What K&M Camera does

K&M Camera is a privately held specialty retailer of photography, video, audio, lighting, and studio equipment headquartered in the New York metropolitan area. Operating for over 40 years, the company runs a flagship retail showroom at 54 Orchard Street in Manhattan and an operations and equipment rental location at 325 38th Street in Brooklyn, alongside a primary e-commerce storefront at kmcamera.com and a dedicated rental site at kmrentaleq.com. Its catalog spans digital and film cameras, lenses across multiple mounts, tripods and supports, bags and cases, professional video and cinema equipment, pro audio gear, lighting and studio accessories, optics, film and darkroom supplies, and used/open-box equipment.

The underlying technology is a standard e-commerce retail platform (the company references D2Cbox as the platform provider) integrated with multi-category inventory management, supporting direct-to-consumer online sales, phone-based expert support, in-store retail, equipment rentals, and film processing services. K&M Camera is an authorized reseller for major manufacturers including Sony, Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Sigma, Tamron, Kodak, and Ilford, enabling genuine-product distribution with manufacturer warranties.

The business model combines three revenue streams: one-time product sales across a wide price range (from low-cost accessories to professional-grade equipment priced in the thousands), equipment rentals billed per transaction, and film processing services. Pricing is unit-based with no subscription tiers; free shipping is offered on orders over $99 to the contiguous United States. The customer base is segmented horizontally across professional photographers and videographers, hobbyist and enthusiast photographers (including analog/film users), and audio/music producers, with no disclosed enterprise customers or institutional accounts.

Name

K&M Camera

Legal name

K&M Camera

Website

https://kmcamera.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

K&M Camera is a 40+ year New York-based specialty retailer selling and renting photography, video, audio, lighting, and studio equipment to professional and hobbyist creators, with a Manhattan retail showroom, a Brooklyn rental location, and a national e-commerce storefront.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Photography Equipment Retail

NAICS

Electronics and Appliance Retailers (4492), Consumer Electronics and Appliances Rental (532210), Photofinishing (81292)

SIC

Photographic Equipment & Supplies (3861), Services-Photofinishing Laboratories (7384)

akta.pro primary industry

Camera & Lens Retail (Photo Cameras, Lenses & Optical Accessories) (CRACAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Video Camera & Production Gear Retail (Camcorders, Cinema Cameras, Rigs) (CRACAHAB), Lighting & Studio Equipment Retail (Flash, Continuous, Modifiers, Backdrops) (CRACAHAF), Photo Printing & Imaging Supplies Retail (Printers, Paper, Ink, Darkroom) (CRACAHAJ), Pro Audio & Recording Equipment Retail (MI-adjacent) (CRALAEAC), Camera, Grip & Lighting Equipment Rental (MPADAFAB)

Keywords

• Photography equipment retail
• Camera lenses accessories
• Video production gear
• Studio lighting supplies
• Photography equipment rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Retail sales of photography equipment including digital cameras, lenses, film, bags, tripods, lighting, audio, and accessories through e-commerce and retail stores. Products range from entry-level to professional equipment with various price points.
2. Equipment Rentals: Rental department offering professional photography and video equipment on a per-rental basis through kmrentaleq.com.
3. Film Processing Services: Film processing services for analog photographers, offering development and printing of film stocks.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

K&M Camera retails new and used photography, videography, audio, lighting, and studio equipment alongside film and darkroom supplies through an e-commerce storefront and a Manhattan physical store. The company operates a separate K&M Rentals division in Brooklyn for short-term equipment rentals and offers film processing services for analog photographers. Authorized reseller status with manufacturers such as Sony, Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Sigma, Tamron, Kodak, and Ilford underpins its product catalog.

