A real shop, run by people who shoot

Simon's Cameras opened in Brooklyn in 1978, when its founder — a working photographer tired of buying "mint" equipment that arrived neither — decided a camera store should be run by people who could tell the difference. Nearly five decades later the shop is still family-run, still in Brooklyn, and still operating on the founder's rule: nobody here sells a camera they wouldn't put their own film through.

What we sell

The inventory spans stills and cinema: film bodies, digital cameras, still and cinema lenses, lighting, and the rigs, cards, and cages working productions actually need. Everything is hand-tested before it lists — every shutter count verified, every sensor inspected under magnification, every focus calibration checked on a bench — and the listing tells you what we found, including the flaws. Descriptions are written by the in-house staff, working photographers and a cinematographer, who flag what a spec sheet can't: how the lens renders, whether the body feels right, what it's actually worth versus what someone hopes it's worth. Vintage and out-of-production gear gets the same scrutiny, often more.

How buying works

Orders ship from the shop — not a warehouse — with a real inspection report attached, and anything that disappoints comes back without a fight. Trade-ins are welcome and priced honestly, and the staff will happily talk you out of buying more camera than your work needs.

• Every shutter count verified before a listing goes live
• Sensors inspected under magnification; flaws stated, not hidden
• Orders shipped from the Brooklyn shop with a real inspection report

Simon's Cameras serves photographers, cinematographers, and collectors who want used camera equipment tested by people who shoot. If you'd rather buy from a shop than a lottery, we're on the counter.