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?

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. 

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. 

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.