Kenmore Camera — Attraction in Kenmore

As the year draws to a close, I thought I’d review Kenmore Camera. Kenmore Camera is my closest camera store so I may be a little biased. That said, while it’s not the only one in town (competition is a good thing), it’s the one I go to the most because of its convenient location, outstanding customer service, and product selection.

I’m a NPS member - I rely on my equipment to capture photographs of events that cannot be repeated. I often have only one chance to capture that decisive moment - there’s no second takes for when a graduate walks across the stage to be hooded by their thesis advisor. A split second is the difference between a great photo and a usable one. Similarly, while I can purchase my gear directly from NikonUSA or one of the large, New York city stores, I instead choose Kenmore Camera. This is because they get it right the first time - the people that work there haven’t pushed a sale on me or encouraged me to buy something that I didn’t want or need. All they do is provide options and knowledge in response to my questions. For somebody who might not have fully thought out what it is that they really want or need, that could seem a bit daunting, but I appreciate this no BS approach.

For events, I’m currently using a Nikon Z9 that I purchased earlier this year and expedited via NPS Priority Request. It took me a week and a half to place the order at Kenmore Camera, submit the webform, and pick up the body from Kenmore Camera. This was when there was a 6-month wait for the Z9. I like knowing that I can count on Kenmore Camera to fulfill my future NPS Priority Requests.

Photography also is my main hobby. However, because I spend so much time taking photographs of people, I mainly photograph the urban/suburban landscape that is the greater Seattle metropolitan area. I hesitate to call it “street photography” because well, photographing random strangers walking around is pretty boring and downright intrusive/voyeuristic. Instead, people just happen to be in my pictures though most of the time I wish they weren’t - it’s kind of distracting.

You might be wondering, “how does this have anything to do with Kenmore Camera?” Well, Michael, one of the folks that works there, has been a great help to me as I explore the genre of landscape photography. This is not just because he knows a lot about the genre, but also because he’s processed many of my trades, or as I like to call them, “long term rentals.” I prefer to purchase used items for my hobby photography - depreciation has already occurred and mirrorless cameras have encouraged people to trade in their DSLR lenses.

Recently, I traded in roughly $6,000 worth of gear that I wasn’t using enough and Michael gave me an honest and fair amount, which I then applied to some more Nikon equipment. The reason I know that it was an honest and fair amount was because I went to several of the online used equipment buyers and used their calculators beforehand. The amount was in the ballpark and I didn’t have to deal with some shop in New York lowballing me while they had my equipment (MPB). I also didn’t have to deal with eBay, meeting random strangers at a local police station, or any of that hassle. So, speak with Michael if you’re looking to trade in used gear toward something else.

One thing that I’m not sure has been brought up before, but it bears mentioning, is that Kenmore Camera has rental spaces. They’re normally used for portrait sessions, but I rented one a couple of months ago for an informal gathering of audiophiles. While we could have used a local library or community space, it’s nice to have a safe, secure, and quiet location to set up our equipment. The price was reasonable and we were able to have the staff lock up the space while we went out to lunch.

So, to sum things up, I’m pretty happy with Kenmore Camera. Bob, the store manager, is great. I could probably list everybody who works there by name along with the body or lens that I bought from them but I'm out of space. They’ve never done me wrong, and for that, I’m grateful....

Kenmore Camera is my preferred camera store. The staff are professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely interested in my needs. The store’s selection of new and used equipment is solid. Even when mistakes occur (which they occasionally do - don’t trust anybody who says they’ve never made a mistake because they're either a liar, a narcissist, or both), it has been my experience that the staff do their best to fix it. This is a store where they are more concerned about making a long-term relationship than a short-term sale.

I have been consistently shopping at Kenmore Camera for nearly four years. My first big purchase was when I was preparing for a trip to Taiwan and I wanted a compact mirrorless camera. Joanne did a great job reviewing the various options from Fuji, Olympus, Panasonic, and Sony. I settled on the G9 and several lenses, which I’ve used for travel and student-facing events at work.

In early 2019, Brian helped me enter the world of medium format film when I bought a used RB67 kit. He walked me through the process of loading the film backs, mounting and removing lenses, and even gave me advice on which film to use (I had last shot film in the 1990s). Brian has consistently been a great help when it comes to used equipment (of which, I’ve purchased more than my fair share).

