I went to Samys today with 4 vintage cameras to see if any of them worked and I had a great time with Richard in their repair department. He took the time to go through all of them and teach me about what I had. Hes some kind of camera genius. He even fixed one of them free of charge and taught me how to use it. Very sweet guy and super knowledgable. 10/10 experience at Samys!!!! Love Richard- what a legend.

Amazing service, Scott Bloom and his team on 3 really helped me when they didn’t have to! No BS goin on over there! Straight up cats and they are very knowledgeable!!

A photographers dream. Its four floors of high end photography equipment and professional advice. In addition to photography, they also have a large high end cinematography department. A lot of industry professionals go to this store.

I cannot speak highly enough of Samys. I came in today to rent a macro lens for a project, and I know absolutely nothing about cameras. Danny in rentals and Carey upstairs could not have been friendlier, more open, and more patient in showing me the ropes. It is so rare to get this level of customer service these days! Both of these guys expressed genuine interest/passion for what I was trying to achieve, they answered all my questions, and showed me the process step-by-step. It felt like I was hanging with friends! Anyhow, I cant wait to come back to show them what Ive achieved! Samys management: you have two amazing employees here. Future customers: go to Samys! You wont regret it!

Good selection and helpful staff. They also have a pretty good assortment of vintage Nikon and Canon lenses.

Exceptional selection of camera gear for professionals and amateurs! They carry all the latest camera gear from top brands, and hundreds of accessories to enhance your photographic experience.I like this Samy’s because of how connected they are with the community. They hold events and also allow for customers to rent out their photo processing rooms, enlarger rooms, and camera equipment. Call ahead of time if you’re seeking to rent equipment, just in case.There’s 4 stories of store to explore! Plenty of free parking in their lot.Get film developed here and you can trust their quality and commitment to care for your artwork.

Outstanding customer service, great selection, very knowledgeable and friendly staff. Not pushy and took the time to answer all of our questions which increased our overall purchase because we felt comfortable that Ian was genuinely honest. Thanks for a great experience Ian, highly recommend! Will be returning for lighting and a tripod very soon!

We purchase all our photo and video equipment from Samys Camera. Very knowledgeable staff always willing to help. They have all top selling brands with emphasis on Sony professional products.

They always have what I need and they are very responsive and helpful when I’m looking for something.

The guy on the phone was pretty patronizing and rude because I didn’t know how to identify what type of Mount my lens has. He could have nicely told me I needed to come into the store for him to look at it but instead aggressively cut me off when I asked if there was I way I could visually identify it myself. I’m going to come in because these guys seem to know their stuff but honestly hope they’re a little more friendly in person to people who are still learning about gear and aren’t “experts”. As if it isn’t intimidating enough already. I wonder if it’s all men that work at the store. It honestly makes me wish there was an alternative.

Great experience ! Kenny from the film department is welcoming and charming very knowledgeable and helpful . Thanks again Kenny for your excellent customer service

I purchased a used lens online, and it showed up in a box, wrapped in bubble wrap with no lens cap and no dust cap. I mean, not really a big deal. I understand that its used, but I specifically remember that it was supposed to as per the included with this item section of the ad. I tried to call to and very nicely bring this to their attention, but was quickly dismissed, and told that this was an as is / for parts / not-even-guaranteed-to-work item and they dont come with anything. Period. I told the gentlemen that NO WHERE in the ad or any of my emails, invoices, etc did it say I was purchasing a not working or for parts item. I looked through all my conformations and shipping and receipts and it ALWAYS said used or pre-owned. Anyway, he kept on arguing with me until I just finally had enough and hung up. Maybe its my fault for not reading the fine print, but for the cost of sending me a few lens caps (which Im sure they probably have thousands of extras just lying around) they couldve solved my very simple issue and I would be writing a very different review.UPDATE: I was contacted later by the company, who gave me the option of returning the lens or crediting my account back $20 for the lens caps.

Great place for all your photo/video needs! Speak to Ian or Brandon for your Canon needs as well as other things.

This is the home of everything cinematic! My wife is a photographer and Im a film maker. One stop shop for us both. The service and knowledge of the staff is impeccable.Game 7 The Movie.

Cool multi story Camera heaven kinda place...love it.

I have tried coming here multiple times and every time I always feel like I am being talked down to or that I am an inconvenience. Try to support local business but it’s uncomfortable knowing that the staff and managers think it’s okay to be blatantly rude.Aside from that, the rental department have been the only nice people to talk to.

They got it all and some more. Helpful staff and a film/photographer’s discovery hub!

