Embassy Camera

Gotta say, this place was great! Very enthusiastic salesmen and employees. I went in to purchase a new Nikon d5500 and before I could ask how much, the manager was making the best price comparison with the big retailers. I also asked if I could swap out the kit lens that was packaged with the camera. No problem. Really great service and I love going back when I can.

Like an idiot, I left my DSLR battery in the charger at home during a visit to D.C. Embassy Camera had what I needed in stock (non-​Canon branded, therefore slightly cheaper) and the battery had a pretty solid charge – it lasted three days of shooting and then some. I was in, out, and powered in less than five minutes thanks to the helpful staff. Thanks for saving my trip, Embassy Camera!

We stopped by here for passport photos a couple weeks ago. The photos were quick, easy and a good price. While waiting for the photos to be printed, I watched the staff help a couple other customers with more serious camera needs. I was surprised how young most of the staff was, but they were all incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and polite. Would definitely go back.

I had Embassy develop some prints for me. They came out much darker than on the digital files, really a mess. It was obvious no one had bothered to look at the prints, because if they had presumably they would have done them over (benefit of the doubt). I reprinted them at CVS for half the cost, and they looked fine.

Embassy Camera is on the last places in DC serious and professional photographers can get way they need. The shop is small and the inventory limited, but the prime essentials are there. Penn camera has closed down (because Camulet took it over and ran it to the ground) and Dodge Chrome (great as they are) too far for me. Embassy camera is close, convenient and I will keep coming back.

I took my Canadian visa photo here. They were helpful and did the work very fast!

Popped in to look for a body harness for my new toy. They did not have any stock that suit my need, but Makini Allwood was very helpful, gave me his card and told me to email him what I need (if possible with a picture), then he will order it in for me.
Although I eventually found what I need in Amazon, but this is the kind of service I like. Will definitely go back if I need anything next time.

I’ve found the people in Embassy Camera to be really helpful. I don’t know much about photography or cameras and I’m starting to love taking pictures, so I ask a lot of questions when I go in to have them developed, and they know a lot about cameras and don’t mind answering my questions.

Embassy Camera earned my business! Today I arrived in panic mode needing a workaround solution to some proprietary lighting equipment that I bought for an upcoming shoot. Anthony Glover, the extremely friendly and helpful clerk, listened and worked with me until we found a solution that saved the day, and at an affordable price. Very patient and genuinely interested in assisting my needs.
While its a tiny shop, and this often busy store is worth the wait. They know their stuff. I hope locals will continue to support it with business so that it too does not fold due to the economy.

Don’t go here for photo scanning. Their scanner is for documents and only scans at 300 dpi. They bulk load the photos, and so do not do any of the color correction or scratch removal offered by some of the online companies, yet at the same or higher price per photo. I wish I’d known to ask these questions before going there.

They took 200 old fotos from my family and scanned them in. 2 days for a great price. The thy helped me make several USB sticks of the fotos. Super helpful and super nice!

I wish I had read the reviews before coming to Embassy Camera. I had a roll of Medium Format film developed and scanned, and they did a terrible job. The quality of the actual scans were OK, but the amount of dust and hair in each frame was completely unacceptable. The entire thing was half-​assed.
Another issue I have is that they overcharge for film processing. I took in another roll of 35 mm processing and I wanted it push-​processed 2 stops. They charged me $ 2 per stop, even though it’s no more effort for them to just push the film. Every other lab in the city doesn’t charge for push-​processing.
I’m never going back.

Upside: Convenient location.
Downside: EVERYTHING else.
1) Pricing is exorbitant, both for new and used gear
2) Film selection is limited and overpriced, as appears to be the case for other gear.
3) Staff are marginally helpful, if condescending in their attempts to make the case for wasting your money there vs. buying from B+H or Adorama.
If they’re your only option, Embassy will suffice. But you’re going to pay through the nose for the convenience, and don’t be surprised if the transaction leaves you inspired to avoid doing business there again. Such was my experience, because of which I’m now a loyal BH customer.

I never post on Unilocal,but I feel as if it is my responsibility to warn people about going to embassy photo.
If you want to develop film, NEVER EVER go here. I was a photo major in college and have kept up the hobby. I’ve had a fair amount of experience going to different stores to get my film developed and developing myself, but this is BY FAR the WORST developing job I have ever seen. My role of film was completely bent out of shape, putting serious creases down the middle of many of my negatives. I’m lucky that the two roles I was developing were just a test drive for a camera I recently purchased and I wasn’t extremely invested in the pictures.
Its also pretty expensive– I’m new to the DC area so maybe $ 8 – 9 is the average for a 120 roll of film, but in Charlottesville in Richmond you pay $ 5 at most.
The people are not particularly friendly either– I know others have commented on the good service but I only received terse service at best. I know its the artsy M.O., but its really unpleasant.
Seriously I would highly recommend staying away from this place, particularly if you want to get film developed.
I wish I could give this place zero stars

Best customer service in town!!! These guys know there cameras. I would drive 30 miles to visit this store if I needed advice on a purchase.

Okay, so I’ve seen a few ‘THE SALES PERSON DIDN’T HOLD MY HAND AND WIPE MY BUTT SO I’M MISERABLE AND THEY’RE A BAD BUSINESS’.
First thing every person should already know about buying things that are super expensive and from a place that has a ‘no returns/​exchanges/​refunds’ policy — DO. YOUR. RESEARCH. It’s literally all of your fault if you got the wrong product, you weren’t forced to to take out that cash.
So seriously, calm down and blame yourself.
On to the review — I’ve always been happy, with pricing and service and the nice walk from my Shaw house to this place. And hey, I guess part of that is the fact that I DO MY RESEARCH BEFORE A MAJOR PURCHASE. Bladow.

You know how every time you’re in the market for a new gadget — say a digital camera or picture frame — you face the moral dilemma of supporting the nice, knowledgeable old guys at the neighborhood store or paying a much better price at Wal-Sam’s-Best Buy-​whatever? Problem solved: Embassy Camera! Nice old guys AND good prices.
OK, OK — you’ll probably get a better deal on Amazon for really high-​end stuff. I once bought a pair of binoculars here for $ 60 (work in tall office building across the street; like spying; am probably in bushes outside your house right now; hello there). I easily could have gotten $ 30 knockoff specs with the same power online.
But you’d be hard-​pressed to find a better rate on prints, which they do speedily and which you can upload from your computer. Frames are neck-​and-​neck with Ikea on pricing but MUCH better quality. You can develop your super-​hipster Holga film here (pretty much the same thing as a Diana+, you «lomography”-loving faker), or really anything analogue or digital. And yeah, they take some sexy passport photos.
Love it.

Much better passport photos than the standard copy shop provides. They use a real camera with a high quality lens and lighting. Also, knowledgeable and helpful staff.
Definitely not cheap — 2 photos for $ 15, 4 for $ 19, 6 for $ 22, and so on — but worth the trip.
Would give them five stars except the price is a little high.

These guys helped me out a bunch with an eBay purchase gone wrong. They inspected a malfunctioning lens and wrote up some official-​looking documentation about it, which will (I hope) help me get a refund out of the seller. They did not charge for this service.
I also really appreciate having a lab that can still do 120 C41 within walking distance of my house.
You guys rock!

More convenient (for me) than Penn Camera. But, prints here are more expensive, slightly less consistent, and while Penn cuts & puts negatives in sheaths, Embassy just throws them in the roll of film. And, finally, they don’t seem to have the equipment to develop B&W — I just got an estimate of a week for developing one roll, which makes me think that they’re shipping it out.
That said, second best photo place in the city and pretty good prints.