Cardinal Camera — Local services in Upper Merion Township

I cannot say enough about Chad (Store manager) and Cardinal Camera in King of Prussia. I had spoken to Chad about upgrading my Pentax K10D to a K1 Mark II and after a twenty minute discussion he had me convinced to buy a Sony A7R III or Sony A7R IV. He literally spent twenty minutes answering my questions and going over the details of what I wanted in a camera and how I intended to use it. Then, after placing an order for a grey market camera online I called the store back having had 2nd thoughts about grey market items (and not having realized even that they were grey market at the time of purchase). Chad spent another hour on the phone with me going over my options and gave me an excellent deal on US stock. Then over the course of next day or so he kept me up to date on the status of my order and even offered to deliver the items to my house. I eventually went to the mall to pick it up as I was headed over there anyway for another item and Chad met me outside with my boxes and kindly put them in my trunk in a contactless delivery.

From start to finish I felt as if I mattered to Chad and Cardinal Camera. I wasn't just a "sale." I was a person who wanted to purchase a camera and was treated as such. Chad did not even know that I was going to buy from them when I initiated contact and yet he still spent a significant portion of time going over my options and educating me about cameras and camera related equipment.

I had been to Cardinal Camera prior to the pandemic and had the same experience when buying film and accessories for my old AE1 and old Pentax film cameras. I also had contacted their main office and lab in Lansdale and had spoken to one of the techs there and had another twenty minute conversation with a woman who processed film for the stores. The entire time we I spoke to both the tech and the manager at KoP, I felt that as a customer I mattered and that made all the difference.

This last go round just solidified my patronage of Cardinal Camera and I will continue to do business with them as they have shown yet again that they put their customers first and provide first rate information/sales/service. You can tell they love what they do and that has translated into an excellent experience every time I've dealt with them. Kudos to the entire team for a creating such a wonderful atmosphere. I will not hesitate to buy from them again.

Just wanted to update this review. I've now been a customer of Cardinal Camera for over 3 years and have spent a good deal of money there. Happily, and for good reason. They are always friendly and always willing to assist you whether it be fixing an issue such as a stuck filter (which actually happened to me last week) or helping you pick out a new tripod (again actually happened last week). Over the last three years I can't say I've had a bad retail experience. Chad and James who I deal with most of the time are extremely knowledgable and willing to share that knowledge so you can make the best possible decision on equipment. I will continue to patronize the store and am so glad they are there because everyone else is closing up shop and they remain one of the last few camera stores left. And without a doubt they are one of the...

If you value integrity I would recommend going somewhere else. My husband went in there looking for the Sony a6000 for me as a Christmas present. I used to have it and I absolutely loved it. They told him they didn’t carry that camera and that he could not find that camera anywhere unless he were to find it second hand. That was obviously disappointing news (and a bold face lie) but they ended up pointing him towards the Sony zv1 and told him the zv1 blew the a6000 out of the water, that it was a waaay better camera (another lie). I’m not even going to get into why that is wrong.. the two cameras are geared towards two very different users but for taking pictures the a6000 is generally better. Aside from that just two retailers I can name right now that sell the a6000 brand new is Best Buy and Amazon (and there are definitely more smaller owned businesses too, they even sell the previous model brand new). It may be older but that camera is still very sought after for good reason. I don’t appreciate them lying to my husband (and obviously taking advantage of the fact that he didn’t know much about either) in order to make a sale. It’s a poor way to do business. Of course when he gave it to me he explained what they told him… I was obviously angry that he was taken advantage of (the a6000 is the same price as the one they sold him at other retailers, that’s another thing… he was told if he did want something like that it would be at least $1000.. another lie). Anyway no biggie my husband said I could return the camera within 30 days. When I went in to return it I was charged about $90 for a restocking fee. My husband swears the person there showed him a paper that said “return with receipt by January 30th” that had zero fine print. They put it inside the camera box which I never opened. I can’t tell you how swindled I feel… but hey you live...

I truly wish that I could leave more than five stars for the exceptional service we receive every time that we are in the store. In early 2021, my teenage son had saved his money to purchase a camera body and lens. After looking around online we decided to go to Cardinal in the hopes that purchasing from a local brick and mortar store would be a better experience than buying online. Although this included a drive, Chad the Store Manager, made it a wonderful experience. He treated my teenage son with respect and patience and even offered to help him in the store if he had any questions in the future. It was not the most expensive set up in the store, but Chad gave him his undivided attention and understood what an important day this was for him. My Dad came along with us and was so impressed with the experience that when my older son left for college this summer, he also purchased a camera at Cardinal for a gift for him. Even when we are in buying small accessories, we are always helped and all the other customers in the store are engaged with the Cardinal staff and we always learn something. This evening I finally had to sit down and take the time to write a review. My younger son needed to send out his camera for repair. This camera has become an extension of his body. It is like part of the family. Chad once again saved the day and found a solution so that he would not miss deadlines and client projects that he had worked so hard to gain. You will never get this kind of service online. It really is worth taking the time to go into the store and talk to people and be able to feel confident about what you are purchasing. Also, I highly recommend the warranty they offer:) Thank you Chad and Cardinal, you will have the boys...