From: jimf@centerline.com (Jim Frost)
Newsgroups: rec.photo
Subject: Re: Good photo shop(s) in Boston area?
Date: 8 Oct 1992 18:02:16 GMT
Organization: CenterLine Software, Inc.
NNTP-Posting-Host: 140.239.3.202

I wrote:
>I'm looking for a good photo shop in the Boston/Watertown/Belmont/
>Cambridge/Waltham area for equipment purchase and developing/printing.
>Quality and reliability is more important than price (so long as the
>price is within a stone's throw of reasonable), and a friendly
>question-answering shop is desirable.

The full messages follow, but a quick summary (in no particular order)
of the common responses is:

	SBI Sales (Boston, Cambridge): Film, etc.
	Zeff Photo Supply, Belmont: Film, developing materials.
	Light Sources (Boston): Film, etc.      \same building
	E.P. Levine (Boston): Hardware, rentals./
	Hunt Drug (Melrose): Everything.
	Dorian Color Labs (Arlington): Processing.

There are a couple of others mentioned below as well.

I've checked out Zeff's already and was very impressed.

Thanks for all the replies.  I would have waited for more but with
such a concensus I didn't feel it was necessary.

jim frost
jimf@centerline.com

-- cut here --
From: dp@world.std.com (Jeff DelPapa)
Subject: Re: Good photo shop(s) in Boston area?

We have a number of good (read well informed) shops in the area that
cater to the pro market. I can walk into any of the soft goods
vendors, and walk out with 5 boxes of 4x5 velvia, and a brick of
tri-x. SBI has some darkroom supplies, including a pretty good variety
of paper. Levines has come up with such obscure things as a toyo
screen, and the indedent dome for my sekonic meter - from stock.

Supplies: SBI Sales (the A street store only) film, etc.
          Zeff Photo Supply (I just use them for film, and other
	                    "soft" stuff) In belmont, near the sancta
			    maria hospital.
	  Light sources, 23 Drydock boston, film, soft goods.
	  
Iron:	  E.P. Levine, 23 drydock boston - real pro store, good rental
	  department, M-F 9-5 only. Great heaps of stuff on display in
	  an industrial setting (2nd floor warehouse). Competent
	  staff. The repair outfit that shares space with them (S.K.
	  Grimes)  is reccomended. Not the cheapest.

	  Hunt Drug, Melrose MA - Good selection, some of the best
	  prices in the area, especially during their annual show
	  (happens in the next few weeks) They have a "pro"
	  department, and some of the salesfolk are competent. It
          really started as a drugstore, and a little of it is left -
          they kept at it for a long time as a way of avoiding some of
	  sunday closing laws back when this state had them.

Events: The Photo Historical sociey holds a twice yearly camera flea
        market. the next one is oct 31/nov 1 at Hilcrest, 220 Bear
        Hill Rd. Waltham. Lots of used gear of all ages (and
        unfortunately  condition)

What sort of shooting do you do? (formats, subject matter, etc...)

<dp>

-- cut here --
From: pulli@seismo.CSS.GOV (Jay Pulli)
Subject: Camera stores in Boston area

Jim, 2 come to  mind:  Ferranti-Dege, Harvard Square, and
Hunt Camera/Drug in Melrose.

-- cut here --
From: koolish@BBN.COM
Subject: Re: Good photo shop(s) in Boston area?

In rec.photo you write:

>I'm looking for a good photo shop in the Boston/Watertown/Belmont/
>Cambridge/Waltham area for equipment purchase and developing/printing.
>Quality and reliability is more important than price (so long as the
>price is within a stone's throw of reasonable), and a friendly
>question-answering shop is desirable.

>Email responses are requested; I'll post a summary.

>jim frost
>jimf@centerline.com


Try Hunt Photo in Melrose for equipment, or maybe E. P. Levines in
South Boston.

For supplies, try Zeff Photo in Belmont (weekdays only) or SBI Sales in
Harvard Square.

-- cut here --
From: "George R. Cross" <gc03@gte.com>
Subject: Developing, etc.

Hi,
So far I have good results with

   Dorian Color Labs (Arlington) Processing, Printing
   Zeff's Photo Supply (Belmont) Supplies, some equip.

These are heavily oriented toward working pros and wedding guys.
Dorian is good at turnaround - couple of hours for 120 E6, Zeff's has
lots of good film, paper, chemicals.

Other supply/equip places that are always mentioned, but I have not
visited yet are Levine's (Drydock Ave, Boston) and Hunt's (Melrose).

Send me what you get.

  --George
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 George R. Cross                                   cross@gte.com
 GTE Laboratories Incorporated
 Mail Stop 38                                    (617)-466-2837
 40 Sylvan Road  
 Waltham MA 02254

-- cut here --
From: jk@mitre.org (John Knobel)
Subject: Re: Good photo shop(s) in Boston area?

