Central Camera Company
Camera store 4.3 ★★★★☆ 716
Buys & tradesCamera repairUsed gear
Storied family-owned camera shop selling equipment, film & hard-to-find items since 1899.
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Used cameras in Illinois
12 camera stores across 8 cities in Illinois stock used, film and vintage gear. Used inventory is confirmed from each shop's own listings or from customer reviews — and because stock is whatever walked in the door, it changes weekly.
PROCAM Photo & Video Gear | Chicago - Aurora
Camera store 4.6 ★★★★★ 543
Buys & tradesUsed gear
Store selling new and used cameras, lenses and accessories, plus studio gear and offering equipment rentals and classes.
Dodd Camera
Camera store 4.6 ★★★★★ 435
Rents gearUsed gear
Store carrying brand-name cameras & lenses, plus a large selection of gear for photography.
Alpine Camera
Camera store 4.2 ★★★★☆ 122
Camera repairUsed gear
Veteran go-to for new & used cameras & lenses, plus video transfer & photo restoration services.
Chicago Camera Repair Specialist
Camera store 4.2 ★★★★☆ 112
Camera repairUsed gear
Booth-like store in the Mallers Building specializing in camera repair.
Brooktree Film Lab
Film lab 4.9 ★★★★★ 84
Develops filmUsed gear
Photo lab specializing in developing and scanning 35mm, 120, and disposable camera film with mail-in service.
Tamarkin Camera
Camera store 4.6 ★★★★★ 60
Rents gearUsed gear
Showroom & gallery devoted solely to the Leica camera, with photography exhibits, sales & service.
La Grange Camera & Video
Camera store 4.4 ★★★★☆ 58
Used gearAuthorized dealer
Camera shop offering new and used equipment, as well as printing services, film and repairs.
Used camera shops by city in Illinois
Check these six things before you pay
A used lens hides its problems well in a display case. Ask to handle it and hold it up to a light.
- Fungus — fine branching webs on an inner element. It etches coatings permanently and spreads between lenses in a bag. Walk away.
- Haze — an even internal fog, usually outgassed lubricant. It destroys contrast and shows as veiling flare into the light.
- Element separation — a rainbow or oil-slick edge creeping in from the rim, where a cemented group has come apart. Effectively unrepairable.
- Sticky aperture — fire the blades from wide open to stopped down a dozen times. They should snap instantly and dry. Oily, slow blades mean a service bill.
- De-centring — shoot a flat detailed subject square-on. If one edge of the frame is soft while the opposite is sharp, the elements are misaligned, usually after a drop.
- Zoom creep — hold a zoom vertically and see whether the barrel slides. Not fatal; good leverage on price.
On the body: ask for the shutter count (entry-level DSLRs are typically rated near 100,000 actuations, pro bodies 300,000–500,000), check light seals on any film camera for crumbling foam, look for sensor marks that do not blow off, and work every dial, port and slot. Read the full used camera inspection guide for what each fault actually costs you.
Why buy used in person
Online used dealers grade gear on cosmetics only — "Excellent" describes appearance, not shutter count, optical condition or remaining life. At a Illinois counter you can mount the lens on your own body, shoot the frame edges, run the aperture, look through the barrel at a light, and check the count yourself before any money moves. The trade-off is inventory: one shop stocks what it has been given, so call ahead for anything specific.
Illinois shops that buy and trade
Trading your old gear against a used purchase in one visit is usually the best value on the table.
Buying film gear in Illinois?
Also develops film: Brooktree Film Lab
Also repairs cameras: Central Camera Company · Alpine Camera · Chicago Camera Repair Specialist · Garry's Camera Repair · TC Camera Repair
Used cameras in other states
- Used cameras in California
- Used cameras in Texas
- Used cameras in New York
- Used cameras in Pennsylvania
- Used cameras in Florida
- Used cameras in Colorado
- Used cameras in Michigan
- Used cameras in Ohio
- Used cameras in New Jersey
- Used cameras in Massachusetts
- Used cameras in Oregon
- Used cameras in Washington
Questions
- Where can I buy a used camera in Illinois?
- 12 camera stores in Illinois stock used gear, across 8 cities — Chicago, Aurora, Buffalo Grove, Decatur and others. Used stock is whatever has walked in the door, so it turns over weekly. Call ahead if you want a specific body or lens.
- What do the online condition grades mean?
- KEH, MPB, B&H and Adorama grades describe cosmetics only — not function. "Excellent" means it looks excellent; it says nothing about shutter count, lens haze, or remaining life. Every graded item is expected to work. Use the grade to decide how much visible wear you can accept, and ask about function separately.
- What do I check on a used lens?
- Hold it to a bright light and look through both ends for fungus (branching web-like growth), haze (an even internal fog), and element separation (a rainbow or oil-slick edge where cemented elements have parted). Then fire the aperture repeatedly — it should snap dry and instantly, not stick. Shoot a flat subject square-on to check for de-centring, where one side of the frame is soft and the other sharp. Fungus and separation are the two that should end the conversation.
- Is a used film camera a risky buy?
- Mechanical film bodies are the safest used purchase in photography — no circuit to fail, and repairable more or less indefinitely. Budget for light seals and a service on anything long-stored, and check the slow shutter speeds, which drag first. Electronic bodies from the 1980s and 90s are the real risk: a dead proprietary board often has no replacement part.
- Do these shops buy used gear as well?
- 3 of the Illinois shops listed here also buy or trade. Trading in against a used purchase on the same visit is normally the best value you will get, because the shop earns on both sides of the deal.