About Unique Photo
Unique Photo is New Jersey and Pennsylvania’s largest camera store, serving everyone from beginners to working pros since 1947.
Who We Are
Unique Photo is a family-owned camera store, rental house and photo lab founded in 1947. We run the largest camera stores in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, in Fairfield and Old City Philadelphia, and we ship orders across the country from uniquephoto.com. The Sweetwood family has run the business for three generations, and Alexander Sweetwood has been President since 2015, guiding and steering the company ever since. We sell new and used gear, rent it, buy it back on trade-in, print your photos, handle repairs and teach classes, for first-time buyers and professionals alike.
Quick Facts
| Founded | 1947 in Brooklyn, New York, by Bernard Sweetwood |
|---|---|
| Owned by | The Sweetwood family (third generation) |
| President | Alexander Sweetwood (current President, since 2015) |
| Stores | Fairfield, NJ (opened 2008) and Philadelphia, PA (opened 2019), the largest camera stores in each state |
| Store hours | Both stores: Mon–Wed 10am–6pm, Thu–Fri 10am–7pm, Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 10am–4pm (holiday hours) |
| Shipping | Free standard shipping on eligible items to the lower 48 states; international orders accepted (details) |
| Returns | 30 days on new, unopened items (return policy) |
| Customer service | 1-800-631-0300 · [email protected] |
Where we started. Bernard Sweetwood opened a portrait studio in Brooklyn in 1947 and moved the business to Hoboken in 1953. His son Jonathan carried it through the wholesale, digital and retail years and opened the Fairfield superstore in 2008. Today the company is led by Bernard’s grandson Alexander Sweetwood, who has been President since 2015. He grew up packing orders in the warehouse and took over at 28. Since then he has revamped nearly every part of the business: he pushed for a second superstore when most camera stores were closing and opened Philadelphia in 2019, rebuilt uniquephoto.com on our own in-house platform, grew rentals into the largest program in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, brought in instant online trade-in quotes, and got the company through COVID without closing a store.
Our Two Superstores
Fairfield, NJ (Flagship)
123 US Highway 46 West, Fairfield, NJ 07004
(973) 377-2007
Mon–Wed 10–6 · Thu–Fri 10–7 · Sat 10–5 · Sun 10–4
Our flagship is a 50,000-square-foot store that opened in 2008. It’s the largest camera store in New Jersey and home base for Unique University, the state’s biggest photography-education center. The sales floor, photo lab, rental counter, repair drop-off, trade-in desk, classrooms and event space are all in one building.
In the store:
- 20,000+ products from Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, DJI, Leica, Panasonic and more
- Full photo lab: prints, photo books, canvas, signage, film developing and scanning
- New Jersey’s largest camera rental department
- Repair drop-off (authorized factory service) and in-store sensor cleaning
- Trade-in counter with instant quotes
- Classrooms and event space for Unique University
Philadelphia, PA (Old City)
28 South 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 608-2222
Mon–Wed 10–6 · Thu–Fri 10–7 · Sat 10–5 · Sun 10–4
Our Old City store opened in 2019 and is the largest camera store in Pennsylvania. It serves photographers in Philadelphia, the Delaware Valley and southeastern Pennsylvania, with the same rental fleet, lab services and Unique University classes as Fairfield.
In the store:
- Showroom with hands-on demo gear
- Rental counter (same fleet as Fairfield)
- Photo lab and printing
- Trade-in desk
- Classroom for Unique University workshops
What We Do
We built Unique Photo so a photographer can buy, rent, sell, print and learn in one place.
Rentals
The largest camera rental program in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Rent by the day, weekend, week or month, pick up the same day in store, or have it shipped anywhere in the continental U.S. Cameras, lenses, lighting, audio, drones and more.
Trade-Ins
Get an instant quote online and send your gear in with a free insured UPS label, or bring it to either store.
Used Gear
Our techs inspect, test and grade every used item before it goes on sale. You’re buying it from us, so if something’s wrong you deal with us.
Photo Lab
Prints, canvas, photo books, signage, film developing and scanning. Pick up at the store or have it shipped.
Repairs
Repairs for most major brands go through authorized factory service. Drop off at either store or ship it in. Sensor cleaning is done in store.
Unique University
Hundreds of classes a year at both stores, plus online classes, one-on-one lessons and photo field trips.
Our Philosophy
We’re a family business up against huge online retailers, so how we treat people matters. Our salespeople shoot with the gear they sell. Our rental techs will help you check over a kit before a big job. If a print from our lab isn’t right, we’ll redo it.
First-time buyer, working pro, teacher or weekend hobbyist, we’ve tried to treat every customer as an individual since 1947.
A Few Challenges Along the Way
We’ve had to rebuild more than once. Our Hoboken store burned down in 1964. The wholesale business collapsed in the 1990s. Phones wiped out most independent camera stores in the 2000s, and COVID nearly shut the industry down in 2020. Each time, the family rebuilt the company around something new: wholesale, then retail, then digital, and today two stores plus our own nationwide online store.
Recognition
- Digital Imaging Reporter’s 2013 Dealer of the Year
- Finalist, 2018 Family Business of the Year Award
- Celebrated 75 years in business in 2022
Vision for Tomorrow
Cameras keep changing. Mirrorless has replaced the DSLR, the same camera now shoots both stills and video, and AI tools are built into most editing software. Phones didn’t replace real cameras, either. A lot of people who learned on a phone now want one. We plan to keep changing with the industry, the way the family has since 1947.
Common Questions
Is Unique Photo a real store?
Yes. We’ve been in business since 1947 and have two stores you can walk into: 123 US Highway 46 West in Fairfield, NJ and 28 South 2nd Street in Philadelphia, PA.
Who owns Unique Photo?
The Sweetwood family. Bernard Sweetwood founded the company in 1947. His grandson Alexander Sweetwood is the current President and has run the company since 2015.
When are the stores open?
Both stores keep the same hours: Monday to Wednesday 10am–6pm, Thursday and Friday 10am–7pm, Saturday 10am–5pm and Sunday 10am–4pm. Holiday hours are on our hours and location page.
Do you ship nationwide?
Yes. Standard shipping is free on eligible items to the lower 48 states, and we ship internationally with the cost shown at checkout. See shipping information.
Do you buy used cameras?
Yes. Get an instant quote on our trade-in page and ship your gear with a free insured UPS label, or bring it to either store.
Can I rent a camera?
Yes. We rent cameras, lenses, lighting, audio and drones by the day, weekend, week or month. Pick up in Fairfield or Philadelphia, or have it shipped within the continental U.S. See rentals.
Visit a store, take a class, rent a kit, or shop 20,000+ products online.
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