Inspiring Leica photography in San Francisco first required bringing the Leica retail experience to the US. So, that's where we started.
Leica Store San Francisco has a history stretching back almost 15 years before the establishment of our flagship store on 463 Bush Street. The journey began with the introduction of Leica retail to the U.S. market in 2001 through the first Leica “Shop In Shop”, located in the original Camera West store in Monterey, California. At the time, the concept of Leica retail in the U.S. was novel and just starting to take shape. Leica Store San Francisco is a direct result of the very first “Shop In Shop” Leica retail experience in the US.
The Leica Shop In Shop at Camera West in Monterey was only a short drive from the city. Many of our first clients and photographers journeyed from the Bay area to Monterey to engage with the rich and vibrant fine art photography culture. This culture permeated the Central Coast and extended into the Bay area where it continues to thrive today.
Sean & Diana Cranor aimed to support fine art photography with high-quality photographic equipment, and this principle guided their operations at the first Camera West Store in Monterey. Naturally, Leica was the go-to choice when considering top-notch photographic equipment.
Fast forward 10 years, and Sean & Diana identified San Francisco as the ideal location to open one of the first Leica Flagship stores in America. In the summer of 2014, Leica Store San Francisco on 463 Bush St. opened its doors to the photographic community as an extension of Camera West stores and the world wide Leica retail network.
Our Store
Every Leica Store has a unique vibrancy while still retaining the distinct Leica brand, and our San Francisco Store is no exception. Entering the Bush Street store, you're greeted with spacious interiors, wood floors, industrial structures, and brick walls - all iconic elements of San Francisco architecture. The design goal for this store was to reflect the classic San Francisco aesthetic. While we may be biased, we believe that the Leica Store in San Francisco is visually the most appealing due to its distinct San Francisco cultural essence.
Our brick walls are adorned with Leica Photography displayed through exhibitions from our in-house gallery. Opposite the gallery wall, you'll find fine photographic tools, watches, and optics from Leica. Our collection isn't limited to just the latest from Leica; we also showcase an extensive range of modern and vintage Leica equipment. At the back of the store, you'll find our bookshop and other accessories, including a full installation of the new Leica Cine 1.
Our mission is simple: to inspire Leica Photography by enabling photographers with fine photographic equipment and photography. We aim to inspire through our gallery, inventory collection, accessories, bookshop, and more. Our online store replicates our in-store experience and, while we can't reproduce all the analog experiences of our brick-and-mortar store, we aspire to offer the best Leica inventory, content, and accessories available online in a distinctly “Leica San Francisco” experience through our website and online concierge service.
Whether you're local to the Bay Area or just passing through, we hope you'll visit us or join us for one of our upcoming events or workshops. If not, we're here to serve and inspire you through leicastoresf.com, camerawest.com, and the Tools Of Time Blog.