Palmetto Bay Camera Repair Shop, Open Sundays: Pitman Photo

Pitman Photo Supply has sold cameras in Miami since 1928, and its store at 14321 South Dixie Highway takes camera repairs every day of the week, Sunday included. The fee to start is $29.95 for a repair estimate, and the counter also cleans sensors for $49.99 with most cameras ready within 24 hours. For a camera repair shop near me search in South Dade, it is the easiest drop-off on the map.

Pitman describes itself as one camera store run by four generations, with nearly 100 years of history. That is unusual in a city where most photo stores closed when phones replaced point-and-shoots. The store has kept going by doing a bit of everything: new and used gear, trade-ins, rentals, film developing and passport photos, all from a single shopfront on the busy Dixie Highway corridor between Kendall and Palmetto Bay.

The customer mix reflects that range. Pitman's own description names photographers, families, students, artists and professionals, and its services line up with each group: passport photos for families, film and darkroom basics for students, rentals and factory repairs for working photographers. A single visit can cover all of it, which is why many South Dade shooters treat the store as a first stop rather than a specialist.

The key thing to know is that Pitman does not repair on site. The store works with factory-authorized service centers, so your camera leaves the building. You bring the equipment in, the counter writes it up, and the $29.95 estimate fee is collected at drop-off. Pitman says most repair estimates come back within 7 to 10 business days, and only after you approve the quote does the actual repair go ahead.

That model has real advantages. Factory service centers have parts that independent benches often cannot get for current bodies, and you do not have to box and ship the camera yourself. The trade-off is time: if you need a camera fixed for a shoot next weekend, a sent-out repair is the wrong plan. In that case rent a body from Pitman's rental department while your own is away.

Before you hand anything over, write the fault on paper: the error code on the screen, which lens it happens with, whether the camera was dropped or got wet. A sent-out repair travels through two counters before it reaches a technician, so a clear note does more work here than at a bench where you can talk to the person holding the screwdriver. Keep the estimate receipt, because that $29.95 slip is how the store tracks your camera.

Sensor cleaning is the service that keeps people coming back. Pitman charges $49.99 for a sensor clean and $19.99 for an exterior camera cleaning, and says cleaned cameras are ready for pickup within 24 hours. The store asks you to include the body cap, any lens caps and a fully charged battery, so pack those before you leave home rather than discovering at the counter that the battery is dead.

There is a perk for anyone who bought a Mack Worldwide Warranty. Those customers receive three free sensor cleanings each year, which effectively pays back the warranty for a photographer who changes lenses outdoors. Beach and boat shooters in Miami collect salt and sand on the sensor quickly, so a free clean every few months is worth more here than in a dry inland city.

Pitman also works as a trading post. In May 2026 the store hosted a three-day buying event with KEH, the used-camera dealer, where photographers brought in old gear to sell. Between events the counter takes trade-ins toward new equipment, so a repair estimate that comes back too high can turn into a trade conversation on the same visit. Ask about trade value before you pay to fix a body worth less than the repair.

Film shooters should know that Pitman develops film too, which makes a drop-off useful even when nothing is broken. A typical visit for a local hobbyist is a roll to develop, a battery for an old light meter and a question about a sticky shutter. If that shutter turns out to need a full overhaul, the counter can start the estimate the same day.

Passport photos are the other reason locals know the store. The service sits at the same counter as repairs, which makes Pitman a practical errand stop before a trip: renew the passport photo, pick up film for the vacation, and leave a lens with a sticky zoom to be estimated while you are away. Coming back to a fixed lens after a week abroad is the timeline the sent-out repair model suits best.

Plan a repair drop-off for a weekday if you can, since passport photos and gear sales share the same staff and weekends draw shoppers. Skip Pitman if you want to talk directly to the technician who will open your camera; the bench is off site. For that, drive north to Southern Photo Technical Service in North Miami Beach, which has repaired cameras in-house since 1948 and writes estimates for free.

The store sits on a commercial strip of South Dixie Highway alongside the South Dade busway. The Falls, the open-air shopping center with waterfalls and tropical landscaping, is about half a mile north, a good place to eat lunch while a sensor is being cleaned. Further south and east, Palmetto Bay's quiet residential streets lead toward Biscayne Bay and the Deering Estate, a short drive rather than a walk.

Address: Pitman Photo Supply, 14321 South Dixie Highway, Miami, FL 33176. Phone: 305-256-9558. Hours: Monday to Saturday 10 am to 7 pm, Sunday 12 pm to 5 pm. Repair estimate fee: $29.95, with estimates in 7 to 10 business days. Sensor cleaning: $49.99; exterior camera cleaning: $19.99. Bring the body cap, lens caps and a charged battery. Ask Karpo in the Karpo APP for lunch near The Falls.