Precision Camera & Video Review

I ordered a print online. Days after it was supposed to show up, nothing. I called the store and there was no record of my purchase. They took my money though... Apparently sometimes their system drops orders. Seriously?? So, I got it resolved, but I am giving one star because even though the guy working in that section did follow up with me, the manager did not seem to care. No apology, or discount or expedited shipping was offered. Poor customer service, especially when they failed in the first place.

I ordered a Sony AX43 camcorder there last month. The price was $100 off which was the same price Best Buy had it on sale the week before but then went back up so I ordered it from here. The ordered processed but then that afternoon I got a phone call from a lady saying that the rebate for that item was no longer available. I said there was no rebate listed and that was the price....$100 off or $748. She said she could either charge my card the other $100 or cancel the order. I said can you price match to X company and she said I will credit your card back. I went to Newegg and bought it there for $749. I'll remember that in the future and never buy from them again.

If I was considering just my experience purchasing my camera in store, I would be giving five stars. The two salespeople I interacted with were both very helpful, friendly, and effective. I was pleased with my camera, and with the deals and coupons offered along with the purchase; as a result signed up for a class.

However, a few days before the class I realized I would no longer be able to attend. I am traveling and my return was delayed. I was glad to see a flexible cancellation policy online, but the online system of order history did not seem to provide options for me to cancel my class online. It just listed the order as "completed." Plus, I am on the road - tackling everything through a website that's not 100% clear becomes a particular hassle when just using your phone. Also, after registering for the class, I did not receive any email (or otherwise) with more details - where to go for class, what to bring, where to direct questions, etc... the kind of "low-down" email that would be expected when registering for a class, and which would direct me to the correct avenue for cancellation. Figuring it was better to speak directly to a person and ensure I excluded myself properly and received a refund, I called the store. The person who answered directed me to sales when I told them my need. I was on hold for 5 minutes and then disconnected. Common mistake, I thought. I called back, was directed to sales again, and was on hold for another 5 minutes. Eventually the original employee got back on the phone and said that the department was slammed. He took my name and number and said I would receive a call back ASAP. I appreciated that step as it was much more pleasant than being on hold, but I did not receive a call back for the rest of the day. The next morning - the morning of the class - I called again to ensure I communicated properly and in time. I was directed to a woman who I believe was in sales, having mentioned that I gave my number the day before and did not receive a call back. She answered with an immediate attitude that my concern "could have been addressed by online sales, but --" ... the sort of comment that essentially says: I have no need to help you or complete this task, but I will do so begrudgingly while rolling my eyes. I mentioned that I did seek out a solution online but that it was unclear how to proceed. She took my information and then made it clear, again, that she would just pass the info along to online sales.

I know everyone has "bad days," but it was a true disappointment to have this experience and it sours my view of Precision. Their departments seemingly do not want to support each other. I also presume there is some frustration for the store employees to deal with online issues - issues which they likely have no control or connection to. However, to be rude and unhelpful instead of appropriately informing or redirecting me only hastens the realization of the future when the storefront and human become obsolete, and Precision is either forced out of business or becomes just another B&H or Amazon. The whole reason I purchased at Precision was to support a local business that provides local jobs, but then the follow up customer service ruined it. I won't count myself fully out, but I do think their processing of class sign ups could use improvement and I will now hesitate to call in if an issue with a purchase arises.

I'm not a newbie to digital photography but I'm not an expert either. I stopped in the Austin store on Saturday (01/25) and was immediately greeted by extremely friendly staff. One of the staff (Tamra Green) worked with me for quite a while (and very patiently) to help me correctly outfit my Nikon DSLR. She had great suggestions and offered plenty of advice - all of this while not being pushy. I walked away with exactly what I needed - for now - and don't feel like I was getting ripped off in the process.

This is a great store - stop in sometime and make certain to ask for Tamra. Good prices and very friendly service.

The staff here are helpful. Even more so in this current COVID environment. I had ordered a lens online to be shipped. Quickly, I realized that I would have time to pick it up in-store. With a quick call, they converted from shipped orders to a curbside pick-up.

It s not the first time I ve purchased from them. My history with them, I ve always bought used items and they check out! Items are fairly priced, always as described, and love that I m never upsold here.

