I came in today to get service on my very old camera. It had been in storage for quite some time and I wanted to use it again. I took it in to the store and the gentleman behind the counter serviced it quickly. He looked at the lens and thoroughly examined the parts of the camera. He asked me about the camera and told me that the light meter may be broken. After further inspection, he determined that the camera was fine and the fluorescent lighting in the shop made the light meter not work correctly. I was very happy to hear my camera was in good shape. My son has picked up a new hobby and was glad to pass it along to him in good shape. I recommend this shop to those who enjoy having great customer service from true professionals. :-) read more

I am a Manual Girl in a Digital World. I refuse to go digital, I just won't. And so I have difficulty in processing. Film you jerk. Add to the mix that I only deal in Black & White and then you got a REAL problem. Good Black & White film is hard to find, shit - you barely see crappy b&w! This place's got your back. The send it out for processing, it takes like a week or two, but saves you the darkroom work and besides the film shop on Wilson in Santa Rosa, it's the North's last bet. Friendly staff and a small, but good selection of all things photography. read more

Not only are they overpriced, but the attitude of some of the employees drives me to buy from sites like B&H Photo in mere seconds. Heres a tip, when you run a store that is in direct competition with an online site that has much cheaper prices, what have you to offer? For Shutterbug the answer is not customer service. read more

Absolute worst customer service experience that wasn't on a telephone. I'm sure they have a knowledgeable staff, but none of them extended a "hello, may I help you" or "welcome to shutterbug, we'll be with you shortly" for what felt like 10 minutes as I squinted over their counter to look at prices for their digital cameras. I thought the young kids nowadays had horrible customer service skills, but apparently so do men in their 50s-70s. I wanted to support a local establishment that has been around since I was a kid, but I'd recommend sticking to online shopping and saving time and the hassle. read more

Shutterbug on Santa Rosa Ave should be embarrassed by their employees customer service. No one will acknowledge that you are waiting at the counter and when they do you feel as if you are bothering them. First experience the man getting me my photos wouldn't even look me in the eye. Had a problem with my photos and went back. They acted like I was talking to them about my plumbing problem. It was a very bizarre and unpleasant experience and I won't be returning. They almost have it all: online ordering, easy pickup, fair prices for photo prints. But that doesn't cut it for me. If you are rude others can have my business. read more

This is always my go-to place for camera needs and the staff is always helpful. Recently I dropped my old camera on pavement and took it in for a repair estimate. The staff person gave me the estimate and I decided it was time to invest in a new camera and found one I liked on sale. I'm so glad they are still here serving this area for so long. read more

Wonderful, well-stocked shop. Wonderful to have people behind the counter who are not only professional and proficient, but also ethical. I'm very happy with this shop! Recently moved up to Santa Rosa from Alameda, so was used to the camera stores in Oakland, Berkeley, and SF. Hurray - no need to drive! read more

I have been going here for years. I have purchased everything from cameras, lenses, and telescopes. My go to guy was John. He was incredible. Always had an answer, even to my stupid questions. When I bought my daughters first camera she took a photo class from him. She loved it and learned so much. I recently went in to speak to him for a recommendation on a camera for my nephew and he wasn't there. I asked someone and they said that he had retired. I was happy for him but it was the way that they said "retired" made me think of something else. Asking around with photo friends I found out it wasn't his choice. I have not spoken to him as I don't know how to get a hold of him. I don't know if it was new management, as is usually the case, or just the fact that he has been there for so long but I was so disappointed. I am sure camera shops are having problems with so many people using IPhones but there is no replacement for experience and knowledge. No YouTube video can replace a person like a John. I see this happening all over the place and if it is true I say shame on you Shutterbug! I will not be going back there. read more

A very nice photography store where I was surprised to still see ads for darkroom papers... ooooh, I can smell the developing chemicals already! Went here with a friend recently while in the area; been looking for a camera mounting plate for a very old tripod and while unable to find it in big city shops or even online (incredible to believe huh?), within minutes of hoofing to the car to get the tripod, within minutes of trying various plates, came across one that fit and worked with the old tripod! This plate didn't cost even $15 with tax, saving the trouble and expense of buying a newer modern tripod that would've cost well over a hundred for a decent sturdy tripod. Thank goodness for small shops!! FREE street 2-hour parking. I was also surprised to see an advertisement in the shop that featured the St Teresa de Avila in Bodega - which I recognized right away! read more

