Good Camera shop in Philly

[nigel_farmer]

<p>I will be visiting Philly in the next couple of weeks for work and wondered if anyone can recommend a good camera shop for Nikon gear. I will be staying a couple of blocks away from the liberty bell and will only really have lunch time to shop and possibly early evening. No w/e stop over so not much chance to get the camera out unfortunately.<br>

Thanks in advance.</p>

[flevis]

<p>Calumet Photo<br>

1400 South Columbus Blvd.<br>

T: 215-399-2155<br>

Closest shop to your location in Philly.</p>

 

[ShunCheung]

<p>If you are looking for popular stuffs, I am sure you can find them in Philly. However, if you can make the short trip to New York City (about 2 hours by train), you should have a lot more shopping options.</p>

[douglas lee]

<p>What Fred posted. If you had time, there is Allen's Camera in Levittown, PA. Better pricing than Calumet, so I have heard. And, closer than NYC.</p>

[southjerseyphotos]

<p>Living across the river in NJ,My own feelings would be to goto New York City.Just the trip to B&H photo is a great thing to checkout.Just like Shun said "short trip to New York City (about 2 hours by train), you should have a lot more shopping options" Good luck To you</p>

[steve_levine]

<p>Unfortunately, we've long ago passed the point where less than 50% of cameras are sold out of "stores". So locating good camera stores in most US cities might require a time machine.</p>

<p>Even NYC now has a fraction of the camera stores it had as recently as the 1990's. In fact almost all of the great used camera stores in NYC are now history (Camera Traders, Olden Cameras,Wall St Camera, etc). And if it's new gear you seek, you'd be better off buying online.</p>

<p> </p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>It looks like Nigel is visiting from the UK and he has a very busy schedule in Philadephia. If he has a Sunday off, making a trip to New York City would make a lot of sense.</p>

<p>I lived in New Jersey from 1986 to 2000. I bought some of my cameras from Olden, etc. While some of those stores are now gone, B&H was never as big as they are now; they occupy an entire city block and now have a second floor that is as big as the ground floor. As long as you can visit Adorama, J&R and B&H, you can spend a lot of money. :-)</p>

<p>Just keep in mind that both Adorama and B&H are closed on Friday afternoons and all day Saturdays. That was why I said Sunday.</p>

[nigel_farmer]

<p>Thanks for the info. I would love to be able to pop over to NYC, but I arrive mid Sunday afternoon and fly back Friday evening so there isn't the opportunity. It would have been possible to stay over the w/e but family commitments dictate otherwise. Once again, thanks for the info.</p>

[henryp]

<p>I believe Olden Camera is still in business although it is a faint shadow of its former self. I recall when it was THE place for pros and I distinctly recall buying my first F36 motor drive there which made me feel as if I'd crossed a threshold to a new level of pro photographer.</p>

<p>Henry Posner<br /><strong>B&H Photo-Video</strong></p>

[ed_farmer]

<p>Calumet is the "Toy Store" in Philly . . . They are the largest and best supplied left. A smaller, friendly, store is Webb Camera at 241 N. 12th Street.<br>

If your time in Philly is limited, you might do better to search out photographic subjects instead. Try the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Waterworks, Penn's Landing, street photography on South Street. You will be right near Independence Mall where our country was founded . . . Don't take offense, we aren't still upset with the British!</p>

[jim_greenberg1]

<p>Chestnut Hill Camera Shop <br />8614 Germantown Avenue <br />Philadelphia, PA 19118<br>

Take Septa bus #50 to Northern terminus</p>

[jfz]

<p>If you have specific Nikon gears in mind, you could order them online, from Adorama or B&H, and have them shipped to your hotel. That would save you a lot of time. Enjoy your time in Philly.</p>

<p>jf</p>

[ShunCheung]

<p>As far as I know B&H wouldn't normally ship to hotels.</p>

<p>If Nigel wants to go the mail-order route, he should mail order ahead of time and have it shipped to his contact in Philadelphia. Shipping between Philadelphia and New York should be within 1 day even for ground shipping. Therefore, in case something is wrong with the shipment, he still barely has sufficient time to ship it back to New York and gets a replacement. However, when you have less than a week in the US, mail ordering is somewhat risky in case you need to return something.</p>

<p>Moreover, visiting the B&H store is an experience in itself. You can't get that via mail ordering. I had been there many times in the late 1990's. And when I was there last time 2 years ago, I was shocked by that new second floor.</p>