Kerrisdale Cameras Ltd - Victoria

Fast and high quality passport photos. Great staff and from what I overheard of some conversations between staff and customers - knowledgeable too!

A pleasure to write this review after visiting Kerrisdale Cameras in Victoria. Specifically, thanks to associate, Bill, for his help and incredible knowledge in all things photography.

This is a great camera store - the original kind of camera store - before cell phones took over and pushed “real” cameras out of the way.

While I own an iPhone 14 Pro Max, I prefer using my actual cameras, purely for the experience of using their settings and enjoying photography itself, instead of pointing a cell phone with its clinical method of capturing shots. As Seinfeld said, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that…” but, really, anyone can point a cell phone at something and click the big button.

There is something much more satisfying using an actual camera, with lenses, viewfinder, etc, and the place to go is Kerrisdale, whether you’re looking for a camera, new or used, digital or film, lenses, developing, accessories, or just for sage advice from someone who knows their stuff.

Bill was very helpful, showing me different cameras and, yes, I ended up buying a used Nikon I spotted as I was leaving. And I’m really pleased with my purchase.

Although I no longer live and work in Victoria, I’ll be making return visits to Kerrisdale.

If you’re looking for any of the aforementioned and not sure of where to start, I highly recommend this store.

Super friendly staff, great guidance and service, traded in a lens towards a bigger one, I forget the younger gentleman’s name but he was fantastic, super patient, took the time to make sure what I was looking at worked with my camera. This is my go to for anything camera related.

Passport photos for Japan and Canada done here. Very fast and professional. Only 15 mins drive from 1150 Douglas passport office. I DO NOT recommend the place beside the passport office for international passport photos, we spent considerable time waiting for the attendant to get the format correct before finally giving up and leaving.

Extremely knowledgeable staff here! I will be returning for all my camera needs and inquiries. The manager compared quite a few cameras for me and what I need. He kept everything that I had specified in mind and only showed me the cameras which fit my needs.

Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. The prices were good and they helped me pick out a new lens.

Had an amazing experience here. Tried to find a piece for my film camera everywhere and Sterling not only found me the part but went above and beyond and gave me a new lens and cleaned the camera. He was amazing, 10/10 service will go back for any camera needs!

Great service lots of time to talk through product and lighting need, low pressure sales.will be back for sure.

Though this place is knowledable about cameras to the beginner it's a minefield to learn the use of cameras especially the digital the industry is leaving the new camera people (beginners) behind and most new camera people dissatisfied and end up putting there new purchase in the closet to collect dust and prices are way expensive the industry need to stop Suttle changes to camera models and lower prices for now I won't buy a new camera till I can figure them out possibly buy a used one sorry camera industry u lost me for a customer paul

Left 3 rolls of film to be developed, Kerrisdale delivered 3 rolls but one of the rolls was not mine. I emailed them to let them know and they didn't respond for 4 days. When I followed up they blamed the issue on a new tech. Only solution they had is that hopefully the person that got my film would come forward. I will never take my film to Kerrisadale again I suggest you dont either.

Fast service and very knowledgeable staff with a fair price. Let me try out a lens on my own camera, which a big box store would not allow. Highly recommend if in the area!

I am a super happy customer. I came in looking for a new Canon EL-1 Speedlite flash for my Canon 6D. I liked the idea of only having 1 lithium battery instead of having 8 AA batteries for my current flash. Quinn recommended to call Strobe Pro in Alberta for a compatible model for a 3rd of the price with free shipping. I have also bought a Sigma 100-650MM telephoto lens from this location because the staff knows the gear for your photography needs. Kerrisdale Cameras (head office), if you are reading these reviews, please bring in the Strobe Pro products!

I made the rookiest of rookie mistakes and inserted the SD card backwards into my camera. It wouldn’t eject and was jammed so tightly I couldn’t remove it. I took it to Kerrisdale, expecting to be told I’d have to send it away to Canon and be hit with an expensive repair bill. The patient and knowledgeable gentleman who looked at my camera worked at it for a bit, removed the stuck card, and repaired the broken spring so it will now eject again. He also showed me how to use wifi to upload my photos to avoid overusing the eject feature. All this on a camera I didn’t even purchase there, and all at no cost. Service like this cannot be found on Amazon! I’ve found my new go to store for all things photography.

Great team inside. Knowledgeable and courteous. Well updated about the products. There's even a passport photo service, quality photos and reasonable price, they even helped me find photo spec for my Visa!

I think this is the only dedicated camera store left on Vancouver Island, and it's worth checking out if you are a photog

Terrible service
Ordered 2 cameras with a 3 week turnaround. Came into the store after 2 weeks.my husband was given a camera out of the box.sample. My camera was ordered 1 week after I paid the deposit. This purchase was for a whale watching trip on our 20th wedding anniversary but hey no camera 4 weeks later. SO very disappointed! No zoom lense camera anniversary one. Thanks for nothing. I want my money back. Incompetent staff.

