First time visitor to the camera shop (wow, they still exist?). Very large, clean, well organized and fully stocked store. The shop manager was very helpful, knowledgeable and extremely welcoming. I was able to purchase a spare battery and portable charger for Cannon 35mm camera. Not items you can find ANYWHERE else on such short notice This shop saved me and my planned video and pics during the Rose Parade Thank you !! read more

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My high school photography teacher gave me my first film camera in 2018. It was a Pentax P30t and I had no idea how it worked. The only camera shop close by was Powell Camera so I came in and was immediately greeted with a smile and the shop "Employee of the Month." I grabbed a new battery, and bought my first roll(It was Portra 400). From there, it was all routine: shoot a roll, turn it in before 1pm on Tuesday to get it returned by the end of the week, ask what worked and what didn't get exposed correctly(which happened a lot my first year). Mark and Frankie fielded all of my questions and conversations with wisdom and grace, about the Mamiyas that cycled through the shop, about how to correctly use an off-camera flash on a film camera(though I've failed many a time), about how quickly film was coming back and how many new shooters began to pursue celluloid dreams. I'm not so close by anymore but I'll always remember what this place has given me and countless others. What Mark has left behind in Powell Camera is something that stands beyond its store walls. There's millions of memories here developed, scanned, printed, and returned all over. While I may have been just one of thousands of passing faces, Mark to me was a steward of the craft, someone so unforgettable and tied to the medium here that won't soon be forgotten. Now is no better time to support brick-and-mortar shops like this one. Shoot film, change the world, let light keep your memories tangible. read more

Powell Camera Shop - A photo from the first roll I developed here in early 2018, shot right outside Powell! - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Covina, California

I had a vintage film camera that was in need of repair and I could not find any one near me that was able to fix film cameras, until I came across Powell Camera Shop in Covina. Once we parked and walked in, I knew that whoever was running this place would be someone knowledgeable, and I was right. I took out my camera for the lovely gentleman and he immediately started operating it with ease, checking everything and making sure that other components were working. Let me tell you, this man had fast hands. Unfortunately, it was a repair that he could not do but he was quick to recommend another shop. His other recommendation was that I either return it or see if I could get it repaired from the seller I bought it from. He took care to explain to me what was wrong with the camera and how it would usually work. If you'r'e in need of getting film developed or if you want to purchase cameras, I can safely recommend this spot. Yes, it's located in a very quiet and sort of drab looking part of town, but I don't think you'd find any other place like it in the area. Definitely come here for all your camera/photography needs! read more

OMG.... this guy was AMAZING!!!! We have 2 Nikon 750 "company cameras" that were purchased for our dept. and the 3 of us are all pretty much amateurs w/them. Sad, because if we had more knowledge, we could probably do AMAZING things with these things! One day, last month, I couldn't get my lens to NOT be blurry! one of the new girls must've done something to mess it up... (that's my story and I'm sticking to it!) I remember this camera store way back from when I worked in Covina (NOT going to date myself here), and even though I work in Chino Hills and live in Ontario, I made the trek over to see if I could drop off my camera and pick it up before a photo shoot with Luc Robitaille. (vital that I get some amateur photos when the pro was there at the same time) I walked in with NO TIME for anyone to even look at the camera, let alone me explaining anything to him... and He barely took one look at it, and flipped a little switch at the base of the lens.. and it worked PERFECTLY!!!! again: OMG he saved our butts! THEN... he offered me a water and sent me on my way. VEERRRYYYYY impressive! he's got a customer for LIFE! (don't get me wrong: I DID stop by northwoods inn and get some cheesy bread and salad to take back to hubby =) read more

Had a less than ideal experience than what I'm used to at my usual photo store. I dropped off two rolls of film that took over a week to receive scans back of. My usual place does it same day. When I finally got the scans, they were not high res tif's like I typically receive standard from my usual spot. Upon calling the store to ask for high res scans, I was told i would have to pay the same price again. I was never asked any preference on low vs high res, nor was I told how long it would take to develop, I had to ask after paying. At that point I didn't want to deal with a refund, but I should have. After the gentleman on the phone finally kindly agreed to do new high res scans for free (the reason I'm giving two stars), it took two additional weeks to get those scans. And when I received them today, the colors and contrast of the "high res" versions were all messed up and darker than the original low res versions. Huge waste of $60 only to get poor quality not accurate images 4 weeks later. read more