Staff truly the best . Prices are a hit or miss - always good to shop around . Nevertheless this place is a gem

A complete camera shop with sellers that really helpful

I dont know a lot about camera/video equipment but I went with some friends and seen some really cool stuff like a gun camera for japanese fighter pilots definitely worth visiting if your serious about photography/film.

Helpful staff with good knowledge of the gear. This place is a ice supplement to online gear reviews and tech blogs.They are quick with service if you are in a rush to grab gear you know you need.During COVID, they have a good “curb side” pickup system. Call ahead and they will have your order ready and delivered to your vehicle without having to enter the store.

Sales reps get very snobby, very quickly. Doesnt matter if you know what youre talking about.

I love this place. Everyone in the camera department is great, especially Ian Santer, who helped me pick out a used Canon 5D Mark III, two lenses, a flash and a new bag after all my equipment had gotten stolen. He was really patient with me and took the time to explain everything to me and make suggestions. Everything I got was like new. I am looking forward to adding more lenses, a tripod and maybe a backup camera to my equipment in the new future and will definitely be working with Ian again. Also wanted to mention that I met the store manager and he really is the nicest guy and he mentioned that they are giving classes there, which I will be definitely looking into at some point.

My Favorite camera store

Took a camera in for repair nearly 10 months ago (pre-covid) and just had to go pick it up, unfixed, today as its quicker to send to Germany for repair. When we tried to pick it up, the man took 30 minutes to sit on his phone and fix a payment issue (a personal matter) before finally getting up to look for it. They also tried to return it to me with parts missing. One of the only spots in town that fixes Hasselblad cameras, but definitely not the quick fix spot. Lame.

Great experience! Had the camera equipment I needed for a fantastic price.

My experience at Samys always becomes an experience that has helped myself and many others I know further their own professional life as a photographer, travel shooter or holiday clicker. The history behind the story of Samys has also helped many of us keep pushing forward in times like 2020. As I have once worked for Samys also many years ago my experience this past year has helped me realize the beauty of why this camera store is so important to the film industry here in Los Angeles. No need to let a couple unfriendly disrespectful employees ruin such a great place. Find someone else to help you. This place is bigger than them! Five stars forever! -

They have alot of knowledge and supplies, make sure u call ahead for specific items.

Samys camera always a great visit to one of the areas best camera stores!

In bought my Fujifilm XT3 here. They had better prices than amazon because I didn’t have to pay for tax because of a Mother’s Day special. I am happy with my camera and the experience. I also rented a Sony A7111 here, it worked really well. Easy to work with, great service, and good deals. Glad there are still places like this.

Super friendly super helpful

Excellent service. I went looking for a tethering cable and Amadeus (yes, like Mozart) went above and beyond to make sure I had exactly what I needed. He also gave me lighting recommendations all while maintaining proper social distancing guidelines (even down to utilizing hand sanitizer after swiping my card). Riding a high of great service, I perused the floor below as I was in the market for a lens for my Nikon D810. Ian, let me see the 24-70 but also introduced me to the Sigma version which I never considered. The myriad of options available allowed me to find the right lens for me within budget. Thank you Samys for your professional yet benevolent approach to customer care. Ill definitely return soon.

If your into Entertainment or a avid photographer or videographer this store is a must visit.

Samy’s is my go-to for both personal photography equipment and professional services. Their rental prices for equipment are fair and their stock is very large. For hobbyist photography, this is a great stop to check out the multiple levels of gear, the top floor of which full of extremely nice, high quality equipment. Also free parking!

Aok exellente they did not have what I was looking for do do do

The guy dug up some hard to find Sony Alpha A1 bodies... and they have a lot most camera shops don’t including some cine gear.

Samys Camera is a great one stop shop for photographers. Shopping aside, its a great place for picking their brains, taking classes, or renting or repairing equipment (which is closed on Sundays). Their service is fast and really helpful. Weve been in a few times for repairs and theyre incredibly fast. One time a mic we were having repaired was lost and they gave us a new of the same mic for free. Weve purchased soft boxes, lenses, etc.

The Canon sales person was there, awkward. Charged for the wrong camera package and had to wait for the salesperson to return the camera. Was purchasing a Canon Mark 5D IV.

Everyone in the camera department is great!Went to look for a hard to find old camera and got it.

The clerks were very helpful and knowledgeable in dsl cameras etc.

Knowledgeable staff, great products.

Good for what I need

Only place left in LA still open. Very helpful staff and great inventory.

I love Samys Camera. The staff are really nice and helpful. Great spot to rent or buy gear from. The only thing I dont like at the Fairfax location is the parking.

Always enjoy going to Sammys. Its like a museum.

