Looking Glass Photo - Berkeley, California

William Brewer

Just had a great experience with Looking Glass Photo and Camera!
We have purchased three cameras from Looking Glass Photo over the years. The latest - a Sony- just recently while they were moving locations. They have always been extremely helpful in choosing the right equipment that matches our needs and deserve a special acknowledgment for this last purchase. They took the time to meet and go through questions/problems multiple times and share their extensive expertise while they were working to outfit their new location. (BTW - new location looks very impressive.) In today’s online world, being able to sit and have a conversation with someone knowledgeable about the array of products was outstanding! We have been using the new camera and once again Looking Glass helped us make a very good choice.

We have also used their repair/service department in the past for camera sensor cleaning, always with perfect results. We’re now looking at their Photo Walks and the classes to learn more from this team!
So glad Looking Glass is nearby as they are a terrific resource!

Erik Garcia

I've had very mixed experiences here. I've gotten really good service and I've had really bad service, and I think the bad service mostly comes from one guy. Unfortunately I don't know his name but he's unnecessarily sarcastic and condescending. Last interaction was when I called to see if they had a lens adapter for my ricoh camera, without checking he says "nooo we're not a ricoh dealer, sorry" mind you this is a camera store, so my question isn't out of the blue since it's camera/photography related.
Unfortunately this is what leads to more and more people buying things online. We want to support brick and mortar stores but not when we get treated like this for no reason.

John Adams

Wish I had as good of an experience as many other raters, but I ordered a camera from here online and they were quick to take my money, but the camera hasn't shipped weeks later. They do not answer any messages online, nor acknowledge cancellation or refund requests. Now I'm out of $2.5K and have nothing to show for it.

John Payne

I have enjoyed photography for over 50 years. I have found having a local camera store an absolute must— a place to go for information and knowledge. I certainly found that in Looking Glass Photo (LGP). When I was in the market for a new mirrorless camera, I visited LGP a number of times prior to purchase. Everyone I spoke to was knowledgeable, helpful, and never pressured a sale. I continue to patronize LGP because of the excellent customer service I receive with every visit.
I should also point out that LGP not only sells camera equipment, but also provides outstanding photography education through classes and workshops. I encourage anyone interested in growing as a photographer to take advantage of these services— I have found them to be excellent.

Rick Sakaji

Great resource! I've found the people to be customer service oriented and very helpful with advice and recommendations. I can usually find what I need. Classes and workshops are excellent!

Bobbi Newman

I recently had the pleasure of working with Jen to gear up before a trip of a lifetime photographic safari to Kenya.

I can't say enough positive things about Jen. I'm located in Colorado, and have never stepped foot in Looking Glass (although next time I'm in the Bay Area I will!). Jen was patient, knowledgeable, and happy to educate me to the level I was comfortable at on any day during our discussions! She initially set up a Zoom with me to get to know more about me and what I was looking for, both in what I wanted to get out of the safari photos and what my current skill level is (we spent time going into more depth on certain subjects, and on others, such as protective filters, Jen gave me a quick instruction in the basics - e.g., why UV filters aren't necessary for mirrorless cameras).
We had numerous email exchanges as I continued to ask questions, and Jen patiently answered them (while also trying to make sure she guided me but didn't influence me into something that wouldn't be what I wanted). She made it possible for me to get a lens, in time for the trip, that I'm excited about using and that I hope will provide me with the opportunity to achieve the kind of photos I aspire to take. She provided advice about some decisions based on her own experiences (such as...accidents happen, and electronics fail. Have backups for everything possible.) She also appreciated my attempts to minimize my impact on the environment, both by trying to help me find a photography backpack that was designed and built with environmental concerns in mind (we were both bummed that we failed with this...while there are a couple of pack companies out there that at least mention how they are trying to be environmentally responsible, the packs they offered just didn't meet the specs I needed for my gear) and also working with me to minimize shipping to help reduce environmental footprint. Yes, I realize that traveling around the world to take photos has a high carbon footprint, but I would like to do my best to reduce this everywhere I can, particularly when I'm going to see animals that are so impacted by climate change.

To sum everything up, Jen set up multiple Zooms with me (I've seen parts of the inside of Looking Glass via Zoom as she showed me packs and even tried them on to show me how they would fit her), had multiple phone calls with me, and multiple email exchanges. She was always cheerful and wanted to make sure I was happy with what I wound up purchasing! She put in a lot of effort to help research what would work for me, as well as spending time with me educating me and helping me make my decisions. She is an expert in her field, having hands on experience with the gear and she was happy to teach me about the technical aspects while helping me decide.

I hope to have some amazing photos to share with her in about a month!

Sheila Donnelly

Incredibly well stocked photography store with very kind people to help you. They no longer do passport photos and apparently the tech behemoths that run these review sites require extortion level payments from the biz to make any update to that effect. So that’s why I am here telling you to get your passport photos from a ups store, and the patronize Looking Glass for all your camera and photo printing needs. We gotta support and treasure these local businesses because we’re lucky to have them! Free parking behind the store, just past osh entrance.

Sam Santiago

Welcoming staff, always ready to offer a helping hand. Not a lot of inventory though - for those who are hoping to hold and test the gear before purchasing. However, staff are able to offer alternatives or order practically anything you need.