I've had nothing but good experiences at Powell Camera Shop. Everyone who has helped me with my camera issues & film developing has been knowledgeable and helpful without condescension as a newbie to 35mm film. I first came in with a (broken) film point & shoot that I got from eBay, and Mark determined through a few tests that my camera was indeed defective. The shop had a sleek Minolta in great condition for $45 in the display, so I picked that up along with some Kodak 35mm film. Mark assured me I had a 30 day trial period with the camera. I had to come back due to me pressing the button that completely rewound the film out of sheer curiosity, but Mark was able to figure out what happened and saved me the roll of film. Ever since then, my camera has been working perfectly. I also got film developed here, and the process took 4 days from the drop-off to receiving my scans, as advertised. Each roll was about $16 to develop and scan, which is not bad considering the scarcity of efficient film developing spots and that each roll has 24-36 exposures! The prices for film are a little higher than say, Amazon, but you're supporting a local business during a pandemic, and I personally don't mind paying the few bucks extra. I just wish they had some more of their affordable 35mm film stocked more regularly! I'll definitely be coming back to stock up on film, for any camera questions, or to check out their reasonably priced preloved gear! Thanks Powell Camera Shop for all the help :-) read more

Powell Camera Shop - Selection of 35 mm film! - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Covina, California

The owner took the time to go over my 70 year old Rolleiflex camera with me and make sure I know how to load film properly, and even used a light meter so we could compare it to my phone light meter app. I have had several rolls of film developed through them and they always came out great with 1 week turnaround time. I will definitely be a customer for life. read more

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Every time I've gone they have either had what I needed, or recommended me to someone else who could help. They are friendly and have a lot of options in their store in stock and services. This is my first choice for any thing camera related! Would recommend read more

I brought my FM2 here to see about getting the shutter repaired after I made the mistake of letting my 2.5 year old near my camera while dusting the inside back. I used the rocket duster to blow up her hair and she laughed and said let me try. I was like "ok". Next thing you know, she puts the tip of the duster through my shutter curtain. I instantly regretted my dumb decision of working around her and realized how fast a mistake can be made. The curtain was luckily not bent but wasn't in line. Looked on YouTube to see how I could fix it and quickly realized it was going to be a big job if the camera was going to be taken apart. I tried putting them back into place without removing anything but got scared I would mess it up. Walked into Powell a few days later and explained what happened to Mark. He said let me see it and started working on it right in front of me. Took him about a minute to put everything back into place by hand and check the return to make sure it was working properly. What an experienced pro!! Best part was that he did it free of charge. I'll definitely be back to support their business and I highly recommend to others as well. Thank you! read more

We did our 3 month olds passport photo here today, and they were awesome! Very patient and kind. And quick! Which is much appreciated with a baby who can lose it at any moment haha... Thank you, Powell Camera, for the wonderful service! read more

The service is really good, the store owner is very nice and helpful. He showed me how to use a manual camera since it was my first time buying a manual camera, he was very helpful in explaining shutter speed and aperture and how it affects the exposure in the film. Selection was pretty good for what I needed, I came in to develop film and he gave me options on how I want my film developed like white border, matte or glossy print along with digital print. He also had film and I just bought Kodak Gold 200 to try out the camera for a reasonable price. He also had a couple cameras there but only I picked out the Pentax K1000 since it looks nice and a photographer I like uses this camera, which the pictures came out great and the price wasn't bad considering that other places mark the price way higher. The value isn't bad for a small business, especially for the developing, it's a bit expensive but they come out great and I receive my negatives back too which beats Walmart. I love going there specially since it's near my house. It's an overall good shop that I recommend. read more

Powell Camera Shop - Photo I took with the Pentax K1000 - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Covina, California

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Amazing service. I've gotten all my film developed here and have been happy every time. Great value for what you get. Plus it always feels good to support local family owned businesses read more

Don't know why this business had good reviews. Was promised a quote last week by Thursday by Mark. Called in on Tuesday, still no dice. Was told "John" was out of the country. (Edit- Apparently a KEH appraiser ). Had to call multiple times today (Wednesday) and finally got a low offer. (The low offer is fine, I understand it's used equipment) But now I drive out here and now they're going to make me wait 30 minutes for the check. AFTER multiple calls and emails. Ridiculous. Zero stars. Not recommended. While waiting got to see the super unprofessional video mocking covid-19 concerns. Wow guys. I guess the "Chief Safety Officer" Mark is unaware people are still being effected by covid-19. Tone deaf and unprofessional. It's been more than 30 minutes and I'm still waiting... Got the check, not sure this was better than selling online. All in all I decided to give a four star review after Mark explained about the appraisal. This is a small business and I suppose one can't expect too much. In the end I did want a place to physically sell my equipment and this business did provide that. read more

