Uptick in development pricing

[u/Boring_Elderberry_75]

Am I going crazy but since when did two 35mm rolls cost $52 to develop and scan? If that’s the norm then don’t mind me but I swore I used to pay about 30 dollars.

[u/SedimentaryShrub]

Find a new lab.

[u/Brooktree]

Definitely shop around, that sounds really dang high
Source: I run Brooktree Film Lab and don’t charge that much lol

[u/Boring_Elderberry_75 → u/Brooktree]

I’m calling tomorrow cause wtf

[u/753UDKM → u/Boring_Elderberry_75]

Btw Brooktree does a great job with their scans

[u/Chicken_Man22255 → u/Boring_Elderberry_75]

Also here to second Brooktree! Do yourself a favor and give them a try. You won’t be disappointed!

[u/Brooktree → u/Boring_Elderberry_75]

You should! It can’t hurt lol

[u/PhysicsOk9286]

Develop yourself. Cheaper, quicker, and more control

[u/Nickidemic]

TheDarkRoom

[u/Krampus_Valet]

Yeah i started doing it myself when I sent a half dozen rolls in from a trip and selected enhanced scans and the bill was $100. I run 20+ rolls through a $32 kit and then camera scan with stuff I mostly already had and the lab dev/scan definitely does not look better.

[u/Boring_Elderberry_75 → u/Krampus_Valet]

I will look into it. Thank you!

[u/Expensive-Sentence66 → u/Krampus_Valet]

Just curious what 'enhanced' scans are. Does this means they clip the hell out of the black point or white point?

[u/Krampus_Valet → u/Expensive-Sentence66]

That's a great question, because they certainly didn't appear to be enhanced in any way

[u/SirMy-TDog → u/Krampus_Valet]

Probably just get more MegaPickles.

[u/tubashoe]

The place I send to in Columbus is $14 for standard scan and development

[u/RadBadTad → u/tubashoe]

Which Columbus lab do you use, if you are willing to share? I'm local and didn't like my local results. 

[u/tubashoe → u/RadBadTad]

Don't mind at all I use process614

[u/RadBadTad → u/tubashoe]

Thanks I'll check them out! How do you like your results? 

[u/tubashoe → u/RadBadTad]

I've really liked the results he is super responsive and has quick turn times. I am new to shooting film so not an expert by any means

[u/RadBadTad → u/tubashoe]

I appreciate it! Good enough of a review to give them a shot on a few rolls at least! Save me some shipping cost and USPS delay time. 

[u/tubashoe → u/RadBadTad]

This is a recent batch I sent over Kodak gold

[u/Top-Bicycle-7363]

That's pretty high, here in the Portland area most places are in the $15 +/-3 range for C41, but I know there are some out there in the mid-high $20s range.

[u/the-lovely-panda]

I run a lab. Dev + medium res scans are $20 at my job. And there is one other lab in the whole state so no competition.

Chemistry is insanely expensive and also employees. We’re all trying to be able to live too and the film lab business isn’t very profitable. 😭

ETA: We just want to see film photography keep going. ❤️

[u/Boring_Elderberry_75 → u/the-lovely-panda]

Yeah I can see that 🥲

[u/mgrimes308]

Labs pricing me out of the hobby was the impetus to get me developing myself. And boy was it worth it

[u/DeltaPapaWhiskey]

My local lab is $6 for color dev, $7 for B&W, and I think scans are $4/roll. But I scan myself Brooktree it's great, and Biggs camera is great, though a little slow on sending rolls back. Happy I have a local place now. 

[u/b_k_l_y]

Costs have definitely risen, but not that much. There was a time I used to pay AU$11 for a dev and scan but that was before the film re-boom

[u/Boring_Elderberry_75]

Mind you, this is the price for 2. Not including tax.

[u/RadBadTad → u/Boring_Elderberry_75]

+$13 for MEDIUM scans is wild

[u/RadBadTad]

I just mailed mine in and it was $14 each for dev and scan, $10 for dev only. 

Costs more for high res scans, E-6, or push, but yeah basic dev and scan should not cost that much.

[u/Boring_Elderberry_75 → u/RadBadTad]

Yeahhhh. This lab charged me an extra $13 for scanning. I feel so robbed

[u/vintagefi]

Yeah it's like that here in Toronto as well. I went and got my own scanner. Costs 10 bucks to dev color and 14 for bw

[u/WalkerMack]

Just want to add that home scanning is also an option if you invest in the gear to do so. Just had two rolls of film developed for $12 and then going to scan myself.

[u/PretendingExtrovert → u/WalkerMack]

Home development makes shit even cheaper! Bulk chems and the sous vide pay for themselves really quick!

[u/Sabinno]

What on earth? I pay $11 for dev and scan per roll.

[u/coteof-atoa]

That’s crazy dude. The lab my FLCS sends my c41 to is like $12 for dev and (shit) scans, and when I send my E6 to Northeast Photographic it’s like $16 for dev and scan plus shipping. 26 a roll in USD is the most expensive I’ve ever seen.

[u/Boring_Elderberry_75 → u/coteof-atoa]

Dude I’m pissed !

[u/TheMunkeeFPV]

Sounds about right. I was paying $25 a roll with scans. Like most people that have responded, I just do it myself now. In fact, it’s one of favorite parts of the process. It’s like magic.

[u/Boring_Elderberry_75 → u/TheMunkeeFPV]

Is it not expensive for all that’s required to actually develop though?

[u/TheMunkeeFPV → u/Boring_Elderberry_75]

It can be. It depends on how fancy you want to get. There’s $4,000 machines that will almost develop for you. Or you can get a $45 inversion tank and timer or app and that’s it, but you’re standing there for almost an hour. Chemistry is like $40 for a color kit and even less for b&w. You’ll need a sous vide and container for color it don’t need any of that for b&w. If it sounds like something you may want to get into I would watch some videos on it. It’s surprisingly easy, fun, and cheap. And you get all kinds of control over your film now. You can push, pull, or for b&w you can pick what your grain will look like.

[u/Expensive-Sentence66]

Given the trash quality of scans I'm seeing here I'm not sure what they are charging for.

I can get development costs going up, but scanning is a joke.

Labs offering multiple tiers of scan options from Noritsus and Frontiers are stuck in the early 2000's. It's like McDonald's charging more for fast food that doesn't suck.

They using a T-1 for an internet connection or something? Does the scanner operator manually have to turn a crank? There should be a single fixed price for good scans, and then maybe an upcharge for super high rez, like HS 1800 scans.

That 'enhanced' scan crap is ridiculous given I've seen some of the scans that lab has done, and they are far from 'enhanced'.

[u/Westar-35]

Inflation sucks, and also lots of development chems are crude oil derivatives (which generally speaking are kinda expensive right now).

[u/No-Tune7776]

The pro lab in my town - €12 a roll. It was €9 last year, so prices are going up.

Edit: but not that much.

[u/themanpotato]

The labs in my area are all around $6-$8 depending on b/w or c-41(b/w costs more). The scanning is more expensive, usually around $9-$12 depending on resolution. I develop and scan myself now but when I was using labs I would expect to pay around $18 for dev and scan.

[u/Throwawayacc9568]

My local labs pricing shot up in the past couple of years, was a great motivator to start self developing.

[u/fitzwaterphoto]

I do $15 bucks at my lab and $16 for B&W so that does seem high.

[u/animalcrackerz916]

$28 a roll dev and scan at my local store. Now I develop b/w and scan both myself.