Photo retailers in California?

BradS · Sep 24, 2020

Now that the big east coast stores collect California sales tax, I see no reason to buy from them. I'm looking to buy a...ahem, film scanner (thinking Plustek Opticfilm 8200i). Please recommend retailers on the west coast...

I'll note that I have bought film and darkroom supplies from Freestyle for many years...but they don't carry this thing.

Bormental · Sep 24, 2020

Plustek web site lists only 3 resellers: B&H, Adorama and Amazon.

BradS · Sep 24, 2020

Hmmm...well, Samy's carry it (and offer it at exactly the same price as the two in big New York stores) but do not have it in stock. So, maybe I'll call them and see what the deal is.

Sirius Glass · Sep 24, 2020

Place a special order with Samy's. Maybe have it drop shipped directly to you.

BradS · Sep 24, 2020

Sirius Glass said:
Place a special order with Samy's. Maybe have it drop shipped directly to you.

good idea...thanks.

Louis Nargi · Sep 24, 2020

If you get the B+H pay boo credit card they pay the tax

rorye · Sep 25, 2020

http://www.glasskeyphoto.com/#film Great guys...

BradS · Sep 25, 2020

rorye said:
http://www.glasskeyphoto.com/#film Great guys...

Yes. They are. I buy fixer and paper there....ever since K&S in palo alto closed. Haven't been back since I moved away from the Bay area though....someday.

darinwc · Jan 17, 2023

Sacramento is pretty active for digital and film photography.
Photo source
Mike's cameras
Action camera

There are also swap meets and cameras and coffee events regularly

Zathras · Jan 17, 2023

BradS said:
Yes. They are. I buy fixer and paper there....ever since K&S in palo alto closed. Haven't been back since I moved away from the Bay area though....someday.

Losing K&S was a tragedy. I loved that store!

bjorke · Mar 12, 2023

Yelp recently clued me in to Simple Photography Services in the North Bay, easily within casual cycling range for me -- stockists of Fomapan, Arista, various chemistries... wedged into about the most obscure retail location possible, behind the local hardware shop.

blee1996 · Mar 12, 2023

Camera West, Seawood, Kaufmann's? Those are the shops I know in SF Bay area.

Adam W · Mar 13, 2023

Also Looking Glass Photo in Berkeley.

SodaAnt · Sep 5, 2023

bjorke said:
Yelp recently clued me in to Simple Photography Services in the North Bay, easily within casual cycling range for me -- stockists of Fomapan, Arista, various chemistries... wedged into about the most obscure retail location possible, behind the local hardware shop.

Very limited hours, though (closed Saturday and Sunday).

Sirius Glass · Sep 5, 2023

I tried Paul's Camera but they changed from one hour service to three hour service at and extra $10 a roll plus from where I live it takes over an hour one way. So back to two trips to Samy's Camera.

AnselMortensen · Jul 25, 2024

Kaufmann's Camera in San Bruno has closed.
Warren Kaufmann is retiring.

blee1996 · Jul 26, 2024

AnselMortensen said:
Kaufmann's Camera in San Bruno has closed.
Warren Kaufmann is retiring.

Too bad Warren was not able to sell the shop to keep it going.

Zathras · Jul 26, 2024

AnselMortensen said:
Kaufmann's Camera in San Bruno has closed.
Warren Kaufmann is retiring.

That's sad. Kauffman's had been around forever. When I was a kid, my parents bought my first enlarger, a Bogen T-35, from them when they had their big store on Broadway in Burlingame. They will be missed.

Alan Edward Klein · Jul 26, 2024

Brad, B&H ships free for orders over $49 with any credit card. They do add in sales tax for the state it's shipped to unless you use their credit card payboo. Then they pick up the sales tax as well.

MattKing · Jul 26, 2024

Alan Edward Klein said:
Brad, B&H ships free for orders over $49 with any credit card. They do add in sales tax for the state it's shipped to unless you use their credit card payboo. Then they pick up the sales tax as well.

If Brad is still waiting for an answer - it has been nearly 4 years now - he is a lot more patient than most.
As much as I appreciate the internet order sources, their prevalence has been highly destructive to the retail part of the industry as a whole.
I used to like dealing with a variety of brick and mortar sources - now mostly gone.

Alan Edward Klein · Jul 26, 2024

MattKing said:
If Brad is still waiting for an answer - it has been nearly 4 years now - he is a lot more patient than most.
As much as I appreciate the internet order sources, their prevalence has been highly destructive to the retail part of the industry as a whole.
I used to like dealing with a variety of brick and mortar sources - now mostly gone.

Gee, I hope he's well.

Photo retailers in California?

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