Alex was great to deal with, he went above and beyond what I expected from staff at a camera store. If you are looking for a store with staff who know what they are talking about, this is it.

Went to get some advice on a couple of cameras, one for outdoor photos and one close-up photos of small art pieces. Was told maybe one camera could do both jobs. Really appreciate when people focus on giving good advice that puts the customer first. Left very impressed with our new camera and supplies. Will shop here again for sure.

Very professional and knowledgeable staff. Passport photo prices are the best you can get, 10 min waiting time. Place to go for sure!

Quin has been helping me for a while now, always goes above and beyond to get me what I need! Very knowledgeable as well! Never sounds anoyed with me either! Just perfect customer service

I’ve dealt with Kerrisdale Camera company and their staff for 30 years and have always gotten first rate treatment. Having been a customer at all their locations I can attest to having received expert advice on products, services, as well as staff who treated me with respect. I trust their advice and insight. Wonderful staff in all regards.

Professional, knowledgeable and friendly staff who went out of their way to help us with a camera microphone issue. After buying several pieces of equipment from Amazon, we noticed while at this store that prices were as good and in some cases lower than Amazon - we thought why would you not support this local store when they offer such great service. They gave us practical advice about selling an older camera that didn't benefit them at all. We returned the next day and purchased a new item rather than shopping on Amazon. We're happy to support this store and staff, we recommend them highly.

I've had a problem with a very expensive lens that Canon says there is nothing wrong with, showed Matt what I was talking about, he jumped on board to get the issue resolved, we will see what happens now, anybody I have ever talked to at Kerrisdale have always been welcoming and informative.

They had difficulty locating an item that was put on hold for me but sales person was polite and helpful. Good choice of products.

Had the pleasure of stopping in this camera store while visiting from Nanaimo! Just talking to these guys alone was worth the drive. They are so knowledgeable and helpful- I ended up buying all my gear from them and couldn’t be happier. It was worth it to buy from a specialty camera store as it also comes with great support.
(I dealt with Quinn primarily - highly recommend!)

Quinn was extremely knowledgeable and honest regarding all elements of our purchase. Thank you so much for setting us up with a new camera. I highly recommend this shop.

Quinn was fantastic when I came in to look for an upgrade on my Canon t3i. Sold me exactly what I was looking for and kept it within my budget. Staff is friendly, knowledgeable and honest. Will come back for all my camera needs

I stopped in to trade a couple lenses and inquire about getting some different lenses. From the moment I entered I was welcomed and provided amazing service. Quinn was professional kind and knowledgeable I left not only with a new lens and tripod but with plenty of information. I would recommend kerrisdale cameras to anybody looking for a great selection of products and an amazing customer experience!

Service was the best and they actually gave me a further discount on my credit card on the camera I had bought because it had dropped in price on the internet. Thanks guys!

Knowledgeable staff and a good selection and pretty good prices. Lots of parking as well and a convenient location.

I've bought several lenses from these guys. You may be able to save a few dollars buying the "international version" of a camera online but it's not worth it. For the little bit extra you spend you're getting warranty from the manufacturer, you're supporting local business, and you can be secure in the knowledge that you're getting exactly what fits your needs, because the very knowledgeable staff will help you to choose what's right for you. If I could rate higher than 5/5 stars I would.

I received such excellent customer service from this store! I purchased a birthday gift for someone who ended up not wanting the item (a camera). I phoned Kerrisdale, all flustered and wondering what to do, and spoke to Sterling, who treated me with utmost curtesy. Even though I was causing the store to lose money by returning an expensive item, he still made me feel like a valued customer. I will recommend this store to anyone I know who is in the market for a new camera!

Went in the other day to buy a Fujifilm X-T3. Staff was super helpful and were very knowledgeable about the camera and lenses. I came back the next day and the staff who helped me remembered me and what I was looking to buy. He looked through all the stock to see if they had any used models and founds the silver body I wanted. By far one of the best places to buy camera equipment. Wonderful and accommodating staff, clean store and a great selection of new and used items. I definitely will be coming back to do more business with them

In my option the best camera store with the most knowledgeable staff. They aren’t pushy and know an array of different products. They aren’t biased to one product. So they will
Give you their personal opinion on any of the camera gear or accessories in there

Store took a month to deliver the parts I needed. Throughout the entire ordering and payment process I was met with confusion about whom I should be speaking with (people lose their job and all their work doesn't get passed on, its up to the customer to track someone down to pick up where they left off), whether payment was processed (I would provide the credit card number over the phone then when I arrived to pick up the part, they said I needed to pay again), and what the parts actually were (their "expert" failed to include 50% of the gear I actually needed). Disappointed over and over during this transaction, no one there seemed to know what was going on. Met with kind of a pass the buck mentality. I think this place wants to be seen as high end, so they treat people who need simple accessories poorly so we don't return. At least that's the impression I got; big mistake believing that they would take my simple order seriously.

