Rowe Photographic, Video and Audio Reviews

Went there looking for a home theater receiver to replace a failing unit. Online research online does so much when shopping for av equipment and big box stores aren't staffed with knowledgeable employees. So, I drive from Syracuse to Rochester to a true stereo shop. I found the staff extremely helpful and knowledgeable. Top it off with a year end sale, and I beat the big box stores by $50 and $350 off list. Great experience. Will repeat.

I could not be more impressed with Mt Hope location. If you need something ask for Robin. That guy, as does everyone else in the store, goes way above and beyond to ensure satisfaction. They recovered my corrupted files quickly and safely and went out of their way to make sure I was taken care of. I wish I could give more than 5 stars because truly they are that good!

Very helpful staff, good selection, got a great deal on used Canon L series lens.

I love Rowe! Great staff. The location is very convenient. And printing out pictures is easy!

When your thinking of buying online instead of using a local Company.Think about this.I bought a 77D SLR from Rowe and left for an extended vacation in Florida.Two weeks into my vacation the selector switch failed,making the camera unusable.I called the canon help line and was told it was an electrical problem,send it to the factory and have it back in three or four weeks.I called Rowe and spoke to Robyn and Dick Rowe.Dick said we are sending you a new body today.That is why you deal with the local store and not go online to save a few bucks.Thats customer service.
Thank you to the Rowe team
StuChester

I was in a hurry to purchase a lens cap and memory cards. I was in and out of the store quickly.

Excellent store. Very knowledgeable people. Over the years I bought sophisticated electronics and photography equipment on this store. Their service is very good. Friendly people.

Can't praise this place enough. Robin is absolutely wonderful, he is always there for me when I need his help even when I'm 1,000s of miles away he will take the time to talk to me on the phone and walk me through whatever it is I need in order for me to continue my shoots. And when I am home he continues to be there to help me out. The people at Rowe Photo are extremely knowledgeable and are just a delight to be around. Top notch service all around!

Can't say enough good things about Rowe. I recently came in with my new Pentax ME Super to buy film. The lovely woman helping me helped me learn how to use my camera and was so incredibly helpful.

Superior sales and service. A bit more pricey than big box stores but service is totally AWESOME.

Very friendly helpful let's go home then wait and make sure that you're satisfied

Very knowledgeable staff if you need photographic equipment buy local

Many thanks to Richard Rowe and Rowe Photo Lab for superb archives 1943 reproductions. Great and friendly people to do business with. Many thanks again for the C.C.C. Campsite photo. Garry Leverenz

Really knowledgeable staff, super friendly. Go here instead of the big chains, you'll get better service.

Very helpful and friendly staff. Very knowledgeable about their subject material and will help you find the AV product you want. Their selection of used camera equipment is the best in the area. They offer free sensor cleaning for any cameras purchased there as well. Very happy with my new camera.

Excellent selection backed by knowledgeable staff, who will support you every step of the way. I can recommend this store enough for your photo needs.

Have been dealing with Rowe for my photo equipment for many they recently went from several location to one.plenty of supplies to chose from all major brands of cameras in stock

They have a vast array of inventory and the store is staffed by friendly and knowledgeable professionals.

Just got a new DSLR after not having one for years. Realized Rowe is right near work on my hope. Win! Needed a couple small items so stopped in on lunch. First off, everyone was so nice and helpful and second, it made me happy to see HOW busy it was in there. Support local business! These folks are fantastic AND knowledgeable. They also are doing a good job handling volume safely and following safety protocols during the pandemic. Thanks everyone! I ll be back soon for that neck strap.

Great resource to have in town it's a little sad that this seems to be the only local camera shop left in the city that basically invented what we now know as photography, and they've closed most of their other locations over the last few years. You just can't get the same kind of experience online or even at the big box stores. When I came in to buy a lens one time the saleswoman took it out of the box for me to see in person. I told her what camera I used and she pulled one of the same model from the display case so I could actually try it in action, rather than guessing about what I was buying based on pictures and ad copy. They even still carry film, and will process C-41 at the East Ave location!

I want to thank all the staff at both Rowe locations. I had a problem with my Canon 6D and, the staff immediately and gladly rectified the situation before a weekend of photographing events. I try to always shop local, and this is a perfect example of why I do so. You can save a couple bucks online sometimes, but when all is said and done, who's there to help you? NO one. Thanks again guys- Ryan McDonell Photography

Great guys. Knowledgeable and friendly. Needed a camera repair and they took care of me. It got sent to Canon do it took a few weeks but that's nothing they can do about it.

You can't beat the customer service that this place provides. They are well versed in all things photographic and them some. They still sell Kodak film.

Great customer service even years after the sale.Shawn and Jeff are the best techs I've ever had.Shawn set up my TV and Jeff spent hours fixing my phone .Kudos to you!!!Joel is great too!!!He treats people the way they should be treated.I won't go anywhere else!!!

I love the service Mark provided was so friendly and patient answering my questions willingly and eager to let me try out camera lenses

I bought a large flat screen. Larger than I'm willing to admit but lets just say it took a contractor a while to build our house around it. Anyway, the customer services was exceptional and the follow up from the sales force was exceptional and most importantly the TV is exceptional.

