Used Camera stores in DC or Chicago?

[ddimaria]

Hi all, I may be travelling to Washington DC or Chicago, or both for work in the next few weeks. Does anyone know of any good used equipment places I could check out. Any sites I gotta see?

Thanks

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Penn camera in DC. Many locations throughout the area.

http://penncamera.com/

and Protech Camera in Northern Virginia.

http://www.protechphoto.com/Protech_Address.htm

 

[furcafe]

We really don't have a lot of good used camera/photo stores in the DC area. Here are some old photo.net threads on the subject:

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=006nwB

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=005n1A

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=007EIF

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00BAdN

As to sights, we have a few things here in DC that you may have heard of, like the various monuments, Capitol, White House, Smithsonian museums, etc. You'll probably be too early for the annual Cherry Blossom festivities around the Tidal Basin, which start @ the beginning of April. On the photography front (RF-related even), the Nat'l Gallery of Art (West Building) is currently hosting a major retrospective of the work of Andre Kertesz (http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/index.shtm#kertesz). I would recommend visiting the Washington Post's Visitor's Guide section to check out stuff you may want to see: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/travel/visitorsguide.htm?nav=toc

 

[SolaresLarrave]

In Chicago there's of course Central Camera, right in the loop, on Wabash Street, not far from the Art Institute. You can go there almost any day, but the atmosphere is friendlier on Saturdays. Their used gear inventory used to be larger, but they still have fairly good offers on medium format. Scattered Leicas and a few Classic Japanese RFs can be found there.

In case you want to purchase, they may seem a bit over the usual but if you consider their one-year warranty deal, it's peace of mind.

 

[Fedzilla_Bob]

Penn camera in DC. Many locations throughout the area.

http://penncamera.com/

and Protech Camera in Northern Virginia.

http://www.protechphoto.com/Protech_Address.htm

Penn Camera was a great store in DC... (grew up there). Not sure if the downtown store remains open, the one that was behind the FBI building between 8th and 9th.

I used to go there after school and drool over the cameras.

 

[ABarGrill]

There is a Penn Camera on E Street near 7th Street. I'm not a big fan of Penn (over-priced) but it is the only "decent" camera shop that I know of in downtown DC (there are numerous Ritz Camera shops but they are more mass-market appeal).

Alan

 

[ABarGrill]

Fedzilla,

The Penn Camera shop you remember was closed a few years back and they relocated into a new but smaller space. Nowhere near the selection they had in the old store. I used to stand in the window and look wishfully at the used models they had on display!

Alan

 

[Fedzilla_Bob]

Fedzilla,

The Penn Camera shop you remember was closed a few years back and they relocated into a new but smaller space. Nowhere near the selection they had in the old store. I used to stand in the window and look wishfully at the used models they had on display!

Alan

We were porbably standing there at the same time. I used to transfer buses near there going to and from art classes.

 

[ABarGrill]

Very possibly!! I have been coming into DC for business for 25 years and the only way that I knew for much of that time to navigate the City if by walking up E street from Union Station. Each time it brought me to the camera store window! We may well have exchanged nods as we lamented the prices!

 

[Fedzilla_Bob]

Yeah, they are still pricey (read- overpriced), but the advice and repairs were always good.

They used to give the Washington Post photographers a break so my brother would find stuff there now and then. That was where he purchased a lot of his darkroom equipment.