Draft:KEH Camera

KEH Camera

Formerly	KEH Camera Brokers
Industry	Retail
Founded	1979
Founder	King Grant Jr.
Headquarters	Smyrna, Georgia , United States
Products	Pre-owned photographic and video equipment
Services	Equipment sales, purchasing, trade-in and repair

KEH Camera is an American retailer specializing in pre-owned photographic and video equipment. Founded in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1979, the company buys and resells cameras, lenses and related equipment and also provides photographic-equipment repair services.

Originally built around catalog and telephone sales, KEH later became an e-commerce retailer. A 2002 profile in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution described the company's transition from mail-order sales to online commerce. By 2025, CO—, a publication of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, reported that KEH generated more than US$100 million in annual sales and returned more than 275,000 pieces of photographic and video equipment to circulation each year.

History

Founding and mail-order business

KEH was established in Atlanta in 1979 by King Grant Jr. A June 1979 business listing published in the Atlanta Business Chronicle and reproduced in The Atlanta Constitution identified KEH Inc. as a newly established camera broker, with Grant listed as the company's owner and an address on Peachtree Street in Atlanta.

A 2002 profile in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Grant began the business by selling part of his personal collection of classic cameras. According to the newspaper, the business initially developed through direct-mail advertising and telephone sales.

KEH subsequently acquired Atlanta Photo Supply. The 2002 profile described the acquisition as part of the company's development from a small camera-trading operation into a national seller of pre-owned photographic equipment.

The company's early sales model relied heavily on mail-order catalogs. Customers could select equipment from printed listings and place orders by telephone, a model that later influenced the company's approach to online retail.

Transition to online retail

KEH began experimenting with online sales before the widespread adoption of web-based retail. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in 2002 that KEH had used online services including Prodigy before shifting its sales operation to the World Wide Web.

According to the newspaper, KEH's transition to the Web was an extension of its existing mail-order model rather than the creation of a separate Internet business. The company began using Prodigy for online retail in 1997 and subsequently developed its own website.

Within two months of the company's first web operation becoming active, Internet sales accounted for approximately 35 percent of its business, according to the 2002 profile. By 2002, more than 57 percent of KEH's business resulted directly from its website.

The newspaper reported that KEH's website received more than 15 million hits per month in 2002. At the time, the company stocked more than 30,000 cameras and lenses, employed 47 people and maintained an active customer database of more than 400,000.

Because many pieces of pre-owned equipment were individually listed rather than interchangeable stock units, KEH maintained an online inventory system that reflected equipment availability. In 2002, the company updated its online inventory every four hours during its daily business cycle.

Expansion and physical retail

In 2013, investment firm D Cubed Group acquired KEH. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce later reported that the company remained focused on the resale of pre-owned photographic equipment while expanding its e-commerce, inspection and repair operations.

In 2021, KEH opened a new physical retail location in Smyrna, Georgia. Photography publication PetaPixel reported that the store provided access to the company's online inventory and allowed customers to buy equipment, collect online orders, submit repairs, and sell or trade equipment in person.

The Georgia Department of Economic Development reported in 2024 that KEH had approximately 200 employees and had expanded its Smyrna facility from about 25,000 square feet to 62,000 square feet. The larger facility accommodated both its e-commerce operations and its physical retail store.

Business model

KEH operates in the market for pre-owned photographic and video equipment. The company purchases equipment from individuals, inspects and grades it, and offers it for resale through its website and physical retail location.

In 2025, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce described KEH's business as a form of technical re-commerce. The publication reported annual sales exceeding US$100 million and stated that the company returned more than 275,000 pieces of photographic and video equipment to circulation annually.

The same report described inspection, pricing and repair as central elements of the company's resale operation. Unlike peer-to-peer marketplaces, KEH acts as the purchaser and reseller of the equipment rather than only providing a marketplace connecting individual buyers and sellers.

Repair services

KEH operates repair facilities for photographic equipment in addition to its resale business.

In September 2026, photography publication DPReview reported that Zeiss had appointed KEH its exclusive authorized repair and service center for photographic lenses and equipment in the United States and Canada. The agreement covers both warranty and non-warranty repairs and includes current as well as older Zeiss photographic lenses.

DPReview also reported that KEH was already an authorized repair partner for Sony and Sigma when the Zeiss agreement was announced.