[timw4mail]

Used to be that you could get film developed just about anywhere.

• Do you still go somewhere to get it developed, or do you develop it yourself?
• Do you get prints made, develop prints, or do you just scan negatives into digital images?

[pepperberry farm]

if I were still using film, I'd be sending mine to mpix.com for processing and prints - they do all my prints now and have been super to deal with.....

[lplade]

Used to be that you could get film developed just about anywhere.

• Do you still go somewhere to get it developed, or do you develop it yourself?
• Do you get prints made, develop prints, or do you just scan negatives into digital images?

Hi,

Depends what kind of film.

C-41: While corner stores and Walgreen's have been dropping proper film processing, there are still vendors hanging in there. The local pro photographer shop still does C-41 with quick turnaround. If you've got a good camera shop locally that does this, check them out, they can probably use the business. There are good mail order options too. I've had good luck with oldschoolphotolab.com and Dwayne's, although I have seen scratches. Dwayne's won't cut my negatives to strips of six, so I have to cut the rolls myself. If you're doing pro work you might want to pay more for better quality.

I do my own scanning on a not super expensive Epson. I had a (different, slow) local shop process and scan my negatives, but the scans were very poor and I can do better myself.

E-6: I get the prepaid FujiFilm mailers, which go to "FujiFilm Processing Center" in Parsons, Kansas, which everybody knows is actually just Dwayne's. These are amazing. They come back with nice FujiFilm branded mounts and a nice little box. Mounted slides are so much easier to scan, in my opinion.

B&W: I recently had access to a group lab, where I was doing all my own processing and printing. It's kind of addictive. I may end up getting the chemistry to do it at home. I am still scanning a backlog of negatives.

[ismaelg]

Up to last year when I had local places, I'd request negative only no cutting so I could cut and scan my own at home.
Since my local places like Walgreens no longer develop film, I use Dwayne's photo in Kansas.
A trusted name in photo processing for over 50 years - Dwayne's Photo

Thanks,

[disconnekt]

^I'd go with ismaelg on going with Dwayne's Photo. From some of the other film developing places I've looked at, they're one of the lowest priced ones around, AND that has a "develop only the film" option, whereas a lot of other places you only have the usual "develop & scan options #1, #2, and #3" starting around $12 bucks or so.

On a side note, here's a site that list's a lot of places that develop film:
Photo Labs and Darkrooms ? I shoot film.

[filmamigo]

I use a local camera store - Downtown Camera.

Back 10 years ago, they were "just another camera store" with a lab, not really different from Henry's (Canadian chain store) or any Mom and Pop. Toronto had well respected high-volume pro labs that serviced the wedding and professional markets. For snapshots, some people might choose their local camera store but most used the lab at the grocery store, the drug store, or Costco.

Fast forward 10 years, and almost all of the retail snapshot processing is gone, and so have many of the pro labs.

Downtown Camera have done a great job by hanging in there, and filling the gap. As they gathered more and more of the business, they have embraced the role. They promote film, they stock more film and film-based products than ever before, and they have continually improved their lab services.

Even when I process my own black and white, I bring the film to Downtown Camera for scanning. Their high-res scans are great quality, much better than I could do at home. I have a 20 x 30 inch print on my wall from a 645 neg they scanned. The detail goes on forever, I can stand with my nose pressed to the print and it looks great.

[80turbota]

Had a place locally that did mine but last year they sold all their equipment due to lack of interest. So now there is no place local. Not sure what I am going to do now. Will try Monday and see if the local home pharmacy is still having film developed. They sent it out and I don't know where they sent it to.
cheers.

[boriscleto]

They sent it out and I don't know where they sent it to. .

Probably Dwayne's...

[Mr Bassie]

In Richmond VA there are a few places around still. I use Phototech Labs and they do a decent job. Also Richmond Camera develops as well.

Also there are at least two darkrooms you can join, one with 24/7 access.

[rickxx]

just getting back into film and found these guys Willow Photo Lab
4 rolls of c41 developed and scanned for $14.99. results from film sent to them should be here soon.

[tuco]

I home develop both BW and an occasional C-41.

[timw4mail]

I home develop both BW and an occasional C-41.

How much more complex is C-41 development than B&W?

[tuco]

How much more complex is C-41 development than B&W?

I'd say C-41 is not any more complex of a process in terms what you have to do. You can still develop it just like BW with a 1-liter kit except the developer temperature takes more time and effort to get it at 101°F ± 1°F.

The developer stage is the most temperature critical and you only need to hold it for 3.5 minutes. You can do that by taking a beverage cooler and fill it with 102°F water and adding as needed to maintain it. Put your developer and blix bottles in it and your daylight tank between agitations as you develop the film. And by time you get to the next stage you should be still well within the 95-105 °F temp range for the Blix.

When you do a roll now and then, that is not a hard process without the aid of special equipment. But it can become burdensome when you have a lot of film to develop or do it regularly. Heating up your chemicals is usually fast but if you go over and have to cool it down, heat it up again, etc, that becomes annoying when you just want to get it done. But if you're a patient person then no big deal. And without much effort or expense you could make a water bath container using a heating element for more steady state water temperature.

Edit: I should add Blix is a messy chemical and easily leaks out of a rubber cap (softens with high temp) on stainless steel type tanks.