I am pretty picky when it comes to camera and lenses and my first camera was a long time ago and have experienced all formats up to 8x10 and many corresponding lenses. So I do have some experience with cameras and lenses, and camera shops. I found these folks to be competent, offer the best price you can find in Canada, and I have always trusted Matt the manager for several years now. I trust his advice. He is very knowledgeable and will go beyond what is normally expected to make you happy.

Very helpful and knowledgeable staff. Check these guys out for your first camera or looking to test out new mirrorless gear.

Happened to be looking for a new camera when I had time to kill near Kerrisdale.

Glad I went in, because the people that work there are well informed.

I spoke with Quinn, to get a quote for a Nikon z7. He was very intelligent, polite and professional.

They gave me a better deal than the ones I could find on B&H Photo, Henry's and best buy.

Ended up saving close to $1000, seen as I didn't have to pay shipping or important charges. As well as Quinn setup a 10% discount for both spare batteries and storage cards. Also gave me a special deal on an adapter for my F mount lenses.

Ended up leaving, very happy, with a new Nikon z7, Nikkor 50mm 1.8 S, a spare battery, XQD 120gb, Nikon F to Z adapter and some step up rings for my existing filters.

I highly recommend checking them out if you're in the market, and I would also recommend asking for Quinn, as he is very nice, and well informed.

Great choice of new and used cameras and very helpful sales staff.
I recently traded in my old camera for a new camera and came away with a pretty good deal.
The salesman Mike was was both knowledgeable and had a very warm presence in dealing with me.

Bill, helped with my decision to purchase a new pro camera. He was very knowledgeable, friendly and stayed way after his home time to help. Highly recommend!

Terrible service from an aggressive and rude girl who seemed hungover and 'out of it' and not in any shape to be working. She tried to oversell me and seems like a bully to be frank. I'll never come back here after dealing with this girl. Sad that such an iconic Victoria shop turned into this. I'll be going elsewhere from now on.

Fabulous staff with world class knowledge. Many current and former professional photographers are there to help guide you in your buying experience. Highly recommend over any other store in Victoria.

Friendly staff, good prices, and they will help however they can to get you the camera part or accessory that you need

Great selection. Friendly and knowledge staff. Had a great first experience in this store, and will not be the last!

S/O to Greg, Matt, and Mike for hooking me up with a stellar set up.

11/10

I've always shopped at the Victoria location for all of my Camera needs. Just recently I tried to buy a used lens off their online website, however due to issues with the websites inventory system the lens I had ordered already had an in-store deposit on it. Sterling at the Victoria location went above and beyond to make sure that I left with a positive experience and found a very similar lens at a mainland location. I was able to purchase it at a reduced price that was closer to the lens I had initially tried to purchase.

I've always had positive experiences here however the one I've mentioned above shows the positive customer service that they give to their customers. I will definitely continue shopping here for all my camera needs.

Great old school camera store. Way better to deal with than a box one. Generous warranty and try out policy on used equipment. May not be as cheap as private but comes with warranty.

Wow, what great reviews, wish that was my experience! I never write negative reviews, but today is the day. I went in today with my adult daughter, as I wanted to purchase a used camera and 300 mm Zoom lens, to replace my camera eq.that was recently stolen. There were 4 staff present behind the counter with 1 staff talking to a customer. After 10 minutes of seaching through the used inventory book for what I wanted, that 1 customer left. I still was not approached.then 5 minutes later, another customer walked into the store and was immediately greeted with love and hugs (seemingly). I was in the the store for 20 minutes at least, and finally realized they were not in need of my business or cash that was burning a hole in my pocket. Strange. I understand being overlooked when there are plenty of customers coming and going, but this was not the case. Maybe, if there is a next time, I will ride my bicycle to their store instead of pulling up in my Jag, it worked for the 2nd customer.
AP

Kerrisdale Camera in Victoria has comparable prices to Amazon.ca and you don't have to pay for shipping and can have a face-to-face discussion with a real person. To improve their service they could have more products available at the store. I recently purchased a Fujifilm X-T2 that needed to be brought in from Vancouver. Other items can be a special order meaning that you must pay for it first and then wait a few weeks to receive it; other items can be brought in from Vancouver without the special order status and without paying for them first. They also have a nice used equipment section, which means you can trade in your used gear from new stuff.

We walked in to get information about a few camera models we were interested in. Molly took the time to go through them all and played a huge part in helping us decide which camera we wanted. A while later, when we were ready to make the purchase, Bill helped us with lenses and accessories. Great service from both staff members. We would definitely recommend Kerrisdale Cameras in Victoria to anyone looking for great equipment and prices, and with the one-in-one service and product knowledge you don’t generally find in the big electronics stores.