I have been to every audio/video place in town and Rowe is hands down the best!

Since transitioning to digital about 10 years ago have taken all my photo hardware business to Rowe. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. They seek to understand my needs then offer solutions to fit my needs and do not try to up-sell me.

They also stand behind their products. I had a high-end flash malfunction near the end of its warranty. The staff took care of it with no problems whatsoever.

I will continue taking all my photo business to Rowe!

The staff was great and their products and solutions are just as good. Wish the pricing was a bit lower but you get what you pay for and that was great quality photographic equipment and supplies!

Knowledgeable, helpful, and personal! Could not have hoped for better help or answers!

Great place to find all your photography and TV needs. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff.

Very helpful; Joel Ruben knowledgable; not high pressure.

These people are the gurus of photography and video

The region's premiere photo supply store. Expert advice buy a knowledgeable staff and a wide array of photo products. Consider Rowe Photo before you buy anything online that you can't examine, or coordinate with your other equipment.

Been a customer for 30 years. Outstanding people and product and service!

I buy most of my rigs here. Great customer service. Guys are very knowledgeable especially in photography. Dealt with a lot of patience by taking time to explain each concerns. I would recommend them.

I never knew that TV pricing was the same at every retail outlet, (Amazon, Best Buy, New Egg, etc. Since Amazon had it's Prime Day sale on October 13 and 14th, I was able to get a fantastic deal on a great Sony OLED TV right here locally in my own back yard. Supporting Small Local Business is my preferred route to take. Joel was great to work with, helpful and knowledgeable. I urge people to consider shopping local whenever possible. It helps keep your community, more than wall street. I plan to buy my soundbar from them as well soon.

I stopped in on a fact finding mission for a second body. I was fully expecting a pushy/judgemental salesman to unknowingly push me into the arms of B&H once again, but to my surprise I found the complete opposite.

I was looking for a different solution to my problem, and Mark knocked it out of the park. He taught me all about Fujifilm and answered every question I had quickly and effectively. To top of off, he encouraged me to rent a body to take on a shoot with me before I pull the trigger on purchasing (which is the new plan).

I will definitely be taking more of my business to Rowe in the future.

I called Rowe looking for some pricing on a home theatre system (couldn t go in person due to Covid). The salesman explained he was very busy but could get back to me in a few days. I was surprised that it would take multiple days to price items but was willing to wait. When the salesman eventually called me back he was unaware of a manufacturer sale and quoted pricing above the ongoing discount despite discussing the sale in our original conversation. I reminded him of the sale and his response was honestly, I don t have time for this. The salesman should at a minimum be able to provide pricing. Furthermore, to tell a customer you don t have time for them after taking days to call back is rather unprofessional. As a result, I would not recommend this establishment.

You won't find any place more knowledgeable or helpful for camera/video equipment. Everyone there is awesome.

Joel & Bob were fantastic!!! They make both the expert and the novice feel at ease when assisting their customers with their home electronics needs.

Wow!! If you want great customer service this is the place! Amazing staff who know their products be it camera or the audio video side.. Shopping here has always been a pleasure and they have been there time after time for myself and now my children and their families when we have had questions. Cannot say enough about Richard and his staff. Just remember, service after the sale is priceless.....

This place is awesome. They have such a wide selection of photo, video and audio equipment

They have some nice equipment. I think the photo side is great, but he HiFi side is terrible for customer service. They are more interested in themselves than customer needs. So I don't visit there often, and the last 2 times I did I felt the same way. The tall gray haired sales guy walked away from me on both of my last visits. This was really annoying.

Shopping for a camera lens. Very knowledgeable and helpful. Great selection. Good prices matching that online and you get personal service. Highly recommend.

They answered my question's and were able to help me. Great service!

Knowledgeable people excellent source of camera equipment

I took an elderly man there that wanted my expertise to help him purchase audio equipment on a budget. I was told The man helping us was the one that convinced him to buy a used receiver for $200 which I told the clerk was worth no more than $50. As I looked around the store, I noticed that many of their new and used equipment, photo and audio, was extremely marked up. The store doesn't even carry high end stereo components, yet charge high end prices for run of the mill name brands like Fisher and Technics. I seriously hope no one ever shop there. It's a complete rip off.

Best in upstate ny and honest not like those NYC shysters

Photographic snobs but no one is more knowledgeable

Just bought my cannon 80 D here along with a tripod. I walked in and walked out boom done. Gotta love it when a store has your gear.

Wonderful array of unique and useful treasures! Owner is fair and upright in buying your older photographic equipment. One of a kind items are tastefully displayed.

Our situation was unique and required some form of a short throw projector. We tried to do it ourselves but ran into too many problems in that although it appeared that there were many options, as it developed, there weren't. Rowe sent an expert crew to our home and completely reviewed our situation. The end result was that Joel researched and located precisely the projector we needed. The installation team was prompt, efficient and fully ran us through every aspect of operation. Don't make a mistake and try to do it yourself, call the experts at Rowe.

