Lab Services

[removed account4]

i think it is time to resurect this thread
and for people to list places to get film processed worldwide.

all to often people buy film for the first time and they have no clue locally or geographically
where they can bring or send their film to be processed.

please post labs to this thread

 

[Stephen Frizza]

I own my own lab where I process E-6, C-41 B&W and Scala film in sizes from miniature formats up to 12x16" sheet via dip and dunk.
I also hand print Ra-4 B&W, Ra-4 Reversal and Ilfochrome to mural sizes by hand. Can do film recording up to 8x10" and drum scan among other services.

 

[MattKing]

I own my own lab where I process E-6, C-41 B&W and Scala film in sizes from miniature formats up to 12x16" sheet via dip and dunk.
I also hand print Ra-4 B&W, Ra-4 Reversal and Ilfochrome to mural sizes by hand. Can do film recording up to 8x10" and drum scan among other services.

In this thread, I'm sure Sean wouldn't complain if you included your lab's address and contact information as well.

 

[Karl K]

WalMart in NJ still uses Fuji as their out lab.
Not sure of other WalMart stores across the country.
Fuji does not process traditional black and white film or print on silver gelatin paper.
They do well with E6.
They do not return negatives when processing C-41...they return a CD, so be aware of this before you bring in your C-41 films for processing.
Turnaround time is about 10-14 days.

 

[removed account4]

hi karl
they still do send out at walmart near me too, they also take 120 film but
everything BUT c41 ( 35mm ) goes to dwaynes for a 2 week vacation
( they don't do movie film anymore either ... they used to develop 8mm and 16mm movie film for $5/100 foot roll )
as you said, they don't return the film now. rite aid supposedly still does ( also a fuji labs client ) but not sure for how
much longer they will do that after they change names to walgreens and " upgrade " their photo services ..

 

[Karl K]

hi karl
they still do send out at walmart near me too, they also take 120 film but
everything BUT c41 ( 35mm ) goes to dwaynes for a 2 week vacation
( they don't do movie film anymore either ... they used to develop 8mm and 16mm movie film for $5/100 foot roll )
as you said, they don't return the film now. rite aid supposedly still does ( also a fuji labs client ) but not sure for how
much longer they will do that after they change names to walgreens and " upgrade " their photo services ..

Yes, funny thing about 120 E-6: I gave them four rolls last year. Three rolls came back priced at $4.49 per roll and one roll came back priced at $1.49.
I ALWAYS write out the bags myself at the counter and mark them with a big black Magic Marker: "DEVELOP ONLY--NO PRINTS".

 

[removed account4]

I ALWAYS write out the bags myself at the counter and mark them with a big black Magic Marker: "DEVELOP ONLY--NO PRINTS".

its funny you said that
when i talked to the good folks at rite aid
and asked if they could process-only
they said no, but you can take the negatives and refuse to pay for the prints

not sure if you can do that karl, or if it is only rite aid that allows that ..

 

[Karl K]

its funny you said that
when i talked to the good folks at rite aid
and asked if they could process-only
they said no, but you can take the negatives and refuse to pay for the prints

not sure if you can do that karl, or if it is only rite aid that allows that ..

Yes, my local NJ WalMart also allows you to refuse prints that are not acceptable, but you can't just refuse the entire lot without having a legit reason for doing so. Also, the last time I did refuse some prints, it took about 1/2 hour to find the manager who could approve the refund. Not worth the wait.

For really specialized and custom C-41 processing, scanning and printing I use a small local old fashioned "Mom and Pop Camera Shop":
Livingston Camera

37 S. Livingston Ave.
Livingston, NJ 07039

Phone: (973) 992-8383

David and Debbie are the owners and I know them for decades.
They deliver excellent service at reasonable prices.
Call David for details.
They process almost any size roll of C-41 film and offer a wide variety of custom services.
I have no financial connection with them, so this is just a friendly recommendation.

 

[Agulliver]

A few notes on some UK high street chains and supermarkets.

I was amazed that Asda in St Austell still process C41 colour film. £5 gets you processing, prints (digital of course) and basic scan to CD. £1 for the CD but they will put as many films as you like on that one CD. I went in with five C41 films and spent just £26 getting them all D&P'd plus the CD. The scans to the CD were basic but OK. Prints were pretty good for automated digital. Closer examination of the negatives showed the actual C41 processing was very good. I think they have an older lady working in the photo department who actually knows what she is doing. She was quite delighted when I asked about developing film...and later turned up with five rolls.

