I recently purchased a Canon A1 that had a terrible shutter squeal as well as deteriorating light…read moreseals. I brought to Ross who was able to fix it right up. Upon the service he was able to identify another problem with the camera and repaired it. Now I got my camera back and is working magnificently. Thanks again Ross! Don't forget to give some attention to Gretel!

I went there to see about film cameras and Ross who is the owner ( business is run out of his home)…read moreproceeded to preach Christian nationalist ideals. He is both racist, homophobic, and pro I.C.E. The environment was very uncomfortable I would not have sought out business here if I knew this. Go at your own risk I have also seen other reviews stating he has harassed them via email with propaganda and shown photographs of dead bodies in automobiles that he has photographed.

This is the first report on Authorized Camera Repair (ACR) so it should be written without…read moreprejudice or malice. Let me start by setting the background: After going to Simon's Camera and being told that my fairly new SLR needed to be shipped back to the manufacturer for repair I started looking at other shops because this didn't sound correct. I called ACR and was given a chatty direct explanation of how the system works: Most Camera shops do not do their own repairs - they send them out and mark up their vendor's work. According to the gentlemen at the counter many local stores send cameras to him. So I went to Simon's, got my camera, took it ACR and paid the $10 fee to take a look. Side note: Simon's had tried to charge me $20 just for shipping! After having the camera for only 2 days i called the shop and was told after running extensive tests there was nothing wrong with my camera (works perfect) no extra charge would be assessed - I can only imagine had Simon's serviced my camera it would have been "a major part" at 100 bucks + labor. This store is honest and knows its stuff. Go there if your camera is broken. Having said that (Curb your Enthusiasm reference), the gentlemen working there needs some serious customer service training. It's probably his establishment and he has been tucked away there for years but he is quick tempered and forceful with his verbal transactions often cutting the customer off and speaking to them in an unknowingly condescending way. Which, I guess, sometimes is all find and dandy if you just want it done right. ACR is recommended, bring your thick skin. JG

I'd like to start off saying that the repair shop is not on site and its cash only.The shop is at…read morea seperate location so if you decide not to get your gear repaired you'd have to wait a few days before u can get it back. I thought that detail was important enough to be mentioned first. Anyway, I brought 2 flashes over for repair on Friday(11-13). Tom was about to close shop but he was nice enough to wait for me to bring my gear in. Tom is very pleasant, very chatty. Paid $10 cash for each flash to get his tech to look at it. Great start, was definitely seeing where his high ratings were coming from. He asked me to call him wednesday the following week(11-16). Called wednesday, gave him my ticket number and he said hey, one flash is repairable - $84 - and he'll have his guy take the parts out of the 2nd flash to get it to work. I say thats fine, kindly have his guy put the 2nd flash together so i wont have a bag of flash "parts". I was thinking maybe i can bring the 2nd flash somewhere else and get them to repair it and i dont think anyone will want to repair a "bag of flash parts" . He said it would be double labor , if his guy had to put it back together. In my head im going. $84+$20=$104 and ill end up with one working flash and a "bag of flash parts". I decide to just not get them repaired there so i ask him to just have his guy put the flashes back the way they were, and ill get them repaired elsewhere. He's like ok, but i wont get the flashes back until Friday (11-18). fine. A few minutes later he calls saying hey... I talked to the guy and he says he'll try to put it back together. At this point im already a bit agitated but I give him credit for going the extra mile. I give him the go ahead to just fix the flash and get it over with. He tells me to call Tuesday(11-22) At this point i hop online, buy an SB-600 off craigslist for $150bucks, and get my instant gratification. So. $104 for a repaired flash using parts from my 2nd flash and over 2 weeks of waiting... or $150 of instant gratification ($200-$250 for a brand new one that you get in 3-5 business days). You be the judge. He certainly gets points for being a good businessman, just isn't practical for my particular situation. I'd love to give him a high mark but im just not happy with the all in all experience.Of course, this may be a totally different story if he was repairing a $5000 camera body for a few hundred bucks. UPDATE: March 03, 2012 So the repaired flash stopped working again with the exact same symptoms. Turns out that the fix was a $7 Flash tube replacement from Nikon and about 30mins-1 hour of soldering. His tech who took the flash apart previously also did a bang-up job of putting it back together. he actually melted some mounts trying to get to one end of the flash tube and the rubber bands holding the tube and the wires werent properly guided back cleanly. The tech also apparently "didnt have enough time" to put the 2nd flash together so i found loose parts and screws in it when I took it apart to move the flash tube

Friendly, knowledgeable, fast, affordable, and kind. Absolutely the best place in LA.read more

Needed the retainer ring unscrewed from my Xenar 210mm f/6.1 large format lense from Schneider…read moreKreuznach. A specialty spanner wrench is needed. Dropped by during my lunch break and Paul was able to assist to put it into the new board I have. Thank you! Will be definitely be coming again if I have any Leica or Hassleblad film camera that need servicing!