I'm super happy, I found a good photographer shop not to far from my house. I found an excellent used retro Nikon camera. It was Perfect. Just the one I wanted. I'm very glad I didn't order from Amazon or other photo shops. I even got an "A" in my photo assignment with the camera. It came out beautifully. So happy and pleased how it came out. The owner Mr. Powell was very kind, professional and knowledgeable. Highly recommend it to anyone interested in photography read more

Powell Camera Shop - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Covina, California

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I have used Powell Camera Shop many times. Yesterday, they performed a very simple job. I was most impressed with the expected service for this particular job. So I just want to express my complete satisfaction and urge everyone to choose them for any of your camera needs. There are few camera shops like Powell's. We are lucky to have this one in the San Gabriel Valley. read more

Went here to sell my used camera equipment I no longer used. They were having an event with KEH.com. Mark who works there was really nice and knowledgeable. Loved dealing with him. Found out I can mail my roll of film there to have developed. Will definitely come back to this place again!!! read more

Great place for cleanup your camera with good price. I get my camera super cleaned only for $69. They have cute dog who's working there as well. They're very friendly with deaf person (me). Will definitely come back for cleanup and other else. read more

Powell Camera Shop - Sony a7lll - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Covina, California

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Big selection of products, good service. They offer printing services and they offer photography classes!

Powell camera is a wonderful independent camera. Mark is the go to guy for anything camera. Their customer service is terrific. I highly recommend Powell camera. read more

This is a top-notch establishment it's been in Covina for as long as I can remember, and I am over the age of, I'm not gonna tell you... knowledgeable staff, and very helpfulIf, if you are new to photography or you've even been doing it for a long time and you have a question you think is dumb, there are no dumb questions. They always have my answer. Their photo printing is wonderful and even re-creating old prints of some thing you want to share with somebody else. I highly recommend this camera shop and I will do business with them again and again. read more

I brought my 35mm film roll to get developed at this shop because I saw they had great reviews. But they lost my photos. I brought it in and after a week I called them to get a status and they said it was not included in the batch that came in that week. And after not hearing anything after two weeks, I called again and they said they would check on my photos and get back to me. AGAIN after not hearing anything back for another week, I went to the shop to get my refund because I had prepaid. They had lost my film. There was no communication whatsoever. And it was the first roll of film I had ever taken on a film camera. Very unfortunate, as I was so excited to start taking photos on film. read more

I came here to get a reprint of a 21 year old 8x11 photo. I called to get pricing and hours. The gentleman that picked up the phone was very friendly and answered all my questions. I went in store and got their turn around time for reprints. I came today to pick it up and the photos look as good as the day it was taken. Customer service is great and to the point. In and out in less than 5 minutes. I will definitely continue to bring my business here. read more

Powell Camera, located off the I-10 freeway in the trendy and popular city of Covina California ,is a classic film and digital camera,acessory,supplies and photo lab. The owner Mark Thiel and his staff are friendly and helpful in all aspects of digital and classic film photography. Their photo lab services are superb and they process slide and print film as well as scanning and enlargements from analog or digital files. It's a great photo experience at Powell Camera Shop in Covina,Calif! read more

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Great mom and pop camera store nice selection of used equipment at good pricing also carries photo printing supplies but didn't carry any epson inks read more

Always have had great experiences at Powell! From visits for my company to find equipment to personal needs, they're not only helpful, they take time to ensure you're making the right decision for your needs. Visited today to figure out how to improve my low light theatre photography for my daughters' play tonight. Walked away with not only the right lens but with more knowledge on the best settings to use for tonight. I'm an amateur for sure but try hard and I'm always learning. Greatly appreciated the time this morning as I feel better equipped now! read more

Powell Camera Shop - Photography Stores & Services Near Me - Covina, California

Excellent customer service everytime I stop by. They always answer any questions I have or if I'm having troubles with my cameras. I've come here for prints, film development, and to buy any camera accessories. read more

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I dropped off some video cassettes so they can make them digital since Christmas Eve, and have not received them. They told me the most it will take is about a month, it has been a little bit more than two months. No communication whatsoever and I always have to be the person that calls, never from them about issues they are having (if they are having issues), or why it is taking so long. I was trying to support a small business, but I should've just went to Costco or Walmart... read more