Boots in The Mall, Luton will do a similar D&P + CD service for £7 per film including the CD. Quality of prints not as good as Asda above but the C41 processing is fine. The scan is identical to Asda, probably the same model of machine (even the file name has the same format).

Snappy Snaps in Cricklewood (NW London) say they love film..."Bring us your films we love revealing those images"...but then offer to D&P for a whopping £15 per film. Steer clear. A huge shame as 10 years ago I used the same shop quite a lot as it's near where I work. I could put films in during lunch and collect them on the way home, quality was always well above average. But avoid them now.

I do note that many mini labs have now gone, and a lot of high street "photo shops" now only print from digital sources. Where film is still serviced, C41 35mm is about all they do now. And it is very common that I am asked if the film is C41 as they won't even send E6 away any more.

 

[Steve Smith]

For us in the UK: http://ntphotoworks.com/

Film processing and good prices on film too.


Steve.

 

[sionnac]

I'm in the Boston area. I use Colortek in Boston for 35mm, but I have never done large format fine art printing there. Panopticon would be my choice I think, they are near me and found me a paper safe when I was looking for one locally Nice folks, and the prints I saw on display were fantastic. I used to do 35mm color film with Snapfish, miss their 35mm mail service.

 

[CropDusterMan]

I'm a North Coast Photo user here in California as well...heard about them through Ken Rockwell's site...
top notch.

 

[Stephen Frizza]

There is a new Film and Darkroom supply store opened in Sydney Australia which also processes and prints film on site. http://rewindphotolab.com.au/

https://www.facebook.com/rewindphotolab/?fref=ts

I am really proud to be a part of this and would love to help anyone who requires the services we provide.

 

[B&Wpositive]

CT Prints / Ross Imaging Center:
https://www.ctprints.com/

This is one of the few film processing labs left in Connecticut.

Does a good volume, has state-of-the art equipment, and uses Fuji Chemistry. Neg. scans seem excellent. Owner is a professional photographer who loves photography and is often there at the counter when you go in. Willing to listen to your needs and feedback. His studio is a couple of doors down. They recently switched to dry printing from RA-4. There are some other interesting shops in and near the building, including a birding store owned by a nature/landscape photographer. The driveway can be a little tough to get out of since it's on a main road.

 

[Naples]

OK, I'm in Naples FL and just got back from hiking in the Smoky Mountains. I exposed multiple rolls of Kodak Tri-X 400 36 B&W film and need processing and printing. I haven't sent out for processing and printing in a while, and was wondering if there are any recommendations or warnings? In the past, I have used Continental Photo in Orlando FL with superb results, and A&I Labs in Los Angeles CA with superb results. What's the latest in the mail-away scene? Thanks!

 

[Naples]

UPDATE: No responses to my Post #65 above, so, after some research of recent reviews of mail-away processing centers, I decided to send my three rolls of Tri-X to Colonial Photo in Orlando again (www.cphfun.com) (Note: Typo in my Post #65 above; it's "Colonial Photo" not "Continental Photo"). They don't use formal mail-away-forms, you just ship the film to them with instructions and they'll call you for payment. Just as in the past, they did a terrific job processing, scanning, and printing my Tri-X, and their service was personal and excellent. They will definitely be my go-to-guys in the future.

 

[Agulliver]

I just had a mostly positive experience at Snappy Snaps in Cricklewood (NW London).

Last year I tried to drop a couple of rolls of 135 C41 there and was told £15 each. I walked out. But armed with their price list which I had obtained by email, I took one roll of the Poundland Special (AgfaPhoto Vista Plus) and was offered £10 for one hour D&P. What attracts me is that the place smells of photo chemicals, as if their mini-lab is in frequent use. I pass it on my way home from work and usually see a few sets of negatives hanging from it.

So I popped my film in on my lunch break and came to collect it some three and a half hours later...he'd done the processing but not the prints. He churned out automated digital prints in about 6 minutes and took £1 off the charge, so £9 for D&P without any scanning.