No one beats Precision.

They have a large selection with prices a little more expensive than Web but not too overpriced, allowing photographers and enthusiasts to support local business.
There service could be better. People behind the desks are cold and act just like dispatchers. They may not have any knowledge of photography or won't share information.

I have been a Precision Camera customer off and on for almost 20 years. They have always been extremely knowledgeable, highly professional, conveniently located, well stocked, and competitive in pricing. Their classes and special events are first-rate too. I find the extensive expertise of their courteous staff to be especially helpful. I wouldn't shop anywere else.

I had a wonderful experience at this store. I was looking to buy an upgrade for my DSLR and found this camera store on a google "Camera Store" search. This establishment was VERY clean from the moment you walk in. This store is the "Disneyland" of camera stores. They have a wide variety of new and used equipment. The prices are very comparable to other camera store prices. Their employees are all very knowledgeable and helped me pick out the items I needed. One of the sales associates did not have an answer to my question, but immediately looked up on the computer in front of him. I appreciate that instead of just giving me some random answer. I did not utilize their "Printing" services, so I am unable to review that.

Awesome how they still develop 35mm and give back your negatives. Great customer service

I went to purchase some lighting and the place was packed with students who were about to take some classes. The staff was very kind and knowledgeable. The first guy I talked to wasn t able to help me but he made sure I got helped quickly. It was a great experience overall. I will definitely be back.

Austin is lucky to have such a wonderful business to support photographers' needs for great, well-priced equipment (the latest!), photography supplies, prints, and training. Precision also has a great selection of used equipment that is well-priced for those on a budget. Tamra (my sales professional) has helped me make good decisions about purchases that will support the direction of my business. And, there are no worries about having an expensive camera or lens stolen off of your porch--pick out what you want at Precision, try it and buy it. I recommend Precision highly for the variety and quality of their cameras and accessories, and the wonderful staff.

I am a photographer myself and I love this camera store. It has everything I need from lenses, to lighting, to backdrops, to cameras, and so much more. Swing by their store at the north location or the Precision Camera off William Cannon.

Always has a chill, Austin vibe. I ve purchased a camera, lenses, and rent often. I love it there. They do a great job. Thank you, Richard!

Great store, excellent service, workshops & seminars

Lots of innventory. Camera repair and warranty center.

The knowledgable sales staff is great, but Noel and his service department are really what put Precision Camera over the top.

Tamra Green is an awesome sales rep at Precision-Camera and Video's South Store. She asks questions to understand what you are trying to accomplish. She gently probes to see if you considered other perspectives. This worked great because last Saturday my new Nikon Z7II arrived and it was everything I expected. No surprises! Combined with the FTX Adapter I continue to use my investment in lenses. A 85/1.8 S lens completes the package. Tamra made several recommendations along the month long journey. Truly a pleasure to have a sales rep work with you and not push stuff at you. Precision-Camera's Fashion Editorial Street Shoot, led by Todd White, the next day reinforced what a good decision this was. Thanks Tamra and all the Precision-Camera folks who really help us along the way.

Best camera store in town. They also provide film processing. I think they can be trusted with your old photos and movies to be reproduced or digitized. I'm afraid to use mail order for irreplaceable photos, movies, negatives, slides.

Great photography store.
Lucky to have it in Austin.

Purchased a camera from their online store. I live in a different state but didn't feel comfortable buying something so expensive from a big box store that doesn't specialize in photography. Very happy with my purchase and their customer service. Worked with Kristin during the purchase and she was very helpful. If you're looking to purchase online but still want personalized support I'd highly recommend them. Just very friendly people to work with.

Excellent service, they allow you to bring your dog, love it!

Knowledgeable and helpful staff. I can easily recommend.

Tamra has been a welcome guide in the beginning of my pursuits in photography and videography. She helped me choose gear to start with that wouldn't hold me back as I grow in the art, all while dealing with my annoyingly constraining budget.

I bought a DSLR a few years ago and didn't quite learn much about it, I just kind of pointed and shooted, lately I've been interested in trying a different lens but I didn't know much about anything... I walked in precision camera and video and was immediately greeted and matched with an employee who could answer every single question and give fantastic advice for my new camera journey. If you need camera help, this is your place.

