Dodd Camera

Very personable. They get the job done and make renting easy.

Great Customer Service! Sean & Kevin helped out the newbies! KEVIN had awesome advice we will definitely be back!

I write Unilocal reviews VERY rarely and usually save it for a business that has done something extraordinary, usually service related.
Dodd camera saved me in ways they may not ever understand.
I had a shoot for a bride and rented powerpacks, strobes, octas, and plenty more from a competitor. The competitor forgot to include a critical strobe adaptor for the main elinchrom — a deal breaker for the shoot. That rental shop was closed on Saturday.
Dodd camera to the rescue. They had the part I needed, emailed me a contract within seconds (literally), and messengered the part to my shoot as I was setting up. Photos were amazing.
But it got better. Returning the part, I couldn’t get back to Dodd in time before they closed (I had a flight to get to after that). I called Dodd and Kevin kept the shop open a few minutes until I got there.
Phenomenal customer service. I can’t tell you how much everyone appreciates the photos.
THANK YOU DODD!!!

I walked in the store looking for some gear and I felt like I was bothering the workers. The three guys all set behind the counter as I asked questions from across the room. One guy finally got up and came over to assist me. I thought I might have been overreacting about the whole situation until 3 other people told me that the guys there weren’t nice at all. My experience wasn’t the best. I will only go there in an emergency situation.

I rented a body and 2 lenses from Dodd Camera recently, and I’m very happy with the experience.
Quick service, good selection of equipment, and little niceties like including an extra battery and nice bag with the rental.

Called Nathan with a request for Polaroid Cameras. They have them in stock with the film. Prompt. Courteous. He sent me information via email, for a friend having a Halloween party. Check them out.

Rude on the phone! Did not offer to help me find what I needed. I called for a UV filter that generally goes for 35 dollars and they tried to sell me one that was 150 dollars and did not offer to check on the model and brand of what I was asking for. I just got off the phone with them on 8÷30÷14 and I think the sales persons name was Kevin but not sure. I guess Ill have to order from BH. When will Chicago get a decent camera store!

When it comes to service, this place is top-​notch.
I called Dodd Camera on a Tuesday morning. I had a wedding to shoot that Saturday. To make a long story short, I was having equipment problems; equipment problems this close to a wedding is every wedding photographer’s nightmare. Of course I had back-​ups, but they weren’t as good as my main bitch (what I affectionately call my Mark III). Thankfully, I had an out-​of-​state friend send along a new camera for me to try; I was considering buying that model anyway, so I figured it would be a good time to test it out. However, my friend neglected to send a charger along. Enter Dodd Camera.
When I called, Nathan answered the phone. I may or may not have been having a minor freak out. I asked if they had any batteries or chargers that I could rent. He researched my camera model a bit, and told me that he wasn’t sure, but he invited me by the store to try to see if it fits in their universal charger (there’s a ‘that’s what she said’ joke in there somewhere), and if so, he let me know they sell them for about $ 50 (a lot cheaper than the chargers I saw online for $ 300+…).
When I arrived, he attempted to use the universal charger to no avail. The battery pack wasn’t the right fit. However, he popped the battery pack into a charger from one of their full camera rental sets and told me he would charge it for me. I came back a few hours later, with my battery pack ready to go, at no cost to me.
Even though my friend overnighted me the battery charger, I didn’t end up needing it. I didn’t spend any money at Dodd, but it’s the little things like this that win you customers for life. You can now count me in on that.

Great store with a very kind and knowledgeable staff! My new photo/​video heaven! Top of the line equipment with top of the line service. Thanks guys!

I spoke with Lauren who was very friendly, kind and patient. My first time here and they were knowledgeable and helpful. Lauren even let me try out different lenses and flashes on a camera body to see what I like and just get an Idea of; some other places don’t even let you.
Just super pleased with their relaxed and friendly service. These guys are just great.

My wife is a photographer and Dodd is the only place she goes. They have the equipment and the pros with great advice. Their staff are actually photographers as well, and know what their talking about. Nathan is super helpful and knowledgeable. Its cool to talk and listen to other customers too. Most I have met here are also pros. That said… If your a newbie like me… The staff is über helpful and will take their time to teach and recommend. They let you play with all the toys too! Its a dangerous place to bring my wife… Lol. We never leave empty handed.

I visited Dodd’s on may 24 to see about renting a 70−200mm lens. When I entered, I was greeted and assisted. My questions about renting a 200 mm lens were answered. However, when I inquired about purchasing a used lens I was directed to their used-​lens case and ignored for 10 minutes. There were only three sales persons available. One was already assisting someone. The person who was assisting me seemly did not want to move out of their chair and moved on to the next customer. Finally, Patrick, a really patient and kind person, assisted me with all my questions.
I won’t go back because I really didn’t feel welcomed. I don’t know what their reason is – I could go into speculation but won’t. So B & H will continue to get my money.

