This post fell a little out of date, so I wrote a new, updated post with fresh information about where you can get your film developed. Click here to read it!
This post fell a little out of date, so I wrote a new, updated post with fresh information about where you can get your film developed. Click here to read it!
Don’t forget the now U.S Ilford Lab
https://www.ilfordlab-us.com/
Expensive, but when this was Swan lab, they had exceptionally clean processing (not very well made contact prints, tho, I got the idea the “kids” didn’t understand conventional printing that well). Can’t tell you how important it is to get clean, dust and ‘ding’ free film processing. If you don’t like the eventual prints, you can always have them remade, but damaged film is a horror!
LikeLike
I see that Swan is still out there. I had read somewhere speculation that the Ilford lab was actually The Darkroom; both have a San Clemente address. But then, so does Swan.
A couple times I’ve gotten back negs with scratches on them. Once I am pretty sure that happened in camera, but the other time I doubt it.
LikeLike
Yeah, I second the Ilford lab. With the exception of the film I process myself, all my black and white goes there.
LikeLike
I like Old School for b/w. They’re my favorite b/w lab.
LikeLike
Thanks for sharing these resources. Still have my Nikor tanks and reels but it’s been close to 50 years since I’ve used them, and then just for b/w.
Still need to try out the Leica I just had restored…
LikeLike
If you’re going to shoot just a little here and there, it makes no sense (to me) to process your own. Just send them out! Hope you get out with your Leica soon!
LikeLike
Moro em Boa Vista, estado de Roraima, Brasil, longe, portanto. dos grandes centros. Revelo os meus filmes preto e branco em casa, tenho revelador, fixador, etc. Fotografo, revelo e escaneio o filme, tornando um arquivo digital, depois escolho as melhores foto e mando para um laboratório em São Paulo. Tenho uma Nikon F2, uma Nikon FM2n, uma Asahi Pentax KL e uma Asahi Pentax SP500.
LikeLike
It’s great to be able to process your own film as you do! Thanks for commenting!
LikeLike
Hey that’s fun. I like that you link to old posts because I missed a lot before I encountered your blog.
Cool old shots from your rescued film. We have relative in Niagara Falls so as a kid I went there regularly. In our family photo Mom would have had a firm grip on my arm because I was infamous for climbing things that I shouldn’t.
Also the 3rd shot is taken in the secret garden, with the Rainbow Bridge in the background. Unlike a lot of things in Niagara Falls it is still there 40+ years later.
LikeLike
Ten years of archives await you my man! And how cool that you recognize the scene in one of the Niagara Falls photos. I’ve only driven through the area, once, in about 1990.
Fun tip: https://blog.jimgrey.net/?random will display a random post.
LikeLike
I develop my own B&W film in Caffenoll. For color film I use my local Camera shop “The Photo Shop” in Falmouth Cornwall and like you Jim I just have them scanned to CD, They will process any kind of color film neg in C-41 ie; 35mm,120,110 and APS. I can get slide film done as well in E-6.
LikeLike
Oh how nice that your local lab processes E6. I have to send away for that.
I just had a bunch of prints made for a postcard exchange I’m part of – I have peel-and-stick postcard backs for 4×6 prints. When I need prints like that I just upload them to Walgreen’s, a large drug-store chain, and they print them and either mail them to me or leave them at the store nearest me for pickup.
LikeLike
I use my local camera store here in Burbank, CA. They are CAM Photo & Imaging and the have a website here http://www.camphotobur.com/.
It’s a great little old school store selling new and used camera equipment as well as accessories and services including developing and printing, scanning plus service and repair. They have a large stock of film and provide good advice.
Some of their services are farmed out but turnaround is still reasonable.
LikeLike
Isn’t it great to have a local camera store? And yours in “beautiful downtown Burbank” no less! (That’s a pop-culture reference from the early 1970s.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
:D It is and and I hope they continue to be in business, I give them as much as I can
LikeLiked by 1 person
Of professional labs like Richard Photo Lab, Photovision, The FIND Lab, Indie Film Lab, Goodman Film Lab, etc.
LikeLike
Yes. Someday perhaps I’ll have a need for pro-level attention and quality!
LikeLike
Very timely post.
My Mom has been getting a lot of reprints done from old 35mm negs. She can take them to Meijer and they send them off somewhere. The picture quality is quite good, but the turnaround time keeps increasing and they seem to be getting very sloppy about making the right number of prints from the right negatives.
So I was just suggesting she try one of the mail order places, and this should give me a good start on figuring out where to suggest.
LikeLike
Several of the places I listed do negative reprints. Gotta tell you, I have a lot of anxiety over giving anybody my negatives. I’d scan them myself and send the digital files off to be printed!
LikeLike
I have used Dwayne’s before for B&W which was ok for developing film and scans. However, I dug out my box of photographic equipment that I have had since 1974, from when I took photojournalism at SDSU, and purchased new chemicals to do my own B&W again. My mother once took photography in the 70’s also and had a darkroom built in her house which I used up till it was sold in 2006. Still have the Beseler 23C in my possession even though I scan also.
Color is always sent out of course especially since I am pretty much a slide guy even though my stash of Kodachrome is useless. I’m looking forward to Ektachrome and the possiblity Kodachrome might come back given a comment by a Kodak executive.
LikeLike
I shoot scads of color negative film. People tell me color isn’t significantly harder to process than BW. One of these days I’ll try it.
LikeLike
This list is a good service Jim. Several names I had not heard of. I too have had exceptional service from Old School. Highly recommended.
LikeLike
Old School is very good, to be sure!!
LikeLike
There’s also F-11 Photographic Supplies in Bozeman, MT, and Allen’s Camera in SLC/Orem/Provo/Layton UT, and Nichols Photo in SLC UT.
LikeLike
Do they accept mail order?
LikeLike
You can also send your color (C-41) and B&W to Southerland Photo in Huntsville, AL. I get all my film done there and since it’s local it’s usually 24 hour. They scan straight to CD for me. For B&W they still develop by hand so it takes a little longer. They also provide VHS to DVD, scan film slides and photo restoration. http://www.southerlandphoto.net
LikeLike
Thanks for the tip!
LikeLike
When discussing Willow Photo Lab, you say “quality is uneven.” Can you give me a better idea of what you mean, an anecdote perhaps? I’m thinking of sending them some work because I value traditional prints on ra-4 paper.
LikeLike
I got one roll back where the negatives were a little spotted. But mostly the challenges I’ve had with them has been in the scanning. Twice I’ve had to send negatives back for rescan as the first scan was not up to par.
Since I wrote this, the owner of Willow sold it. I’m not sure to whom.
LikeLike
Willow Photo Lab has resurfaced with new owners in Somerville, Ma.
Prices are similar to the earlier owners.
LikeLike
Yes! I used the new Willow once already. It’s much the same service and quality as before.
LikeLike
very cool blog post
LikeLike