Bangor Photo

My experience with Bangor Photo and its staff has been the total opposite of the previous reviewer. The people who work there are helpful and good-​natured; I usually know what I want going in, and don’t need much help, but have many times watched them provide generous assistance to all customers, including those who clearly didn’t have much to spend.
As for the prices, it’s true that they’re relatively expensive, and in these tight economic times it’s hard to criticize anyone for trying to save money. For myself, for what it’s worth, I feel that I’d rather scrimp, purchase judiciously and spend my money in my community, at a local small business, instead of sending it to some Brooklyn storefront or out-​of-​state photo giant or parasitic big box store.
p. s. Their large-​format printing services are great, especially the metallic prints.

like a lot of aging brick and mortar business models in the age of the internet, bangor photo is a business that is a total ripoff when compared to buying the exact same thing online. there’s also no direct local competition to force the business to improve.
still, you might be thinking that scoping out gear in person and soliciting advice is also of benefit. and you’re right, that would be true if you were really dealing with a decent selection of gear, or with a sales team that had much of use to add to the discussion. of course, these happen to be two points on which bangor photo is rather weak.
your mileage may vary, but i have found bangor photo to be continually lacking in knowledge of current industry news (detailed product features/​specs, release dates, etc), and relatively unable to provide insight not available on manufacturer’s websites or major review sites.
in-​store brand selection is aimed squarely at the non-​pro photography market, with the nice exception of some manfrotto tripod legs and heads. they have tiffen filters instead of the much higher quality b+w or heliopan lines and and deal only in nikon and canon slrs, for example, and it’s entirely possible that best buy has a few camera bodies available to play with that these guys don’t have. it is also true, however, that there is a rather small market for high end photography equipment in the greater bangor area.
what surmounts all of this, in my distaste for bangor photo, is the staff’s condescending attitude toward young people and, in general, people who don’t look like they have a bunch of money to spend. i have heard the same feeling voiced by several other people of photographic merit, and myself noticed the distinct difference in customer approach on the day i entered the store with my canon 5d mark ii (a coveted camera, now and at the time). creating artificial mental and artistic superiority over the customers that keep your store out of bankruptcy is not a good business practice.
on film developing: it’s been a long time since i’ve had any film to develop, but they’re heads and shoulders above walmart et al. you’ll pay for the difference, but it’s worth it if you’re not willing to send your film out to be developed by a cheaper, but quality, mail-​in lab. if we’re talking about buying darkroom equipment for yourself, then yeah, check their prices, but you’ll probably run screaming to the internet to buy them in bulk.
on their website: it’s stuck in the early 2000s, but the sad thing is that they’ve updated it since then. other than the lifepics print ordering service, all it’s got going for it is the display of basic store information.
in the end: yes, bangor photo is a decent place to go for basic last-​minute supplies and basic questions. if you’re new to photography, i’m sure the staff could point you in the right direction. but after you get your photographic bearings, i suggest pointing yourself to google to find out what you’re missing.