The outbreak of COVID-19 changed the nature of my photography - I stopped photographing indoor events on campus, but instead was documenting what Seattle looked like during the pandemic for myself.

Later in 2019, lured in by Fuji’s film simulations (the film bug got me, but slide film is $$$), I bought an X-Pro 2. Ted helped me with lens selection and also introduced me to Capture One. He’s one of the nicest, most patient people I’ve ever met (I’m not sure how he does it).

In 2020, I traded in the Mamiya kit for an A7RIV. Ted was again extremely helpful when it came to lens selection as we both enjoy using lenses with a 40-45mm focal length.

Danielle, who also uses Sony cameras, was great when it came to navigating Sony’s menu. She also knows what sorts of used equipment I’m interested in. When I’m in the store picking up or dropping off film (they have a C-41 machine), Danielle lets me know if there’s anything I should look at.

In early 2021, a couple of used lenses that I was looking for came in and Jayce called me to let me know. Jayce’s a great help when it comes to video and pretty fun to shop with - it’s a shame I’m a stills-only photographer. We talk a lot about Sony and film cameras.

Most recently, I traded in most of my equipment - I was looking at a dry cabinet and several Pelican cases full of equipment, some of which I’d used only a handful of times. After thinning everything down to just that I knew I would use (as opposed to what others said was good), I brought over a trunk-load of stuff. Michael helped me with the trade, providing me with a fair and honest quote. The process was simple and quick, without any of the haggling and other nuisances that I’ve encountered on eBay. Michael is a very good landscape photographer - when his pictures were on display in the gallery, we talked about many of them.

Thus, I continue to shop at Kenmore Camera because of their staff. They are good people and I admire their patience when dealing with abusive and immature customers. Maybe it’s COVID, but I’ve recently heard a customer throw a temper-tantrum (some guy near the Fuji counter was pitching a fit so loudly I could hear it over in the bags section), lie (same guy, makes me ashamed to be a Fuji shooter), and deliberately misinterpret what was either written or said (same guy and I hope to never see him again). I don’t know how the staff put up with it - it must be “the better angels of...

Quite disappointed overall in my second experience there. Back in November, we bought my father a tripod and that went pretty well overall. So, when my daughter was in need of a new camera for an upcoming trip to Europe, we looked at her budget, considered our options and decided that it was ALWAYS a good idea to keep money local, right? We went into Kenmore Camera on a weekday afternoon and there were a multitude of people free to assist us. We had a woman walk over and speak with us first - so we went with her. We explained CLEARLY that we had a budget and needed to stay within that budget, however, she took us over to see some cameras just outside the budget (about $30 more) - since it was a much better camera than the alternate one she showed, we opted to spend a little extra. THEN we had to spend even more to buy a case that matched. sigh We went to check out and I handed her a Visa Gift Card. Those cards don't need to be registered, but they do have to be run very specifically at some places of business in order to deduct the funds properly. The Gift Card was what my mother sent to my daughter for her trip. 7 attempts with one computer and 5 attempts with the other and 25 minutes of my time later, she informed me the Gift Card was not working, encouraged me to call the company and left me no choice but to pay out of my pocket in full for the camera or not get it. I asked her NO FEWER than 3 times if she needed to ask someone else for help - she said she had run so many of these cards before - there was no need for her to ask for help. Rather than disappoint my daughter, I went ahead and paid against my wishes. I regret that purchase so much. Since that day we've had nothing but trouble with the new camera, the Gift Card still has money on it - although EVERY SINGLE PLACE I HAVE GONE since walking out of Kenmore Camera has HAPPILY accepted funds from the card, and now 2 nights before my daughter's trip we find out that even though we clearly explained exactly what this camera was to be used for, we were never told that the mini usb cable was not included with the camera and that there is NO WAY to charge the camera battery with a usb anyway. We've had to OVERNIGHT a special Euro plug and we're going searching for a mini usb cord of some sort tomorrow in hopes we will be able to find what we need. I am so very frustrated because the ENTIRE reason I WENT to Kenmore Camera was for personal service, attention to detail, to work with staff who knew what they were doing and to keep our money local. It's the LAST time I'll do that. So thanks for that,...