This should be your first choice for Photograhy gear and supplies. Awesome experience, thanks to Catie! She is super knowledgeable and quite friendly!We will be coming back because of the great service!

We went here looking for a video camcorder which they do not carry any. We had a hard time getting someone to help us and we had to wait quite a while! We wanted to inquire about a few items for my camera but waited so long we finally left! We ended up purchasing what we needed from Amazon. They need to get more help if they don’t want customers to leave empty handed.

When I went into the store I was greeted by a very kind and friendly woman named “Julie” I explained to her that I needed copies from some old transparencies ASAP, and she made that happen. This isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with Nelson Photo, as they have been in San Diego for many years. When you need specialized film/photo/camera services, my best experiences have always been with Nelson Photo. I am happy to support both a knowledgeable and professional team/local business.

Do not go-to the big chains for your camera needs!!! This place is incredible.. greeted by the owners and educated by Tony. Honestly this place has an elevated since of customer service. The knowledge and professionalism that you will receive is a cost saving in its own right!

These are the nicest, most helpful folks one could hope to have for a local dealer. Theyre very knowledgeable and never make you feel like your question is foolish, even if youre new. Ive checked out the other local shops, and this is my go to place! Shout out to Larry & Paul for being the best!

Very helpful and knowledgeable staff. Brought me up to speed on digital cameras quickly. Helped me decided whats best for my job. Have good prices!

Im from out of town and realized I didnt bring more 35mm film than what I had in my bag. Called and the store and Tony answered, telling me they had a huge selection of film to choose from and to come on in. I got there and was highly impressed with the size and selection of photography supplies overall. I got the film I needed and then stopped to chat with Tony for a couple minutes. 40 minutes later I walked out with new found knowledge of the function of my old camera, a much better understanding of what the settings meant, and how to adjust them to meet my preference. Absolutely impressed with the store overall and super appreciative of Tonys willingness to help me learn something new!

I bought nd filter here. I had great time and amazing shopping :)

I had a problem downloading photos from my Nikon camera to my iphone. Carlo helped me figure out the problem. He was tremendously generous and knowledgeable. The customer service at Nelson is incomparable.

It pains me to write a two star review, but in this case it is necessary. We were greeted right away by a nice man who did his best to assist us. He had essentially zero photography knowledge, which is fine, but the issue was that only one person out of 8 employees in the store had basic knowledge of lighting. No one knew much about the gear they were selling, or how to locate the box the gear was in. We were bounced to three different sales people and one of them left in the middle of trying to help us for another customer that came in after we did just to shoot the breeze. I came in asking for basic knowledge of off camera lighting and a lens recommended for portrait photography and left with some gear with no idea of how to use it. If you know what you want to buy then you should order it online, if you are just starting out with photography, dont expect to come here leaving with any more knowledge than you walked in with.

Great place to buy camera equipment. The staff is very friendly. If you are interested in Nikon cameras, ask for Katie.

Bought new gear last Tuesday, Paul was very helpful with all the equipment I was purchasing, turn out that not all E-mounts, are the same. Came in today to try to figure out the issue and was very understanding with 2 other of his colleagues and came up to my standards and help me with trade in for more equipment, much appreciations

Very helpful and knowledgeable. Definitely recommending to all I know.

Nice service lots of stuff available in store.

Amazing service and super fast turnaround.

Nelson’s Photo is the greatest. Having been selected as the photographer of the month three times has been a great honor and I appreciate the support this locally owned and operated photo store has offered me and my portrait projects. Respect

The customer service at Nelson’s is second to none. Efficient, friendly, and reasonable. I began to develop my film here last year and have been coming back ever since. If you are a film photographer get your film developed around Nelson’s. And Suzie is amazing specifically!

Very cool place. Huge selection of cameras and supplies. Staff were very professional!

They were great!

My favorite place to get film developed in San Diego. Kind, genuine, attentive staff. I have a great experience every time @ Nelson Photo.

