Camera Bar - Hartford, Connecticut

Matthew L.

Amazingly friendly and knowledgeable staff to help you with a broad array of camera and photography needs. I really appreciate their patience and guidance! A true gem in downtown Hartford.

Michael L.

Its really good to know there a few places like the "Camera Bar" left.

This store is fully equipped with modern Nikon & Canon gear as well as vintage Mamiya Sekor and others.

But best of all is the staff is both knowledgeable and helpful.

Try the Camera Bar for your professional or amateur photography needs. Its really nice to see equipment in person before buying these days!

John F.

I am glad places like this are still available to us. This is a one stop shop specialty store for all our camera needs. They made me very comfortable doing business with them. Really good no pressure retail sales and follow up service.

David N.

I feel comfortable writing this review now that I hear that I am not the only one with this same experience.

The employes here can have a little bit of an attitude problem. I typically go in to get film developed and maybe it’s because I’m not buying a $3,000 camera I get treated like a lower class. I’m not sure. I once asked if they could push a roll of color negative film two stops and I was met with a sharp “No. You don’t do that” Yes you can, and people do. You ask if you could purchase one of the cameras on display and receive a hard “No. They are not for sale” Cut me some slack. They also always seem to say “goodbye” just a little too soon as if to get rid of you.

However a poor attitude is something I can certainly overlook as I have also given some myself when I used to work retail, but what compounds my dissatisfaction is the slow service. They develop color negative film every other day, so ideally You drop off your film on a Tuesday or a Thursday and swing around the next day to pick it up, but drop it off late on a Monday and you will have to wait until Wednesday to pick it up (Days may not be exact but you get the idea) In the grand scheme of things it’s not that long of a wait, but it is ridiculous when compared to an hour photo lab. For black and white, it’s taken me over a week to get a roll back, and it makes you wonder if they even care about turnaround time. They do not develop slide film.

Now this might be a fine place to purchase a brand new camera, but for my time and money, if you’re looking to get your photos developed I would recommend to take the drive up to Springfield, go to In a Flash Photo lab, and get your film back in an hour with a smile for the same price.

Thomas K.

Camera Bar helped my co-workers and I pick out the best camera and lens for our use. Taking great videos for clients was our biggest concern and Aaron helped us out every step of the way. You won't find a store like this near you. Making the trip out to Hartford is definitely worth it. I recommend the Camera Bar to anyone and make sure to ask for Aaron!

Jonathan M.

I’ve had fun delving into film photography with my daughter. Camara bar has been our consistent stop for film and processing over the last couple of years.

Rachel B.

I will never go anywhere else to get my film developed. The staff is friendly, accommodating, and always welcomes me with a smile. Prints are always the highest of quality. Great recommendations for film as well!

William L.

I want to preface this with CB's policies which could be a deciding factor for a wary shopper. There is a NO RETURNS policy on anything electronics (i.e. camera bodies, glass, etc.). Once you slide that card or fork over cash, it's final. However they do accept returns on non-electronic items. And I can understand why they do this, to protect their inventory and the would be buyer. BUT that can be a huge deciding factor when you have other, more return friendly retailers. There is a small sign on the wall above the register (in my opinion, this should be right in front of the register when you pay) and verbiage right on the receipt. They will not warn you this verbally which I think they should too. Let's be honest, sometimes we purchase things that don't fit the bill and we realize this until we get it in our hands. The other thing is that their prices reflect what their overhead is, i.e. location, staff, etc. vs volume. So you'll probably find better prices elsewhere.

But, if you want to support a local business that has staff to help answer questions you may have and prefer a hands on approach. And you don't mind a bit pricier product for the additional support and immediate availability. And lastly, you can look past a strict no return policy, then the CB is the place for you. This is the reason they have been in business so long.