Wilson Camera

I was charged $ 140. for Blake to photoshop three photos. Two of the three were terrible. I went back home and watched some youtube videos of how to photoshop and did a better job myself. Blake said he spent a huge amount of time photoshopping, but when I looked at what was done on the history, that is difficult to believe. I would try a different place if you really want some photoshop work done. Also, they charged me $ 35 to scan a photo that was too big for my scanner at home. They just scanned it to my thumb drive. I really think that is way overpriced. Too bad.

This is not meant to belittle or bash a small business, it is only meant to be honest. This place cannot compete with AMAZON or EBAY, and it’s not just because of competitive prices, it has to do with attitude. They are nickel and dimers at this shop, and the markup on every item is ridiculous. 7 dollars for a pack of AA batteries? 100% markup on point and shoots? That’s just too much in this day in age.
The reason this place is still around is because it’s a historic store in Scottsdale, the shop itself has been there for like 50 years, they have a lot of senior citizens people who go there to get their ancient film processed and to shoot the breeze, and honestly that is what is keeping this place open. The old folks who don’t know what Amazon is and who don’t care about spending 10 bucks for a AAA battery, they are keeping this place’s lights on.
I love when a small business can offer something fresh and new compared to the big giant guys, but seriously… the markup here is just crazy, and with sites like amazon, eBay, even craigslist… with perfectly good gear, for hundreds of dollars less? It makes no sense to pay so much. The selling point this store has is that they will give you personalized service and teach you how to use a camera… okay, well that still doesn’t justify overpaying hundreds of dollars. Considering YOUTUBE and the free, easy ways to learn camera work, it just doesn’t really cut it ya know? Does that mean that the markup is basically covering the cost of an extremely pricey «how to use your camera» session?
Anyways, there are better deals to be found, and in this modern day paying too much for something is not cool. I also find it very tacky that the owners respond to Unilocal reviews with such a standoffish attitude… If you are getting low reviews, it isn’t because Unilocal is evil, it’s because people are seeing a pattern of not-​so-​good service. Treat people right, in person, and on Unilocal,and you’ll do okay.
Lower those prices, fo real.
peace and love!

Worst experience EVER!!! I ordered an item and was told it would take 7 – 10 business days… 30 days later i finally get a call saying my item has arrived… I was upset that no one could take the time to call me and explain to me that the item was gonna take longer than told to me! On top of that, they didnt even offer me a price break on the shipping (which was only $ 10 dollars, but it was the principle of the matter for me…) not to mention, this was my first visit to this company… upon browsing around and asking about certain items, on my list of things to get, i was told that they didnt have anything i was looking for and that I would have to order it…
I will NEVER visit this store again nor will I suggest this store to any of my photographers on staff!!! Worst EXPERIENCE EVER!!!
Stay Away!!! You are better off taking the extra time to travel to Tempe Camera!!!
I will say this, Lauren, the manager, was very polite and nice… Other than that, I would not recommend coming to Wilson Camera!!!

Dropped off film to be developed on New Year’s Eve at lunch time. Got a voicemail an hour later that it was ready! Once again the pics were exactly as I requested and great quality, far better than Walgreens or Target (never tried Costco). Price is 39 cents a print for 4×6 glossy. I’m highly satisfied again and will keep going back. I keep my photos for a lifetime, so you might as well get them done right and Wilson Camera does!

I bought the Canon Powershot SX50. I LOVE camera. There has been a few glitches but with anything new and technology today that is expected. I took a picture of the moon and posted it to Facebook and I got amazing compliments on the photo! I couldn’t be happier. Rudy and Lauren have been fabulous with all their help and my many calls asking questions. The free classes they offer with the purchase of the camera is well worth the few extra dollars you spend. If you are looking for great customer relations and quality products I TOTALLY recommend Wilson Camera as the place to go!!! I need to buy a telescope for our trip to Peru and was considering buying from Amazon but after speaking to Lauren and inquiring if they sold telescopes. I am going to Wilson Camera to buy a telescope for my husband or shall I say myself to stargaze and of course the trip. LOL!

We bought two cameras from Lauren. She knew we didn’t live there, we were on vacation. She was patient and really went long on the set up and tips. Very engaging, this is our camera place when we are in Arizona!

Really Misty– every negative review your defense is «not true, look for unfiltered reviews». Seriously!!! You are a liar, I forwarded the «complimentary photo session» email you sent me and everyone I forwarded to was utterly appalled at not just what you wrote but how you wrote it. Try TAKING ownership for YOUR actions I.e. your rude email. I I could post the entire email I would.

I recently switched back to shooting film and needed a local processor to develop our medium format film. We found exactly what we needed at Wilson Camera. Great customer service and very knowledgable team. My wife is a small business owner and understand how important customer service is. I appreciate other local business that rise above for a new customer and stand out from the big chains.

