate about photography and have used the kit in anger, not just in training. They also run courses on various aspects of photography, from landscapes to lighting and portraiture. There's even one called 'boudoir', which I can only assume is for aspiring property photographers. The net result is that, unlike Jessops, there are good reasons for coming here rather than just buying kit online. In the Age of Amazon, that counts as praise.

There are few things more annoying for a passionate photographer than going on a photo trip abroad…read morewith broken gear. Just a couple of hours before driving into the Highlands, the ball head on my tripod broke down and almost rendered the whole thing useless. The staff at Calumet helped me out by getting rid of the broken ballhead (which required a good amount of brute force) and replacing it with a new one. The store may be somewhat hidden between Bonnington road and Leith Walk, but the friendly and helpful staff and the selection in-store make up for it. I had a chat with one of the staff memebers and they definitely know their way around photography.

Kodak place -south clerk street .....3.5 stars really…read more _______________________________ Great Internet place. Really need this as I don't have a computer/printer at home. They have great facilities. Passport photos and uploading iphone photos onto a disc. No doubt more things available. Until today I've had nothing but great things to say. The owner is charming and Gavin Hill Graphics downstairs is superb. He did a menu for us a Himalaya Cafe. Tell you more about his fabulousness in a review of his business. Back to kodak place. Careful of the new staff member -Zain - a extremely unhappy back chatting unthinking robotic individual. I simply wanted to pay for my prints whilst staying logged on. As I thought I might have done them wrongly and not knowing if I had more to do online. As a customer I feel I don't need to explain all this. Dare I say a hugely annoying man! I will definitely go again as it is the only internet place at the top of Newington. I'll not speak to him ever again. Enjoy everyone!!

Visited the South Clerk Street Shop - totally disappointed as I wanted a vintage cassette turning…read moreinto a CD - Why did nobody tell me you broke the tape - I had to wait longer because your staff did not ask last Saturday for my telephone number when this obviously happened - I was rung up today and instead of a polite customer friendly person you got someone coughing down the mobile stating my cd was ready. The previous week I went in and was asked why I had not left a number - err reason your staff never asked " - I wasn't expecting alot as your disinterest in customers is pretty legendary but I want to make sure everyone knows that the cd I got for for an half an hours running and I got a 16.57 - even basic maths tells me something is missing. The cassette tape was not broken and was still able to be turned it in the spools. I sang on this CD when I was 12 and since my birthday was next week and I am 54 its pretty vintage but I will now have to get the cassette fixed and spliced. Thanks for being so rubbish. I will be contacting your Kodak office

Half of my graduating class were self-proclaimed photographers, angstfully capturing the "essence…read morethat is life" with ridiculously expensive cameras, so you can't blame me for being a tad sceptical about photography. I finally made it in to the gallery after walking past it quite a few times, and I wasn't disappointed at all. There's a pretty cool exhibition on show at the moment, which should last throughout the whole festival, called the Pursuit of Fidelity (very deep name ofcourse....). I won't say I'm a convert, but it was definitely a good way to pass time! What's even more interesting about Stills is the opportunity to get quite involved if this is your sort of thing; they have impressive darkrooms we were lucky enough to check out, and actually offer professional training for would-be photographers! I fleetingly considered it... as it would probably be a nice break from university for a while.

If you happen to just be wandering up or down Cockburn Street, trying to avoid all the uber…read moreexpensive shops that seem to just stare you down, in a vigorous attempt to get you to give into purchasing pretty unnecessary items, stop by Stills instead. Why? 1) Because you don't have to pay anything to go in and ogle some hit-or-miss photography and 2) Because checking out someone's photographs beats ogling ridiculously expensive clothes any day. And though the people who work there might seem disaffected and indifferent to your presence, it's probably just because they've been sitting in the same place for a few hours with nothing to do. If you have any questions, though, they tend to perk up and become willing to give you a hand. Stills isn't just a gallery, though. There they have digital labs and darkrooms and all sort of delicious photographic facilities that you can use (at a price, of course). They also hold workshops from time to time. Once you've been to Stills once, it becomes a bit of an addiction. The huge windows that give you a peek of whatever exhibition is in there at the moment, beckon to you with open arms. And they're not even trying to take your money. Who woulda figured!