Albert Muro, was great. He helped me very quickly and was very knowledgeable about cameras. If you…read moreever need equipment I would suggest you stop by Samy's first

I've been shopping at Samy's since the early 1990s, and I've stayed a loyal customer all these…read moreyears because of their knowledgeable staff, extensive inventory, and excellent customer service. Very few brick-and-mortar photo stores can match Samy's selection, and being able to hold, test, and compare products in person beats guessing online any day. Scott B recently helped me with an exchange, and the experience was so smooth it inspired me to finally write this review. Samy's is a fantastic business, and I recommend it without hesitation.

Alan Gordon is one of those businesses that I have been going to for decades. Not just at this…read morelocation but in their previous locations as well. This is the place for indie filmmakers to get what they need at reasonable prices. Whether you are buying or renting they really have a good selection. As we all know, the realities of the industry have changed a lot over the past couple of decades. One of the things I like about Alan Gordon Enterprises is that it has really stayed up-to-date with what is going on with technology. This keeps them at the forefront of being able to offer very competitive services to its clients. Things like lights haven't changed that much in recent years. But, even for the subtleties that are needed to light certain scenes, Alan Gordon has the fixtures that can make it happen. Some people complain about rental equipment not always working from this company. For the most part that's not true. But sure, I've had that happen to me a few times as well in the past. But, the reality is, where else are you going to get that camera or that whatever at a reasonable price? And, as a filmmaker this is an occurrence you should be prepared for. This is why it's always important to have a back up for anything that you do not personally own and are sure that's going to work. Overall, Alan Gordon Enterprises is one of the legacy businesses of Hollywood. Keep the tradition alive!

Decent rental house, not my go to place, but it's worth considering it, calling, see if their…read moreequipment fits your production situation. Their prices are lower, very indie friendly. It could work if you are flexible and not very picky. Customer service could be a bit better in my opinion, but Alan Gordon is always an option.

Stopped in today to check out Analog Photomart. Bryan was welcoming and very cool…read more The prices for developing and emailed scans seem quite reasonable.

Love this place! I purchased a film camera there along with some rolls of film. Staff was super…read moreknowledgeable and helpful in narrowing my choices down in cameras. They have some of the best prices for film i've seen and you're supporting a small business, can't beat that!

I found Birns & Sawyer, Inc. when I had some problems with my Canon XL1, and they are specialized…read morein professional motion picture equipment. I contacted them by phone to find out if the trip to Hollywood would make any sense. Jim was very help full through the phone, answering our questions accordingly, without getting frustrated. We decided to get on the road, so our XL1 would be operational again. At location, Jim was again very help full, and went out of his way to check our XL1 on any damages and what not. We found out that only the battery needed to be replaced. Jim gave us some additional tips and we left the store with a new battery and plan to come back to pick up some other stuff for the camera. As a site note I want to say that this day, B&S were getting ready for a seminar 'Film or Digital?' It was pretty busy, moving things around, but in spite of all that Jim was willing to take his time and really helping us out. Thanks Jim

This shop is a filmmaker's and cinematographer's best friend!…read more There is a lot of film equipment out there, but the good people at Birns & Sawyer have USED all equipment and they will be able to tell you what's best - their free advice is included with each product Of note, whether you're Michael Bay, or a student filmmaker, Birns & Sawyer treats everyone like a king - you can't go wrong here!

They have a huge amount of stuff. However. Buyer beware if you buy something from them online and…read morehave to return it they will not do a RMA shipping label. I bought a Marelux travel case it was junk. Had to ship it back used USPS it was literally the SAME COST to ship it back as it was to buy it. Spent $8000 and had to pay for the return shipping on a $99 item

I was new to underwater photo/video and felt completely overwhelmed at all of the available camera…read moreset ups that are available. I found Bluewater Photo and initially they were very helpful and answered all my questions, eventually helping me put together a full kit (housing, lights, ports, etc.) I was helped by Tommy who offered to set up a zoom call with me once I received my equipment to show me how to put it together and how to take care of it. As soon as I paid for the equipment, it was impossible to get ahold of anyone. I reached out several times to try to set up this promised zoom call and never got a response. I ordered in March 2020, so the equipment sat in boxes until April 2021. When I finally had the opportunity to use it, I discovered that I was sold the wrong focus gear for my lens (which was also sold to me by Bluewater so there's no chance that they didn't know which lens I had) and that there was sand in my housing. I purchased what I was told was a very gently used housing that they had used a few times in house to shoot a couple of demos. When I reached out, they did send me the correct focus gear free of charge and they apologized for the sand in the housing but weren't able to offer any logical explanation as to how this would have happened to begin with. By this point I had already decided I would not do business with them again, but the reason why I am now writing this review after so many months is because the buttons on my housing are not working. They were always tenuous at best, but now most of them do not function at all. I have used this set up maybe ~20 times since April of this year and have been meticulous about cleaning and caring for it in between dives. I believe that Bluewater Photo took advantage of a customer who was new to the industry and sold me poorly maintained equipment because they felt they could get away with it. I cannot recommend Bluewater Photo less. They only want your money - customer service and quality sales are not their priority. Underwater camera equipment is such a massive investment. Don't make the same mistakes that I and others have, and be sure to purchase through a different company.