Jack a customer for $ 60 bucks? You bet! I went into the store to get an inexpensive tripod. Lauren and owner? Rudy (38 years in the business, trust me!) showed me a couple of tripods. When I asked about a Vivitar (model no. VPT-​4867), Rudy looked at it and said, «Look at the price. It must be used. It has to be on consignment at that price. He and clerk Lauren engaged in a few minutes of theater. The tripod was marked at $ 59.99. Rudy made a phone call, and then stated, «That is my cost!» He assured me that the next time I went into the store, the same item would be listed for $ 119.00. I decided to purchase the tripod. I was also looking for a wireless remote for a Nikon D3000. Rudy told me that a remote wasn’t supported for the D3000, and that I should buy an updated D5100. I plugged it into Google, and learned that the ML-​L3 remote was indeed supported by the D3000 I already owned. The ever helpful Lauren grabbed one off the shelf and presented it to me. The Wilson Camera price was $ 39.95. When I did a web search on my phone, the same item was offered for less than $ 13 bucks on
. I pointed this out to Rudy, and he made a beeline for the door, leaving Lauren to deal with me. I offered $ 20 bucks so that I didn’t have to bother ordering it online. Lauren countered at $ 25, and I walked out. When I got home, I was so furious that I called the store and told Lauren that I was going to return the tripod. Lauren said, «Sorry, all sales are final.» When I blew up, she took my number and said she’d call me back. A few minutes later, Lauren called back and said that they would take the tripod back. Returning the tripod is the *last* time I will ever set foot in Wilson Camera. For no reason should you do business with Wilson Camera. They lie and are deceitful. Rudy apparently has not heard of smartphones or Google. The shock on his face when confronted with a competitive price is almost worth a trip into the store. It is fair to make a decent profit, but when a 100% profit is not enough, consumers should steer clear. Oh, and if you are in the market, Walmart and
both carry the VPT-​4867 for about $ 23 bucks. If you don’t want the Vivitar, run, don’t walk, to Best Buy, and some kid with *zero* knowledge about cameras will sell you a nice Sunpak for $ 44.99 with nicer features.

This is a good example of what a retail store should be. Getting expertise with a purchase is worth spending more. I don’t know much about photography and wanted to make sure I spent my money wisely. I narrowed down what I wanted by doing research before going to the store and this allowed me to have a good conversation with the store owner and staff.
I bought a good DSLR camera, accessories, and will be going to the class with my wife for the training to learn how to use my camera.
I believe the prevalance of do-​it-​yourself stores actually results in most of us doing it to ourselves. These folks are making sure I get the most out of my camera.

Refused to book appointment for Digital Photography Workshop for Groupon customer. Have tried to book appointment for workshop 5 times and each time we get the runaround – anything from we’re too busy to hold the class, not enough students to have the class, we’re not booking anything right now call back in August, to we’re not booking Groupon customers. The funny thing is that I even tested them to see if they just weren’t booking at all or just not Groupon customers. As it turns out, when I wouldn’t mention the Groupon, they had plenty of room and no problem booking! It’s only when I mentioned the Groupon that it became an issue.
They sold over 300 of these Groupons to users. I can’t imagine that we are the only ones who have been denied the ability to use our Groupon.
Very unprofessional and we do NOT recommend.

Why the 5 star rating?
Well, back when I was a BW Photography student, I would stop by here for supplies.
They do have a limited selection, however, the reasons for my high rating are for what was behind the counter.
Does anyone have the contact info for the pony tail guy?
He and another male employee were my go to guys, they knew how to take a joke and even critiqued my finished mounted prints.
I don’t know who is there now, but how I miss those days.
5 stars for back in the day!

On my quest for a camera bag, Wilson was my first stop because of location. Although they do carry cameras, lenses, and some accessories, selection is really limited. The gal helping me was very nice and suggested I try their other location. Unfortunately, I didn’t see enough there to entice me to do that.
Perhaps their bread and butter is the photo processing and portrait studio. I believe they also do on-​location photography as well.

After camera shopping all day we decided to stop in on our way home. The first thing I noticed was that even though the shop was small, they seemed to have a decent selection of hard to find supplies. And they still develop film :-). We were looking for a new camera for my wife’s new business (jewelry design), and for general fun. We shopped at every big box store in the valley. And no one was particularly helpful.
When we stopped in and explained what it was we needed, they were quick to offer a few suggestions. After narrowing it down to two possible options we decided on a Nikon P100. My wife was very hesitant to spend such a large sum of money. However the people we talked to did a very good job of easing her anxiety and guided us in the right direction.
The service and help was excellent. The prices were good, and the support after the sale is fantastic. All their cameras come with a free hour lesson, and a manufactures extended warranty. They handle, and file all the paperwork. They also offer classes, that I believe are free.
Overall I am very impressed with this service. And on my next purchase (hopefully a nice DSLR for fun) I will be going back. It’s worth paying slightly more than a Sam’s Club of Best Buy for the quality of service you receive. And when you factor in the extended warranty you actually come out a little ahead.