This is a good place to go to for professional advice and equipment. For lower end hobbyist/consumer grade stuff make sure to get them to price match The Camera Store because they're usually cheaper. For almost everything you can say "It's cheaper at The Camera Store" and they won't bat an eye and match it quickly with zero fuss. As for professional equipment the guys that work their pro counter are more knowledgeable than most of The Camera Store's staff. They're not biased towards brands which is very important in my opinion. Nobody wants to be told that the reason they're having problems is because they invested $8k in canon or because they invested $k in Nikon or something silly like that. If you're interested in digital MF I think these guys really stand out. Every single one of their pro counter guys are knowledgeable in this regard compared to only about 1 or 2 staff members at The Camera Store being knowledgeable enough to answer serious questions about a MF workflow. Do keep in mind if an obscure item's not in stock it's going to take bloody forever for them to get it. They order it through their Toronto head office and unfortunately all the incoming stock at the head office gets diverted to their toronto locations and the calgary locations get the scraps. But they do stock the regular, important equipment. Also: NO REFUNDS IF YOU'VE SO MUCH PULLED A LENS OR CAMERA OUT OF IT'S PACKAGING BAGGIE. If you're an impulse shopper DO NOT SHOP HERE. Shop at best buy or something where they'll refund your impulse purchase. Keep in mind you can rent equipment before trying it. read more

we purchased a drone from this place, after seeing the product from close and registering with trans Canada for drones, we figured out it's not fit for us and dec to return, at the store without check on the drone or the date straight up they say they don't do returns it's final sale. Clearly it wasn't mentioned at day of purchase and now we have a drone that has no use for us, I will personally will never go to this store again and wouldn't recommend for anyone to do so read more

If you need camera gear, Vistek Calgary is your spot! Good grief these guys are helpful and fast. I would highly recommend shopping here! Ask for Connor ;) -Trent read more

I'll be honest: I didn't always used to be a fan of Vistek. I used to find them very arrogant and high pressure every time I used to visit. But I've learned over time that it isn't all the staff, just a few. I know this because I've visited this particular location many times now. So I've slowly become a fan, although for a while, I had a preference to shop at their on-line store instead of their local presence, just to avoid dealing with their staff. I'll hand it to Vistek: No one rivals them for sheer selection of photo and video equipment in Canada. I'd even daresay they (possibly even more-so than Henry's in Ontario) are the closest thing Canada has to a B&H Photo and Video store in Canada, at least in terms of product selection. Close, but not quite, and definitely not as cheap. Their everyday pricing is a little bit on the high side, but when they have sales, they're comparable or even sometimes cheaper than the competition (they're nowhere near as cheap as their US counterparts, but that's true in many industries). If you do find pricing cheaper elsewhere, either locally, or on-line (even from stores in other provinces), you may be able to get a price match in store. I've been successful on getting a price match on some lenses against stores in Ontario, but they always had to check with the manager first, so your millage may vary. Their price match policy isn't like Staples or Best Buy where you show proof of the lower price (and if they need to, verify stock at the competition), then the front-line staff are authorized to give it to you. So if you're looking for a price match, you may need to prepare yourself mentally. Vistek is the exclusive Canadian reseller of Benro/Induro equipment, so if you're looking to purchase items from those product lines, Vistek is the only place you'll be able to find them, at least in Canada. For a while, they were also the only source for Lastolite lighting products in the city as well. To Vistek's credit, they seem to stock new items and accessories faster than their competition; I suspect this is because they have a national presence and thus are able to source product faster or easier. I've purchased many things over the last year from Vistek, including camera bags, lenses, microphones and an ENG kit, tripods and monopods, and various other photo and video accessories, either because they were the only ones in the city stocking it, or they had the lowest price or most comparable price compared to other stores on-line, especially with shipping factored in. Anyways, if you're looking for a particular piece of photography or videography equipment, chances are that Vistek carries it. read more

Vistek Calgary - Electronics Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

In 2017 I called VISTEK from Vancouver to make a purchase. They told me I did not have to pay PST and the sale was made. Now, two years later I get a bill for 700 bucks saying I have to pay the PST. They lied to me to make a sale and now, out of the blue, want me to pay another 700 bucks. I would never buy from a company that lies to make a sale. read more

I have always wanted to own a Leica. I decided to take the plunge and looked around for the best place to buy the DLUX point and shoot. I chose Vistek because they seemed to be the best stocked outfit in Calgary and I figured that if they were that large they must be successful and their customer service would be good. I ended up buying the camera, a tripod and an outrageously priced case that was worth it to protect the investment. I love the camera and the case is brilliantly designed so I haven't regretted the cost, until the rivet on the clasp broke after about 8 months. I returned to Vistek looking for some help on warranty or some assistance on getting it repaired. I have never been shut down so fast. I showed the saleswoman the case and before I could even show the receipt or discuss my request I was told, that there is no way it could be covered under warranty, and there is nothing that could be done. I asked why such an expensive case could have a critical part break so easily and got the same response. It was such a strong negative response there wasn't even room to ask for suggestions on what to do from here, and truly, I just wanted the thing fixed, even if I had to pay, but we never got that far. I concur with previous posts about the arrogance, there was no support, no listening, it was without a doubt the shortest slapdown I have ever received. The whole encounter took about 2 minutes maximum, and I was so taken aback I left before I made the mistake of verbalizing my reaction. I got the case repaired by a shoemaker for 11 dollars and on the eve of purchasing some video equipment and a large format printing setup, I learned a valuable lesson. Stay away from Vistek West, there are so many other places to shop where the experience will be memorable and enjoyable and the staff is interested in helping. read more

After looking for a place to plant my business to supply my photography studio in Airdrie I chose Vistek. I have a personal account rep' who takes great care of me, knows my name and cares about having my business. There is no other photography business in the country like that. Where they loose a star is in the fact that they're too controlled by their headquarters in Toronto and sometimes I think they think we're a bunch of yokels here in Calgary... read more

I had a digital image printed and mounted here. The service was a little indifferent. I had the feeling they'd rather have been dealing with a professional photographer instead of someone who knows nothing. I was hoping for more guidance and assistance in my decision making as I've never done this before. In the end, they did a great job and I'm super happy with the result. I'd recommend it if you don't need hand holding through the process. read more

I went in today to try and figure out which mirrorless camera I wanted to buy. Noah and Braiden were extremely helpful in comparing different cameras and being respectful of my budget. They are both extremely knowledgeable camera users. I also appreciated that they were not pushy. When I visited The Camera Store in Calgary I felt minimized and pushed into buying something I wasn't ready to. I will be using Vistek (hopefully all their sales people are as friendly and knowledgeable as Noah and Braiden were) for all my camera needs and purchases in the future. read more

I bought a full set of inks and a maintenance cartridge with the hope that this would be the only problem with my Epson Stylus Pro 3880. Unfortunately, the cartridge was not the only problem with the printer so I took it back with a full set of unopened ink, expecting a full refund. It was a pain the a** to return the inks and maintenance cartridge because they initially didn't have Photo Black in stock. As such, getting a refund for an ink cartridge that they didn't physically have and would have had to order for me anyway proved to be a half hour fiasco. All they had to do was give me the refund for a full set of inks and worry about getting the other one from Edmonton or Toronto to update their stock later. When it came to the maintenance cartridge, they absolutely would not give me a refund because the box was slightly ripped at the opening (my fault) and they claimed they could no longer sell it as new. Rather than giving me a refund and taking a loss of a few dollars and sell it as opened or refurbished, they stuck me with a product that I will never use. The bottom line is that I will never support Vistek again unless they have the lowest price on what I'm looking for. In this case, they even beat Amazon! So I'll go to The Camera Store and Vistek will likely lose all future sales with me. Losing a few dollars and keeping a customer happy or sticking to their far too rigid return policy? Give me a break! read more

You will only ever receive automated emails in response to your questions, if you ever receive a response at all. The only actual human exchange I had through email was once, which was a shallow apology that was not signed with a name (likely never came to management attention to reply to me, just left to the lower orders). It took them three weeks to process my order, because they would not read and reply to my emails requesting they split the shipment so my order, for equipment that I work with, would not be held back by a back-ordered item. I emailed them twice, and after awhile I finally received an email asking if I would like to split my order (but did not seen indicative of them reading my previous emails). I responded within minutes of their asking, but it took them a few more days to reply that they understood this order and would be shipping from their store soon. Despite apparently having my item in-stock in the closest store, it actually shipped from Ontario, since they were having "system troubles", but I've worked in customer service before and I know it's easy to blame your own mistakes on machines, so this excuse didn't really fly. It still hasn't arrived as they waited for the last moment of their day to finally request pick-up by the shipper. Then the real fiasco: they charged the wrong account, despite having pre-authed my credit card, and I was suddenly missing a lot of money that I require to live. I contacted Paypal first via phone, who said that they could not reverse the payment, only Vistek had the power to do this. PayPal then requested a refund on my behalf. I contacted Vistek via phone as well, who said they couldn't do this (they blamed Paypal, but Paypal is very good to buyers) and if I wanted a refund, I will need to wait for the item to be shipped to me, and to refuse it so that it gets shipped back to them. The customer service rep was ultimately unfriendly, unhelpful, and did not understand the difference between charge and pre-auth, or really anything about the order and what had happened. The order, as of right now, still hasn't left Toronto despite being shipped three days ago. I'll be waiting a long time for this company to return my money and I'm furious, and suddenly poor. I don't recommend that anyone give their money to this company because they are truly anti-customer. read more

Not even sure why I gave Vistek so much of my business when The Camera Store is about 100 times better and only a few blocks away. Noel in sales is good and knowledgable and the one and only high point. Matthew in rentals is always miserable as is most of the staff. The final tipping point when I decided not to feel like I was an intrusion in their sitting around and talking came when I sent my husband to pick up prints. Mikaela had her feet up on the counter, made it seem like a chore to get the prints then missed a package. When my husband came back frustrated and tired of the rudeness for a second time, she shouted "You're Welcome!" as he left. Seriously. Never ever again. Go to the camera store where they are friendly, helpful and have tonnes of stock. read more

I agree about the staff comments. For years I dealt with the same person who was always pleasant and helpful. This person left and the people I have subsequently dealt with are unpleasant, I do not shop there anymore. I believe this is a Calgary West problem, I was recently in the Vistek Edmonton store, it was busy (Boxing Week) and the receptionist helped me. She was more pleasant and helpful than anyone I have met in any Calgary camera store in recent memory. To Jason F, I don't know if this make you feel any better But I have purchased $5000 stuff at Vistek and get treated poorly. Apparently they look down on everyone. read more

I have never had such great service before seriously I will be coming here for everything camera related the guys their were so helpful and knew so much about everything camera related. Not only that but they gave me the best option that suits my needs they didn't try to upsell me or sell me things I didn't need instead offered me things that I came for. I had such a great experience and as a student photographer they were understanding of my passion and explained to me the Benefits of each lens. If your new to photography and unsure of what to get go here! They love to help and they aren't just their to sell you things they want you to learn and they built a customer service experience that was truly amazing and I appreciate them so much and I am so happy with my new toy! I highly recommend stopping in. Store was clean they had all the stock I needed as well as signed me up for their customer program. He answered all my questions with positivity and went beyond and above any service I have had. Thank you everyone who works their you guys are awesome! read more

I stopped in on a Saturday when they were holding a special sale event, and I got to play for a bit with a large Elinchrom Octa light modifier, shooting a model in-store with my DSLR tethered to a 27-inch iMac via USB3. I wasn't planning to buy anything, but I ended up getting another padded carrying case for my light stands because I couldn't find one at another store I normally shop at. read more

I have been to Vistek downtown Calgary for all my photography needs. From purchasing a camera body and lenses, to printing and photofinishing. I have been completely satisfied every single time. The main area of satisfaction: the customer service. That alone has me hooked. Every single department has staff who are highly knowledgeable, interested in helping, friendly, patient, and they remember me on a first name basis. That, I like. In my business, providing clients with top-notch, professional prints is paramount. Vistek provides that. In particular, Carla in photo finishing has been outstanding! She has helped me with a few projects and she knows her product extremely well. I feel as though she actually cares about giving me the best-matched printing product for my printing needs. I feel like a valued customer, and she always has a smile on her face. Her communication is exemplary; I never feel disorganized or unsure of anything when she helps me. Her guidance, product knowledge and excellent customer service are what bring me back! Well, the print product itself is outstanding. But for me, customer service is everything. She excels in it, giving me that feeling of value at Vistek. I must add that their professional camera and lens department have exemplary staff. For example, Noel, Dave, Cassandra and Kevin have been extremely helpful with educating me on my purchases, not just selling me a piece of equipment. Fantastic customer service, each and every time I am in the store. I am such a satisfied customer at Vistek! I encourage everyone to go there for your photo printing and for all your photography needs. The staff are brilliant, the products are stellar and their strong teamwork is evident. read more

Rental department does NOT check equipment prior to sending it out. They think scanning the bar code is an "inspection." No check or inspection for damage. Just want your money. When i returned a tripod that did not work, lose leg and broken spreader, I was told I had to pay for the spreader because "it left here in good condition. When I pointed out that if it was in good condition. the leg would be not loose. "well thats why we send out an allen key" NO manual or instructions how to tighten the leg, your just supposed to know. Last time i ever rent from them! read more

THIS PLACE IS A COMPLETE JOKE! I Ordered my a6300 and was assured there would be a selection of lenses, batteries, accessories, ect... I Show up to pick up my camera on March 29th and they cant find it for about a half hour, in store. Not to mention they had only 2 expensive lenses on the shelf and no batteries. I Should have learnt that time around, but then i went on and ordered an 18-200mm lens through them and a battery which was supposed to be here on April 15th. They call me the day before on the 14th informing me that my CAMERA has arrived, (Which i already have picked up and had to inform them of) and when i asked about the lens they then go on to tell me it wont be in till the 1st of May. Its April 22nd today and i just called again to be put on hold for 10 minutes, letting me know that it wont be in till the 6th now and that i cant get a refund unless i drive to their store in Calgary. All in all, every time I've called them to figure out what the heck is going on, I've had a different story from a different person who seems to not know anything thats going on. The customer service is horrible to say the least, and every time i call these idiots they make me feel like the idiot who came to them in the first place. On that note, I'm leaving to go work in the bush next week for the next three months, and WITHOUT my camera lens that is continuously being delayed.. STOKED. NEVER GO TO VISTEK.. read more

Went in to look at some camera bags. Was in there for 20 minutes no one acknowledged my presence. I understand that if everyone working there was busy but there were no other customers in the store and no one was on the phone. I eventually found what I was looking for using my phone 3G network for online reviews and browsing the racks. When I went to purchase the bag it was like I was interrupting the guy while his wife was giving birth or something. Sorry I don't have the hipster glasses and I wasn't spending three grand at the time. Needing another bag, I called ahead to try and see if they had the camera bag I wanted in stock as I knew I wasn't going to get any type of customer service once there. The reception guy wouldn't look it up for me on the computer, he had to transfer me to sales where I was on hold for 20 min. I then hung up and decided I'm done with this store. I went down the street to "The Camera Store." I experienced Friendly staff answering my questions...even though it was busy and they helped me get what I wanted. read more

I've dealt with Vistek over the last five or six years on a fairly regular basis and I have to kick myself for going back. I do a lot of my purchases through their on-line purchasing and out of the last half a dozen times have had nothing but problems. There inventory is never accurate, items showing as in stock have a fifty/fifty chance of actually being in stock. It takes anywhere from one or two days for the order status to be updated on their site before you find out that it's going to be anywhere from six days to four weeks for something to arrive from being on back order. On one occasion I ordered an uplite, which again, showed as being in stock, and ended up having to be shipped from their Toronto location. When it arrived and I opened the box the contents were not in their original plastic bags. I set everything up and then noticed that that there were two "L" shaped cuts in the silver reflector and the diffusion material. I then checked the bag and it was in the same condition. I looked the rest of the diffuser over and it was dirty as well. Someone had placed a heavy box or such on it and it had cut through everything. So, naturally I took it back. The sales rep told me that I had to return it to Toronto because although that they are all called "Vistek" they are all separately owned and operated. When I explained that as a client as far as I was concerned they were all the same company. The best I could do with this individual was the repeated script of having to send it back to Toronto for a replacement, anything outside of that was met with a deer in the headlights stare from him. I eventually found someone in the store to give me a refund which involved having to call the Toronto location so that they could work out how they were going to get credit the Calgary location. Frankly people the sign on the building says "Vistek" the web site says "Vistek" if you're not all part of the same company don't call yourself the same name. If I walk into a Walmart and buy a defective product and I'm closer to another location and have my sales receipt I can get an exchange or a refund for the purchase. I also have had the same experience with their on-line printing services. The quality most times is good but there have been occasions where it's been to be polite very poor. On incident I have converted an image to black and white and had it printed out on water color paper, the nice Hahnemuhle stock. Well the print had some gaps, looked like clogged nozzles. I mentioned that there were some spots where there were significant drop outs in the ink and was met with another blank stare, different sales rep this time. Fortunately it was a personal project for a workshop and not for a client but I needed the print outside of what they would have been able to reprint it had they been willing. I have now reached the proverbial camel and straw state. I've ordered some typically over the counter merchandise, again, showing as being in stock, only to find out two days later that it is on back order for six to ten days. Problem is that I've paid for overnight express shipping and the back order date will have my stuff arriving the day after I've left for a vacation. Thank you Vistek for once again reminding me of why I need to find somewhere else to buy my camera equipment. read more

vistek calgary downtown is filled with arrogant and not helpful people. Specially in management, Video department, rental department, Salem is the most rude person I have ever met in retail.Their store manager is carefree dosent listen to the issue with the products and makes judgement. I bought a sennheiser AVX system from them for $1199 plus taxes. When opened there was a scratch on the receiver and the receiver was loos where battery was connected. I called the video department the girl was helping me was very nice her name is nandani. she told me bring back the system we ll change it or refund it to you based on what you need. I went to store and she was on lunch there was another guy at the pro video section his name is alehandro. I explained the Issue that transmitter battery is loose , he tried to open another box and exchanged the battery to confirm, the other battery was also loose, it turned out the the transmitter was misaligned and the other battery was also loose. the guy looked in to this and said yes this is genuine issue, he said but refund or replacement units are not in my hands i need to consult with my manager. he went to talk to his manager and when he came to me he said my manager denied refund or exchange because it is a functional unit. i showed them the loose connection but they are not ready to listen to me. the store manager came and told me you have two options either you send it to sennheiser or return with restocking fee. the way he said it , it was really a threatening tone. I am talking to him very calmly and he is trying to scare me. such a bad experience. I decided not to argue with him. well you have lost a permanent customer. I had bought almost $20,000 equipment last year. I was planning to buy at least $25,000 more this year .Last year salem had given me some troubles when one or two items were defected.. Such a bad experience . management is garbage. I would never buy anything from them. read more

while *some* staff are knowledgeable, there's an arrogance common to all areas of this store. I can't afford a $5000 camera so they look down on you. They treated my wife very poorly and have lost our business. The Camera Store is so superior that I'm sorry I ever spent any money at Vistek. read more

Wow...so happy to have had my first Vistek experience today! Even though I'm no pro and my budget isn't massive, the folks at Vistek treated me super great today. Taylor, Amanda and Sheldon were super knowledgeable and didn't talk down to me in spite of my lack of knowledge. I even got to chat with manager a bit! Keep up the great work Kelly! read more

The staff at the Calgary 10th street Vistek location are incredibly snobby. Literally the worst, most arrogant customer service I've ever experienced in Calgary. I will do everything I can to never have to set foot in that place again. read more

I have been a customer at Vistek downtown Calgary store for the past 5 years. I have found the sales staff there to be the most accommodating staff of any camera store that I have dealt with. They always go the extra mile to make me aware of new equipment available, if I am having a problem with any equipment they step up to the plate to help solve the issues with the least amount of inconvenience to myself. I shoot all pro camera and lens....up to 600mm. Even when they are very busy they seem to find time to accommodate all levels of customers whether you are pro or beginner. The consumer level, pro level, video or rental department all have such a positive view towards the customers, it is a pleasure to be considered an import part customer at this store. The photofinishing dept. has never let me down once and I have given them some unbelievable problems to solve. They have always been able to come up with exactly what I need to work for me. I take pride in the fact that they make me feel like I am part of the Vistek family. Thank you to all the staff! read more

Really great people at this store. Very knowledgeable and not pushy at all. Look for Marty for micro 4/3 information! He has a wealth of knowledge! read more

I have done business there both with my wife and for myself. We have dealt with an employee there excusively for purchases and rental. I have found Salim Manji to be a very knowledgable, cooperative, professional and polite in his deals with us but during purchases and after purchase suppport. read more

I would never use these services again. I was trying to support a smaller business but they're printing services are terrible. They're online system doesn't work, I spent hours cropping pictures and picking which ones I'd like printed - none of the cropping worked and they did not print the right amount of pictures I had ordered. For some I ordered two copies, other 6 etc - I only got two copies of each. Unfortunately their system doesn't track which photo had more then 2 copies ordered so I now have to go back through all my photos and figure out how many copies I want of each. Which I'll be doing at superstore! read more

The staff at Vistek were very knowledgable and helpful in determining my needs for my wedding shoot. The camera store was super crowded, and too busy, and I couldn't get the advice i needed, and they wouldn't let me pick up early. The two rental people were extremely helpful in setting up a rental for me, and made sure all my bases were covered. It would have been nice if they would have let me buy a memory card from their counter as well, but I realize there was a line up and chick with piercings was able to help me instead. I really recommend renting at Vistek! They're super knowledgeable and offered me some really good advice. Also some of the friendliest staff I have encountered in a while. The guy with the sideburns tried to upsell me, but my budget was a little tight, and he didn't push too hard, but he made his recommendation clear. All in all, excellent effort all around; expect to see me again! read more