If you have a Leica in Central Texas do not go anywhere else - the repair mamager is a Leica owner as well and a really helpful person!

As a professional photographer, it's important for me to have a local camera store complete with everything I need. Over the years, I have developed relationships with their sales team, their resale shop staff and their lab. It's beneficial for my business to work with people who care about me, my business, as well as finding the best solutions. Precision Camera & Video is my one-stop shopping place. Besides their camera / video supplies, I attend monthly meetings for Austin Professional Photographers Assn. there. In addition, I have benefitted from various classes with different instructors who teach different styles and techniques. Keep providing our community with countless ways to feed our photography desires and needs! You all are appreciated! Debra Ellsworth

Took care of transferring 8 mm movies to DVD and a flash drive within 6 working days. Pleased with what I received.

Great people and an awesome store! I'm so glad to see there are still camera stores like this around with all the online shopping. They will be my goto store for everything even though im an hour and a half south.

Had new and used camera equipment. Best place to shop in person. They have what you need in stock. Long time Austin business.

Great location for any and all camera gear. New. Used. The people here seriously know their stuff and are passionate about photography. They will not be the cheapest at all. But all the quality models and the pro knowledge are worth the extra money

My son has gotten into photography in the last year or so and Precision Camera staff have been instrumental in helping guide him towards the right and most affordable equipment. The option to purchase used has been great and the ability to resell equipment in pursuit of different lenses has allowed him to really explore the craft. In addition, the staff speak to him like a colleague and that has been really nice to witness. Thank you Precision!

Amazing place to visit and shop. Great customer service.

This place, especially the new location, is very, very impressive. They have pretty much everything you need, from SLRs to DSLRs and incredibly good prices on reprints (especially enlargement). You can't find a more knowledgeable staff anywhere else, either.

They are okay. The only true camera shop near Killeen, TX so my only choice. I love the camera repair and service section. Never took their classes, but they seem to have a great variety of them. I have heard great things about the classes. Their prices of the things that I buy there are reasonable. I have purchased several accessories. The attendants in the service repair, rental section, and print section of the store are super nice and very attentive to you. The people who work toward the front of the store in sales seem a bit rude, and are reluctant to ask you if you need help. Mainly on the lighting side. They seem to pick and choose those they want to provide customer service to. Valerie at the cashier's counter up front is excellent. She is the reason I would check out up front versus walking all the way to the back. The older lady with the salt and pepper hair was very rude to me when visited on last week, but when I returned on this past Sunday she must have realized so she was extra kind and friendly this time, so thank you for the correct.

Love this place! Staff has always been super helpful!

Better understand what you want - but somethings you can find for less price & more bang for less bucks on AMAZON or EBAY instead of retail price..

Ya'll do a great job! Thank you for helping make our event a success this weekend!

So we dropped our lens off at the south Austin store over 2 weeks ago to get serviced. It was sent to the North location and we never received a call stating what repairs needed to be done to the Lens. I call the North store this morning to see what the status is, the gentleman told me to call the South store because they recently dropped off stuff off at the South store. I call the south store and they say it looks like it was delivered here then made its way back up North and that he would make a note that we want to pick it up South. He then says call the North store to check the status.

So I call the North store once again and they said looks like someone called you and left you a voicemail on Jan 16th. We have no missed calls or voicemails from precision camera. No emails either. The gentleman at the north store told me they don t have a manager that works on the weekend and they have no runners to run the lens to the South store today. I have never dealt with such chaos. Wow.

Great local photo and video store. They sell cameras for photo and video, have film developing services and an education department. They also have a repair department. I visit here frequently and have most everything I need for my media business.

Great selection of photo equipment and supplies, but it seems like their prices are a bit high. These days there's not a lot of competition or choice when you need a camera store. They do have a bit of everything, though, from new and used cameras, to lenses and chemicals, for those who like to develop at home.

Go see Robert he will help you every time! He is knowledgeable and has been there a long time!

Ordered a Lens through the website and although there were some misunderstandings at first, they made it right and I was able to use my lens the day I needed it! Excellent!!