If you plan on getting film developed do NOT bring it here. I used to love Powell camera and had been coming here literally since 2018 and even recommended this place to my friends and family. I will NEVER be doing business with them again after what I've experienced. This past August I dropped film off as normal and usually I get my pictures back in about a week. Two weeks had passed since dropping off my film and I hadn't heard anything so I decided to call the shop, they then inform me that my photos had been "misplaced" along with 20 something other rolls of film. What is so aggravating to me is that the owner, Mark and his other employee never once reached out to me to tell me about the situation and I was always the one having to call them for updates. It's absolutely ridiculous!!!! They're the ones who messed up and should've been doing anything and everything to make the situation better but instead they continuously made me feel dumb for even being upset my pictures were gone! After literally MONTHS of my photos being missing I decided to finally come to the shop to ask for answers and Mark said that to compensate he'd give me a free roll of film but they didn't have any in stock that day and he said to come back, which I finally was able to today. I arrived and mark is not there but his other employee met me with attitude and hesitantly gave me a free roll of film. It's the LEAST they could do after all this trouble they've caused and the way the situation was handled. It's all very disappointing and I will never bring my business back. read more

I just went here to sell a point and shoot camera and lens for college. The person dealing with me was super kind and friendly! I'm definitely coming back here to buy equipment and cameras. A variety of awesome stuff! Even 4x5 and 8x10 cameras! Would highly recommend this place, gonna be my main camera store now! read more

Oh yeah baby! This is the go to place for any photo hobbyist to professional to go to! I have 2 older Canon digital SLRs and one of them I had for many years developed big spots inside the sensor. Tried to clean it myself using a "DSLR Camera Air kit" I got on eBay for $10 but didn't work at all. So as I Yelped the places that work on Canon cameras, I had a choice - Canon factory in Irvine (45 minute drive), independent store in Pasadena (25 minutes drive) or Powell Camera in Covina (5 minute drive). Powell was much closer than the drive to Pasadena or Irvine so I decided to stop by naturally. I didn't expect much because their website does not do this place justice - and don't be mislead by their webpage or lack of webpage content. The store makes up for it and then some. You must visit to see for yourself! A very nicely laid out, organized, and well maintained stock for any level camera person! Photo printing on the spot, Film supplies, and digital supplies!. I was stunned when the nice gentleman stepped up behind the counter offered to help me. When I explained I was a student at Tri Community College taking a digital photo class, he was more than happy to help a novice like myself. I say novice because I used to use the "auto" or "program" mode on my camera only for many years. Until I took the digital photo class @ Tri Community Photo (see my separate review of TCP) I never learned to use the manual mode which opens up a huge photo realm. He looked at the camera, then proceeded to explain the difference between an electronic sensor cleaning and manual sensor clean using a special sterile pad made for the sensor to wipe out the contaminants on the sensor. He said the manual clean is $69.95 which is in line with what Canon charges. I was fine with the charge but here is the surprise: he immediately saw the problem and said he would try to clean it without disassembly of the sensor. In a matter of 30 seconds, he was able to remove all the major dust particles, dust balls, and crud on the sensor! The camera now takes pictures like it was new again! The biggest news: no charge - FREE - gratis! After the cleaning, he even connected my CF card to the Mac computer and magnified the before and after images and I was stunned to see a huge difference in the amount of dust spots on the image. What kind of place does not charge for services - not heard of - never - unreal ! OMG - who does not charge for technical services ? I would have gladly paid for just that simple service but he didn't. For the work done, I would have gladly paid for half of the price quoted. BTW: I work in IT and charge $75 an hour - but not here at Powell Camera. They really are passionate about their business and it shows! They really know how to take care of their customers - many are known by the staff on a first name basis for others that came into the store! So while I was inside perusing their inventory, I was attracted to Canon zoom/telephoto lenses since it's been a long time since I bought camera lenses - the gentleman was very nice to show off the Consumer and Professional Canon line as well as the affordable Tamron line. The Tamron line is very interesting since it's a 3rd party lens maker who engineers an all in one lens which makes lens changes obsolete! I noticed they have a very nice used display and asked about their used lenses and he was also very knowledgeable! So knowledgeable I bought a Canon USM 100-300mm consumer full frame lens (EF) I was always looking to fill that higher end since all I had were the kit lens, macro lens, and 70-200mm Pro lens. Then we started talking about upgrading camera bodies and he said he also rents the upper end pro line of cameras to test out - 1 day rental of a Canon 1D for $150 but if you rent it on Friday, you can keep it till Monday (3 days for the price of 1)! I also found out why people would pay lots of money for a large frame format (35mm+) sensor camera such as the Canon 1D and 5D - was that eye opening or what - I learned more from him in 5 minutes than my weeks in photo class. So I ended up buying the lens and other gear for my old Canon and left happy as a clam! What I did not know until I mentioned the website was that the nice gentleman that helped me was the owner! What a wonderful place to find in these times tucked away in Covina when surrounding big box stores and camera chaines dominate the world with minimal help, no knowledge, and poor attitudes. Powell takes all that away and makes anyone who is first time camera user to seasoned professional and everyone in between feel special and valued! Powell is place to be reckoned with - excellent service, knowledgeable help, and the staff & owner more than accommodating! Would I recommend this place to others ? YES ! Would I return ? YES ! Would I rent and buy here ? YES ! Do they have a customer for life ? YES read more