Quality of the processing was superb. Very consistent results across the entire roll, lovely detail and colours, no spots or other marks on the negatives. The prints, produced so rapidly there cannot really have been much human intervention, were perfectly acceptable. They were a mix of camping holiday photos plus some more composed photos of old buildings and horses in a field. A bit of a mixed bag and all shot on a 50s Agfa Super Silette with uncoated lens...aside from a little lens flare they look great. Just a couple of photos with huge dynamic range flummoxed the printing system. But even on the camping photos they've got bright blue sky correctly rendered against green grass and colourful people/tents/caravans.

So...despite my previous misgivings I would say this branch of Snappy Snaps is good. I used to use them a lot back in the day but was wary given the downturn in high street processing business.

 

[braxus]

Back in the day I'd use ABC in Vancouver BC, but for the longest time I had stuff sent to Custom Color Lab in Vancouver. They then closed their store and later ran it out of his house. Once he did that I stopped sending it to him. I now deal with "The Lab" in Vancouver. They develop E6, B&W, and C-41 all in house. Pricing is average and quality good. I don't get scans or prints made because of cost. They don't make proofs there. Only custom prints. No issues dealing with the lab, as I mail it to them and they mail it back to me. Cheaper then driving there.

 

[MattKing]

Actually braxus, the Lab makes quite decent proofs, and for C41, will include free, lower resolution (~2700 x 2700 pixels from 6x6) scans when you order those proofs.
EDIT:
I just realized that I took those scan sizes from a resized example. My originals are ~1523 x 1523 pixels.

 

[Trask]

Yes, my local NJ WalMart also allows you to refuse prints that are not acceptable, but you can't just refuse the entire lot without having a legit reason for doing so. Also, the last time I did refuse some prints, it took about 1/2 hour to find the manager who could approve the refund. Not worth the wait.

For really specialized and custom C-41 processing, scanning and printing I use a small local old fashioned "Mom and Pop Camera Shop":
Livingston Camera

37 S. Livingston Ave.
Livingston, NJ 07039

Phone: (973) 992-8383

David and Debbie are the owners and I know them for decades.
They deliver excellent service at reasonable prices.
Call David for details.
They process almost any size roll of C-41 film and offer a wide variety of custom services.
I have no financial connection with them, so this is just a friendly recommendation.

This place sounded interesting, but their website at njcamera.com makes no mention of film development or printing. NJcamera.com is a joint website for Livingston Camera and Milburn Camera, so perhaps someone bought one or both of them out and combined their markets.

 

[images39]

Photolab in Berkeley, California does a nice job for me. I only use them for processing black and white film. They do that well and consistently for me. I haven't had prints, scans or color processing done, just film processing.

Dale

 

[removed account4]

not sure if they do mail order but just learned about a new lab
the other day in olnyville ri, called saw tooth film lab. they do b/w
and soon will be back up doing color ... they have an insta-feed if
you are interested in looking or getting intouch

 

[Agulliver]

This is as good a place as any to post this....just found out that Snappy Snaps in Chiswick (West London) not only process, scan and print both 35mm and 120 C41 films but they have an employee who is really enthusiastic about film. I'm told that in the last year their typical amount of film developed has gone from a dozen to at least 70 films per week. Way down on 25 years ago of course but highly encouraging.

I've seen the results of their D&P on 120 Ektar and it looks excellent. And from what I'm told, anyone who takes in a roll of 120 can expect a very friendly conversation about all things photographic.

An update on Snappy Snaps Cricklewood (NW London). They can process, print and scan 35mm C41 but only process 120 (no prints or scans). And only take film there if Mati, the guy who seems in charge, is about. His other staff don't know how to handle film and slightly fogged a 120 roll I took there by holding it up in the sunlight to see what it was. Mati himself is cool and once he gets to know you he'll let you behind the counter while he scans 35mm negs for you.

 

[macfred]

For E-6 and C-41 (I'm located in Germany) I'm happy with Photostudio 13 https://www.photostudio13.de/fotos-plakate/entwickeln/

 

[grimp0teuthis]

New York City labs that I've had good experiences with:

Dead Link Removed
Dead Link Removed
Dead Link Removed (No E-6. Contact them about ciné film!)

Unless otherwise noted, these all do traditional b&w, C-41, and E-6 in 35mm, 120, and 4x5 (some may take larger), with various levels of scanning available.