In article <1av0rhINN1b0@armory.centerline.com>, jimf@centerline.com (Jim Frost) writes:
> 
> I'm looking for a good photo shop in the Boston/Watertown/Belmont/
> Cambridge/Waltham area for equipment purchase and developing/printing.
> Quality and reliability is more important than price (so long as the
> price is within a stone's throw of reasonable), and a friendly
> question-answering shop is desirable.
> 
> Email responses are requested; I'll post a summary.
> 
> jim frost
> jimf@centerline.com
> 
> 
My favorite for selection and price/service is Hunt Drug in Melrose. Usually
some of the best prices short of New York. Good selection.
For pro stuff, and used pro stuff, E.P.Levines on the Boston waterfront is real
good. Good service too. A good selection of used stuff can be found at New 
England Photo in Arlington. (Ara, the owner, is a good guy). For
pro developing try Dorian in Arlington. Good Luck,  John.

-- cut here --
From: "David W. Talmage" <DTALMAGE@guvax.acc.georgetown.edu>
Subject: Good photo shop(s) in Boston area?

In <1av0rhINN1b0@armory.centerline.com> you write:

>I'm looking for a good photo shop in the Boston/Watertown/Belmont/
>Cambridge/Waltham area for equipment purchase and developing/printing.

My friend Tom Spisak lives in Waltham.  He's in love with the people at 
Ferranti Deghi (sp?) in Harvard Square.

Tom once bought an old Nikon F from the little shop on Crescent 
Street.  It's on the part of Crescent that intersects Moody Street 
near the commercial area on Moody (i.e. when driving away from Moody 
and Main, it's the first intersection of Moody and Crescent, not the 
second).  Dunno how reliable/friendly/useful that shop is, though, but
Tom's happy with his camera.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
David Talmage (dtalmage@guvax.georgetown.edu)
"Once more.  This is deixis.  This is your brain on deixis.  Any questions?"

-- cut here --
From: hship@teton.sw.stratus.com (Howard Ship)
Subject: Re: Good photo shop(s) in Boston area?


In the past (about two years) I found SBI sales to be good.  I'm going
to check out Hunt Photo this weekend.  Check your yellowpages.

-- 
"I can't believe I had the Anti!"
Howard_Ship@vos.stratus.com

-- cut here --
From: kbb0@gte.com
Subject: Re: Good photo shop(s) in Boston area?

The two biggies are Hunt's in Melrose and E.P.Leivne's on Drydock Ave.

Regards, Kevin

-- cut here --
From: erf@bedford.progress.com (Eric Feigenson)
Subject: Re: Good photo shop(s) in Boston area?

In rec.photo you write:

>I'm looking for a good photo shop in the Boston/Watertown/Belmont/
>Cambridge/Waltham area for equipment purchase and developing/printing.
>Quality and reliability is more important than price (so long as the
>price is within a stone's throw of reasonable), and a friendly
>question-answering shop is desirable.

>Email responses are requested; I'll post a summary.

Here's what I know about, though some of these places stretch your
geographic requirements.

Well, my favorite store for equipment is somewhat out of the way, but
has everything anyone would ever need, is Hunt Drug in Melrose (which
despite its name is far *more* than a drug store).  The people there
are for the most part very helpful and knowledgeable. Complete Photo
Service (I think that's its name) in Watertown on Mt. Auburn St. has
historically been good in that the people there know what they're
talking about, though they don't stock a lot of equipment.  I don't
know what their processing is like.  A lot of people swear by Bedford
Photo (in Bedford... surprise!) for processing.  They don't sell
equipment.  A pro-oriented equipment store is SBI Sales, both in South
Boston and Harvard Square.  The Boston store seems to have more
equipment than Harvard Square.

What do I do?  I shop Hunt Drug for equipment (though I usually wait
for sales... their big photo show is at the end of October... you
should check it out if you're looking for equipment) and have been
using Kodalux for Kodachrome slide developing, Dorian Color Labs
(Arlington) for E-6 slide developing, and a local hour lab for
snapshot prints (Cameras, Inc., in Arlington).  I haven't done much
"serious" print work to track down a place.

I should say up front (well, this is the end of the mail, so maybe
"down back" is right? :-)) that I haven't done enough volume to really
make any strong claims about any of these places (except Hunt for
equipment). 

I'm looking forward to your posting of a summary of responses!

-EricF

P.S. I notice you're at Centerline... can I harrass you about
CodeCenter stuff? :-)
-- 
Eric R. Feigenson			UUCP: {mit-eddie,linus}!progress!erf
Progress Software Corp.		    Internet: erf@progress.com
14 Oak Park			  DISCLAIMER: I don't speak for my employer,
Bedford, MA  01730		              and vice versa.

Newsgroups: rec.photo