Shutterbug Camera has been a huge help for all of my camera and printer needs. I do professional printing in home, so maintenance and equipment for all of it requires someone on the retail side that understands my needs. From the variety of camera bodies, lenses, inks, paper types, etc. These guys truly know their stuff and have been a very big help! Thanks Shutterbug! I'll be back for supplies soon. For those looking to get a bit more serious about photography, stay local, there is too much trash online. I learned the hard way already. Don't make re same mistake! Happy shooting! read more

Sales people are helpful. Went in looking at tripods, bags, and some other accessories. They have a really great selection of brands and stuff, amazing selection of lenses. The prices at the shop are pretty fair even against the online retailers and you have the benefit of being able to ask questions and have some support by using a local store. I like to buy local rather than online for hobby items because I like having local stores and experts to ask about equipment. I ended up buying one thing I was looking for online instead because of reviews and they didn't carry that brand. One thing I didn't like is that I went to buy a bag and it had damage on it and the sales guy tried to convince me it comes that way. It did not come that way. ;) The staff are helpful, extremely knowledgeable and they generally have someone available to help. I think this place would be great for beginners and pros alike. read more

It's sad to have to give less than high stars to one of the last remaining brick and mortar camera shops, but alas. First off, the good bits. They're non-corporate. They employ real local folks who have an honest interest in photography. Photo prints are available, as are film developing and help is for your gear available as well as service for hardware like lenses & bodies. The bad bits are, sadly, more numerous. They have a somewhat selective inventory - although this has improved a fair bit in the last year or so. I've overheard staff clearly playing brand favorites and witnessed some aggressive upselling of pricier gear to beginners. Their mirrorless selection is getting better (they used to not even carry Sony A7 cameras) but you can tell their emphasis is still on Canon and Nikon DSLR stuff. That's the other big issue - price. They will claim to do price matching (sometimes), but generally you pay a hefty premium over online pricing to purchase here, and honestly, their sales pitch is not as informed as I'd expect from a store that ought to be doing that part exceptionally well. Film processing services here are also premium priced. I heard some folks balking at an extra $170-ish being tacked on for simple photo adjustments because 'we outsource our photo editing services' (really??). Lens rentals are totally ridiculous compared to online options like Lensrentals. At Shutterbug, renting a Canon 24-105L will run you a cool $40 per DAY while at Lensrentals the same lens is $29 a WEEK!! Wow, guys. Maybe you could cut the locals a little slack, there? Your overhead can't be that high on rental gear. I purchased two cameras from their Petaluma store around 2010, and have bought several lenses and accessories from the SR location since then. I only use them in an absolute pinch because of the prices - and always be sure to arm yourself with lots of research before you buy something expensive. Haggle and make them price-match. read more

I got what I needed here: a camera lens cap. But the people were not very helpful. Sure, a cute girl needs help getting photography advice from the guy at the counter, but when you have five other sets of customers waiting, it's time to quit flirting and work at giving some customer service. Oh well. I got my lens cap. read more

I go to the SR Ave. store all the time. I have NEVER had any problems with them with anything I have went for. They even sat down with me to show me how to use the computers to do my pictures. If you all that think they are high priced, then go were you get NO SERVICE! I hate the big box stores and would rather pay a bit more and get the service! read more

Very disappointed with the customer service. I brought a wedding photo in for enlargement to replace a photo damaged during fire evacuation. The made a mistake and enlarged it in the wrong orientation. I was very happy that they corrected their error But when I asked for the other print that was done in the wrong dimensions they told me I could buy it for 1/2 price. Doesn't make customer service sense to me that they would be willing to destroy a photo that would bring a customer joy rather than forgo the opportunity to profit off of their mistake. The manager was unwilling to reason and cut me off with a hearty "good day sir". Very disappointing read more

