FAQs

See our Delivery Page for information on how we will post your order.  

Both our Bournemouth and our Salisbury shops are open Mon-Friday 10-16:30 and on Saturday 10-14:30

We are closed on Bank Holidays. We will publish Christmas hours around early December. 

Phones are answered 9-5pm Mon-Fri and 9-14:30 Saturday.

Occasionally we have an Ex-demonstration or a returned camera to sell. This will be available by using a discount code at checkout. 

Any discounts are based on how used the item is, some items have simply been opened in store, some may have been used on Demo days and will show some wear. As such all items are assessed individually. If you would like to know more about a specific item, please let us know.

Some, but not all, products are eligible for Finance. 

There is a minimum of 10% deposit for finance, but it is possible to pay more upfront to make the monthly payments lower. You can apply for finance yourself at the checkout and have the option to have the goods posted to you, or you can collect from one of our shops.

On-line orders paid via Finance will only be delivered to the address authorised on the Finance agreement.  Where courier is selected as a delivery option please be aware you will not receive any delivery notification from the courier company and there will be no alternative delivery options.

We try our best!

Our in-store sales have been processed through the web-site since April 2013 so it should be an easy job to know what stock we have at any given time. Sadly, life is not that simple and we have lots of grey areas. Stock may be in transit between our shops, it may be put-by for a customer or have been taken to replace a missing or faulty item without being correctly recorded. Stock that has recently arrived and been checked in may not have found its way to its place in the shop. Items that have not sold for a long time can be missed at audit and taken off the stock list by mistake or shown incorrectly to make us believe that we have something that we don't. As we operate from two shops with open doors from 10 to 4.30, a few things probably walk out on their own.

We have no wish at all to invite orders which we cannot fulfill and we go to great lengths to keep our listing as accurate and up-to-date as is possible. The straightforward transactions are updated weekly and we have a fairly comprehensive system to ensure that the correct stock indication is attached to every item. Many items show 'one only' or 'two only' These are also calculated weekly and amended individually as soon as we are aware of any change.

Recent months have seen a lot of work done in all these areas and we are now looking at ways to move forward so that we can provide ever more accurate information.

Absolutely, yes.

Most of our customers have found us through the internet as part of their pre-purchase research and arrive well-informed and with a good idea of what they want. This enables us to offer very competitive prices while still enabling us to spend enough time with each transaction to ensure that you choose a suitable product and sometimes discover (as much to our surprise as to yours) that you really wanted to spend much more than you first thought!

We work hard to offer the same level of customer service whether you're in either store or shopping on-line. Our on-line orders are processed at our Bournemouth shop where it's the same expert staff picking up the phones, sorting out your queries and wrapping your parcels.

Much like the Western Lowland Gorilla, photographic retailers are critically endangered. This is largely due to habitat loss, but also thanks to our strange looks and impenetrable geekyness scaring away customers.

Having heard that there are other retailers selling camera equipment. In the name of fairness, balance and research should we stumble across one of our brethren on our travels we will pop in to have a browse, maybe even a chat if they don't look too scary.

However after a lot of exhaustive research we have come to the following entirely unbiased conclusion; Whatever your photographic needs, you're better off at Castle Cameras.

Bournemouth - in Winton - nestled between Waitrose, Halifax and LLoyds.

Salisbury - just off the Market Square - opposite the old bus station.

Our clearance stock is constantly updated with new items and can be found here

No, not on demand.

We check almost two thousand items almost every day to ensure that we stay competitive.

We feel that our time is better spent checking our prices systematically and making sure that all of the suppliers' offers and cashbacks are shown against the relevant products on our web site.

We are proud of our competitive pricing and don't like either to be beaten or told that our prices are rubbish. Consequently, we work very hard to make sure that we offer the greatest value for money that we can.

Our prices are generally as low as we can afford to be and still open the door every morning, answer the phone when it rings and generally offer the level of service that our customers have come to expect over the last 50 years.