Nelson Photo is the best! They have continuous customer service and are always a joy to see. I am always asking questions and time and time again they continue to point me in the right direction. Im so happy theyre located close to my house because I dont think Id want to go anywhere else! If you havent been, GO!

Went into Nelsons for the first time this week to buy a backdrop, and I loved this store! Will be coming back for sure, the staff is super kind and friendly.

This was my first time visiting Nelson Photo. Service was excellent. I had lots of questions and all of them were answered.

This place is freaking ripoff when it comes to film processing. There are additional fees for everything. I would avoid it all cost. Lady recommended northcoast photo in Carlsbad much better prices and business ethics. Nelsons has turned a beautiful art of photography into their own cash cow. Preying on the ignorance of uneducated photographers. They take advantage of there market control well as one of the only options in Central SD... anyone want to open some reasonably priced competition?

Great prints. Worth the investment. When you know the process of how they make sure all of your prints look great, you wont go anywhere else.

Good when they have what I need in stock, which is only about 50% of the time.Also, be sure to check online prices. They will match if you go with proof of sale prices. They never update item prices with sale prices even when the manufacturer has had the item in sale for months. Be sure not to over pay, they will gladly let you.I support these guys whenever I can, but its not easy!

Absolutely wonderful experience here. It deserves 10 out of 5 stars. Please note that they DO NOT do one hour processing anymore, but they accommodated our tight schedule and turned our film around in 3 hours. As other reviewers have said, the service alone is worth the trip. Thanks to Julie - we will definitely be back whenever in San Diego.

Great sevice by top of line profissinal eager to serve you and easey parking.

Always a pleasure to shop. Great advice friendly service reasonable prices. Im a long time fan. Love the parking at the new store.

Im so grateful for the Nelson Photo team! Each time I walk in the door I feel like Im visiting old friends. The staff is knowledgable and friendly and the service they provide is unparalleled (especially their film developing and scanning!). Thank you, Nelson Photo!! You know Ill be back soon :)

Do not shop here I repeat do not shop here the people inside are extremely rude and if you ask for help will be condescending to you also the quality of photographs they produce is subpar end it took me multiple attempts to get a photograph from them that was usable

I was looking for Tamron 28-200mm lens, and while it is pretty much same price everywhere, Nelson had a 70th anniversary sale where tax amount was discounted on Tamron lenses for few days. I called to verify, they had it in stock, nice lady named Katie confirmed the promo plus the free circular polarizer, and set it aside for me. I appeared in person, for the first time, and I can see the place is a heaven for photogs beginners or professionals. I actually looked, held, and felt the lens before actually buying so this is a lot better than any online experience you could possibly have. It is nice to have a local shop running this long, and somethings having even better deals than big online stores it is a no brainier to come here for your camera needs.

Great store with knowledgable and friendly staff. Paul is the best!

I wish I could give this place half a star their customer service sucks and employees are downright rude this is not my opinion this is a fact

Haven’t shot film in a few years and I picked up a used 35mm Nikon EM from here. The staff were super helpful and had the patience to show me how to operate the camera and I’m really happy with the results. I also liked their Self-Service kiosks for selecting photos for print (I had my negatives scanned and their prints were very clean too). Great service!

Extremely friendly and helpful staff, very well laid out and organized store! We stopped in here while on vacation as I was looking for a new lens. With just a few questions from me, and a couple questions from them, I had exactly what I wanted. After a couple days of shooting with it, I went back for another lens. Again, a few questions both ways and I now have 2 wonderful new lenses and a new favorite camera (and accessories) store! Lots of convenient parking and in a convenient location! Well be back!

Nelson Photo Supplies staff are always friendly and helpful. I was checking out a camera backpack and was wondering whether it would fit a specific lens and camera. Larry brought out their own kit for me to verify, in which it did fit, so I bought the backpack as a result. Was in and out of the store within 20 minutes. Awesome experience!

