The best camera stores in Illinois
12 shortlisted from 31 reviewed businesses in Illinois — camera stores, film labs and repair shops, each labelled for what it actually is.
How this ranking works
- Score = rating × log₁₀(review count). A 5.0 from nine people does not outrank a 4.7 from nine hundred, but one huge shop can't bury everyone either.
- 25 reviews minimum. Below that a rating is noise.
- One entry per chain. Multi-location retailers get a single slot, so the list stays a list of businesses rather than of branches.
- Museums and attractions are excluded — this is a directory of places you can actually walk into and buy, develop, rent or repair.
- Nothing is paid. No business can buy a position here, and quotes are pulled verbatim from public customer reviews.
#1 PROCAM Photo & Video Gear | Chicago - Aurora
4.6 ★★★★★ 543 reviews · Aurora, IL
The best camera store in the Chicago suburbs. I’ve been going to ProCam for quite a while now and never had one bad experience they offer a multitude of different services from rentals, prints, film…
#2 Central Camera Company
4.3 ★★★★☆ 716 reviews · Chicago, IL
Such a great place to go if you're a camera nerd and even if you aren't. Film camera, especially. Everyone was so extremely nice. It was fairly busy when we went, and they still were attentive. I…
#3 Dodd Camera
4.6 ★★★★★ 435 reviews · Chicago, IL
Matthew greeted us as we came into the store and helped us pick out a lens that was just right for our needs. Super knowledgeable guy, he answered all our questions without even taking a second to…
#4 MYK Camera Repair
5 ★★★★★ 235 reviews · Des Plaines, IL
My experience: - Liked that they were in the Midwest as opposed to on the coast. - Liked repairs videos on website to see how they worked. - Sent camcorder symptoms via E-mail on Sunday, got estimate…
#5 Bellows Film Lab Chicago
4.3 ★★★★☆ 304 reviews · Chicago, IL
I absolutely love the staff at Bellows! They are always honest about return times and whether or not they're backed up or not, which I really appreciate. I have seen some reviews noting the long…
#6 Helix Camera & Video
4.6 ★★★★★ 193 reviews · Itasca, IL
Stopped in to purchase some lighting equipment after performing a google search for a local camera supply store so I could avoid purchasing cheap junk on amazon or ebay unknowingly.
#7 Royal Camera Service, Inc.
4.5 ★★★★★ 137 reviews · Hanover Park, IL
I recently had my Panasonic GX9 repaired by Royal Camera Service and I’m extremely satisfied with the experience. Before choosing them, I contacted almost every repair provider across North America,…
#8 Advanced Camera Repair Service
4.9 ★★★★★ 85 reviews · Crest Hill, IL
As a professional photographer, I need quick turnaround time and reasonable prices. Mike at Advanced Camera Repair Service in Plainfield is amazing! I recently was referred to him by Procam. His…
#9 Brooktree Film Lab
4.9 ★★★★★ 84 reviews · Decatur, IL
I've been working with my photo developer since I first picked up photography, and he's been an invaluable resource. As a beginner, I ran into issues—blank reels, botched exposures—but he always took…
#10 The Darkroom Chicago
5 ★★★★★ 76 reviews · Chicago Heights, IL
The date night class was so fun! A great way to get introduced to film photography. The pacing of the class was perfect - community building/ice breaker, camera overview, photo shooting time, then…
#11 PJ's Camera & Photo Supply
4.4 ★★★★☆ 127 reviews · Glen Ellyn, IL
Recently I started doing 35mm film as part of my photography hobby, and I'm glad I found this place to process my film. They are helpful and friendly, and they usually get my film ready pretty…
#12 Iris Galerie Chicago Michigan Avenue
4.7 ★★★★★ 93 reviews · Chicago, IL
Fun, quick experience here. Bailey took great care of me and convinced me to give it a try. They scanned my eyes for free and then it was up to me what I bought. For now, I just got a print I plan to…