Looking Glass Photo is the Camera Store that loves you back!

Why do we love you? Because like us, you're passionate about photography. Looking Glass is staffed by and for students, professionals and photography enthusiasts. We have been serving the Bay Area for more than 40 years and have built a reputation for great prices, expert advice and friendly service.

Looking Glass is your best Bay Area source for Nikon, Canon, Leica, Fuji, Olympus and Casio digital cameras, as well as digital media, inkjet supplies, printers, scanners and photographic accessories.  We offer a nice selection of cameras and other photographic equipment and even a B&W darkroom available for rent. We also carry almost every kind of film available, a full line of photo paper, darkroom chemicals, supplies for mounting, storage and display, plus we have lots of used camera equipment available for purchase. Come on in or give us a call. And be sure to check out our 'Services',  in-store 'Specials', 'Used' equipment and 'Rental' department pages.

Why Shop at Looking Glass?

Because we care. We're here to make your photographic journey a successful one.

At Looking Glass Photo, we're not here just to sell you a camera. We're here to support your photographic needs, before, during and after the sale. We'll do whatever we can to accommodate any reasonable request. That means that if you have questions regarding your purchase, know that you'll be able to come in anytime we're open to get the help you need. If something goes wrong with the product(s) you purchased, we'll take care of it. If you've encountered a problem with the camera you purchased at Looking Glass we'll ship it to the manufacturer, and if you need a loaner for the weekend and we have it available, we'll loan it to you. All of this at no extra charge.

A Staff of Experts here to help

Our staff of experts has over 200+ combined years of photographic experience. We shoot what we preach. And between us, we have the answer you need!

Competitive Prices

We are extremely competitive with our pricing, when you compare the same for the same. With other local brick and mortar stores our prices are generally as good as if not better than the competition. Obviously we can't match every internet price that is out there, because it simply isn't the same. Often you'll find products that appear to be the same as ours but at drastically lower prices. That drastically lower price should be a 'red flag' as the majority of our pricing is either required by the manufacturer, or in cases where it isn't a requirement our prices are almost always well below MSRP. In many instances the product you are comparing is actually a completely different product in quality, warranty or production method, and doesn't qualify as an 'apples to apples' comparison. Numerous internet retailers have been known to take advantage of their customers by removing items from the package that normally come with it, i.e. batteries, cables, or the manual, and they will try to sell these items to you at additional (often exorbitant) cost. Many of the deeply discounted items are bought by resellers through channels outside of the country and unauthorized by the manufacturer (gray market) and in that case the manufacturer doesn't support the product. Click here for an informative article by PcWorld about some of the dangers associated with purchasing over the internet.

Charitable Giving

We give back to our community as often as we can, not only through the events we sponsor, but also through charitable donations to local organizations. If you have a non-profit organization that can use our help, just let us know how we can best assist you. When making a request, please keep in mind that we do get hundreds of these requests and sadly we are unable to help everyone but we try to pick and choose carefully those which are best suited to receive our financial assistance. We will do our best to work with you to make the positive change you are seeking, a reality.

A Member of Your Local Community

We are a local, independently (family) owned business. We are your friends and neighbors, not a faceless corporate chain and to us you are not a dollar sign, you are a person who has come to us for our assistance and we thank you for giving us the opportunity to earn not just your business, but your friendship and support.
As a part of a community we want to make note of why it is so important to buy from smaller local businesses: 

• Build Community!

The casual encounters you enjoy at neighborhood-scale businesses and the public spaces around them build relationships and community cohesiveness. They're the ultimate social networking sites! 

• Strengthen Your Local Economy!

Each dollar you spend at independent businesses returns 3 times more money to our local economy than one spent at a chain -- a benefit we can all bank on! 

• Shape Our Character!

Why did you choose to live here? What keeps you? Independent businesses help give our community its one-of-a-kind personality. 

• Create a Healthier Environment!

Independent, community-serving businesses are people-sized. They consume less land, carry more locally made products, locate closer to residents and create less traffic and air pollution. 

• Lower Taxes!

Local businesses put less demand on our roads, sewers, and safety services and generate more tax revenue per sales dollar, helping to keep your taxes lower. 

• Enhance Choices!

A wide variety of independent businesses each serving their customers' tastes, creates greater overall choice for all of us. 

• Create Jobs and Opportunities!

Locally-owned businesses also are the customers of local printers, accountants, wholesalers, farms, attorneys, etc., expanding opportunities for local entrepreneurs. 

• Give Back to Your Community!

Indies donate more than twice as much per sales dollar to local non-profits, events, and teams as chains do.