First call are a good company to deal with. I've been buying black and white film and processing chemicals from Firstcall for a few years now. I recently bought some Adox developer and fixer. It arri... See more
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Review summary
Created with AI, based on recent reviews
What people talk about most
Reviews shaping this summary
I've been a Firstcall customer for a number of years, going back to when Rodney was the big cheese, and throughout that time the service provided has been good. By goo, I mean they've never let me dow... See more
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An excellent company. A first rate website meant I found just what I needed quickly and easily. Faultless check out and delivery quickly and easy. I’ve been out of film photography for a while but it’... See more
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Been trading with Firstcall since the 90s when it was all mail order and now the service is better than ever. Gill in customer services is excellent and a credit to your business. Wide range of fi... See more
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Company details
Written by the company
For 33 years we’ve been offering specialist photographic knowledge and value for the Traditional, Digital and Artisan Photographer. Our strength is analogue photography. We bring a diverse and often unique range of these specialist products to market backed by unrivalled and comprehensive customer service about how to get the best from the purchases you make.
Contact info
Firstcall Photo, Spectrum Point, 164 Clapgate Lane, B32 3DE, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- 01823413007
- sales@firstcall-photographic.co.uk
- firstcall-photographic.co.uk
4.8
Excellent
101 reviews
No recent history of asking for reviews
This company hasn't invited customers recently, so reviews may not be representative
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First class service
Whenever I used Firstcall Photo I found that my orders were completed shortly after I placed them and indeed I received the items soon afterwards. My experience with speaking to staff at Firstcall Photographic whenever I had a query is extremely positive, they were polite, informative and reactive.
November 11, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Firstcall Photo
Thank you, Pericles, we really appreciate you taking the time to share such detailed feedback. It’s great to hear that orders arrive promptly and that our team have been helpful, it's what we strive for!
Kind regards,
The Firstcall Team
Digitising 35mm Negatives
Digitising 35mm Negatives with the Negative Supply lght source and filmholder is a cinch compared with my previous lash-ups.
November 25, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Firstcall Photo
Thanks, Beowulf, great to hear you’re finding the Negative Supply light source and film holder such an improvement. Anything that makes digitising 35mm negatives easier is a win in our book!
Best wishes,
Firstcall Photographic
Vast array of analogue photographic…
Vast array of analogue photographic equipment at a good price. Quick easy ordering and dispatched. Postage for low value orders is a little high.
November 25, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Firstcall Photo
Thanks for the feedback, David, we’re glad you found a good range of analogue gear at a fair price and that ordering and dispatch were smooth.
You'll be pleased to here we have just revamped our shipping options. It's been top of our list of things to improve for a while, but logistically it needed a bit of work to get it right. Here's our new UK shipping options:
Small Item Service - £4.50
Standard Service - £9.00
Free Delivery - Orders over £150
Next Day Service - £12.00
Next time you order, you'll have the flexibility to order small for a cheaper service, order more for a free service, or upgrade if you need something urgently. Hopefully that helps!
We look forward to serving you again soon.
Firstcall Photo
Delighted with all the products I’ve…
Delighted with all the products I’ve had recently from Firstcall! Fast delivery and some good priced film stock. Very happy to have found them!
December 3, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Firstcall Photo
Thanks so much, Stephen, we’re really pleased to hear you’re happy with the products, pricing on film, and the speedy delivery. Great to have you on board!
Best regards,
The Firstcall Team
Fast delivery and a great product.
Fast delivery and a great product.
Very impressed with this company
November 13, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Firstcall Photo
Thank you for the great feedback! We're thrilled to hear you were impressed with the fast delivery and the product itself. It’s wonderful to know you had such a positive experience with us.
Many thanks,
Firstcall Photo
I needed to add an item to an order…
I needed to add an item to an order already placed via the website. I phoned to ask if that was possible and got straight through a very helpful person who dealt with it immediately. Fantastic service!
November 11, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Firstcall Photo
Hi Robert,
Thank you for the wonderful review! We're so glad we could quickly sort out the extra item for you, it’s exactly the kind of service we aim to provide. If you ever need anything else or have more questions, we’re always here to help.
Best wishes,
The Firstcall Photo Team
I was really impressed with the support…
I was really impressed with the support I received when enquiring about a product. The team were helpful, the prices were very competitive, and the item arrived the next day. Excellent service – thank you.
November 11, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Firstcall Photo
Hi Jon,
Thank you so much for the fantastic review! We're delighted to hear our team could help you out and that your order reached you so quickly. It’s great to know you found our prices competitive too. We really appreciate your kind words and hope to support you again soon.
Warm regards,
The Firstcall Photographic Team
Very professional.
Delivered very quickly, which is very professional. Great set of Patterson Dev trays, thanks, S.
November 17, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Firstcall Photo
Hi Stephen,
Thank you for the lovely review! We're really pleased your order arrived so quickly and that you’re happy with the Paterson trays. If you ever need anything else for your darkroom, we’re always happy to help.
Warm regards,
The Firstcall Photographic Team
Reply from Firstcall Photo
Hi Mr. Chappelow,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. We really appreciate your kind words, it’s great to hear you find us reliable, trustworthy, and helpful.
We’re always here if you need anything, and we look forward to helping you again soon!
The service was excellent however the…
The service was excellent however the product ended up costing me over €100 as firstcall charged me £30 for delivery and then I had to pay €34 import duty which included UPS charging me and this included a further charge by them.
