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Useful Camera Addresses for Photographers Travelling to London

Useful Camera Addresses for Photographers Travelling to London

A major worry for travelling photographers is to have a faulty camera while on the road. While some problems can easily be fixed when on the go, sometimes a look from a serious professional is required to repair a damaged camera. If you happen to be in this unfortunate situation while in London, the city offers a number of good places to help out, whether you are looking for a simple fix to quickly recharge a dead battery, rent a tripod for some good night photography, or need to have a major repair job. We have compiled the following reliable addresses to quickly put you back in the photography saddle.

1. My camera needs some repair or an urgent sensor cleaning. Where can I have my camera checked while in London?

Fixation

This is a professional centre for Nikon, Canon and Quantum equipment. They do sales, equipment rental and servicing. Their prices are competitive and they have fast turn around time for repairs. You can even check their site for estimated repair time according to the current work taking place at the centre.

250 Kennington Lane
London SE11 5RD
(near Vauxhall tube station)
Tel: 020 7582 3294

Monday - Thursday: 8:00am - 5.30pm
Friday: 8:00 am - 4.30 pm 

http://www.fixationuk.com/Fixation/Repairs.html

Aperture

The store might look small, but they are a wealth of knowledge and specialize in high end professional equipment and repairs. They will provide you with a quote for serious repairs and will clean your camera sensor for a little more than £40.

27 Rathbone Place
London W1T 1JE
(near the British Museum)
Tel: 020 7436 1015

Monday - Friday: 11:00am to 7:00pm
Saturday: 12:00 pm to 7:00 pm

http://www.apertureuk.com/camera_repairs.html

Calumet Photographic

If cleaning your camera sensor gives you cold sweats, the two reputable Calumet stores provide next day cleaning with fees starting at £36. They have two central locations:

93-103 Drummond Street
London NW1 2HJ
(near Euston Station)
Tel 020 7380 1144

Monday - Friday: 8:30 am to 7:00 pm
Saturday: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Sunday 10 am to 4:00 pm


175 Wardour Street
London W1F 8WU
(near Oxford Street)
Tel: 020 73 1144

Monday - Wednesday: 9:00 am to 5:30 pm
Thursday - Friday: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
Saturday: 9:00 am to 5:30 pm

http://www.calphoto.co.uk

Jessops

This large store has everything you need to clean your camera yourself inside and outside, and much more.

129-131 Oxford Street
London W1D 2HU
Tel: 0207 4343586

Monday - Saturday: 9:00 am to 9:00pm
Sunday: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

http://www.jessops.com

London Camera Exchange

This Nikon Pro Centre will be able to help out with a good sensor cleaning along with some advice.

98 Strand
London WC2R 0EW
Tel: 0207 379 0200

Monday - Friday: 9:00 am to 5:30pm
Saturday: 11:00 am to 5:30 pm

http://www.lcegroup.co.uk/Branch/?Branch=London+%28Strand%29

2. I am traveling light and did not bring all my camera equipment with me. Where can I rent a tripod / lens / camera in London?

Weight can be an issue when travelling and sometime it makes sense to rent a special piece of equipment. 

The Calumet and Fixation stores have all the camera equipment you need to rent from lenses to tripods to video and more. Check with their terms and conditions with them first as well as the type of ID they require to open a rental account.

3. Help! My camera battery is dead!

You need a new battery and you need it fast. Buying a new one won’t help as it will come uncharged and will need to be plugged for a couple of hours to make it useable. This is when South Bank Foto comes to the rescue and can recharge any camera battery (or phone for that matter) in 20 minutes, tops. They are centrally located in London and the bright yellow Kodak Kiosk can easily be spotted by the London Eye. Nick - the very friendly owner - and his colleagues offer fast battery recharging services for only £3, along with memory cards and even 35mm films. 

South Bank Foto

Kodak Kiosk by the London Eye

http://southbankfoto.com

Monday - Thursday: 10:00 am to 7:00 pm (weather permitting)

4. I need a new filter / battery / camera bag / accessory. What’s a good place to find those?

It should not be difficult to replace any of your camera accessories if needed, or to use a visit to London as a good excuse to browse what’s available. Starting from the Euston Station, you can visit Calumet on Drummond street, continue towards Tottenham Court Road, drop by the many small ‘no name’ stores along the way and make your way to Jessops on Oxford street. And don’t forget to add the London Camera Exchange store on the Strand to the list of good places to check out too. 

5. Hasselblad and a coffee anyone?

After visiting the British museum and photographing the stunning glass cover in the main foyer, cross the street and walk down Museum street. You’ll find a small place called Camera café. It is a great little spot that specializes in old and new Hasselblad cameras, has a coffee shop and a gallery all under one roof. A great place to relax, see some art and talk to the staff about the second hand cameras they have available. They will probably also tell you they are related to the very good Aperture store, a few streets away. 

Camera Cafe

44 Museum Street
London WC1A 1LY

With those good addresses in your back pocket, you are all set to find solutions and have your camera serviced while visiting London. Let us know if you have another address that you found useful, what you like about it and we could add it our list. 

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About the Author

Sophie Pasquet

Sophie Pasquet

Sophie has been a photographer, educator and traveller for most of her adult life. She founded Better Paris Photos in 2008 (which became Better Travel Photos in 2014) to deliver exceptional photography experiences to travellers.

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