A few years back I bought a digital camera from Shutterbug..on Santa Rosa Ave...it took me awhile to figure out how to work it, and even their store that they had in Petaluma at the time was SO helpful. Just recently, I had problem with the camera ...a 'memory card failure'...I took to the Santa Rosa store where Yuri helped me. He was SO GRACIOUS...and replaced a new memory card...at no charge....never even required my 'proof of purchase'....and got my camera back up and running. A few weeks later..(today)..the same problem happened..and of course I went to see Yuri...who was every bit a gracious as before. It is apparent that the camera has a problem that is burning out the cards..and indeed could be at the end of it's useful life.(I use it a LOT)... Yuri got it going again..at least long enough to finish a shot deadline I had today...and also reassured me not to panic about the possibility of a new camera. I will be back next week to get one, confident that Shutterbug ..and Yuri... will be 'right there' to help through every step of the process....'start to finish'.. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND SHUTTERBUG!! read more

This is a great place. Both the Santa Rosa and Petaluma stores have helpful, friendly, and very knowledgeable staffs. Frankly, I'm perplexed by the few negative reviews, because that has not been my experience at all and I've been in the store many times over the past 10 years to buy stuff (including expensive lenses and camera bodies- yes, they are very price competitive). At times, I just go in for expert advice- and I get it. No pressure or attitude that I'm not in to buy. The service there is superior - try getting that level of expertise at a big box store or New York online megastores. Won't happen - trust me. read more

Again I find this to be no surprise. "No need for a camera shop?" What a statement by a person who works at a camera shop to say. As it has been awhile since I have addressed the issue of my trigger unit giving me some trouble. I originally purchased from the Santa Rosa location on the ave and even dealt with the manager/owner who had to replace one of the light stands due to the adjustable lever breaking completely off the stand. I have complained about the trigger as far back as then. Well, after years of wiggling and replacing the battery, I have had enough. So I called the Petaluma location to find out if they could just replace the adaptor. Oddly enough after a 5 minute conversation the person on the phone admitted he was unsure what I was even talking about. Resolve, I went to Radio Shack purchased a new adaptor and the problem was solved. Thanks again for nothing Shutterbug. read more

This company continues to majorly disappoint. More than a MONTH later, my film has not been developed properly. I went to pick up my last roll (bc they make you pick up multiple rolls SEPARATELY....which is extremely inefficient) and they made yet another huge mistake. It's not rocket science Shutterbug....you are a film/camera store....just develop film like you say you will. Even Costco can do it. It is unethical to call yourself a film/camera store and continue to lose and do a half-ass job at developing your customers' film. You are toying with people's money and memories. Reporting to the BBB. read more

I am so sorry to have lost their downtown Petaluma store! I am going to lay part of this loss to the revamping of the traffic lanes on Petaluma Blvd from 4 to 2. I know I am not alone in avoiding driving though downtown do to the congestion that resulted from this change. I used to drive through downtown many times a week, see the stores, including this one, and be inspired to stop, park and go in to peruse frequently resulting in a purchase. Many people have shared my experience saying they take back streets to avoid the standstill traffic on our single lane streets. read more

I have yet to find a decent camera shop. This was yet another disappointment. The product selection is limited for camera related products. It seems like half the store is photo frames. I have heard that the Santa Rosa store is bigger but haven't bothered to check it out. I was in a pinch for a background one time and called the Santa Rosa store, didn't have what I needed. They tried to sell me another color (even though I specifically needed white) and the price was outrageous. I had high hopes for this place, but I will continue shopping online. read more

I really like this store a lot, & there's not too many places like this around anymore, I'm sorry to say. The only bad time we had here was when the asian woman with the weirdo hairdo was there, who obviously didn't belong in customer service anywhere. Now she's gone, thank goddess. I've always preferred to work with the more mature staff members with the most experience. You always get a free cd when you get your film developed too. What I don't care for are the do-it-yourself machines, which I don't use. They still have film here, but none of the faster slide films I used to use. read more

This is a great camera store! If you find buying expensive photo equipment online to be impersonal and off-putting, then go to Shutterbug, where you can look at it, touch it, try it out, and get good advice from knowledgeable people before shelling out thousands of $$$. And the best part is that buying online from the big retailers in places like New York is no more economical than buying locally from Shutterbug -- prices are the same, and return policies are the same. I have bought 3 new cameras and multiple lenses over the past 5 years from Shutterbug and would never consider going elsewhere. read more