Be careful when you order here you should be aware or you are supporting rude and unhelpful narcissists when I went to go in there and print out a photo they were very condescending to me and even when the photo came back totally corrupted and messed up we’re still rude about it photographic quality is low and customer service sucks do not shop here

If I need something for my camera I always go to Nelson Photo they help me figure out what I need by asking questions and make sure it fits and works. Sometimes its a new camera and they can steer me in the right direction other times a small part-a filter or a case. I feel we are very lucky to have our own camera shop in this day of online shopping. When I bother to comparison shop Nelsons has been competitive but an online shop is not going to show you how to use your camera or help you adjust the strap so its extra value for my time driving there. Ive always been greeted with enthusiasm too never feel bad that I need only a small item and am not a pro. So next time you need anything even an SD card or a battery stop by our local store and get some old fashioned friendly service (and keep them in business)!

First time here and OH BOY what a fun place! Thanks to Julie and Ben for all the help and answering all our questions! Great variety and knowledge of ALL camera and photo supplies! We will be coming back!

My go to place for all my camera needs!! I’m a professional photographer and when it comes to their knowledge and assistance, the staff is top notch. They’re also very friendly and always greet you and help you quickly. I’ve rented many lenses from here and they all have served me very well, helping me figure out which lens I will buy next :)I always recommend nelson’s to my photographer friends and others alike, they have a lot of services including events with brands like Canon and Nikon! Go here for your camera needs, amateur or professional they will be able to serve you well! 👍🏽

Couldnt recommend Nelson Photo Supplies enough! Despite living in Europe and having some difficulties processing payment due to continental differences, the staff was amazingly supportive in helping me solve the problem. Huge thanks to Grace and the rest of the team, for making it possible for me to make and purchase the photo book! Best service I have encountered to date anywhere!

Great shop, the staff is extremely knowledgeable and helpful!

The Brown guy with piercings and painted finger nails is very rude. We asked about a disposable that I bought that the flash wasnt working and he replied to us in a sarcastic tone oh you mean the like thats on right there.. that looks pretty lit up to me. He just made us feel unwelcome and ignorant.

I am so grateful to have found this shop! I wanted to buy a nice amateur camera and I was afraid my options were going to be the big box shops where the employees probably knew even less than me. A quick Google search lead me to Nelson Photo Supplies. Mary helped me choose a camera. She took the time to explain the differences in cameras without ever being pushy - she was informative. Plus she pointed out the main features, how to get started and common mistakes people make. This place is a treasure!

I love Nelson Photo! Always greeted with great customer service by knowledgeable employees. Their prices compare to online prices which is always nice! I also found out they just started renting lenses. $35 a day/ $101 a week. Really nice option if you are looking to try before you buy! No complaints! I will always recommend!

I came in to San Diego for my sons graduation (marine boot camp). I bought a CHEAP 35mm lens before I came thinking is saver some money. I wanted to be able to capture the moment you know. Well that cheap lens sucks and now I needed to buy a new lens.The guys at Nelson Photo headed me out. I told them what I wanted to do and how is use the lens and they made the suggestion.Couldnt have been better. Great service. And remember, you get what you pay for.

Happy to find this full-service photography store! The store is immaculate and well laid out. The service was great and the employees very helpful. I highly recommend it.

Purchased an entire setup here. While I had most of my information ready, they were extremely helpful filling in the gaps and making this a smooth transaction. Very clear why they are the go-to in San Diego. Had one or two hiccups post-purchase that ended up being nothing, but their response was all I needed to know this was the right place to purchase my gear.