Some of the people that work here are friendly but the lab is very unprofessional. I just picked up some negatives and got them home and they are all bent up. Another time I got negatives from them that had a big fingerprint on them. Their website advertises 2 day turn around on E-6 which is a bunch of bologna, they send it out to another lab and it takes at least 2 weeks.

A while back I was planning a shoot for which I needed the film processed ASAP, I decided to shoot it on slide film because their website advertises the two day turn around on E-6. I shot it, then drove all the way out there only to be told that processing would take at least 2 weeks and it would have to be shipped to some unknown lab in Colorado. I live far away and wasted my time and gas driving all the way out there and looked like an unprofessional idiot to the client who I promised would get their photos in 3 days.

Their website also advertises 2 day turn around on C-41 which a joke as well. It always takes longer than that, and they often don t call you when its ready like they say they will. Since they don t call you, you have to call them, and often times the phone just rings and rings once you are transferred and the receptionist will finally just tell you to call back later.

Ive been to rinky dink labs in India that were more professional, and that did a better job.

Im done with this place. I really wanted to like it and support it, but I am going to start shipping my film out to a lab that I can trust.

I took in a photo to be enlarged and Hannah took time to explain when I should be using raw rather than jpg files. The great think about Precision Camera is that their staff members are highly experienced photographers who can help you become a better one.

Best camera store in Austin. I took a old camera in for a cleaning. The tech looked and noticed the mirror would get stuck in the up position. He was honest to tell me it wasn't worth repairing. Cost of repair cost more than the going used rate for that camera. I appreciate the honesty.

I had the best experience with Maggie, she s simply awesome! I went into the store with the intention of getting several prints framed from my wedding to give as gifts to my loved ones. Maggie spent a lot of time with me and was able to use her extensive knowledge to execute what I wanted. She gave me an estimate and I was to pop in the following week where we would put the finishing touches on my order. We finalized everything and she offered for me to put down a deposit, I told her I would prefer to pay in full, which I did and I would stop by again when everything was ready.
I came in today with the expectation that everything would be perfect and it was anything but that. The young lady at the counter told me had a cold and rude attitude and told me I had an outstanding balance of over $200, I told her that there must be a misunderstanding because I paid for everything beforehand, close to $1800. She then stated that I was unable to see my pictures until I paid the $200. I then asked to see a manager and explained the situation to him. After looking at the invoices, he couldn t understand why I was being charged $200 and he couldn t waive the fee because he d get in trouble.
As a customer, I m not asking for a discount or for anything to be given to me. I understand the hard work that goes into making these pieces. But if you re going to have these charges, there should ve been a courtesy call letting me know the situation and a detailed account of what I m being charged for.
Then to top it off the largest photo was put in the wrong frame, a completely different one from the one that was originally selected and two of my prints were not framed that were supposed to. It s frustrating because I spent a lot of time with Maggie putting descriptions on each order and yet it was overlooked.
While I was talking to the manager a young lady behind the counter (I believe her name is Mia) took over and assured me she d take care of it. Although it s unlikely I m to get my frames in time for Christmas, I m thankful she stepped in to help.
The frames that were right, were done beautifully, but the customer service for this store needs improvement.

I was impressed with the inventory of the store, but very underwhelmed with the condescending treatment I received from 2 store employees. I am a newbie to photography and was hoping to get some insight from people who would know, but instead I got the impression that I should spend my money elsewhere.

They have everything you could possibly want for your camera here. They are professional in every way. My sister took her camera in and the gentleman who helped her with it told the truth and fixed the setting for her instead if trying to take advantage of her. Because if him I will go back and tell my friends about him to!

The owners are very polite and awesome the best camera store in Austin. Love it!

The staff here represents everything that a perfect store should be. They had an item listed on Ebay that I wanted to purchase for my wife. I sent a message asking various things from extra photos to shutter counts, and even asked if they could expedite the shipping and I was even willing to pay up for it. They got it to me 3 days sooner and didn't cost me any extra. Product arrived exactly as I had expected it to be and it works wonderful.

When I think of a reputable seller that truly cares about their customers and strives to earn their repeat business, the staff here set a proper example of demonstrating it.