I came in two days in a row right before they closed and was given plenty of attention. Even after they closed I wasn't rushed and Pam was incredibly helpful when I was asking a ton of questions. I bought a new lens and some accessories on my second trip. I was very impressed with the customer service I received and I will be coming back. read more

I am taking a trip to Iceland this fall, specifically to see the Aurora Borealis. I have been researching "travel cameras" that would have the ability to customize aperature/shutterspeed...I have spent countless hours- not finding actual information I could use...also read tons of reviews from pros" that don't apply to an amateur like me. Plus prices were all over the place! I decided to check out Shutterbug, since I needed some better advice. Customer service was fantastic...within 15 minutes, I had decided on a reasonably priced camera, that also gave me the options I was looking for. Nothing beats good customer service and the chance to handle the cameras you are looking for. Wish I had just gone there in the first place. I feel I have the camera I was looking for...I will be returning for anything else I need. read more

I purchased a Canon 5D mark ii when they first came out, several years ago, and the staff was polite, professional and very helpful when it came to selecting the camera. I've since returned several times for lenses and with questions and they continue to be a pleasure to do business with! read more

Most camera stores have gone the way of the Dodo bird. We are fortunate to have a real camera store in our area (I think the next closest camera store is in Mill Valley). Shutterbug has been our local photo shop for decades. The staff is always friendly and happy to provide assistance, passionate about photography, experienced, knowledgable, and willing to spend as much time with you as you need. I admit I often buy from the internet, but I much prefer to do my business with Shutterbug, even when I pay more (usually within a factor of 1.1x to 1.15x). I consider the difference in price as a "fun factor." I get to talk to someone in person, hold the merchandize in my hand, ask questions, and try the item out in the store before I make my purchase. I can also inspect it for both functional and cosmetic defects. I don't have to worry about my packaged getting damaged during shipping, or stolen from my porch. If the item is defective I don't have to ship it back, I can simply return it to the store for refund or replacement. The best part of the walk-in purchase experience is supporting your local camera store, who hires working people like you and I. I want them to remain a part of our wonderful community. read more

While traveling, stopped in to purchase a prime lens. They didn't have in stock, but said they would be receiving one later in the day. Left my info for them to call me. They never did. Ended up going to Best Buy. read more

This is the same company that has shops in santa rosa and its the same thing here in terms of service and selection. great people, great gear and for a full service photography shops its great. been many times, spent plenty of money here, its great. read more

I went there the other day to see if my camera could be taken apart and cleaned. (I had recently went to the beach and think some sand might have gotten into my zoom lens cuz it wont focus, all my pics are blurry now) I had gotten my camera there a little over a year ago and the guy that helped me was really nice and helpful. Well the lady is not. I was telling her about my problem with my camera and how I was going to take it apart myself and see if I could fix the problem, she laughed at me like I was an idiot and told me that was a terrible idea because I would have broken it. So I was asked her if I could get my camera cleaned and as soon as I took my camera outta my purse, she snatched it pointed to my camera with a dead serious face and told me "this is camera abuse" (my camera is a black olympus and the paint scratches off so easily you can scratch it off with fingernail so this is not my fault at all, it was olympus' poor testing on their camera frames, ANYways)... She then had the balls to reach across the counter and open my purse and push all my stuff around saying "its broken cuz of girls like me" because I didnt have a case for it and it's cuz of my keys and the metal on my wallet that ruined my zoom lens. I was furious she had just went in my purse, all I went there for was to ask one simple question, "Can you clean my camera or not?!" Not have to her lecture me on "camera abuse" and "girls like me" and to rummage through my personal belongings... Besides when my camera stopped working right, it in a cloth bag! After my few minutes of lecture, she told me they dont do cleaning there and it was gunna be at least $150 to send it out to be cleaned. Then tried to sell me some crazy huge bright yellow drop/water proof cameras that were for people who did extreme sports and saying that I should have got one of those from the get go, while laughing. She's crazy to think that Id ever buy anything from there again!! I would have been better off taking my camera apart myself in the first place. If you do go there, ask to talk to the guy, not the lady who needs to learn a few things about customer service and satisfaction! Oh, by the way she only had one shoe on... yeahhh weird. read more