Today I went to the store for the first time to print some pictures. I wanted to test the quality of the photos so I printed only six 4x6 photos. When I left I realized that one of the photos was a bit dark so I went quickly to my house to edit it to return and print it again. When I came back the cashier treated me very badly. It was almost time to close but the cashier was very rude. She was an old lady, thin and with glasses. When I went to pay she asked if I had any cash because it costs them $3 to make a transaction and she asked me very rudely why I had not printed these photos in the first transaction and I explained that I went to my house to edit the photo that I did not like and thats why I did not made a single transaction, Like really? Did I really had to explain this to her? Very rude cashier. The only reason why I will comeback is because I really loved the quality of the pictures. Terrible Customer Service.

Great selection and lots of knowledgeable employees happy to assist. I went in mid-day during the week and was surprised to see how many employee that had working and how many customers were there. Great to see a brick mortar thriving. Large selection of new cameras, used cameras, accessories, lighting, etc.

Great little mom and pop shop with quality service and great prices. Praz is always super helpful, going above and beyond to make sure you get the best deal and the best product. Super friendly and personalized.

Staff is very helpful and knowledgeable in many topics. They have fair prices for their equipment, but film development is a bit pricey. They sell everything from cameras bodies and lenses, to binoculars, film, bags, etc... They also do equipment rentals.

Good place; bought a really nice strap and cross body bag for my camera. The sales lady was super helpful and knowledgeable about the products they carry. So its really just a matter of either wanting to pay retail but support the local business, or spend less for the item online.

Great service. I get all my prints from them. Best quality.

Julie is awesome! She has so much knowledge about cameras she made it easy for me to find a great deal on an Instax! I wasn’t even looking to buy anything! This place is worth your time just for the quality of service.

The people who were working with us did a great job. Would recommend this store to anyone interested in photo equipment.

Small Town Service in the Big City ! Ive been needing a scanner for some old medium-format negatives. The reviews for the Canon Canoscan 900f MK II looked good EXCEPT that people warned there was quite a learning curve to choose software and set it up. At 73-years old, thats just what I didnt need...It turns out what I did need was Ana at Nelson Photo Supplies -- she took the time to take me through the set up/operating procedures on their Canon Scanner while I took notes. I brought the scanner home yesterday, followed the notes, and I was off and scanning very quickly. So thanks to Ana and Nelson Photo Supplies! 5 Stars to you!

Neat place to get camera gear. Not a lot of used camera lenses though. Pretty pricey, too. If you need camera repair, theyll send your camera to Kurts camera repair. They cant fix manual lenses.

A good olfashion camera shop. Ben was a friendly and knowledgeable salesperson.Now to just figure out if I can afford the camera and accessories.

Good place to shop for photo supplies. I have been a customer for over 20 years. The staff is knowledgeable and helpful. Larry and Nancy (the owners) are very nice people.

I generally come here just to get seamless paper background rolls. Always fast service, and have always had the colors and lengths Ive needed. The prices are competitive as well. Theres a display there as well for a featured photographer of the month, nice to see the community involvement.

Amazing group of people! Great customer service, and an all around amazing resource for new and seasoned film enthusiasts or professionals.

Great service, great products

Wonderful photography store in Little Italy. Lots of parking at the front of the store (metered) but could get full around lunch time as restaurants are close by. This store has everything from cameras to seamless paper to bags and storage. People here are really nice and helpful.

Only photography store Ive been too and I dont plan on going to another. They are great at helping you get what you need for classes. All you need to do is tell them your teachers name and they automatically know what you need! Also great student discounts!

One the last great photo stores around! Very knowledgeable staff! Go see them

Good place to print photos. Prices are reasonable and quality is great.

The staff was extremely kind and helpful. Prices are typical for a local photography store. Highly recommend.

I thought it would be smart to just do prints on the regular old home printer and finally I realized if I wanted quality Id have to come here. There is no other place in San Diego that does it better than Nelson Photo Supplies. Ive gotten regular portraits printed and even stuff for the AP Art Studio exam and they never fail to please and amaze. Totally worth the price!

Great new location with plenty of parking and easy freeway access. Great staff and everything photo related. I am so happy!!