We are proud of the service we provide and our pricing reflects this. Please get in contact to check us out or take a look at some of the customer testimonials we have received.

All our stock is sourced from UK distributors and we have worked extremely hard over the years to build relationships with our suppliers on whom we depend to be able to pass on a high level of support for all our products. We do not respond well to demands either for a discount 'because we make loadsa money' or to match a Hong Kong supplier. We do not deal in 'Grey' imported stock from Europe or further afield and do not compare our prices against those who choose to avoid the back-up service of the official importer.

However, the odd one or two will always slip through so, if you spot a shift in the marketplace before we do (maybe on a Thursday or Friday before we do our weekly update), please point it out to us first before asking for a demonstration or getting into the nitty-gritty of product details. We will set the wheels in motion to adjust our price alongside other key dealers such as Park Cameras, London Camera Exchange, Wilkinsons and WEX who, like us, have been around the block a few times and are happy to share their expertise either in person or on the telephone.

Our used stock goes into the window as soon as we have cleaned and checked it.

There is a full list on the web site which is updated weekly. To check it out, visit our Used Equipment Department.

We don't hire any equipment directly from our shops.  However some of the companies we work with offer a "Try before you Buy" & Rental service with delivery to and from your home/office

You can find more detail about Canon Test Drive here.

On the rare occasion that we do receive a complaint, we take it very seriously. If you are unhappy with the any aspect of the goods you purchased please see our Complaints Information Page.

A Grey Import is an item that has by-passed the official importer.

It will not have a UK warranty card, and the purchase will not entitle you to any of the importers added value benefits such as extended warranties or cashbacks. Conversely, it will introduce you to a world of very short answers in response to any problems that you might experience.

Manufacturers, or their distributors in another part of the world - bless them, frequently find themselves at a price advantage to this country - or just short of cash - and decide to send a container load of stock this way. Although this is not criminal, in the same way as buying duty-free cigarettes on the black market, it does normally infringe trademarks and other civil legalities. Somewhere between black and white it is labelled grey.

The official importer will have gone to a lot of time and trouble (perhaps sponsoring your favourite football team along the way) to create a demand for the product and then further time and trouble carrying out warranty repairs and generally offering a good back-up service. Some of them go so far as to occasionally buy us a pint to thank us for all the hard work that we do to inspire you to buy a new lens rather than a pair of shoes. Naturally, to cut to the chase, they do get a little upset when they find someone queering their pitch.

It is crucial to our business that we are able to offer you the highest possible level of support and we rely very heavily on our suppliers to back us up. It keeps us very busy and, consequently, we turn down any offers - however tempting - to get involved in the complications that are bound to result in buying stock elsewhere.

This may not be the case if you buy outside the EEC, at a street-market or car-boot, through Ebay, or any other 'internet only' supplier. Or, in fact, from anybody else unless they are reputable and offer you the same promise as ourselves.

We have experienced sending a customer's camera in for repair and having it impounded as the serial number was one that was reported as stolen. This is a letter distributed by Canon that they originally sent in response to a warranty claim.

Dear Mr. xxxxxx,

I refer to your email regarding your EOS 7D with a purported serial number of 0330312968.

The Intellectual Property team have now inspected the images of your camera and I am very sorry to inform you that the external serial number displayed on your camera is not a genuine Canon serial number but is a fake/counterfeit serial number. Please note this does NOT mean that the camera itself is counterfeit, just that the serial number is counterfeit.

Fake serial numbers conceal the source of the product. This is usually done in an attempt to conceal the fact that the product is a “parallel” or “grey market” product. Grey market products are products which were put on the market outside of Europe and not intended for the European market. The sale of grey market goods in the UK infringes Canon's trade mark rights and risks a number of other legal implications including Customs and tax offences, improper localisation for the UK market (including for example, low grade or unsafe third party UK power cords, no valid UK/European manufacturer’s one year warranty, and ineligibility for European promotions) and breach of European Environmental and Safety requirements.

