Bel-Air Camera Superstore

They have the largest selection of cameras and equipment for everyone from the novices to the pro's! The prices are the same or better than big box stores like Best Buy which begs the question, why go somewhere with salespeople who have no clue? more

This place embodies what made family business in this country great; fantastic service provided by people with a passion for photography. more

I was in town for a wedding and was in desperate need of a camera battery charger. Bel-Air was recommended by the people at best buy. A girl came up to me and asked if I needed repairs. I said no, but I really needed a charger. She and another guy she called for looked and tested and made sure I walked out of there with the exact charger I needed! I now have some beautiful pictures of my very good friend getting married. more

So this place kind of saved my life, well my career, well my hobby/career kind of thing. I do semi pro photography, sports, head shots, etc and I had a gig last weekend and my telephoto died...basically it is a $900 paper weight; I don't use the most popular brand of cameras so I was calling around everywhere looking to rent a telephoto that fit my body...nobody had it but these guys. I called trying to see if they had the lens I needed, and found someone who checked and told me they did. They gave me a great rental rate for the weekend and now I know where I can go. more

I will not bore you with a lot of words. What I will say is that Bel-Air Camera is the best camera store I have ever dealt with.The staff is very friendly and patient. They know their craft. I have been a satisfied customer for a couple of years now. I no longer live in LA, but when I make my next camera purchase, it will be at Bel-Air Camera. more

While on a break yesterday I had the opportunity to check out Bel Air Camera for the first time and was very pleasantly surprised at the large darkroom section stocked with an impressive assortment of papers and chemistry It has to be about the largest darkroom dept. in L.A. with the exception, maybe, of Freestyle in Hollywood. Bel Air has a huge selection of used analog equipment also. Seems like most of the ""big stores"" in town have gotten out of the used market. This store, with a good number of employees on the selling floor really has an almost ""retro"" look and feel of a big camera store circa 1984! (Yes, they do sell all of the latest digital stuff-they just don't beat you over the head with it). When I mentioned that I was delighted to see that the store is still committed to analog photography. This is the best camera store in the world! more

I've been in the photographic industry for 5 years now, and I was in the market for the new Canon 7D. I live in Silver Lake, so my first stop was Samys due to its location. Samys was out of 7Ds, but I could tell the sales person was desperate to close the sale before I left the shop. He began pushing the T1i because it was in stock, and at first said ""you don't want the 7D, its over your head. Get the rebel, its video is just as good"". First off, I know the video is far superior in the 7D. But don't tell me what I want. I was insulted when he said ""its over your head"". I left immediately. My next stop was Bel Air Camera. I went in with a chip on my shoulder due to my experience at Samys. I began working with a young guy named Alex, who was not offended by my aggro tone at first. He calmly showed me a demo unit, explained in PLAIN english the features, meaning he did not just spit out specs I could research on the computer. He also explained why the camera worked best for my applications. I was offered an extended warranty and at first declined, but then returned 3 days later and picked up the warranty, to cover any future drops or water damage. Overall I was very pleased with my experiences at Bel Air Camera, and plan on driving out of my way for the superior customer service. more

I was in the store this past Saturday. When I first walked in I was warmly greeted, first by the security man and then a sales clerk. He asked how can he help me and I indicated that I wanted to purchase the Canon T1i 2-lens kit in their advertisement. After checking around and verifying that there were none in stock, the clerk said I can make the purchase now with the current rebates and no sales tax offer and then the store will call me when the kit arrives. Unlike others, who will not sell an item out of stock until it arrives after the sale has ended (no rain checks), Bel-Air camera had no problem giving me the great sale price before the camera kit even had arrived. The camera kit arrived yesterday and they promptly called me at home to notify me to stop by and pick it up at my convenience. This is great service. It was my first time dealing with them and I will surely do so again in the future. The clerk was first rate and he let me demo the sample camera and lenses as long as I wished. Even the security guard was pleasant and a joy to speak with. Thank you Bel-Air Camera. more

I went in yesterday for their free digital SLR class and got interested in a new Zeiss lens for my Canon. Problem was I could afford a lens that nice. They called Barry over, I think he is the manager, he knows EVERYTHING about camera and video gear but is not arrogant about it. Long story short, he rented me a used one for the weekend for $20.00 and said he would credit me the rental if I purchased either a new lens or the used one within 30 days. I don't know any other store that would do something like that. more

Bel Air Camera is the best camera shop I have ever set foot in. I go to UCLA and frequent this place. I can see all the latest cameras and equipment, get all of my questions answered and even rent the stuff I can't afford to buy with a student discount! It's a pretty big, knowledgeable staff almost everyone knows everything. David has been pretty good, Melvin knows old school cameras and lighting, Barry seems to know a lot, Amelia is SUPER in Rental. I LOVE this place! more

I have had nothing but good experiences at Bel Air Camera. A few years ago I was going on safari in Africa and got great help in selecting a camera there. I am a terrible photographer, but I took incredible photos on my trip. I know that great associates like David are giving each customer the time that person needs. Thank goodness that Bel Air Camera is still around in this age of mega stores with no sales help! more

Had to get a battery charger for my basic, Costco-purchased point-and shoot camera. Internet: got a product that didn't actually charge my battery. Fail. Best Buy: no dice, referred to radio shack Radioshack: might have something that works, but I'd had to open the packaging to find out, which means I'd have to buy the $40 item, and I might be wrong. Referred to Bel Air. I walked in and they had a ""tester"" charger available (already opened). The test was successful! I had found a charger that had worked. I was getting ready to shell out $50 or so, but it was $29.99! A full $10 less than competitors. This experience gave me reason enough to go back to Bel Air and not just write them off for being a smaller business. I'll try them first next time. more

They are the King of Camera Stores! They have everything for your camera needs. Employees are very helpful and the Sales Associates are fantastic! Plus they seem to be educated about the products. The service is very personalized and I am very happy with my experience. This is the best camera store in the world! more

Their service is outstanding! The Bel-Air Camera Superstore has everything Photographic and Video related at great prices and service to match! I experienced great service and felt no pressure to buy while i was looking at the different options. The staff is very knowledgeable of their products and are willing to help you find what you are looking for. My visit was pleasant and i will continue to go here for all of my electronic needs! more

Camera Store For Everyone If you're looking to buy a camera and have no knowledge of cameras, this is the place to go. So great! more

I have been a fan of this full service photography source of experience and product line for decades. Today I came in with an obscure request to find a cable to link my camera to my TV. David Keller took the time to paw through multiple bins of unlabeled product to find what I needed. Most places would have sent me away. Maybe their prices are not the lowest, but the service is one of the highest. Which is most important to you? more

Michael Lewis in the Video department is the best guy to speak to. He is very friendly and very helpful. He is the most efficient with the transactions. If you need any help with video, Michael is the guy to speak to. more

I bought my D90, lens, and accessories at Bel Air Camera. It was a good choice, the staff was very knowledgeable and friendly. more

I am going on a trip to Greece soon, and needed a new camera. I live in the neighborhood and decided to give this place a shot instead of Best Buy. I am glad I did, because I found a new cannon with the works that was about $ 20 more at Best Buy.The workers there are also very friendly and helpful unlike the hawks at Best Buy that follow everyone around like everyone there is going to steal. more

Thank you for helping me pick out a digital that suited my needs and not trying to other cameras that had features that I would never use (I appreciate that).There is not many shops like this anymore which is a shame. Big corporations like wal-mart and best buy do not offer the tailored customer service that smaller shops like this one offer. more