Rupert Dobbin / 13 September 2016 / Categories: Specialty

The London Camera Exchange

I absolutely love this store, tucked away on the Strand in central london, 1/2 a block from the Savoy Hotel and absolutely no parking except for three metres on Exeter Street if you are lucky. This year 2016 they are celebrating 60 years trading. I bought my first Canon from them years ago back in the 80s and have upgraded three or four times since then and bought numerous accessories and gadgets all of which have been well advised and useful.

This is an old fashioned shopping model in a new world that is working. Think the service of Selfridges when it first opened when time never ran out for a customer and nothing was too much trouble, this is how they operate. You can call with questions and there is always someone helpful and knowledgeable on the end of the phone with a great tip or helpful advise. Of course it's a shop, a business and they are there to sell but it never feels like that. They always take into consideration budget and never make you feel cheap or in my case broke often recommending the money saving option first and genuinely being so helpful with added value you just wouldn't want to go anywhere else.

Not surprisingly this business (about 30 branches across the UK I think) is independent and still privately run, the CEO Nick Richens raised over £11K for charity a few years ago cycling to all of them, over 1100 miles in total and I say this because the goodness trickles down into the business.

I imagine if you are a photographer you will have already stumbled across these fantastic people but if you are looking to invest in some equipment, get into photography or upgrade what you already have these are the people to have in your corner.