So while your performance was good I can only say I have never had a good interaction with UPS. I am not even able to download my receipt from them.
The product itself is excellent. If you found a distributor in Europe that would be fantastic
October 22, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Firstcall Photo
Hi Mairead,
Thank you so much for your kind words about our service, we really appreciate it, and we’re delighted to hear you’re happy with the product itself!
We completely understand your frustration with the additional import costs and courier fees. Unfortunately, customs duties and handling charges are set by governments and couriers, and we have no control over them. For international orders, we only charge shipping to cover what the courier charges us, we don’t make any profit on delivery fees.
We do import several specialist items, including the Inkaid product you ordered (which comes from the USA), to make them available to photographers and printmakers in countries where no local importer exists. We’re always looking for ways to reduce shipping costs or help our customers avoid unnecessary import fees (within legal limits, of course), but we’re a bit at the mercy of couriers and customs systems at the moment.
For future orders, one way to make things more cost-effective is to combine several items into a single shipment. Shipping and customs processing fees (although not the import taxes) tend to cost about the same whether you’re ordering one bottle or ten, so building up a larger supplies list can make a real difference in value per item.
Thank you again for your feedback and for supporting a specialist supplier like us, it really helps us continue making hard-to-find products available internationally!
Warm regards,
The Firstcall Photographic Team
Fantastic company
Fantastic company to deal with. Very knowledgeable, great communications, everything you would need from one company. Incredibly quick delivery
October 20, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Firstcall Photo
Hi David,
Thank you so much for the lovely feedback! We're thrilled to hear you found our team knowledgeable and easy to deal with, that really means a lot to us. We always aim to provide clear communication, expert advice, and fast delivery, so it’s great to know we hit the mark for you.
Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience, we really appreciate your support!
Best wishes,
The Firstcall Photographic Team
Reply from Firstcall Photo
Hi Terry,
Thank you for the kind words! We're really glad to hear you had a great experience and that our service met your expectations. If you ever have another question or need advice, don’t hesitate to reach out, we’re always happy to help.
Best regards,
The Firstcall Photographic Team
Expensive shipping, otherwise excellent.
I love shopping here, the collection feels like a slice of photography that has gone unchanged for 20 years.
Slightly expensive shipping, but great customer service when I have needed it and orders despatched timely and with care.
September 27, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Firstcall Photo
Hi Andy, thanks so much for your thoughtful review!
We really appreciate your kind words about our collection, we do our best to keep that classic photographic spirit alive. Regarding shipping, all orders currently go out via tracked and insured courier for reliability and peace of mind. That said, we’re actively looking to add a cheaper Royal Mail option for smaller or lower-value orders soon. Watch this space!
In the meantime, there are a couple of ways to enjoy free delivery:
1) Orders over £150 ship via courier free.
2) Sign up for our newsletter to receive a free shipping coupon, and there’s no limit to how many email addresses you can sign up, so you can always claim free delivery when you need i.
Thanks again for shopping with us and for your continued support, it really means a lot.
The Firstcall Photo Team
Ordered a darkroom setup from here
Ordered a darkroom setup from here, items were shipped very quickly and delivery was free!
October 2, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Firstcall Photo
Hi Harry, thanks so much for the review!
We’re chuffed to hear your darkroom setup arrived quickly, and that you took advantage of our free delivery. If you need any tips on setup, chemistry, or paper choices, just give us a shout, we’re happy to help. Enjoy making prints, and we hope to see you again soon!
Reply from Firstcall Photo
Hi Penny, thank you so much for taking the time to leave us a review! We look forward to serving you again next time.
Happy to use again .
Fast delivery ,well packed . Tracked easily .
September 14, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Firstcall Photo
Thank you, Jacqueline! We’re delighted to hear your order arrived quickly, was well packaged, and easy to track. We really appreciate your support and look forward to sending your next order soon!
Very good product availability and service
Very good product availability (I couldn't find the fixer I wanted elsewhere in the UK), and fast delivery. They had to split the delivery in 2 parts, so that I could get part of the order sooner. Recommended!
September 15, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Firstcall Photo
Thank you, Claudio! We’re so glad you found exactly what you were looking for with us, and it’s great to hear the split delivery helped get your order to you as quickly as possible. We really appreciate the recommendation and hope to help you again soon!
Good price
Good price, fast easy ordering and delivery great and very quick.
September 26, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Firstcall Photo
Thank you, Gary! We’re so pleased you were happy with the price and found ordering and delivery nice and straightforward. We really appreciate you shopping with us and hope to help you again soon!
Good price
Good price, fast easy ordering and delivery great and very quick.
September 9, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Firstcall Photo
Thank you, Paul! We’re delighted you were happy with the price and found the whole ordering and delivery process quick and easy. Hope to see you shopping with us again soon!
An excellent company
An excellent company. A first rate website meant I found just what I needed quickly and easily. Faultless check out and delivery quickly and easy. I’ve been out of film photography for a while but it’s reassuring to know that there are companies like Firstcall that you can rely on.
September 3, 2025
Unprompted review
Reply from Firstcall Photo
Thank you, David! We’re so glad to hear you had such a smooth experience with our website, checkout, and delivery. It’s always exciting to welcome people back into the world of film photography, and we’re delighted to be a part of your journey. We look forward to helping you with many more projects to come!
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