I highly recommend Tamarkin Camera, no doubt. The owner Dan Tamarkin comes from a well established family business lineage of selling Leica products starting with his father Stan over 50 years ago. I used to visit his fathers store in Connecticut many moons ago. Dan has taken the torch from his father and brought this business very far and then some now in Chicago! Some things you will discover doing business with Dan is the quality of his pre-owned products. They are graded well and Dan stands behind what he sells you. Inventory - Dans store has a robust selection of Leica products both pre-owned and new. You have a good chance of Dan having in stock that dream lens or camera body when you call. If he doesnt have it, hell work with you trying to find one out there in Leicaland. You cant buy from Dan online because hes committed to one-on-one service in person or over the phone....Real service! Lastly, is Dan himself personally.....hes fun to talk to, knowledgeable, and even has a sensor of humor... Go check out his podcast The Barnack Hour and watch his Tamarkin videos, especially the ones he made on Facebook here during the lockdowns of the pandemic...epically hilarious... Ok stop reading these reviews and give Dan a call!! Do it! ....and no I wasnt paid to write this review... :-)

I purchased a Camera from Tamarkin Camera just 4 months ago and it needed to be sent back to Leica for a warranty item. I was told by Leica the repair was likely to take several weeks due to a part shortage. Dan stepped in and I had a camera back to me within 10 days, now that is service!If you have not done business with Dan or any of the staff at Tamarkin Camera, I highly recommend them, they are the best! They have a customer for life!I

I stopped in and Dan was an amazing help and a pleasure to talk to. He answered several questions I had and gave me some great tips. He set me up with a local made leather strap that is both beautiful and impeccably made for my Leica. They have a new loyal customer. Support this local treasure!!

I visited Chicago a few months ago, and walked into his shop. I got to look at and handle many different cameras and lenses. I probably spent a good 45 minutes there. I told him upfront that I didnt have money to buy a camera then, and he was still very helpful. Six months later I made a purchase over the phone, a M4, and had a great experience. Im in Chicago again, and plan on heading over again tomorrow.UPDATE: I just want to say how helpful the people here are. As many of you may know, old cameras are like old cars, they need maintenance and repairs. My M4 got a sticky rangefinder cam, I emailed Ernie and he helped me coordinate sending in the camera and solving the problem. I got the camera back and it was functioning like a brand new camera, despite the fact that it is from the late 1960s.

I was in the market for a Leica camera / lens and had a bunch of questions regarding the new set up. Online forums were a decent start but, I wanted to have a conversation with someone that I was sure knew exactly what they were talking about.I decided to give Tamarkin a call and had the pleasure to talk with Ernie, who was happy to help me in my questions and later help me with a purchase from their store. I needed the camera quick, as I saw a great opportunity to use it in the near future approaching. Living outside of Chicago, Ernie helped me through the different options I had to get the camera in my hands ASAP.Wonderful service, I would recommend giving this place a call for any questions or thoughts of purchase / sale.

Tamarkin is an amazing camera store, I almost want to keep it a secret. They have really lovely items in pristine condition. I find the prices to be really good when compared to the rest of the internet. Ernie is awesome and provides a super solid service. I purchased a pristine used Leica M-P typ240 that came with lots of fantastic accessories. I recommend Tamarkin Camera with flying colours! 5 stars.

I was in town on business and was thrilled to visit this fantastic store filled with new and vintage cameras, interesting books, and high-quality accessories. The owner is clearly passionate about photography and Leica cameras. I was happy to make a purchase and support a local business where customer service and satisfaction is clearly a priority. Will definitely visit again the next time I am in Chicago.

Passionate and friendly Leica enthusiasts! Great store!! I will be back.

These folks are top notch. They are easy to talk to and very helpful. You shouldnt buy your Leica equipment anywhere else!

If you have an appreciation for amazing cameras, this is the place to go. Staff is great and very knowledgeable.

A real, hands-on camera shop, with experts, all of whom are there because of a shared passion for photography and Leica gear. And theyre helpful too. What a crazy concept these days!

Visiting Chicago, had to drop by to visit Dan Tamarkin, super friendly, some really rare items and modern Leica gear. Picked up a brown leather camera strap as a souvenir. Thanks Dan.

Incredible museum/store. Really interesting exhibits and lots of leicas for sale if youre into that. Knowledgeable staff too!

