Ben Ness is next to where I work, so I'm always tempted to go in there. They don't seem to have a lot of turn over in staff, but one time I was asking about medium format film, which I was purchasing, and the clerk said that he didn't know anything about film. He wasn't a photographer. I want people who can answer my questions. This is only a relatively new hobby for me. I'm sure I wasn't asking some super-complicated question.
They over-charge, probably to support rent. The majority of their clientele are people who took pictures of friends at the last picnic (which is completely fine, but they aren't aiming for superior quality).
For convenience - good. For nice staff - good.
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