We had a Great experience at Precision. Ron Jewell listened and helped us make the best decision for our needs. He was patient and thoughtful. Thank you Ron. Nicki was also very helpful. The store was busy and we had not planned on purchasing today. The experience was excellent .

Best camera store in Texas. The staff are helpful and knowledgeable, they offer sound advice and classes too. Great selection of gear. They just need to carry more Pentax!

Ordered ( order #48757) for a Panasonic lumix lx100 ii camera on Wednesday February 03rd 2021, it was declined next day even after I spoke to one of their customer service agents about a typo in telephone number. Money still on hold they say with the bank.
My husband ordered ( #48792) the same camera yesterday February 04th 2021 and they held his credit card with the same value since we needed one urgently for our son who will be climbing Mt Kenya. His order was declined today, with no explanation and this time with no typo's and errors.
They end up making the time to ship the camera go by, they offer no explanation! And we cannot order for another one now!!!
Then today they send me an email saying my cart still needs sorting since I had not finished buying a camera case that I needed, so why would I buy a case with no camera!!!

My favorite camera store, the employees are so nice and always remember you.

Great shop. Everything s in stock and the staff is extremely helpful and knowledgeable and they recommend what you need without upselling at all.

I wish I remembered my salespersons name. He was incredible and got me hooked up with the perfect camera and lenses. Unbelievably knowledgable and he knew what was best for me.

Everything camera related you could need product you could need in one store!

I bought my Nikon today for my trip to Kenya coming up. I truly recommend you doing some research on cameras before coming into this place - which I did. The sales guy was polite, but I feel like he could have engaged a little more i.e. showing me lower end and high end (difference between the functions, lens, etc). I told him the price range I was looking for, but he waited for me to point things out for me to check out rather than giving me the different types of models to test out. I don't know if he was in a hurry, tired, over it, or that it was a Sunday. I was just at Best Buy on Research before coming here. Sadly BB ran out of the Canon model I was looking for.

Should you come here and buy your camera? No. You can honestly go to Best Buy/Frys to test out your camera - purchase there or on B&H Photo.

Why did I come here? Because I am a local and just wanted to support them. Plus I have a trip coming up soon and didn't want to drive elsewhere anymore since Best Buy sold out of the camera I wanted.

Would I come back here in the future: Probably not. Their prices are full retail by the way compared to other stores and online.

is it good for rentals? YES!

Advice for the owner? Work on customer service. Engage with your customers - beginners or experts. Make them feel like they really need the camera, lens, or flash to capture the best moments of their lives. Show them the difference between a $200 or a $400 camera. Educate your customers.

Great crew to work with! The sales and service staff have been of immense help to Expedition Art as we get ready to volunteer and film a documentary on Zimbabwe.

I drove 1hr from home just to take my camera to get cleaned professionally and when I picked it up it was worse !!!!! That explains why they charged me before the cleaning and not when Im suppose to pick it up, My camera is ruined thanks to precision camera and video! I do not recommend this place I hope I get my money back, I would give zero stars if I could.

BEWARE! Bought a drone and 4 days later decided I wanted a more advanced one so I wanted to exchange mine and had ALL the original boxes and packaging just like I bought it and wasn t EVER informed verbally or in writing that they wouldn t exchange or allow returns. They also mark up prices. Go somewhere who is upfront about their policies and doesn t change them on the spot.

Austin Lyles spent a lot of time helping me evaluate the best tripod value to meet my needs. I appreciated his expertise and concern for making a wise purchase.

The staff are all expertly knowledgeable and helped me in picking out the right softbox and modifier.

Amazing camera store for both photographers and film makers!!!

Very friendly staff and well stocked. We were in town for a shoot and these guys had some things we needed very last second.

Pleasant staff and decent selection. They maintain prices equivalent to their competitors on big items, but unfortunately their accessories appear to be higher priced. I gave them an opportunity to compete with their online counterparts, even willing to pay tax, but they still came in short and weren't willing to come down much.

Park Street helped me figure out whether a camcorder or DSLR was better for my needs, and helped me get good quality accessories. He answered a couple of follow up questions by email, promptly, and then he reviewed my first photo shoot and gave feedback on how to improve. A very nice experience overall.

This place is great. It's a candy store for photographers. Lucky to have this place in Austin. So many have gone out of business. The staff know their stuff. The used equipment is a good price.

