Boston area stores

[daveleo]

Anyone have experience at Calumet (Cambridge, MA) or Hunt's on Commonwealth ave (Boston).
I'm looking to browse and handle cameras.
Comments on their gear selection on hand and customer treatment ?

 

[Oren Grad]

The Hunt's branch in the Commonwealth Hotel arcade is a small outpost with relatively little stock. Same with the branch in Harvard Square. If you want to see lots of stuff, go to the mother ship in Melrose.

Calumet in Cambridge has a decent selection of current mid-to-high-end digital equipment, though I don't think they carry as wide a selection of brands and models as Hunt's does. You can check stock status for specific items through the calumet.com website.

Are you looking for something in particular?

 

[Takkun]

I was a regular at Hunt's for buying film and processing, both their Kenmore and Harvard locations. They've got a small selection of interesting used and studio gear, too, but I'm told their Melrose store is the big'un. They're all pretty great in there, very knowledgable (as camera-only store staff have to be these days); mostly students and working photographers.

I used to buy online from Calumet until I found out they had a store in Cambridge. Just after I moved back west they opened a much bigger outlet down the street. They specialize in more pro photo/video gear and had a huge selection of studio equipment, not to mention used pro bodies and lenses. I only bought a shoulder bag there, unfortunately. Very knowledgeable staff. (note that when I say 'huge,' I mean huge for a B&M. I always prefer buying in person, even with chains, because I'm antsy to get it in my hot hands, and can test it out on the spot or when I get home and save myself a week transit time sending it back)

There's also a place on Bromfield street downtown that's a tiny hole in the wall, but unlike some of the 'camera stores' downtown that sell mostly phone cards and headphones, they're a real shop. Really odd place, tiny and packed to the gills with a mix of consumer DSLRs and older collectable cameras. Only ever went in there for film.
Happy shopping!

 

[Spicy]

there's a more film-camera oriented store in arlington, but i've forgotten the name. i do know there's a direct bus there from harvard square though.

the guy was nice and seemed reasonably knowledgeable, though he was very interested in ferraris and it seemed like the camera store was run just as a hobby.

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

Boston pro-gear stores:
- Hunt's in Melrose. As written earlier, other Hunt's branches have limited items.
- Calumet in Cambridge
- E. P. Levine, now in Waltham. Do they still have a store in the old Navy Yard?

All these are excellent outfits, good staff, and all the great gear.

 

[Oren Grad]

- E. P. Levine, now in Waltham. Do they still have a store in the old Navy Yard?

No, the store in the Marine Industrial Park was closed when they moved out to Waltham.

The other place with a pretty good stock of current consumer-oriented digital gear is Newtonville Camera. They do carry high-end models from Nikon and Canon, but don't carry medium format digital as do Calumet and EP Levine. And again, Hunt's has a broader selection of brands and models - for example, Newtonville doesn't carry Pentax.

 

[daveleo]

Thank you guys for the comments.

I want to actually handle the Fuji XE and Xpro and some of the micro4/3 cameras, and possibly a Sony A-something. Looking at internet pictures has lost it's allure, you know.

I should have done more homework - I thought Hunt's, Melrose was gone! I saw the Boston store and thought they moved.

I might try visiting Waltham and Melrose the same trip, as much to check out the stores as the cameras. Then try Newton and Cambridge on a later trip.

I do appreciate the input.

 

[pixelated]

I've found Levine's to be much more "approachable" than Hunts, at least in regard to the Melrose store. But Hunts does have more stock.

YMMV

 

[peter_n]

EP Levine is nothing like the store it used to be in the dock area unfortunately. The location is much smaller and there's much less "old stuff" than there used to be. I used to buy almost everything there (my last purchase was a Leica MP3 from Cole) but I've only been to the Waltham location twice and ended up buying nothing. On the plus side they added to the staff and kept almost all the original employees. Mike Bard (was the manager at Newtonville) and a partner bought the business a few years ago and moved it out to the suburbs.

I think Levine's is probably still the best source if you really need something, Calumet in Cambridge have good staff but the space is very cramped, and Newtonville has the room but a pretty poor selection of stuff if you're an enthusiast. When Mike was there they had a flourishing Leica business and I think they still sell used and new Leica equipment. EP Levine still sells a limited Leica range also.