Went in just looking for a hard to find battery. And this young dude Rika Roshanian saw me and my uncle walking around clueless.So he helped us about the battery.find it for us at another Samys store in Anaheim,set up the will-call for us and send us on our way...Many thanks Rika!!

Samys has so much fun stuff! The staff are very helpful and will take the time to answer all your questions.

I really like this place, but, as a Pentax shooter I cant say I quite love it since their selection of Pentax gear is rather limited. They do carry a great selection of Canon, Nikon, Sony, Hasselblad, Leica and other camera brands. They also carry an assortment of lighting equipment, tripods, monopods, video equipment, printers and much more. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. Some of their employees have worked there for over 40 years! By the way, this is a four story building, and it is chock full of goodies. They have plenty of parking as well, and nice restrooms. There was also a huge mural on the outside wall when I visited.

I came in to buy a GFX lens, I waited 20 minutes at the counter to even be acknowledged... Someone would be right with me I was told. I waited and watched as the sales people let potential customers play with gear that would be sold as new to others.Not cool.Glad I realized this before anyone helped. Me, I ordered one from Adorama instead while I was in the store.Thanks Adorama.

Ive been there two times in the past three weeks. Everyone is super friendly and helpful.

Great place for prosumer and professional grade gear.

One of my favorite places in Los Angeles. People who know how cameras work, digital and film. Great repair service, film development, and many floors with cameras, lenses, etc.

Great place to purchase all you camera gear. Came in for a lens and walked out with a Sony a7rll. Drew was very helpful in answering all our questions. Will definitely make the drive here from Whittier after being ripped of at the closer to my home Fullerton Cameras. If you have never been to Samys Camera you are missing out on their honesty and expertise.

A really good friend told me to get in touch with April. Trying to pull off a surprise for my wife on a camera could be impossible. However, once I found out just enough details April really helped me get the correct style NIKON and I was in and out feeling great about the process from A to Z. Spending money isn’t normally fun.

The best photo store in California. The personal greate also, they knowledge are the highest level.

Larry in video production went above and beyond with his customer service and instruction. One of the best Ive ever experienced. Ill always come here first.

THE (capital T-H-E) place to go to for anything related to cameras/photography. The staff is really friendly and helpful. Ive gone here several times to rent equipment, buy audio/video gear and sell my own old equipment. Always helpful, always friendly.

Some people want to help ad some are tired and doing you a favor for helping you.for me its a LA instituted

Salespeople were awesome, products and prices were awesome, the whole place is amazing! I wont go anywhere else!! Whatever you need, they have it and can teach you about it too! Superb.

Staff here is great and there are always able to get me what I need if it’s not in stock!

They never disappoint. Knowledge. Kindness. Humor. Accommodation. From the parking lot, to the film Dept, to rentals, to photo work upstairs, to all the upstairs upstairs depts. Grateful. My photographer kid relies on them. Important to find good people.

Best Camera store in LA. Amazing service. Very knowledgeable employees. Has multiple departments: lighting, camera, drone, film, etc. Has a rental section as well.

Karen mchugh always helpful and amazing.

This is the biggest and best camera store I have seen. They had all the merchandise I needed to start my YouTube channel and great customer service.

Because of Samys Camera, I got the best camera and promotions so that I could take the best pictures, from blizzards to palm trees, and to even places where the water is so blue. Everyone there is so nice and helpful. They have great lessons, and because of their location, I was able to go in and out for different lenses and equipment. Thank you so much! I cant wait to reach 100,000 photos with all the cameras or lenses I have bought, used, or rented at Samys!

Very nice and professional cameras ranging from GoPros and camcorders to DSLR and Canon Cs. Highly recommended

A great store with friendly knowledgeable staff who dont pressure you

Knowledgeable staff, especially helpful to beginners like me. They also offer training/skills classes for those just getting started or interested in upping their skill level!

I get everything done here. Classy clean and modern. Knowledgeable staff. Services keep expanding and new frame collection is top notch. Ive yet to master file transfer but its available. Team of specialist are calm, helpful, creative and knowledgeable. Its a pleasure to come here. Ive yet to try framing services but hope to soon.

Came to look for a camera bag. Great variety.

Staff are super helpful and informative. They were happy to help us even though they technically already closed

I bought a new camera at this store. Silvia was very helpful in helping me choose the right camera. For a few minutes I thought I would not be able to buy a charger for my extra battery, but Fred came to the rescue and made it possible for me to purchase the only battery in the store that just happen to be part of a travel kit. Thanks for helping me!!!