Product overview

K&M Camera is a premier photography supplies retailer that has been serving customers for over 40 years. The company operates as a traditional e-commerce platform offering an extensive catalog of photography and videography equipment. Their product portfolio spans multiple categories including Digital Cameras (Mirrorless, DSLR, Point & Shoot, Medium Format), Lenses (Mirrorless, DSLR, Medium Format, Cine, Rangefinder), Film Cameras (35mm, Medium Format, Instant, Disposable), Tripods & Supports, Bags & Cases, Professional Video Equipment (Camcorders, Digital Cinema, PTZ, Monitors, Stabilizers), Pro Audio Equipment (Microphones, Headphones, Recorders, Synthesizers), Lighting & Studio Equipment (Flashes, Modifiers, Meters, Strobes), Office Supplies (Printers, Scanners, Storage), Film & Darkroom Supplies (various film formats, darkroom chemistry, paper), Optics (Binoculars, Monoculars, Laser Rangefinders), and Used Equipment (Open Box, Refurbished items). The company also operates a Rental Department for temporary equipment needs. K&M Camera is an Authorized Reseller offering free shipping over $99 to the Contiguous United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Digital Cameras Range of digital cameras including Mirrorless, DSLR, Point & Shoot, and Medium Format digital cameras from major manufacturers, sold to professional and hobbyist photographers through the K&M Camera storefront and e-commerce site.
• Lenses Extensive selection of lenses including Mirrorless, DSLR, Medium Format, Cine, and Rangefinder lenses from manufacturers such as Sigma and Tamron.
• Film Cameras Traditional film cameras including 35mm, Medium Format, Instant Film, and Disposable cameras for analog photography enthusiasts.
• Tripods & Supports Camera support equipment including Tripod Heads, Tripod Legs, Tripod Combos, and Monopods.
• Bags & Cases Camera bags and cases including Backpacks, Messenger/Shoulder Bags, Sling Bags, Rolling Bags, Hard & Watertight Cases, Duffle Bags, and Straps & Harnesses.
• Professional Video Equipment Video production equipment including Camcorders, Digital Cinema Cameras, PTZ Cameras, On-Camera Monitors & Recorders, and Stabilizers & Rigs.
• Pro Audio Equipment Professional audio equipment including Headphones, Microphones, Turntables, Effects Pedals, Wireless Microphone Systems, Music Production gear, Recorders, Preamps, Synthesizers, and Musical Instruments.
• Lighting & Studio Equipment Studio lighting including Flashes & On Camera Lighting, Backgrounds & Supports, Light Modifiers, Light Meters, Continuous Lighting, Strobe Lighting, Supports & Mounts, Stage Equipment, and Lighting Cases.
• Film & Darkroom Supplies Film and darkroom supplies including various Film types (35mm, Medium Format, Instant, Sheet, Movie), Darkroom Paper, Chemistry, and Presentation & Storage.
• Optics Optical equipment including Binoculars, Monoculars, and Laser Rangefinders.
• Used Equipment Pre-owned photography equipment including Open Box Deals, Used Digital Cameras, Used Lenses, and Used Film Cameras offered at discounted prices.
• Equipment Rental Service (K&M Rentals) Rental department offering photography and video equipment for temporary use, located at 325 38th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11232, with phone reservations at 212-523-0954 x 2 and email at [email protected], served through kmrentaleq.com.
• Film Processing Services In-house film processing services for analog photographers, offering development and printing of film stocks, supporting the analog photography workflow.
• Office Supplies (Printers, Ink & Paper, Scanners, Drives & Storage) Photography-related office equipment including Printers, Ink & Paper, Scanners, and Drives & Storage for image printing and archival workflows.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Calumet Photographic: Calumet is a long-established photography retailer offering cameras, lighting, and pro services, directly comparable to K&M's mix of gear sales and specialty services.
• Midwest Photo Exchange: Midwest Photo is a regional photography retailer carrying new and used photo/video gear with strong analog/film expertise, comparable to K&M's broad catalog and film-focused services.
• Lensrentals: Lensrentals is a leading online camera and lens rental company directly comparable to K&M Rentals, monetizing high-end photography and cinema gear through short-term rentals.
• BorrowLenses: BorrowLenses operates a nationwide camera, lens, and lighting rental business serving professional and enthusiast photographers, directly overlapping with K&M's rental offering.
• Adorama: Adorama is another major NYC-based photo, video, audio, and electronics retailer directly competing with K&M across product categories, rental, and used gear.
• B&H Photo Video: B&H is the dominant NYC-based photography, video, audio, and lighting retailer and the closest direct competitor to K&M, serving the same professional and enthusiast customers with a far larger catalog and online presence.
• Samy's Camera: Samy's is a West Coast photography and video retailer offering cameras, lighting, rentals, and education—highly comparable assortment and rental model, though serving a different geography.

Emerging players

• FilmTools: FilmTools specializes in production gear for film and video professionals, overlapping with K&M's cinema camera, lighting, and rigging categories for production-oriented customers.
• Film Supply / The Darkroom: The Darkroom is an online photofinishing service that develops and prints film; comparable to K&M's film processing service line and darkroom supplies category.

Broad incumbents

• Sweetwater: Sweetwater is the largest US retailer of pro audio and music production gear; K&M carries overlapping categories (mics, headphones, synthesizers, mixers), making it a broad incumbent in the audio slice of K&M's catalog.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about K&M Camera