Inventory, selection, knowledge, service and flexibility… what more does a pro need? Well, paying clients… but that’s not Dodd’s problem. They do handle their end of the deal nicely. Really enjoyed meeting Nathan and his team.

Dodd Camera Chicago is an awesome photography and video rental house and retail store. There’s always good music playing, they have a lot of still photography and video making equipment for rent and for sale, it’s clean, and the staff is super helpful and really friendly.
They have a really good selection of Nikon and Canon DSLR cameras and lenses for sale, and if they don’t have something there at the store, they can probably get it for you in 2 or 3 days from one of their other retail locations.
It’s nice to shop at a store that understands still photography, lighting, and moviemaking.
Besides being really fun and friendly, they have a lot of experience, too. They told me that one of the guys who works there went to Columbia College in Chicago, another went to the University of Michigan, another guy at Dodd Chicago went to the Art Institute of Chicago and the other guy there went to the Rocky Mountain School of Photography! That’s a lot of experience.
Oh and their rental prices are really good.
They have a deal on Saturdays where if the equipment you want is on the shelf it’s half off. The only restrictions are that you can’t reserve the gear and you have to have it back Monday morning. So, it’s a great, affordable way to try out their gear. No other store in Chicago does that!
Dodd Camera rents jibs, sliders w/​motion control, HD video cameras, slow motion video cameras, HMI and tungsten lighting, strobe lighting, grip equipment, DSLR’s, and audio equipment, and a lot more.
Dodd Camera sells, DSLRS, lenses, grip equipment, camera bags, tripods and lots of other gear.
Oh, you can drop off your camera for repair too and they even have a sensor cleaning service!

I’m a big fan of they have pretty much everything you need.
I have never had a bad experience at Dodd Camera. The staff are friendly and know their stuff, you can ask them the most questions and get a straight answer.
If you bought some entry level dSLR and want to check out complementary gadgets, visit this place.
Check out lenses, flashes, and tripods. I even went to Best Buy to get a case and ended up buying one here. The selection is extensive.
I found their prices to be pretty competitive. Some of the stuff you can find cheaper and some of the stuff its cheaper there. But overall, I think most of its prices for camera accessories are pretty reasonable.
Showroom is large but fairly limited in what’s on display… Best to do your research and know what you need before going in. 5 Stars for Dodd Camera !!!

To call myself a novice is to give myself too much credit.
The team at Dodd is encouraging and welcoming. They are patient and informative, and best of all they gave me a great starting point to learn and rent.
Don’t think twice — just go see the guys at Dodd.

Wow, what a different experience from dealing with the usual camera equipment place/​people. I desperately needed a hard to find battery and, after calling at least 10 places throughout the city and burbs without any luck, stumbled on Dodd Camera. Not only did a human answer the phone within first three rings but the guy was super friendly, a real contrast to the people on the other end of my previous calls. And, when he realized they didn’t carry the battery I needed, asked if he could put me on hold while he researched if there was an alternative one I could use. And there was! And they had it in stock! Not one of the ten other well known places I called took the time to help or had an attitude that made me not dread asking the question.
Big thumbs up for Dodd Camera for going the extra mile and being so pleasant about it. I’m looking forward to doing business with these guys in the future.

I am so glad a friend of mine referred me to Dodd camera. I live nearby and passed by often, not knowing much about it. The second I walked in I was hooked! They have tons of rental equipment in excellent condition and at competitive prices. They’ve always had what I needed to rent available when I needed it. I can’t say that about the other places I’ve rented from, where you have to reserve at least a week or two in advance.
The staff is small, personable and helpful. They always give great advice on how to use what you’re renting, and finding the right equipment for the job. I only go to Dodd now that I’ve found them!

Had a small problem with my digital camera. I took it down there, the guys behind the counter took a few minutes to poke around, and the problem ended up being something basic. No more problem and free of charge. They didn’t make me feel like an idiot either, which is nice.
And I love the parking lot!

I have been renting camera gear (lenses, flashes, stands, etc) from Dodd for almost a year now. Their prices are better than Calumet, their equipment is well taken care of and I have a much more personalized experience here than anywhere else.
They have a parking lot which makes dropping off and picking up easy, they’re located in an easy-​to-​get-​to part of the city and after a few visits you’ll be on a first name basis with the folks who work there. Also, any money you spend on a rental item in a month will be applied as a credit to your purchase of that item in the same month. Definitely recommend Dodd, let’s keep them around.