Our Anti-Counterfeit Team will investigate the matter and consider all necessary legal action against the seller. We suggest that you seek a refund from your seller and enlist the help of Trading Standards in doing so as necessary.

Yours sincerely,

This quote from the internet highlights the frustration that can result from buying a 'bargain'.

"Totally unimpressed receiving Spanish/Portuguese instructions, and onscreen instructions in the same language. Couldn't work out how to change the language, therefore couldn't use the camera. Contacted Amazon to be told because it was fulfilled by them they couldn't do anything they suggested I return item or print the extensive instructions off myself. neither of these solutions were acceptable."

We are currently only sending orders to destinations within the UK and Channel Islands.

We do offer a sensor cleaning service on DSLR and compact system cameras. The cost of this service is £50.

You do not need to book the camera in for this service. We simply ask you bring your camera in with a fully charged battery, while we try to be as quick as possible, please allow up to a week turnaround time. 

Yes of course! The charge for this service is £20.

We will ask that you bring your camera in with a fully charged battery. 

While we try to offer this service as quickly as possible, it may be neccessary to leave the camera with us overnight. If you are going to need a quick turnaround please call first so we can prepare the firmware and try to expedite the update. 

If you want to sell or part-exchange your old kit the best way is to fill in the online form here. We will then get back to you with a price.

Alternatively, you can pop in and show us what you've got. We can't guarantee we'll always buy what you have so if it's old, big or heavy, do phone first.  We can't always inspect your equipment while you wait, please be prepared to leave it with us.

We don't have a set trade in value for any camera, we provide a quote based on condition, age and current equivalent. Trade-in's provide a hassle free way of getting rid of ex kit and ease the hit to the wallet. If you are looking to trade up then please get in contact.

Yes we can take your passport picture for you in our Bournemouth shop.  We will provide you with a digital code only - which can be used to apply for a passport online.  We cannot print you a physical photo to apply for your passport in the post.  

You don't need to make an appoinment to have your passport taken, you can just pop in during our opening times:

Normal opening times - 10.00am - 4.30pm, Monday - Friday and 10.00am - 2.30pm Saturday (Closed Sundays & Bank Holidays)

If you are elderly, infirm or it is a bit of a task for you to come into the shop, please do contact us first to make sure we haven’t had a machine break-down or power cut. We’d hate for you to have a wasted journey.

We don't currently offer a passport service in our Salisbury shop.

Information from the Royal Mail website

Batteries not connected to or posted with the device it is intended to power

As a retailer which provides batteries on a regular basis to end users we are obliged under The Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations Act to provide all of our customers with a safe and accessible way in which to dispose of their portable batteries.

Castle Cameras offer a convenient in-store service for customers to return their waste portable batteries for further disposal by a professional organisation. Simply visit our Showroom in Bournemouth or Salisbury and a member of the Castle Cameras team will be only too happy to assist in your requirements.

Although we don't do any repairs on site, we can arrange to send your faulty item to the manufacturer or one of their recommended service agents. We charge a minimum non-refundable deposit of £75.00. This contributes towards the cost of shipping and any estimate that may be required. The average repair turnaround is anything from 4-6 weeks for brands who repair in the UK to many months for some others. If you get in touch we will be happy to advise/console.

It is very rare for any digital compact camera to be repaired for under £175.
Lenses tend to start around £200 and DSLRs around £250.

Repairs can be taken in at our Bournemouth or Salisbury shops.

Our full Warranty and returns proceedure can be found just here.

In short though.

If your product develops a fault within the warranty period, new or used, then please contact our service team via email or telephone. The item will need to be returned to one of our stores with its original packaging, all accessories and proof of purchase. 

In all cases we will inspect the product and verify the fault and, if no fault is found, we will contact you to explore the issue before proceeding.

The warranty excludes items where faults have been caused by customer neglect, misuse, accidental damage or fair wear and tear. 

Where a product is not covered by a warranty and/or proof of purchase cannot be provided, we will instead provide you with a repair estimate.