Reliable film labs in the USA

Philadelphia Photographics

Philadelphia Photographics

Another vote for Philadelphia Photographics. Good service and good people and reasonable prices. Scans are always right on the money.
 
I've had excellent B&W results from Ilford Lab US in San Clemente, CA (aka The Darkroom). I use their prepaid mailers for processing and CD of small scans and also a small contact sheet.
 
I've been using Precision Camera in Austin for the past 3 years. Very happy with their service. Just another data point ...

-N.
 
ndnik said:
I've been using Precision Camera in Austin for the past 3 years. Very happy with their service. Just another data point ...

-N.
Click to expand...

I should amend my previous post. I do love Precision Camera and have been a friend of the owners since they opened for business in 1980. I've purchased a bunch on equipment and supplies from them over the years. However, I use Holland Photo here in Austin for most film processing. Every bit as good and closer to my home.

Just noticed that Walgreens will still process film, but they give you a cd with the images and do not return the film. Why?
 
Good experiences here with two labs:

North Coast Photo, San Diego

Precision (sponsor here).

Both will give you excellent scans from C-41. North Coast develops B&W. I don't know about chromes for either lab.
 
Precision has done a good job in the past. Like wine, the price of developing and scanning film is not indicative of quality. I sent a few rolls to Dodd Camera in Cleveland , frankly with low expectations. Their charge was $8 a roll to develop and scan, 35mm or 6x6 C-41. Being local there weren't any mailing costs, beating Dwanye's, which actually does a decent job. Dodd came back with properly exposed scans that were accurately color balanced, the best of the labs I tried yet - and the least expensive to boot.
 
Chris Bail said:
I currently use Dwayne's Photo for mail order development and have been pleased. I just learned that they do not push or pull. Ever. So I'm now also looking for an alternative.
Click to expand...

Dwayne's likes to undercook b/w negative film - just be forewarned. They don't want to ruin the film of people using really crappy equipment that overexposes. If you are doing b/w, I would suggest A&I.

Dante
 
I use Denver Digital Imaging Center (http://www.theslideprinter.com/) however I was very unimpressed with their scans. Unfortunately I had the reverse experience with Old School Photo Lab (https://oldschoolphotolab.com/), the development was poor on 3 of 4 rolls, but the scans were great. I haven't shopped around much more, but I need to find a better option for development and scans since I don't have quite as much free time anymore to scan my own negs.
 
I had multiple problems with Dwaynes over the last year or so, and that drove me to develop my own film. The frustrating aspect of it is that they never responded to my email complaints. Before that time, however, I had good results and I sent all my film to them from approximately the end of Kodachrome to circa 2016.
 
Two I know and use:
- Precision (a sponsor here), free developing for RFF members for C-41 and excellent scans delivered by DropBox.
- North Coast Photographic Services, San Diego, same high res scans with same equipment as Precision

Also, we hear a lot about:
- Dwaynes

Frankly, I wouldn't use any of the consumer locations any more (Walmart, CVS, etc.). Even if they are doing film, their retail personnel may not know what film is.
 
After all my local sources disappeared 10+ years ago, I went on a protracted search for a reliable high quality lab, trying many, but certainly not all, of the labs mentioned here, and finally settled on Denver Dental Imaging http://www.theslideprinter.com/ which someone else here also mentioned. I use them for E-6 and C41 and have found them to routinely provide the highest quality of any of the labs I had significant experience with. They have also been extremely responsive and helpful on the phone to any requests or questions, which I have not always found elsewhere. Someone mentioned that their scans were less than great; that I have no experience with so can't comment, nor B+W processing which is so simple to do at home it's not worth farming out.
Re: Holland Photographic which was also mentioned above- I did use them with great results for several years, but stopped after Pete Holland sold the business as the quality became quite sloppy in short order, in my experience at any rate.
Experiences vary, so just another data point.
 
I do my own b&w, so only send out C41 stuff.

I have been using a home based lab called Willow Photo because they are low price for good service, but they are trailing off, working only part time.

I suppose I will have to find a "professional" service now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom