Where I shop
I only really start trying to be a professional photographer half-way through 2017 and all my camera equipment was passed down to me. So when it came to finding a good camera shop that you could go to browse or buy from I had to do a bit of exploring. Here are three of my favourites.
This post is from my personal experience with these companies, It is not a sponsored post in any shape or form.
Park cameras
I was walking around Central London on my lunch break and just happened to come across this hidden gem. It's location makes it the prefect walk-in camera store for just browsing new gear and seeing the actual size and feel of the equipment instead of just reading a article online.
The store is split in to four clearly marked sections: Sony, Nikon, Canon and downstair is for mainly tripods. As a Nikon User its really nice to walk in and know where I need to look without aimlessly walking around. When it comes to prices Park Cameras sell around the same price as everyone else.
I've yet to find a camera store with such large diverse range of camera equipment thats so close to the heart of London. If you'r in London and you want to browse through some lens, cameras and much more then I recommend popping your head into Parks Cameras.
Calumet
One small fact before I talk about Calumet, I love Showrooms
Calumet is not a small brand, its well know through out the industry and they have many stores including two in London, One small shop in soho and a bigger one near Euston.
When you walk through the door you go past the used equipment glass case which is very easy to miss. If keep walking you'll enter a large beautiful showroom, when I first saw it I was shock, the size of the room and the amount of in equipment in one room would make any camera nerd grin with joy.
My only problem with this camera kingdom with equipment climbing the walls is that you can really lost because unlike Camera Park there no clear marking so unless your a common customer then it may take a while to find what you want. However the staff are every friendly and actual are very helpful, so don't be afraid to have a chat with them.
One thing that makes Calumet stand out from other is the fact it has a rental department, for someone who often needs a piece of equipment for one single job this is amazing thing to have.
I don't often go to Calumet just because because its out of the way however if I looking to rent something or need something that I know a small shop won't have, I always go to Calumet.
WEX Photographic
WEX is based in Norwich so most of my interaction with them has been ordering things online however www.wexphotographic.com is actually one of this company's high points. Another major high point is the well detailed product description that include - Autofocus Points, Flash Sync Speed and Image Processor, just to name a few. The other thing I love about the website is the fact it has its own blog which is filled with great posts like How to Photograph Lightning, Six Quick Tips for Better Portraits and How to Create Beautiful Dog Portraits. The blog also does interviews with professional photographers, buying guide (top ten backpacks) and all articles about new lens and cameras that will be coming out soon.
After loving the website I finally decided that I would go to Norwich to their showroom, once again I LOVE showrooms. So I got on a train and headed to Norwich. Unfortunately WEX isn't in the centre of Norwich so I had to taxi out there (there is a bus too). Now a lot of people would ask; is it worth all that effort to go to a camera shop? In my personal opinion "yes" it is totally worth it. WEX is brilliantly organised, its easy to find what you want, the staff are helpful and its not just lens and camera, its also has a large photography book area which can really help you advance as a photographer.
The one bad feature of the delivery service is that it is let out to a different company and alot of the outer packaging I've got has been smashed and thrown around but the product itself its always nice and fine. My advice is - if you are getting an expensive lens then it may be worth going up to Norwich and get it yourself.
With all honesty WEX is my go to Online camera store, the amount of detail on each product description means I can compare two products really easily to see which is better for me. And the blog is a great place to pick up new tricks and idea to improve your own photography.