Love going into this store! Tamra Green has helped my wife and I a couple of times now as I begin my journey as an enthusiast photographer. She was very helpful in discussing lens options (I shoot action/sports) in a way that helped us understand the choices available and make our own decision for moving forward. The store has TONS of gear to choose from, both new and used. I would recommend Precision Camera and Video to anyone I know in the Austin area that is looking for solid guidance, good selection, and genuinely helpful people!

We're lucky to have such a great local resource for photo and video needs. Highly recommend.

One of the last of the full-service photography stores, Precision Camera & Video should really add the word "Emporium" to the title to reflect the breadth and depth of its offerings. It's rare in this day of online shopping to find a store as comprehensive as Precision, with knowledgeable staff, a huge selection of everything, classrooms, even photo lab and restoration services all under one roof. I've bought two cameras there, and will continue to do my small part to keep an Austin institution going strong. There are photo stores as big and comprehensive in major cities (including a three-letter camera store in a three-letter city with a huge web presence to match its physical size) but a mid-size city like Austin generally doesn't get a photo store as good as Precision. Here's to many more years!

I placed an order online through the photo lab. Was told my payment was declined, so attempted to place my order a second time. The system told me my order was a duplicate order, so this lead me to believe that my order actually went through the first time. However, using common sense, I attempted to call twice to have someone confirm this for me. No one ever called me back. The order had been placed for the one-hour service, which I paid more for BTW. Being in a pinch to get these images, I drove to Precision Camera in hopes my order had been received and fulfilled. When I get there, I learned that it had not. O joy.

First the associate tells me that it's probably because my information didn't match up...like maybe I had changed my name or address recently. Nope, that's not it. She then tells me they've been having this issue a lot. Oh good to know! I tell her I will call my husband at home and see if he can resubmit the order, and I'm then informed they won't be able to fulfill my order for another two days. Wait...what! I just placed an order and paid more for one hour. "Oh well there's a way to fix that in the system, but no one here right now knows how to do that." Keeping my calm but clearly showing disappointment that I just drove all the way from south Austin, her response, is "it's just a really crazy time right now." As the old saying goes, "Excuses only satisfy the person who makes them."

Precision Camera, you need to get your online act together and be better prepared for the holiday rush.

This store is to me like the candy shop is to my kids!

I wouldn't buy used lenses from this outfit. I bought a zoom and it came with not so obvious flaw. I checked for any flaw when I first received it, but it never occurred to me that I need to check at different apertures. I found it after a few weeks only when it showed up in my pictures.

They are giving my money back, so I won't complaint too much. But you'd think they inspect used items thoroughly before reselling them. The hassle left a bad taste in my mouth, I don't think I'll ever buy used gear again. If I do, I'll have to stick to reputable used gear stores that also gives 180 days to return.

I like their prints, but I moved out of state and ordered some to hang up, they have zero ways of telling you when they shipped my photos or when they will arrive.... will buy local next time

Horrible place to shop. Customer service is the absolute worst I have ever experienced. I literally saw the general manager yelling at a UPS employee for dropping the packages off in the wrong spot even though it was the UPS driver's first day. Super rude staff. Also when I tried to check out an employee told me he was tied up with something else but was just talking to another employee and proceeded to just stand there.

Awesome service and lots of cool toys for photo-minded people. Plus, it is just a beautiful store to browse around in. The guy I bought my camera from had one of the exact same model, so he was able to show me all the new-fangled WiFi capabilities. I'm now traveling all over the country but I still buy from them when I can. Either online or I wait till I am back in Austin.

Excellent store. Great staff. Well run. Huge inventory.

Precision Camera is an excellent source for advice, service, repair and new and used equipment. Precision Camera staff have helped me solve several photographic problems in a creative and cost effective way.

I absolutely LOVE Precision Camera. First off, they have been around for a long time - so LOCAL. Next, many of their employees have been there for a long time, that really says something about a business and not only that, all of the employees are very knowledgable and no nonsense, so SMART. They are always very helpful, and have a great trade in program, as well as a rental program. The store is clean and big and pretty and basically the only place that you should spend any money on photography in AUSTIN. Period.