Broadway Camera

Very knowledgeable staff who were patient with my questions as a novice photographer. I was able to describe the kind of shots that I wanted to accomplish and they recommended a range of relevant equipment at various prices so I didn’t need to go over-​budget. I will be going back.

I drop by Broadway Camera whenever I’m in Lansdowne just to see if they have any new gear. The people that works their have always been nice. In terms of product selection, it’s nothing like Adorama or B&H. Broadway Camera mainly carry the main brands, and some cheaper alternatives (China brands). But, they can special order some items in. The staffs’ product knowledge is pretty good, because they are all photogs.
But, one thing changed recently, and that’s – SERVICE. I thought it could be just those few times, but today’s visit was very clear that the service has gone stale. I was looking to purchase an ExpoDisc 2.0 and I had to commandeer their attention.
Here’s what happened:
I walked in to the store. There are no other customers. There are two staff and the store manager behind the counter. One of the staff was on a computer, the manager jumps on to have a conversation with that staff as soon as I walked towards him. The second staff joined them after a few seconds. All three ignored me as if I (and my two kids) didn’t exist. After standing in front of them without a batting an eye at me, I spoke up. But only the second staff finally responded with the other one and the store manager still engaged at the computer.
In the end, I left the store without the product I came to get. And because of my experiences lately, I think I’m going to bring my business elsewhere. Today’s experience brought me back to when you guys were still in Aberdeen where service, literally, did not exist.
Thanks Broadway Camera for those couple of years you’ve been good to your customers. Back when the other store managers and staff took care of their customers.

This is the only place I take my pictures for development! Amazing customer service, I can’t say anything more because it’s that good. There knowledge in cameras are also top notch, very professional. I will not hesitate to come back for all my camera needs. I just wished they had more selection

I was in the market for a DSLR recently for hubby’s Christmas gift and ended up buying from here. More personalized service than the box stores, and since all they sell is cameras and related accessories, their product knowledge is good. I did a lot of my research online, but it was helpful to have the in-​store experience and to hold the options in your hands before buying.
Their regular prices for accessories were better than at the box stores. I waited for a sale on the model I was interested in before buying and found their sale prices to be competitive. I also happened to like their bundle better than the other stores. They also include a 2 hour intro course to photography with your DSLR purchase which I’m hoping to book into shortly.
The major downside is their return period is quite short (7 days). Not sure I would buy a camera at regular price here for that reason. No Amex — MC or Visa only for payment.

I know nothing about camera and don’t like taking picture except FOOD!
I came here for passport photos, the service was excellent and professional.
The photographer took 3 shots and let you reviewed then picked for your best picture. Only need 20 mins, it will be ready.
Great! This passport photos will go for next 10 years.

When it comes to product knowledge, these guys sure know their stuff. I was just kicking around tires, & really can’t compare to BB or FS unless you’re going by price only; here it does seem higher b/​c they don’t splash their big sales, etc.
But what i’m impressed that is you’re talking to an expert, & with BB, it’s all hit or miss, depending on who you chase down to help you there lol.
Pretty patient, explained a few things about SLR, what would suit my needs for food pics (of course), & did point out that they sell all lines of cameras, whereas BB et al will push whatever they need to make way for other models coming in.
Next time when i’m in a buying mode for a camera, i’ll have to give these guys a shot.

Before its recent renovation, Broadway Camera seemed like another average mall camera shop. The space was small, the interior was dim, and for a shop that depended so much on product display, it wasn’t much to look at. This was of course, when it was still located at the Aberdeen Centre.
Now that it’s made landfall in the much lesser Lansdowne Centre, it’s become the pro camera hobby shop it’s always looked to become: bright, modern, spacious, and riddled with oodles of eager and knowledgeable associates. Now Broadway Camera has gone from a scrub store in a posh mall, to a scintillating stall in a ho hum shopping center. It is 100x more inviting and a vast improvement from the old location.
The prices were never too terrible and most of their sales can be found on their site. They’re stoked with a wealth of inventory and have a lot to offer from the novice to the prosumer. Be sure to do your research ahead of time but don’t be afraid to come in to browse and get some QT with some of the latest equipment in the photog biz.

Not much variety in the video camera department and, while the staff members helping me were very nice, there was not much they knew. I’m no expert but couldn’t get some basic function questions answered and it was even more difficult trying to navigate the different prices from their website versus the store.

I keep coming back here. I always seem to start with London Drugs and then somehow do a bit of research and end up here. Broadway Camera.
I’ve been going to the location in Vancouver for years. This is before there was digital. Same goes for Kits Camera, back when I was an Olympus and Leica junkie. That stuff went to my sister.
At Broadway Camera, I was reintroduced by my friend from work, who is a photographer herself. She helped to get me reacquainted with the hobby and I got my telephoto lens there. From that point on, I kept coming back. Either to look for stuff, or to research or to get.
When it comes to advertised deals, they can have some really good bargains out there. If they’re what you’re looking for.
They provide pretty good service, and chances are, if they don’t have it, they can get it for you.
They realize that having a return customer is a good thing and they will work to get that privilege of having you as a return customer.

I give this store an «A» for «(a)effort».
The common problem with camera stores is that you either: (1) choose a few brands to sell on a compact retail space or (2) deal with all the major brands and occupy a big store. Broadway Camera on Aberdeen Centre chose the latter, but left out the «occupy a big store» on their list.
The result of which they have Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax, Olympus DSLR and compact point-​and-​shoot cameras as well as various third-​party accessories (lenses, camera bags, memory cards, printers, etc) all in one compact retail floor space big enough for one brand alone like say a «Sony Style» store.
So you get a few of these and a few of that. Big ticket items you see one item a piece. But with a store this compact you really don’t get to see and enjoy the whole product line of a specific manufacturer.
Walking around the store there are products on metal racks and boxes on floors that they tried to neatly display as you walk around. There is no showroom type of display where you can reach out and play with the camera the way Sony Style stores allow you to (well, except for the relatively cheap accessories within reach). And I can’t fault them because those are expensive items and they need to sell each one as brand new.
As for pricing, it’s as decent as what you could expect for the Canadian market with a devalued currency.
What BC Camera (and Vancouver) needs is a mecca photography and video store the same way B&H has built a solid reputation and foundation in NY with a multi-​level retail building and a kick-​ass website.
I’m routing for BC Camera to deliver this kind of shopping experience in the future. In the meantime, I’ll keep on looking out for good deals on BC Camera’s basic website layout and visit the retail store every now and then to get a hands-​on feel before I purchase.
TIP:
–They have good sales going on every now and then which you can check from the website prior to visiting one of their retail store.
— You can try to request a price match and they will ask their current store manager.