McBain Camera

I bought a new printer on Boxing Day and was clueless about the type of paper to get in order to produce the quality prints I needed. The sales associate here was friendly and addressed the questions and concerns I had about finding the right printer paper (ex: costs, brightness of colors, durability, etc.). He was very knowledgeable and even shared his own experience with printmaking and the various papers he used. Feeling less anxious, I was able to purchase the right photo paper. I liked the customer service and I will come back again for my printer and scanner needs.

McBain is a great local business with very well trained staff on the photography business and all its accoutrement.
I had been to a couple of their stores before purchasing my digital slr camera. I’m the type of person that does weeks of research before making any kind of large purchase. They provided me great information that helped me to make my decision.
I ended up purchasing my camera at their once a year photography trade show at the Butterdome on the UofA campus. At this event they have numerous discounts and seminars and I think the ticket cost me about $ 12 for the whole thing. Its also a great opportunity to learn about different cameras because reps from all of the different companies — Sony, Pentax, Canon, Nikon, etc. are there.
Back to the store, it is always clean and organized and there is always someone available to help you find what you are looking for.
I would highly recommend visiting one of their stores rather then the big box stores. They will provide expert advice.

Just save yourself a headache and don’t bother. I tried Mcbain because I try to support smaller businesses. I won’t be surprised if they’re no longer around in five years.

I have not had the opportunity to share any great experiences from this store. I have not bought my d300 or d700 a few years ago, for the obvious reason — their prices suck. I had to get mine from Toronto or the other side of town from their competitor. I still have a distaste in my mouth when they assured me of having a d300 backup for a wedding I was shooting. A phone call the previous day assured me of this also. SO thats 2 confirmations right? well the morning of, they Pretended they didnt have my reservation! Do i need this pressure on Shooting day? They gave me a d200 ROFLMAO. It wasnt til the Head Manager later that week found my confirmation and apologized. Did i mention that the staff were not friendly when I was in my dilemna like it was my fault? Maybe other Mcbains are better, but this photographer winces at this store!

The downtown store is brutal. I will never shop here again and i recommend that nobody does. They use high pressure sales to try to move their products and their sales people and managers are rude. I was lied to about the refund policy. When i tried to refund the product the sales person kept trying to convince me to NOT return the item. I got to the point where i was getting mad as all i wanted was a refund. Then this salesmen starts arguing with me. Neil McBain does not know how to run a business. I am astounded that he is still in business. I spent around $ 6000 at the store but they seem not to care or want my return business. They are doing so well that my $ 6000 means nothing to them and they told me so. The salesman along with his manager, Bryan, started arguing with me as i was trying to file a complaint. They both raised there voices and argued with me about my complaint even before i was finished. I have never seen anybody be so defensive without even hearing the entire story. Only people with no respect for others act in this manner. If you need to buy something from this store, Vistek will match it if not give you a better deal. With so many other stores similar to McBains i would advise all to avoid McBains unless you want to be treated like crap, even if you are a return client. When i brought these issues to Neil McBain, he did the same as his employees. Went straight into defensive mode and disregarded everything i said without listening to my side of the story. Poorly run business that i can‘t see lasting long. I almost forgot, beware of the dogs!!! Yup they let dogs run loose in the store. It is especially nice when the dogs run in the wet snow and then come into the store. The smell is just disgusting. This is the most unprofessional establishment i have ever seen in my life. Save yourself the hassles and go to Vistek or Jon‘s.

What is there to say about McBain Camera except that this store has a wonderful selection of digital cameras, video cameras, tripods, lenses, photo albums, and even binoculars. For me, walking into McBain Camera is a lot different than walking into Best Buy or Future Shop because McBain employees know so much about cameras that I can’t help but feel a bit intimidated and fearful. My fears are unfounded since most employees are happy to help, and do so without the attitude.
Prices at McBain camera are the same as at other electronics stores. Of course there are sales, but good digital cameras are not the kind of goods that get depreciated and can be bought dirt cheap.
I have had an eye on a certain Nikon camera for over a year now — all thanks to McBain Camera’s sales associate who walked me through this camera’s features and even snapped several pictures. When knowledgeable people recommend something, it is hard not to follow their advice. McBain employees certainly know what they are talking about.

McBain is probably Edmonton’s most established photography store. Now a chain, this is I think the original location. McBain sells mid to high end cameras, both digital and analog, along with supplies and photo developing services. The people who work here tend to know their stuff and stand behind their merchandise. You can probably get a good deal on high quality cameras and accessories here as there are sales on a regular basis. Most professional photographers and serious hobbyists set foot in here at least occasionally.