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A camera shop that has seen nearly a century.
The Camera Shop of Santa Fe was opened in 1937 by Gene Autry on the Santa Fe Plaza. Today the shop is owned by the Ortega family and operates from 1808 2nd Street, sharing space with Visions Photo Lab. Authorized Leica dealer. Government and national lab supplier. Eighty-seven years on, still answering the phone.
Opened by Gene Autry on the Plaza.
The Camera Shop of Santa Fe opened its doors in 1937 at 109 East San Francisco Street, in the heart of the Santa Fe Plaza, across from La Fonda. The founder was Gene Autry. The business was black and white film, contact prints, the small ritual of a photograph being something you waited for and held in your hands.
The Plaza in 1937 was already old. Adobe walls. A pace that was different. The Camera Shop became part of that fabric. A place where Santa Feans, and the photographers passing through, came to find a roll of Tri-X, get a print made, and talk shop with someone who knew the difference between an f/2.8 and an f/4.
That first decade set the foundation for what the shop is today. A small independent business. Family in spirit if not always in name. Treating customers like neighbors. That ethos has held for nearly nine decades.
The Ortega family. Peter at the helm.
The Camera Shop is owned by the Ortega family. Peter Ortega runs day-to-day operations from the floor. If you have called the shop in the last few years, there is a good chance you spoke to Peter. If you have come in for advice on a body, a lens, or a trade-in, Peter probably walked you through it.
Family ownership came with one mandate. Do not lose what makes this place worth visiting. That meant resisting the obvious moves. No e-commerce land grab. No upselling. No pressure on the customer.
What the family did invest in: deep product knowledge, fair used pricing, real after-sale service, and the relationships that turn a one-time customer into someone who calls back ten years later when their camera dies on a trip.
Talk to PeterCo-located with Visions Photo Lab.
The Camera Shop now operates at 1808 2nd Street, Suite C, sharing a building with Visions Photo Lab. Visions has been Santa Fe's only custom photo lab for over thirty years. They handle digital and traditional darkroom services, mounting, display, and finishing.
Together, the two operations are a complete photography headquarters under one roof. Buy a camera here. Learn how to use it. Take photos. Walk back in. Drop the files or negatives off at Visions. Walk back out with a finished, framed piece. The whole arc, in one stop.
For working photographers, that integration matters.
More on printing and servicesAbout the shop.
Who owns The Camera Shop of Santa Fe?
When was The Camera Shop of Santa Fe founded?
Are you the same Camera Shop that used to be on the Plaza?
What does the shop sell or service today?
Are you an authorized Leica dealer?
Can you help with film cameras, vintage gear, or trade-ins?
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Pick up the phone, send a note, or stop by.
The Camera Shop of Santa Fe is at 1808 2nd Street, Suite C, in Santa Fe NM. Open Monday to Friday from 1pm to 5pm. Weekends by appointment. We would rather talk cameras than ship a checkout cart.
Monday to Friday, 1pm to 5pm · Weekends by appointment