What a great shop. Tony Amat knows EVERYTHING about cameras. So helpful!

I love there variety and Camera, lenses and their rental service is amazing..

Paul was awesome. Helped me with my Nikon. Will definitely come back! Staff very friendly!

Hate to not give them 5 stars. But when I needed an CF card I bought one and it didnt fit. I took it back the next day and the guy behind the counter tried to force it in which could have damaged my cf card slot. Kind of a weird experience

Wonderful place! Very knowledgeable, friendly staff. Forget those big box places, THIS is where you want to come for your photographic needs!

Go see Paul. He’s the man and will help you out how ever he can. Great store.

I needed a battery for my camera while on vacation after I left mine at home. Not only did they have the battery I needed, they made sure it was charged, and told me if the battery started going down to come back and they would charge it while we had lunch. Awesome customer service!! Thanks!

Let me tell you about this store. When you walk in, the store is neat and organized. To your left their is a plethora of lenses from Canon, Tamron, Nikon, Fujifilm and so much more. For the photographer there are rows of stylish or rugged bags, small and large. There is a selection of high quality tripods and sturdy ball heads. For the cinematographer there are ND filters, variable densities, polarizers, Røde microphones and hand held rigs. Not to mention the amazing staff like Tony, who helped me with learning the ropes of aperture and ISO balancing. This place is a true blue San Diego OG. Do yourself a favor and visit this amazing candy store of camera gear! You will not be disappointed.

Definitely a full-service photography shop. They have parts accessories and cameras for just about every photography need, I was very impressed.

Excellent customer service! I searched for somewhere to develop a disposable underwater camera I purchased in Mexico and they seem to be the only ones locally to do this within an hour. I also brought in a DVD of an old home movie that they were able to transfer to a drop box for me to download at home since I no longer have a DVD Drive.

I recent purchased a Canon AE-1 and I came into the shop looking for some lenses that would fit, because the lens that I wanted to use was not doing the job. I came in with little knowledge of what I was doing. But after my 30 minutes of time there, I learned so much more than I could have ever figured out on my own in months. The best place for people who are just starting to pick up photography, and I can safely say it is a great place for anyone looking to get a good kick out of a great store.

Friendly, helpful staff. Good selection of film and developing equipment, and of course digital. Very reasonable prices.

Staff does outstanding work as well as being incredibly efficient & personable. Why go anywhere else?!

Great place to buy camera accessories. Has a big selection of bags, tripods, lenses, filters, lights, and microphones. Excellent customer support!

Customer focused, knowledgeable and friendly. Extensive selection, from micro 4/3 to full frame; still has film, and also has nice rental selection. Now is the Leica dealer in town. Cant recommend enough.

George and tony rocked they really helped me with everything I was looking for and I will definitely be back

One of the best photo stores in San Diego and the staff is willing to go out of their way to get you what you want.

Wonderful, knowledgeable, kind staff and all-encompassing, fun store with everything camera or photography related!

George was able to translate from Spanish the photo supplys I needed for daughter in my foster family for her Prepa Tijuana class.

Super great people and customer service. They really know their stuff and create a great and positve atmosphere. Their rental process was really easy and straightforward and will help you out if you dont know much (bascially they wont make you feel dumb haha).

Most incompetent people working there. I called ahead to see if they had a universal charger which they said they did. I took a cab just to get there and then they tell me that they sold the last one the day before. Waste of time and money. I definitely would not recommend going here

Great and helpful service. Prices more expensive then B&H and adorama. Nice inventory of film and camera accessories.

A very friendly and bustling photo store. The staff know what theyre talking about and were very helpful!

I bought my Canon 5ds R here. They have everything you need! Tony is amazing!

Ben and George were a great help. I will certainly be back.

Best film lab in Southern California, hands down. Service is always great with fair prices

Great photo shop. Very knowledgeable and helpful with my purchase.

Great store amazing people

This place is great. Very knowledgeable and always honest with their customers