Dan is the quintessential advisor to Leica customers. While he displays an encyclopedic knowledge of the brand, his self-effacing manner captures your attention subtly and effectively. He is very professional in suggesting the right product at the right price. No add-ons or trade-ups, just great value for your budget.

Youre not a customer, youre a partner with Dan. I initially went in just to look, but Dans enthusiasm for Leica and photography sold me on working with him. Over time, I have realized that the whole staff is more interested in placing the correct camera and lens with the right person, and everything else will work out. Dan also handled an out-of-warranty repair for free, without my asking, because it was the right thing to do. There is a reason he is the first stop, worldwide, for anything Leica.

Recently took a one hour lesson/tutorial on our D-Lux. What a gem of a store and owner. Enthusiastic and full of knowledge.

Cool little shop with friendly people and gallery.

Service and selection is lackluster. Youll hear no more than you ever hear yes. Its not a leica store but a place that sells some low end leica and claims to be one. Closed mid day Saturday and all day Sunday... Better off to just go to NewYork or Miami.

The creme de la creme of Leica stores. Im always amazed by the absolute GEMS that are on the shelves at this place.Dan is a super friendly guy and incredibly knowledgeable about Leica and its history.His favorite camera is my favorite camera: the M2.This is worth a pilgrimage, heck, I live three hours away and try to get here whenever I can.Pick up a (beautifully done) catalog of one of their auctions and youll have to go to the doctor to get your jaw fixed after it drops so hard. Who knew so much amazingness could be collected by one store?

Incredibly knowledgeable, helpful, and responsive staff. Dan is great - would purchase from him in a heartbeat.

Great place for the Leica lover or anyone who loves good photography.

I cannot sing enough praises for the guys at Tamarkin. I first went to the store in 2015 when passing through Chicago on a cross-country drive. At the time I was looking to buy a Leica Q, and this was when the Q had just come out and was impossible to procure. Even the Leica store in Chicago didnt have one but Tamarkin already had a demo one in store!A few months later I did end up buying a Q through them. Then last year I damaged the camera through my own fault, and had to get it repaired. From everything Ive read online Ive only heard horror stories of people sending it in to Leica USA and not getting their cameras back for months and months. I called Leica myself (both their store in SF and the services center in New Jersey) and received only the most lukewarm and indifferent answers. Very discouraging. So then I called up Tamarkin and it turned out that once youve purchased a camera from them they have a service to help you process the repair services with Leica. Also when you talk to the guys there theyre so helpful, experienced, and reassuring.I sent in my camera to them last month and they immediately did a checkup on it, forwarded the camera to Leica with all the necessary paperworks taken care of. Jon, whom I talked to, kept me posted about the their communications with Leica. As I mentioned before, from all the accounts Ive read, people who work directly with Leica experience super long wait times to get their services done, and very infrequent communications. But Tamarkin have a good working relationship with Leica so they can really help you keep the communications open, and speed up the process. I was ready to wait for three months for this thing. But within a week or two they gave me an estimate for the price, and another two weeks the services were complete! Today I just received my little Q back and Im so happy. From when I sent the camera to Tamarkin to when I received the camera back - door to door - only took 5 weeks!! I honestly cant believe it.Throughout the process theyve been so professional and helpful. They never made any unrealistic promises but they really helped me get the job done faster than I could imagine. If youre looking to purchase a Leica, do it through them!! Seriously, dont even buy it directly from Leica. Because here youll get much better customer services than what Leica can offer you!!

Leica Museum and store. Cant wait to go back!

If you are looking to buy anything Leica, check out Tamarkin. Dan, the owner, is a cool guy, with a relaxed, no pressure selling style. I bought an M3 with a 50mm Summicron from him a few months ago, and could not be happier. Along with the store there is a photo gallery and miniature museum (a cabinet filled with all sorts of rare Leicas), which are worth checking out on their own. I know I will be shopping with Tamarkin for all my Leica needs.

Thank you for your support! My cam works fine again.

Dan is a soul destroying person - he seems to have none of the cheerful delight of the Leica experience - he would not help or advise at all - all he would say was there was a hefty restocking fee and he would be irritated if I asked a question - I was able to buy from a vender in NY - and am vy happy !

Great customer service with zero pressure to buy. A class act all the way, so glad there is a camera shop like this in Chicago.

If you are buying a Leica, look no further. No pressure to buy, very top-notch customer service, a huge variety of items in stock, very knowledgeable staff, warranty on used gear.

Wonderful personal service and beautiful shop.

Photography exhibitions. Cozy.