Chicago's Central Camera ?

dancqu · Dec 17, 2005

I'm discouraged by the "out of stock" "special order"
"cannot ship" etc product tags from at least one
supplier. So, I've been doing, via Google, some
source shopping. Have any an idea if Central
Camera's in house inventory is close to what
they list on their site? Dan

gr82bart · Dec 17, 2005

Central Camera is small Mom and Pop store, but they do have a good selection. In Chicago, I frequently went there first since they had more competitive prices than Helix and were definitely cheaper than Calumet.

Regards, Art.

Earl Dunbar · Dec 17, 2005

I always had good experiences with Central, though that was way before website presence. Why don't you just contact them and ask? By phone might be best, but if you cannot do that then an email might be helpful.

David Brown · Dec 17, 2005

FWIW: I visited Central Camera in May. I can't give you actual figures, but they had more darkroom stuff out on the shelf than I've seen in any other place in years.

gr82bart · Dec 17, 2005

David Brown said:
but they had more darkroom stuff out on the shelf than I've seen in any other place in years.

They have a large client base that goes to Columbia College or the Art Institute, which are both very nearby.

Regards, Art.

msloane · Dec 26, 2005

I have no idea about mailorder but they've got lots of film in stock. I think Helix is the best in Chicago as far as film and availability.

mike

narsuitus · Jan 6, 2006

When I lived in Chicago, I rarely shopped at Central Camera because Wolk and Altmans were just down the street and both had a larger inventory and better prices. However, Wolk and Altmans are gone and only Central remains.

When I was in Chicago a couple of years ago, I had to go to Central Camera to buy some portrait film because I had used all I brought with me. While I was there, I noticed that they had a good selection of film, used equipment, and new equipment in their small store. In fact, even though I went there just for film, I ended up buying a used 35mm f/1.4 Nikkor lens that they had on the shelf. The film and lens were fairly priced. The service provided by the salesman was exceptional.

mikepry · Jan 6, 2006

If anyone from out of town comes to Chicago, Central Camera is a must see. There aren't many places like this left for sure. It's been in the family for if not over a hundred years close to it! It is really nifty.

dmr · Jan 8, 2006

mikepry said:
If anyone from out of town comes to Chicago, Central Camera is a must see. There aren't many places like this left for sure. It's been in the family for if not over a hundred years close to it! It is really nifty.

I think this is the place I've seen several times from the El, but I've never actually gone in there. I'm not really a gear-head, so do they have a good selection of film at decent prices? I assume they will have all kinds of accessories and such.

fwp · Jan 21, 2006

dmr said:
I think this is the place I've seen several times from the El, but I've never actually gone in there. I'm not really a gear-head, so do they have a good selection of film at decent prices? I assume they will have all kinds of accessories and such.

If you've never been to Central Camera you need to make a point of going!! They have a large selection of film behind the counter and even more in the back. While the prices of their film isn't low it is fair. When I go there I often wonder how they manage to fit so much stock that small of a store!!

Chicago's Central Camera ?

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