This is a completely unsolicited review of a retail store I have made purchases at many times. Over the years I have purchased many cameras and lenses from them. I used to shop at their Webster location because it was near my office but it has since closed. I therefore go to the Mt. Hope store. I went for initial advice since I wanted to go mirrorless and there are so many systems out there along with reviews that it is hard to know what is meaningful or not. I was helped by Brandon who spent an incredible amount of time explaining what I needed to know. No pressure whatsoever. I actually came back several times and was patiently given additional information. I eventually purchased a Sony a7iii full frame mirrorless camera with a Sony 24-240mm zoom lens. It was a big ticket item for me but I felt it was well worth it as a retirement gift to myself. I had some focusing issues after using it and I went back. The service manager (I'm afraid I have forgotten his name) looked at examples of photos saved on a media card, offered tips on how to change some of the innumerable settings and even told me there was a recent firmware update which he downloaded for me. Probably spent 40 minutes with me and made me feel glad I was their customer. Sure, you can shop internet such as B&H among others but nothing beats personal service. I know many people who go to retail stores to check an item out and then shop the internet looking to save a few bucks. If I go to a store, get great advice and customer service, they sure as hell have earned my business. They are a fantastic photography store. Plus they will match prices on many items so even that's a bonus. You can't go wrong shopping at Rowe Photo.

Employees very knowledgeable and helpful on NUMEROUS areas of photo and audio topics. A gem in the Rochester area!

Very knowledgeable and friendly staff. Joel was most helpful. Quality products.

If you're a photographer/videographer in Rochester, you WILL end up here. Not only did they have what I was looking for (wall mounts and seamless paper) but being the penny pincher I am, I looked online to see how much my impatience cost me.. It was nothing. They have the prices equivalent to what they will be online(i checked amazon and b&h). I'm a die hard internet shopper but I'm gonna be in and out of this place. Happily.

Professional - knowledgeable and service oriented. Rowe has been a photographic fixture in the Rochester area since I was a wee lad. Now I want one of their sound systems put in.

So glad I went here instead of a big blue store with a yellow tag on it. Got twice as good of speakers for less than a package deal over there. Joel was really knowledgeable, he knew my price point, and my equipment, and saved me so much money I bought 2 more things before I left.

Honestly, I couldn't find a more dedicated and pro customer business. These folks have gone about and beyond with regards to my purchase and inquiry. They have even helped after hours. The staff is knowledgeable, honest, friendly and go to great lengths with regards to customer satisfaction.. excellent group!! Thank you so much, everyone!

Great selection of cameras and lenses and great customer service.

No one gives better personal service and advice for high end cameras in Rochester.

Good selection of enthusiast cameras, knowledgable, but uninspired service.

Excellent service from Joel. He was very knowledgeable in helping to select a receiver.

I have been using Rowe for all of my Camera, TV, and Audio purchases for the past 10 years. I absolutely love this store, they have excellent selection and service. They help me with all of my questions and point me in the right direction for products. They have gone the extra mile for me many times. They want to sell me what fits my needs, not just what is most expensive. We are lucky to have a store like this in Rochester.

Incredible service. They helped me pick out equipment and did a great job of explaining all of the options. I couldn't be happier and I am looking forward to going back for more accessories.

Staff are great and very helpful! Wish they carried more gear focused towards videography!

Rowe Photo, Video & Audio has superior service. I buy all my photo equipment at Rowe because their team of experts can answer my questions. They spend the time I need to understand the products and how to use them. We have avid athletes in our family and I love taking video and photos of their Lacrosse, Baseball, and Crew events. It's important to me to have the best shots!

Brought these guys at least 800 in equipment wasn't looking for anything special wanted 300$ and was about to buy a 1000$ lens. Guy comes out offers me 150 lmao for my equipment. I left went to Best Buy and paid full price for my new lens. Respect goes a long way. I personally will never shop there again.

Went in to try and sell my camera and accessories. The lady in the front took it to the back and consulted with a guy about the camera. I was given a price, but was not happy with the amount - however, he did help me with options on selling it through Craiglist or eBay and gave a rough estimate if I sold it myself.

The next day, my boyfriend noticed that the lens cover in my bag did not match what I had in the pictures taken before we went to Rowe. They swapped out my lens cover for another that was broken - it even had their name on the lens cover they gave me! If you're going to consult with them, make sure that you do it face-to-face, don't let them go to the back with your item without you. My boyfriend was able to get it swapped out for me - still not sure if this was on purpose or by accident.

I bought my first DSLR at Rowe today! Mark was incredibly helpful with answering my questions and maintaining social distancing. The level of customer service is unparalleled and I love being able to shop local. I can't wait to use my new camera! Thank you!

Great place to shop. Skip the box store, same price for the same TV. Didn't have have to ask for a price match, it was already the same price! Shop local folks.

Came in today as a brand new customer with some questions and hesitations regarding a new tripod & tripod head - walked out with new gear feeling very satisfied! The staff here is so knowledgeable and willing to help you figure out your needs and how to best suit them, even if you're a college student. Rowe was willing to check prices with competitors and help with the entire inquiry process, and we could not be happier! Thank you!