They are charging sales tax on lens repairs. I know this is illegal by state law, but when I complained they just said I'd have to talk to their accounting firm. Totally bogus!! Get your car or furnace or anything else repaired and there is NO sales tax. Get a lens repaired by shutterbug and they charge you the full state sales tax.... and you did not purchase a thing!!! read more

Ditto on the overprices. I went in for a camera backpack and ended up spending over a grand there for the pack and several other items. A few months later, I found that I never used the backpack, so I decided to sell it on eBay. And that's when I discovered that several venders were selling the same brand and model Tamrac backpack for less than $100. These scammers at The Shutterbug sold it to me for $150. God only knows how overpriced the Canon lens I bought was. I'm afraid to look. Stay away from this place! read more

Run by some old guys. I'm sure they are up on the newest stuff though. I had to wait a few minutes for them to check me out. They were helping someone with questions. That person was there before me too. read more

Hello, We LOVE to support local businesses. Unfortunately, this one is not worth support. My wife and I placed an order that included 7 calendars. When we picked them up, we checked the top one, and it was fine. Two days later as we were wrapping them to ship to Illinois for Christmas presents, we noticed that the other 6 had an error on the last three pages. Although we understand that mistakes happen, it seems a little unreasonable to have to check duplicate items in the same order. It would reason that if one is correct, they all should be correct. I would hate to have to check every one of a 100+ greeting card order. When we brought the calendars back and informed an associate about the issue, we did not receive any offer of compensation for the inconvenience. In fact, we did not even receive an apology. We were simply told that the corrections would be done at noon. At 12:30, I called the store, because we had not received any word that the re-do was ready. After asking if our corrected calendars were ready, the associate put me on hold for a few minutes and then returned to tell me that they were not ready yet. I asked when they would be ready, because we needed to ship them by 3pm today. He asked me to hold again so he could find out. When he came back this time, he said that the order was actually ready. So apparently when he put me on hold the first time, he didn't really check to see if it was in fact ready. Again, no apology. We came to the store to pick up the re-dos. After locating them, the associate left us to review them. They were done correctly, so we left. Last chance, but still no apology. Former customer, Michael read more

I took my wife's camera to have the battery replaced. The battery is in the body of the camera without a door so the body must be opened to replace it. I was met by someone at the counter who immediately said, I have never seen that camera before. A few minutes later, he, with great confidence told me the battery could not be replaced. He also go very upset with me when I told him, he didn't know that. I took the camera home and within a few minutes had the battery out ordered another one online. read more

Now this place is a treat. Yes, it's a chain, nothing special, a lot of digital cameras and cheesy photo albums, but it nonetheless had the film I wanted, and the guy who owns it is a dear. Totally reasonable prices, too. read more

my last experience here was years ago. it was so unpleasant I have not returned. To make a short story shorter, I was publicly humiliated when I was leaving the store when one staff asked another loud enough for us all to hear, "Did she PAY for those?" Being accused of attempting to steal my prints was too much for me. read more

This is a great camera shop with friendly and knowledgeable staff that will spend time with you and allow you to play with any of the cameras, lenses, and other equipment. The best. We need to support local businesses like Shutterbug by making our purchases at the store instead of using the store to tryout stuff and then ordering online to avoid sales tax. I am willing to pay the sales tax so that stores like this stay in business and people keep their jobs. read more

wow, my shots from my honeymoon are completely ruined. terrible job. i used to work at a dark room and know how bad it is. the worst part is that i can't fix the negatives. you guys are nice enough but the amount that you charge for the job that you do is inexcusable. three color rolls, single photo printing for just under $50 and it's garbage. just sad. read more

You gotta love a deep and critical review like Chris S's. "Overpriced". Is that all we care about in this day and age? Not me. The folks at Shutterbug are knowledgeable and helpful and they have the best selection of cameras in the North Bay. Their prices are competitive, but may be a little higher on some things if you're used to shopping out of state on the internet (roll the dice anyone?). But can you put a price on service? Any time I've had a question or problem they have been there for me. Priceless. Their lab services are great too. I'm so sick of department store/Costco quality photos. You get what you pay for. At Shutterbug there is actually someone there with knowledge and ideas to assist in creating and completing photofinishing orders. What a breath of fresh air! If all we care about is rock bottom price, then all we will eventually have is just that with no service to go with it. Thank heavens for locally owned businesses like Shutterbug! read more