Very helpful...had ton of stuff to choose from. There was one guy who sold me a rode mic...and he helped me with mounting it and figuring out how to vlog with it...which was cool. Kinda funny too because the guy did not smile once. Odd but nice. Lol

Im a beginner in photography and I went to buy a lense for my nikon and film . But the thing they should be more friendly and be more helpful to people like me as a beginner and not knowing nothing and to have the extra mile to inform or help. Btw I love the place

Didnt have what we wanted but the experience was great.

I normally dont leave reviews but I just had one of the best buying experiences Ive ever had in my entire life. David fixed me up with everything I needed and nothing I didnt. He didnt try to up sell me on anything, but offered great advice and a great deal on used camera.

Awesome! David Hauver should get employee of the year. David helped me determine the right equipment needed to improve my business. He took the time to show me my options, discuss pricing, and advantages of each item. He made me feel comfortable and in control. With his help I was able to make my purchase. Thanks David!

Not sure if i came on a bad day. But everyone seemed like they had a chip on their shoulder. I would pay the extra money to just order what i need online than go back and waste my time at sammys camera.

Great selection

I like this shop but I don’t like the attitude of a salesman to me. He was acting very quickly, didn’t show me the options what else I can buy. Finally he sold the item to me which was previously used and on the battery there was no sticker and it was obvious that this battery was previously used. Why not to sell this item as used? He sold it to me as a new.

I love Samys on fairfax - ive had many good experiences but Im now compelled to write about LARRY. I came in looking for a solution for a ring light and a custom bracket and Larry worked with me for almost two hours and what I needed ended up being only $60...he was super helpful and kind and made sure I didnt buy anything I didnt need - - later I was telling my brother about my gear and he said, was the guy named Larry who helped you? and turns out he had had a very positive time with him the week before :) Or maybe Larry just loves my family and doesnt know it.

I bought my Zhiyun Crane among other things at this store. Staff is really friendly and courteous and are well informed about the equipment. Great store. Recommended!

The staff on the cameras and lens department is always very knowledgeable and helpful.

Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. A photographers candy store. Everything you could possibly need in one very convenient place.

Incredible staff! Figured out what was wrong with my camera, helped me for free, cleaned my camera and gave me new batteries for free! Thank you so much!

Excellent store! The place is huge and will take care of all your camera needs. They have new ones, repairs, used equipment and they rent equipment out if you need it.

The staff there really needs training regarding customer service (the Fairfax location). I like the great selection of products that the store offers, even though theyre expensive, but every time I go there I have a negative experience with someone being rude. All I ask if for the staff to be more polite and willing to help. The only person that I love there is the security man at the door. Hes so nice, always says hi and gives you a smile. If the rest of the people working there were like this man, the store would be wonderful.

This place has everything you need. They also offer student discounts. The discount is not too good though. I saved 8c on a $30 purchase...

First time shopping here. Super helpful staff, and I got a great camera.

You pay more but their staff is informed

Cant thank them enough for all of the help they provided me with. My analog camera had an issue and they helped me get back to working condition for my shoot the following day. Thanks a million! Highly recommend!

Really good inventory and friendly staff. Didnt have the one little thing I really needed though.

I recently went to Samys Camera, for the first time and for a very large frame job. The photographer I purchased a piece from highly recommended them. I met with Dave to fulfill my order and he was incredibly friendly and helpful. I explained what I was looking for and he provided excellent options along with a couple recommendations.

I brought my Panasonic to Samys about a month ago, trying to get an adapter for the V-mount battery I own, the guy upstairs tried to tweak some wires and then the motherboard was fried, I had to pay $500 out my pocket to get the camera fixed at a different shop. Im disappointed and I wouldnt recommend services from them.

Always a good place to go to for your photography needs. I went there a couple of times to buy things when in LA and also got one-on-one courses with Drake. He has been very helpful recently he has also helped me with a camera purchase and I have to say he is very knowledgeable and knows photography. He has helped me make an informed decision that I was happy with. I have purchased the right camera for me based on my discussion with him. He took time to know exactly what I want and like in a camera and helped me get all the right accessories for it.If you need anything photography related go to Samy’s and see him.

All out a great place even down to their parking lot attendants. Always clean always precise and very helpful

Great place to buy equipment.

Ive always been a big fan of Samys Camera. The employees have been very helpful over the years. I bring my cameras and lenses here for cleaning every once in a while. Ill be purchasing the mirrorless camera here fairly soon.

I bought my new Canon 5DSR camera form Jaime. He was really professional and answered all my question (and I had a lot of them....). The price was competitive and they waved the sales tax from the purchase price.

Went up to 3rd floor looking for cannon lens and had questions. The lady was very helpful. Liked the store. Will be back..