• Welcome to Photrio!
    Registration is fast and free. Join today to unlock search, see fewer ads, and access all forum features.
    Click here to sign up

Camera shops in Chicago area?

GRHazelton

Subscriber
Joined
May 26, 2006
Messages
2,251
Location
Jonesboro, G
Format
Multi Format
We plan to visit in the next few weeks our children in Naperville,Il, near Chicago. They are thinking of buying a DSLR; can anyone suggest shops in that area which carry a good selection of DSLRs, Pentax, Sony, etc, in addition to Canon and Nikon. I think their best shopping strategy is to handle the various makes; I will of course be on hand to extol the virtues of my Mighty Pentax K 5, and to shop for used goodies, both film and digital.

I really don't want them hitting Best Buy or other big box stores which usually have uninformed personnel!
 
Central Camera (in/near the loop) is typically mentioned as the only "real" camera store left in Chicago. I haven't been there for years though.
 
Tamarkin Camera, a Leica dealer is there too. Might be worth a visit, whether you're buying or not.
 
I have not been to Central camera since the 70's although I still buy from them. Do they sell digital? I would think so. Great place, always worth a visit.
 
And - like a phoenix from the ashes - Calumet.
 
Calumet in Oak Brook is near Naperville. I would not go to Central Camera unless you happen to be in the area (the downtown "Loop" area). Central is great for vintage oddities and film stuff. Cook County has a 10% sales tax too.
 
I typically find myself working in Chicago several times each year. Usually I try to stop at Ceneral Camera to have a look around. I alway see interesting items there. Even with that said, I didnt see a reliable enough spread of film SLRs that I would send anyone there......as the place to figure out what they want.
Creve Coeur Camera & Video on Olive in St. Louis usually has a very good selection. I also recently went to a place in Detroit that sells mostly on-line but was every impressed with what they had on hand Westborn Camera Co. It's been awhile since I've been there but Columbus Camera Group in Ohio was always worth a look to.