Great customer service and are always so helpful! The staff is fantastic and they have a great selection of products for analog and digital. Highly recommend!!! read more

Normally I would order all of my camera gear online. But if I need something right away or would rather see a piece of gear in person then Powell Camera Shop is my go to shop. They have both Nikon and Canon products. They have a wide range of Lenses, flashes and other stuff that i'm not sure what it is (lol. i'm still a noob :P). Prices are a little up there (but you gotta pay to play). But I guess just think of it as your buying the item and it includes shipping. Got a question? Want to know how much a lense would cost? Well then just ask the staff! They are really helpful and know there stuff. Gotta park on the street! and they close at 5:30. Awesome place. Highly recommend! read more

i love this place! my hubs and i were in a hurry to find an iphone mount for a tripod for an event early the next day. Luckily, Powell was close by, and its always true for mom-and-pop businesses like Powell - their staff really know their gear. Even if you're under a budget, even if you're fussy and want to try mounts on different tripods, they won't give you attitude. And because I was able to try both available mounts they had available, I was able to discern that the cheap one had limitations for smartphones other than the iphone. One of them had a clip that can get in the way of the camera frame. So I ended up getting the higher priced one. Also, his upsell methods didn't seem pushy at all- he showed me another mount with wide-angle & fisheye lens inside. So awesome, but also out of my budget at the moment lol. Still pretty cool though - might save up for it. Oh I also got a free cleaning cloth ($5 value) from checking in. Yay! I'm so glad I found this place -- it's a few blocks from the I-10. I'm pretty sure this isn't the last time I'll be at Powell's. read more

straight and to the point. Parking: shared lot towards the end of the block. Service: walked in and was greeted by vin? heard another customer greet him by name. He was direct and to the point. I had three old canon powershots (two with lens errors and one with a different kind of error.) He told me that with those, they charge for the time that it takes to take it apart. Each came out to the same price it would cost me to just get a new one. blah. oh well. I'd be interested to come back when I further invest myself in my dslr! :D read more

This place is a little pricey...but not as pricey as Samy's camera shop. It's a family run business and they usually have some good new and used camera equipment. If they can't find an item, they usually can special order it for you. The salespeople are very helpful and usually can answer all your questions. read more

This shop was great. My daughter and I send to five other shops and the variety and customer service was great. Helped by Winn/Wynn. So knowledgeable and helpful. We got what we needed plus a crash course on how to use it. Thank you thank you thank you!!! read more

I've asked a ton of photography questions here and always gotten them answered. Good selection of basic film stocks too. Highly recommend!

Though there were other options to get my VHS videos transfered to DVD, I opted to go to Powell to support a "local" small business. The content of my videos have sentimental value, which I expressed to the man who took them, whom I told how badly I wanted to see them (I just lost my father and these were of him). I called on the day I was assured they'd be ready and was told they had at least an hour more to go, he indicated that would be a few minutes after they closed I called a few minutes later and asked if I could at least pick up whatever they had ready, and he reluctantly said yes (though there was plenty of time before closing). I know my urgency only matters to me, but I don't think they care much to provide good customer service. I picked up the videos they had ready at which time he said the others would shortly be ready if I wanted to wait. They were all done several minutes before closing. I would have waited one more day had I not asked if I could at least pick up the ones. He wasn't really eager to meet the original due date. I dont feel my business was appreciated. Sadly, I was warned about this by friends. read more

Five stars for the customer service. Powell Camera is the only brick and mortar photo store that I buy stuff from because the owners are very welcoming. Like Ron L. said, they'll special order anything for you if they don't carry it. For a local store I'm willing to pay a little extra on items especially if they take the time to accommodate me. I'm not here to knock other stores but on my first visit to the Samy's in Pasadena, one of the people behind the counter started yelling at a customer for mentioning the prices of an online retailer. That really turned me off. Thankfully there is no such attitude at Powell Camera. read more

Purchased a used slr camera and the experience has been great! The staff is very knowledgeable and takes time to answer all of the questions you may have. I feel like i'm in good hands with this purchase and will be going back for more business! read more